Hi...I have been offered a Beosound3200 with Beolab 4000 speakers for £2995...brand new from shop...Any comments welcome. Ian
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Bang & Olufsen ...? Good deal??
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matthewpiano
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£3k can buy a LOT of hi-fi. The B&O is nice from a design and build quality point of view but I think you could buy something much more stunning sounding for that money.
plastic penguin
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Yep, that sounds quite shrewd deal if you go for it. Some friends of ours have B&O and they paid nearly that amount for the speakers (about 3 years ago). For me, though, B&O is purely a 'Lifestyle' system and can be bettered [sonically] with a conventional looking system.
excellent gear beats the rest in the design stakes
boring boxes may sound better but they look rubbish
boring boxes may sound better but they look rubbish
matthewpiano
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one off:
excellent gear beats the rest in the design stakes
boring boxes may sound better but they look rubbish
But quality hi-fi is all about the sound and there are plenty of perfectly decent looking components around these days.
excellent gear beats the rest in the design stakes
boring boxes may sound better but they look rubbish
But quality hi-fi is all about the sound and there are plenty of perfectly decent looking components around these days.
true but most b&o stuff is iconic
id rather buy something that makes a design statement and sounds good too
cant afford it thouygh
id rather buy something that makes a design statement and sounds good too
cant afford it thouygh
one off:
excellent gear beats the rest in the design stakes
boring boxes may sound better but they look rubbish
I personally listen to good quality music reproduction with my ears not my eyes...........
excellent gear beats the rest in the design stakes
boring boxes may sound better but they look rubbish
I personally listen to good quality music reproduction with my ears not my eyes...........
but you have to live with how it looks in your room
which would you rather a volvo or the new jag both do the same job but one is oh so cool
which would you rather a volvo or the new jag both do the same job but one is oh so cool
chebby
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I quite admire the B&O gear. I have heard it often over the years and always with a preconception (from hifi mags and comments from non B&O dealers) that it will just be "all flash and no go".
Not so. Without exception it always sounded good. The only problem is that I could never afford it! I still can't afford it alas. (The last B&O system I heard had active front speakers that cost about £11K)
Impeccably styled, fantastic engineering and an industry leader in research and sounds good too.
I'd say go for it. You know you want to.
Not so. Without exception it always sounded good. The only problem is that I could never afford it! I still can't afford it alas. (The last B&O system I heard had active front speakers that cost about £11K)
Impeccably styled, fantastic engineering and an industry leader in research and sounds good too.
I'd say go for it. You know you want to.
plastic penguin
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one off:
true but most b&o stuff is iconic
id rather buy something that makes a design statement and sounds good too
cant afford it thouygh
Clearly style and looks take priority over sound, which is great. Personally, if I had 3k to spend on an upgrade, I would be disappointed if the sound didn't come up to scratch.
Some weeks ago i auditioned Leema Pulse connected to MA RS6's and Arcam CD192 and it was absolutely epic sounding. The dynamics, detail and just the balance of the sound was astonishing.
The guy offered me a price (from a well-known retailer) for the Leema of just a tad over a Grand. I would partner it with better speakers, like PMC GB1i + 192 would come to no more than about 2.5k. B&O, I know from experience wouldn't even touch that set-up, sound-wise.
But, as always, this is a personal opinion.
true but most b&o stuff is iconic
id rather buy something that makes a design statement and sounds good too
cant afford it thouygh
Clearly style and looks take priority over sound, which is great. Personally, if I had 3k to spend on an upgrade, I would be disappointed if the sound didn't come up to scratch.
Some weeks ago i auditioned Leema Pulse connected to MA RS6's and Arcam CD192 and it was absolutely epic sounding. The dynamics, detail and just the balance of the sound was astonishing.
The guy offered me a price (from a well-known retailer) for the Leema of just a tad over a Grand. I would partner it with better speakers, like PMC GB1i + 192 would come to no more than about 2.5k. B&O, I know from experience wouldn't even touch that set-up, sound-wise.
