[Zuul]

“Want some Beolabs?”

My brother-in-law is a talented electrician in a wealthy county.  His clients have always been well-heeled and prone to giving him their cast-offs.  I had called him to ask advice about digital vs. analog phase converters – I’m building a machine shop but getting three-phase power is logistically impossible and I have the opportunity to run cable from the compressor room while I’m running air and wanted to discuss the idea with him.  He didn’t have much expertise to share on phase converters but he did want to de-clutter.

“Yes.  Yes I do.  What do you have?”

After clarifying that yes, he was talking about Beolab 5s and yes, he had four of them, he mentioned two “are working fine”, two “are frustrating” and that while he was planning on putting them on the curb “because it’d be really funny” he said if I wanted them I was welcome to them.

I clarified with my sister – several times – that they were looking to give up tens of thousands of dollars in high-end Danish audio and were they sure they wanted to do that.  She assured me that the speakers needed a new home and as I had recently purchased something architecturally significant, I was the natural recipient of these cast-offs.  After all, they had a 4500lb Wolf range that they still hadn’t gotten around to reinforcing the kitchen floor for and there were only so many projects one could take on.  Besides, she wanted her practice room back.

So I’ve been working on the logistics of transporting 600-odd lbs of high-end Danish sound reinforcement a thousand-odd miles.  I need another project like I need a hole in the head – I’m going to go change out 1000sf of fluorescent lighting for LEDs so I can set up a paint booth so I can swap out the front doors so I can yadda yadda yadda but one does not turn down two (2!) free pairs of Beolab 5s, even if one has always been skeptical of the bang-to-buck ratio of certain quirky, design-forward hi-fi audio manufacturers.

I’m looking at $800 in freight and $800 in crating, which is enough to contemplate borrowing my father-in-law’s truck and making a drive of it but not enough for the idea to win out.  I got a price on individual crates ($800 upcharge) on the assumption that these guys may end up having to travel for service before realizing that $800 is a modest wood shop’s worth of equipment for making my own travel cases… and as a former audiovisual consultant and engineer I’m likely to do a better job of protecting these guys than some random packing company.

I haven’t spent a dime yet.  I’m sure I’ll have some questions.  I’ve always been more into the studio/reinforcement side of audio – I have a Genelec/Dante Atmos room for work and an Onkyo/Klipsch Atmos room for TV – but there’s definitely something about the second-most Dalek-lookin’ speakers ever made.  I’d been toying with the idea of Klipschorns in the study, having set it up with Klipsch in-walls and a Wiim Amp, but a pair of Beolabs on either side of the fireplace will look spectacular.

Hopefully sound good, too?

Anyway, if anyone wishes to share opinions about the proper transport of Beolab 5s I’m all ears.  I think I’ve basically decided how they’re getting here so I’m receptive to opinion modifiers.

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