chebby said:
JMacMan said:
I just popped the pics up from Google, because I'm thrilled to bits with them, but was 'hush' on the brand name, partly out of interest to see if people would recognise them from the pics, but also as I'm new here, and I'm very aware that B&O are infamously perceived by many audiophiles to be all about style and no substance. :doh:
I wouldn't be so sure.
B&O have a great reputation for audio engineering. I have had the privilege of hearing the larger B&O actives (Beolab 5s and 9s) on a few occasions when we used to have a B&O showroom in nearby Chichester.
B&O still retains a place on my 'Lottery Jackpot' shortlist
I would definitely like to read more about (and see more of) your system. (I can't afford it myself, but I can - vicariously at least - enjoy it from your account.)
I totally agree with your summation as regards B&O's engineering expertise Chebby.
For a little background, being new here and all, I used to own Naim kit (CDI/72/HI-Cap/180/SBL's) for around 12 years or so, (only the SBL's remain as I moved into AV and found ES Sony kit to offer better sound to my ears on both AV and critical 2 channel music listening, and much better value IMHO to Naims efforts - which were sold off after being ousted by the big ES Sony) and blogged on their forum, then Pink Fish, and then HDD/AVI where I remain a member thus far.
A search on Pink Fish for example will reveal exceptional ridicule of B&O, and so called audiophiles seem completely unaware of the sort of R&D that the company carries out.
Many audiophiles seem to rate B&O with Bose, and sadly, ignorance and clinging to pseudo science rather than an open, enquiring and logical mind seems to be the way of many, but of course not all, audiophiles.
I started out in HiFi as an extension of my passion for classical music, and initially owned some B&W speakers, a Thorens TD125MK11/SME 3009/V15III shure for many years (I still have the Thorens which is mint having owned it from new), and it was only with the advent of CD that I found a need or desire to change. Of the many CD players that I auditioned, it came to a toss up between a then Sugden and the Naim; the Naim was the one recommended by all the magazines, and I liked the look and finish of it better than the Sugden, so bought it. Within 18 months, I updated the rest of my B&W/Thorens system (and an amp you won't have heard of called a RAIT, which was a copy of an Radford) as it was all getting on for 20 years old, to an all Naim system as described.
Fast forward another ten years, and I expanded from music into AV, and with that, ES Sony after much careful audition, and sold all the Naim electronics off. So my current system for the last 7 years or so has been a TADA 9000ES Sony Digital amp, fronted by a Sony DVP91000ES CD/SACD/DVD player, driving the SBL's with some Tannoy Mx2's doing duty for rear surrounds. Of course bits and pieces have been added, and I'm starting to stream from my Mac to an ATV3 etc, but the core of the system has remained.
One of the things I got caught up with during my Naim years, was the whole Flat Earth PRaT thing, which has largely now been discredited, and along with it, all the audiophile foolishness that goes on when you start to listen to the kit more than the music.
I'm not knocking the choices of those who do this mind, because there are many aspects to this hobby, but for me it was the music that got me into it, and I became very uncomfortable with all the audiophool obsessions and fiddling about with the Naim kit and was happy to be rid of it to be frank.
However, I did once hear SBL's active and since then have been a fan of the active speaker, and if it hadn't been for AV, my inital plan with the Naim setup was to move up the ladder to a fully active Naim system over time.
So, from a desire to move away from audiophile tom foolery, and to reach my goal of active speakers, I've spent quite a lot of time on HDD/AVI's forums re researching active speakers. In the end, I dismissed an AVI solution, not because I don't feel they're anything other than excellent, but for AV purposes they're not really for me as an integrated solution - for with active, not only was I wanting to move away from audiophool obsessions, but de-clutter my space as regards racks of kit, and in the case with AVI, - floorstanding speakers and twin subs in the case of the ADM40 solution, sonically excellent though it is - I just don't have that much room, nor do I want the clutter of multiple wooden speaker boxes in cuboid/rectangular shape.
A few months ago I bought a new TV - a B&O V1-40 which has an state of the art surround sound processor built in, DAC and pre-amp, and an active speaker array which also does double duty as the centre channel in an AV role, and has stunning picture and sound as a standalone product.
Essentially, all I need for a state of the art and very minimalist AV system, is that TV, and four active speakers; possibly a sub - albeit not really needed with the bass extension of the Lab 9's.
I've admired B&O for years; albeit when I was in my Naim 'years' as a paid up fanboi, I had a very casual listen to the Lab 5's and dismissed them as not having enough 'PRaT'. Silly me....lol
So having considered a number of options, B&W 803D's, AVI ADM40's and some hybrid electrostatic Nakamichis available locally, it was not that hard to go with the Lab 9's in the end, because they are a natural 'fit' with the TV re connectivity, sound matching for AV etc, and because not only did they tick all my boxes re performance requirements, they also ticked a whole lot of other boxes in terms of what I was looking for re a superbly engineered product that would fit into my lifestyle, rather than demanding that I fit my lifestyle around it.
Anyway; apologies for prattling on, but that's some of my background re HiFi ownership etc.
I now have the V1-40 + the Lab 9's; when the SBL's and all the Sony ES kit is sold off, racks cables and all, I'll put the money towards part funding a pair of Beolab 3's for surrounds and that will be the system completed.
Hope this helps explain where I'm 'at' a little
Merry Xmas...
JMac
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