But, as always, this is a personal opinion.
idc
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one off:
but you have to live with how it looks in your room
which would you rather a volvo or the new jag both do the same job but one is oh so cool
I loved my ultra cool Swedish styled Volvo S80. I love my ultra cool British styled Jaguar S Type. I would love some ultra cool Danish styled Bang & Olufsen. All the Bang & Olufsen kit I have heard sounded great, hifis to TV.
but you have to live with how it looks in your room
which would you rather a volvo or the new jag both do the same job but one is oh so cool
I loved my ultra cool Swedish styled Volvo S80. I love my ultra cool British styled Jaguar S Type. I would love some ultra cool Danish styled Bang & Olufsen. All the Bang & Olufsen kit I have heard sounded great, hifis to TV.
Im with the people that say looks matter. No matter how good a speaker is i would not buy it if it is pug ugly. This is especially the case when i can get almost the same performance in a better looking package. You spend a lot of money on hifi it has to be desirable. It usually becomes the focal point of any room it is in, so must be asthetically pleasing for me. B&O stuff is excellent in both looks AND sound. Yeah you pay a premium and the same performance elsewhere could be cheaper. A RADO does the same job as a CASIO. I know what id rather have...
Yes, it is a good deal, looks definitely matter, you have to have the things in your house, and most hifi stuff is of significant enough size to warrant more effort on the style front, but then again lots of people would rather not pay for styling development. Do looks matter to the tune of several hundred/thousand pounds over a similar sounding system? To me, no, but the B&Os are hardly lacking in sound quality.
Go for it, why not? And to the above post, my Omega doesn't do the same job as a Casio, it doesn't even have a calculator.
Go for it, why not? And to the above post, my Omega doesn't do the same job as a Casio, it doesn't even have a calculator.
matthewpiano
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Yamaha CD-S2000, A-S2000 and some nice Spendor speakers. Same budget, every bit as good looking in a different way, but with superior audio performance. I know where my money would go.
I've got nothing against B&O BTW. I think their kit is superbly engineered and I think it sounds very good. Its just that I think much better sound quality can be had for the same money.
At the end of the day its all personal and thats what makes this hobby such fun.
To the OP - if its what you want and you are happy with the price, go for it. One thing you will know is that it will last and last, and if it ever malfunctions B&O's legendary customer support will ensure you are soon up and running again. Let us know what you end up doing.
I've got nothing against B&O BTW. I think their kit is superbly engineered and I think it sounds very good. Its just that I think much better sound quality can be had for the same money.
At the end of the day its all personal and thats what makes this hobby such fun.
To the OP - if its what you want and you are happy with the price, go for it. One thing you will know is that it will last and last, and if it ever malfunctions B&O's legendary customer support will ensure you are soon up and running again. Let us know what you end up doing.
matthewpiano
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Oh, and an Omega is a more accurate and better engineered time piece than a Casio. That is what the premium in price buys you. It is better at its job.
I know, the lack of a calculator is more than made up for in other things, especially when you see the inside, all the little pieces, the engineering effort is stunning and it's beautiful and should last me a lifetime, and hopefully the lifetime any sons that I may have. I'm 21, barely a glint in my eye...
And on what I would buy, it would be Roksan Kandy with Spendors, with the Spendor stands I'd expect some change. I was just saying that it is 'worth' it, despite not being what I'd choose to buy.
And on what I would buy, it would be Roksan Kandy with Spendors, with the Spendor stands I'd expect some change. I was just saying that it is 'worth' it, despite not being what I'd choose to buy.
I have a 'good looking' amp which also sounds very good
and I only paid £275 for mine
(sorry guys .... thought I'd brag a bit!)
Ipri ... B&O is pretty good, but as others have said, soundwise you can do much better with your budget. Sounds as though you have already made up your mind, so go with your heart!
and I only paid £275 for mine
(sorry guys .... thought I'd brag a bit!)
