chebby said:The next biggest problem with B&O (after the price) is the cost of the surrounding decor to do it justice. (Have you seen the price of Eames Lounge chairs lately?)
plastic penguin said:Last Saturday we went to our friends 40th birthday bash. Once again, when the evening was winding down, they played some music on the B&O system. It sounded really good; immensely precise, neutral and had all the technical traits one would expect from a hi-fi set-up - this is the first time I've heard it since buying the Leema - and have to confess the overall presentation wasn't completely satisfying.
Even though great in some respects I couldn't engauge with the B&O. Not too sure why, but as Mrs. P put it, you felt kinda detached from the music, whereas, however, with the Leema it draws you into the music.
The main reason for mentioning this is because of Matthew's comments on a different thread, so not sure what one can draw from this. It is purely an observational comment as opposed to a matter-of-fact statement.
Your comments would be appreciated.
busb said:Hearing a famous footballer owns their gear only reinforces my prejudice.
busb said:B&O = a triumph of form over function.
Lee H said:busb said:Hearing a famous footballer owns their gear only reinforces my prejudice.
That's a bizzare statement.
busb said:Hearing a famous footballer owns their gear only reinforces my prejudice.
fr0g said:Lee H said:busb said:Hearing a famous footballer owns their gear only reinforces my prejudice.
That's a bizzare statement.
It would be interesting to see how many famous footballers used iPhones, or Rotel/Audiolab gear. Bizarre is one word, more fitting would be "asinine" and "ad hominem"
busb said:I do find it a wee bit ironic being pulled up for criticising B&O - anyone would think that I'd had a go at Rega for using plastic panels.
Lee H said:busb said:I do find it a wee bit ironic being pulled up for criticising B&O - anyone would think that I'd had a go at Rega for using plastic panels.
No, what you implied was that the fact that a footballer owns one helps make up your mind whether you like it or not.
To criticise is fine, but to do so based on the fact the one person from one profession owns it is just bizarre. Many footballers own an Aston, that doesn't stop it being a fine looking car
idc said:I think it is because we are capable of falling for the brand as much as the sound. B&O does not do it for you, Leema does. Since B&O is very designer lead, it polarises people. Oblong boxes, roughly the same size with clear controls are more designer neutral. So big brands looking for volume sales will use that kind of design.
I have seen in the past testing of products to see how brand and the likes of country of origin affects perception. It very much does, there was one with CDPs where the CDPs people thought were Japanese sounded better than others made elsewhere. In fact they had all been made in the same place.
Further evidence for the importance of brand and looks on sound quality is with the different results people get with sighted, blind comparison tests, such as WHFs Big Question. Consistently, sighted testing produces the biggest differences in sound quality between products which are the easiest to tell. Then blind comparison tests find cheap brands capable of performing as well as if not better than more expensive ones. That shows us when you remove image and design sound quality becomes more even between products.
So image and design must be a factor in sound quality. That is further evidenced by your friends loving their B&O which they probably think sounds better than anything else. Which it does, to them, but it is subjective anyway and so no one is wrong, or right when they say things like, "I prefer Leema to B&O" like you do.
bigboss said:idc said:I think it is because we are capable of falling for the brand as much as the sound. B&O does not do it for you, Leema does. Since B&O is very designer lead, it polarises people. Oblong boxes, roughly the same size with clear controls are more designer neutral. So big brands looking for volume sales will use that kind of design.
I have seen in the past testing of products to see how brand and the likes of country of origin affects perception. It very much does, there was one with CDPs where the CDPs people thought were Japanese sounded better than others made elsewhere. In fact they had all been made in the same place.
Further evidence for the importance of brand and looks on sound quality is with the different results people get with sighted, blind comparison tests, such as WHFs Big Question. Consistently, sighted testing produces the biggest differences in sound quality between products which are the easiest to tell. Then blind comparison tests find cheap brands capable of performing as well as if not better than more expensive ones. That shows us when you remove image and design sound quality becomes more even between products.
So image and design must be a factor in sound quality. That is further evidenced by your friends loving their B&O which they probably think sounds better than anything else. Which it does, to them, but it is subjective anyway and so no one is wrong, or right when they say things like, "I prefer Leema to B&O" like you do.
Very well said. :clap:
I totally agree with what you say. That's why even brands like Bose are very successful despite being criticised for its performance. People who buy them find them perfect.