Beo play A9 or seperates system

newlash09

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Hi all...I've lately come into some money. So thinking of buying the A9 for my living room. Already own a bluesound power node and was planning on buying either bluesound duo or concept 20 speakers for musical duties in my living room. Then came across this A9 online. I cannot hear it before I purchase it sadly.

So has anyone here heard this? What would your advise be regarding its sound quality vis a vis a traditional setup. Iam sure I can get a better sounding system if I go for seperates for the same money.

But if it even sounds 80% of a seperates system, I would buy it for the aesthetics alone.

And maybe I should add that iam completely new to hi-fi. So if I go for a system of seperates, there is every possibility that I might get the synergy wrong between the components. And start again on the upgrade path , and burn a hole in my pocket again. However, with the beoplay A9, i expect that problem to be solved. So my only doubt is regarding the sound quality.

Please guide me....and thanks in advance
 

Electro

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I certainly seems like a well designed system and B&O has a very good reputation for sound quality.

If you like the design go for it .*good*

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0FCzcaMerA
 

newlash09

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Thanks electro...the reviews are a bit mixed out there. So scared that I might regret the purchase.

For the same money I can get a marantz pm8005+SA8005+ kef ls50. So really stuck what to do :)

Was hoping that somebody here would have actually heard the A9, so I could know how it compares to a dedicated system.
 
Have a wee think of it this way . what if your b&o speaker breaks down outside it's warranty period,you'll have to replace the whole unit or get it repaired (I'm sure at considerable expense,being a b&o unit)where as the separates route can be replaced a unit at a time and you also have the option of swapping the kit and upgrading a piece at a time if you so wish.Once you buy that b&o unit..(Lovely and mysterious that it is)..you're pretty much stuck with it....depreciating quicker than a jag.
 
newlash09 said:
Hi all...I've lately come into some money. So thinking of buying the A9 for my living room. Already own a bluesound power node and was planning on buying either bluesound duo or concept 20 speakers for musical duties in my living room. Then came across this A9 online. I cannot hear it before I purchase it sadly.

So has anyone here heard this? What would your advise be regarding its sound quality vis a vis a traditional setup. Iam sure I can get a better sounding system if I go for seperates for the same money.

But if it even sounds 80% of a seperates system, I would buy it for the aesthetics alone.

And maybe I should add that iam completely new to hi-fi. So if I go for a system of seperates, there is every possibility that I might get the synergy wrong between the components. And start again on the upgrade path , and burn a hole in my pocket again. However, with the beoplay A9, i expect that problem to be solved. So my only doubt is regarding the sound quality.

Please guide me....and thanks in advance

Unfortunately like all these threads asking other people what it sounds like this one will go nowhere. Obviously each and everyone that has actually heard it could comment but you can be sure they all heard it in different circumstances and they don't have your ears so their comments would be pretty meaningless.

As with all kit, and especially if you are going to spend this much, you have to make the effort to audition or simply bite the bullet and buy one.

I'd try to audition any seperates you can first and decide if they give you the sound you are looking for as there will be more dealers stocking seperates than there will B&O.
 

JMacMan

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newlash09 said:
Hi all...I've lately come into some money. So thinking of buying the A9 for my living room. Already own a bluesound power node and was planning on buying either bluesound duo or concept 20 speakers for musical duties in my living room. Then came across this A9 online. I cannot hear it before I purchase it sadly.

So has anyone here heard this? What would your advise be regarding its sound quality vis a vis a traditional setup. Iam sure I can get a better sounding system if I go for seperates for the same money.

But if it even sounds 80% of a seperates system, I would buy it for the aesthetics alone.

And maybe I should add that iam completely new to hi-fi. So if I go for a system of seperates, there is every possibility that I might get the synergy wrong between the components. And start again on the upgrade path , and burn a hole in my pocket again. However, with the beoplay A9, i expect that problem to be solved. So my only doubt is regarding the sound quality.

Please guide me....and thanks in advance

My opinion will be somewhat biased, as I own B&O kit, and I've also heard the A9 on my own music in a showroom.

Conventional wisdom says go with the separates, for the reasons mentioned above. And certainly stereo separation will be superior with stand alone speakers to the A9.

However, unless you feel that you wish to be an audio hobbyist tweaking and mixing and matching trying to find sonic satisfaction either immediately or in the future with so called 'upgrades', I'd be going wih the A9.

Being fully active, it will amost certainly have superior resolution and transient response compared to the passive separates system you propose, thus leading to a much better sense of musical involvement and satisfaction.

Should you wish to diversify, and perhaps buy some other stand alone B&O kit down the track, you will be able to integrate the A9 with it, re around the house networking of components.

Should you tire of it, resale value for B&O is usually quite high compared to conventional kit, in part because of the superb aesthetic design.

Lastly, would you rather buy a piece of kit from a company with some of the highest credentials in the world as regards acoustic design, where by way of analogy one may be buying a fine German car, or would you rather buy on the recommendations of a non audio trained salesperson with a commercial need to sell, mixing and matching various components at an untrained retail level, hoping that the Ford engine, in the Toyota body shell, with the Yokohama tyres, and the Subaru gearbox will somehow exceed the sum of the whole?

As I say, I'm a little biased; however I've been down the separates HiFi system methodology for many decades, and came to B&O after much audiophile angst and at last found satisfaction and relief, speaking as a classical musician, with B&O.

Never been happier and could not recommend the product enough to a serious music or film enthusiast who wants top tier sound, without all the audiophile angst, and hobbyist tweaking.

Hope this helps..

Cheers

John..
 

newlash09

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Especially mark and jac. I was considering a good looking musical system for the living room, for casual listening. And iam swayed by the design aesthetic of beoplay A9, though it looks like a satellite dish, as rightly mentioned. Each to his own here I guess.

Though I run the risk of making my entire investment redundant in one go. The peace of mind offered by a active system with perfect synergy between components, weighs heavily in my mind.

Now only waiting for a firm affirmation of the sound quality of the beoplay A9 to buy it . Thanks...
 

luckylion100

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newlash09 said:
Especially mark and jac. I was considering a good looking musical system for the living room, for casual listening. And iam swayed by the design aesthetic of beoplay A9, though it looks like a satellite dish, as rightly mentioned. Each to his own here I guess.

Though I run the risk of making my entire investment redundant in one go. The peace of mind offered by a active system with perfect synergy between components, weighs heavily in my mind.

Now only waiting for a firm affirmation of the sound quality of the beoplay A9 to buy it . Thanks...

Apologies Newlash09, I was simply attempting to pull a leg or two, no offence intended. I actually think it would look very impressive if wall mounted. And as for the sound, and it being an active system, I'd love to hear one. I'm sure it's impressive!
 

ID.

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I think that, just like with any system, you need to hear it for yourself to see whether it is to your taste.

Personally, with that budget I'd get myself a stereo active setup (probably Genelec because i like the sound and think they look OK in the living room), but that's my tastes and needs.
 

newlash09

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That's what I finally bought after much deliberation. Will use them as front speakers in my HT setup. This will also be used for music. So I need to get the most out of them. I read that av Amps sounded poorer than dedicated stereo Amps. So was considering buying a av amp with pre-outs and adding a integrated amp to drive these speakers. Iam considering a marantz sr6010 with pm8005. Will this give me the fidelity iam looking for. Or will the pre out stages not be worth the pm8005
 

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