Ipri ... B&O is pretty good, but as others have said, soundwise you can do much better with your budget. Sounds as though you have already made up your mind, so go with your heart!
the only thing that matters to me when buying a hifi is sound.
if i want to look at something nice, i'll buy a picture.
if that's what floats your boat though, then go for it.
if i want to look at something nice, i'll buy a picture.
if that's what floats your boat though, then go for it.
matthewpiano:Oh, and an Omega is a more accurate... time piece than a Casio.
Arguable, actually...
But I'd say the OP should certainly forget all the 'style over substance' prejudice, and give the B&O system a listen. I think they could be pleasantly surprised.
Arguable, actually...
But I'd say the OP should certainly forget all the 'style over substance' prejudice, and give the B&O system a listen. I think they could be pleasantly surprised.
bigboss
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If you can even think of buying it, you can obviously afford it. It seems like a good deal.
There will always be people who will say that you'll get much better systems for a lot less. Even I was one of them. I bought the KRP 500A as it's the best TV ever made. I often thought: Why would anyone buy B&O or Loewe TVs when KRP 500A is around? But when I saw them on display at Selfridges, I knew exactly why. They look extremely gorgeous! I really wouldn't mind swapping my KRP 500A for a top of the range B&O or a Loewe TV. They're style statements.
At the end of the day, I want to feel happy when I watch a TV. I feel happy watching a KRP 500A purely on its performance. I'll probably feel happier watching a B&O, or listening to a B&O, as the performance may be only 90-95% of the best, but the looks more than make up for it.
B&O customer service is unrivalled in the industry.
So, is B&O expensive? - Oh yes!
Is it worth it? - Definitely!!
There will always be people who will say that you'll get much better systems for a lot less. Even I was one of them. I bought the KRP 500A as it's the best TV ever made. I often thought: Why would anyone buy B&O or Loewe TVs when KRP 500A is around? But when I saw them on display at Selfridges, I knew exactly why. They look extremely gorgeous! I really wouldn't mind swapping my KRP 500A for a top of the range B&O or a Loewe TV. They're style statements.
At the end of the day, I want to feel happy when I watch a TV. I feel happy watching a KRP 500A purely on its performance. I'll probably feel happier watching a B&O, or listening to a B&O, as the performance may be only 90-95% of the best, but the looks more than make up for it.
B&O customer service is unrivalled in the industry.
So, is B&O expensive? - Oh yes!
Is it worth it? - Definitely!!
forget about the looks, B&O have always looked stunning, but that won't count for nothing when your moving around the house, listining to you favourite music, you won't be stairing at it,and you won't care when you hear a beautifully timed set of components, go for the sound quality it will make a difference.
andrews spot on i heard there stuff recently its very good
wonder how many people who crticise b&o have heard there gear
wonder how many people who crticise b&o have heard there gear
one off .... people are not saying that B&O is rubbish .... they are trying to say with that sort of budget, one can buy a system that will sound better than the B&O
bigboss
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There always will be people who will think it's not value for money. But B&O systems are not for those who consider value for money. Their clientele is completely different. They're for people who want to be different, who want to own what most others can only dream of.
Even if you're not going to look at the system all the time, you'll still want a good looking system. If you don't believe me, ask your wife if she's going to allow that big, black, ugly subwoofer in the house simply because it's best on performance (and zero on looks). The £275 system may look good for some people, but not to everyone. It still looks something worth £275. A B&O system is instantly recognizable as something high class, something expensive.
B&O ticks not only the looks department. It's no slouch performer either.
Check Clare's & Andrew's comments on this thread: http://community.whathifi.com/forums/t/23442.aspx
Even if you're not going to look at the system all the time, you'll still want a good looking system. If you don't believe me, ask your wife if she's going to allow that big, black, ugly subwoofer in the house simply because it's best on performance (and zero on looks). The £275 system may look good for some people, but not to everyone. It still looks something worth £275. A B&O system is instantly recognizable as something high class, something expensive.
B&O ticks not only the looks department. It's no slouch performer either.
Check Clare's & Andrew's comments on this thread: http://community.whathifi.com/forums/t/23442.aspx
I heard one of these last Friday for a few hours, not sure which model the speakers were but they were tall and thin. Whilst it sounded ok it was not a patch on what I am used to.
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