[OlivierC]

Oisans wrote:

The general question is : what should we buy so that we can listen to CD’s (musical classic and jazz mainly) from the sound of B&O.

Hello,

here’s my take on this request.

If you want to hear the “sound of B&O”, you’d better benefit of the Emerge internal DAC.

This means that you would need to connect a CD player to the Emerge through its optical input.

Hereunder a (hopefully accurate and complete!) list of B&O CD systems / players equipped with digital out and few personal comments.

Disclaimer: B&O CD players have been discontinued many years ago, therefore the following options are 10+ years old as a minimum.

• Beosound 9000: a true classic, expensive if required to be serviced.
• Beocenter 2: nice but it is not an all-in-one solution, it is made of a main unit and a socket unit where all the connections are made. Personally I would prefer a single-box solution.
• Beogram CD7000: more traditional boxy design but still beautiful; a bit unpractical due to the very limited controls, unless the matching Beomaster is added to the set.
• Beogram CD6500: same as CD7000.
• Beogram CD5500: same as CD7000. This one is said to be one of the best sounding CD players ever made by B&O.
• Beogram CD4500: same as CD7000.
• Beogram CD3500: same as CD7000.
• Beogram CDX2: nice and not requiring extra parts but it is said to be not the most reliable player.

Another take and less risky solution might be to follow cklit’s suggestion, getting a new 3rd party CD player with optical out.

Olivier

[OlivierC]

Finally! ?

So many questions.

What’s doing more / differently compared to the BS Core, other than being based on Mozart platform instead of ASE?

The site states that’s the bridge between legacy and current products but it is not clear as it’s referring to turntables and speakers, not music systems.
Would it avoid the need of intermediate converters?

What about controlling a non-B&O / non-LG tv set with BR1?
Would it work for volume control only or more?
I presume it is supporting stereo sound only.
It would mean e.g. a pair of BL18 but what if a BL19 is added to the mix?

Is there an improved DAC compared to BS Core?

Olivier

[OlivierC]

Hello Alele,

there are a plethora of different possibilities.
2nd hand Apple AirPort Express, Belkin SoundForm Connect and many others.

Then you would need to disconnect / connect the turntable or the AirPlay streamer depending on what you want to listen to.

If you want to keep everything permanently connected, there are small boxes called audio switches where you can connect multiple sources, then select the one you’d like to use but I’ve never experienced myself.

Maybe some other user can further elaborate.

Olivier

[OlivierC]

Hello,

just back from the movie theatre, Woody Allen’s “Coup de Chance”.

Maybe not his best film but still highly recommended, very enjoyable.

Hoping it is not his very last work, as he left to intend in one of his interviews.

There’s a lot of B&O product placement, I am glad B&O contributed in this good Woody Allen movie!

I have spotted a BV Contour, 2x BL28’s, 2x BS2 and 3x(!) BP HX.

Olivier

[OlivierC]

MikeNewman wrote:

I’ve tried the various phono sockets with no success in spite of my turntable having a pre-amp.

 

Here’s an excerpt from the BM5500 Manual from the B&O repository.

The RCA cables should connect to the PH sockets, maybe the Preamp should be turned off.

The BG5500 did not have an internal preamp, therefore I assume the Phono signal (regardless if connected via DIN or RCA) is routed to the BM5500 internal RIAA preamp.

Regards.

Olivier

PS and OT: wondering what the PRE AMP connections are meant for.

[OlivierC]

Hi Stan,

I have been checking the A1 FAQ’s and Manuals but you are correct, there is no information about the possibility to use the USB C port as an analogue line in connection.

From what I have read here in the old forum, it looks like it would not.

Maybe you would need to add a USB adapter with ADC but IMHO it would add clutter to the system, while I would not be 100% sure it would work either…

Long story short, it would be easier to use a speaker with an analogue line in connection, such as A1 1Gen, Beolit or Beoplay S3 (well sounding but not portable, though!), as I did for my sister.

They can be found 2nd hand and they are not very expensive.

Here and here some examples of the results from other Beoworlders.

Another option is to connect the TT to a BT Streamer (NOT a Receiver!) that it can be easily hidden.

Then the streamer would send the BT audio signal wirelessly to the A1, that can be placed anywhere in the room.

There are many BT streamer options out in the online forest…

I understand it is not the “yes, it can be done” type of answer you were hoping for but still it might be of some help.

Regards.

Olivier

 

EDIT: ADC (Analogue to Digital Converter) instead of DAC (Digital to Analogue Converter).

[OlivierC]

Hello,

here’s my 1 cent worth (10% of Mr10Percent post! 🙂 ), based also in similar cases happened in the past.

Even if there is an NDA in place, there is no breach if the information has been already publicly disclosed, regardless if it happened intentionally or unintentionally.

e.g. if someone finds a B&O files for a patent related to a new product, or if B&O is submitting a new product to an electronic appliance authority, or if B&O has unintentionally disclosed pictures (as it happened with the Halo), or if something has been already shared in other social media.

On the flip side, I understand this is a rather small community where sometimes B&O is actively supporting the members, therefore to me it makes sense if they say “hey, please BeoWorld, do not be part of the media that it is propagating our leaks”.

As a consequence, it makes some sense that Admins/Mods are limiting the leaks here.

On the other hand the posters have to be considered as members of this community, B&O enthusiasts hungry of information about what’s next (I think we all are!), as far as they are not breaching the applicable laws.

To be fair in that case the NDA does not seem to be the right tool to protect sensitive commercial information.

Applying as a Beta tester for a SW release should not grant visibility to new products, regardless of any NDA that’s been signed. There is no digital NDA that can secure the behaviour of a bunch of unknown single users around the world. B&O should use codenames, as anyone else is doing. The tester would be able to see that something new might come in the future without knowing in detail what it is. A good example of good practice is Geoff Martin’s interview where in a smirk he says he doesn’t remember the BV commercial names but only the internal project names.

Hoping this is a lesson learnt for the “disclosing party” as well.

Regards.

Olivier

[OlivierC]

Maybe another option, more costly than BT but full B&O:

BS 3000 / Ouverture connected to a 2nd hand Beoplay M3, maybe hidden in a cupboard or a cabinet, volume set to 0.

Then wireless connection via Multiroom to another Multiroom-enabled speaker (Emerge, M3, M5 etc.), placed wherever you want.

Much higher quality than BT via Wi-Fi.

Not my recipe, few others have walked that path in this forum, mostly with turntables instead of CD players / sound systems.

Regards.

Olivier

[OlivierC]

Hello Rene,

 

I don’t know very well the BV 11 but I presume the connectivity is similar to my V1, where the 9-pin AV plug is adopted for connecting external analogue audio or video sources.

In that case you might connect your new turntable (or preamp if the TT is not equipped with an internal RIAA amp) with a RCA to 9-pin AV cable, without the need of a SCART adapter (can you confirm that your BV 11 has a SCART port?).

 

Click here to be redirected to the sponsor site where you can get the cable.

Please note it is 5 m long, I’m not sure if a shorter size is available.

I think Sounds Heavenly is temporarily unable to sell outside of UK but it should be a short wait until September, where overseas shipping will be available.

I can’t say much about TT and cartridge of item c), sorry.

Maybe other Beoworlders can be of further help.

 

Regards.

 

Olivier

[OlivierC]

Hello,

 

AFAIK,

 

1717: BR One IR + BT

1719: BR One IR + BT and Netflix/Amazon buttons

 

Regards.

Olivier

[OlivierC]

Hello,

 

YannChris is correct, the Stage would not allow to connect your existing speakers.

The Beosound Theatre + LG OLED tv is the way to go.
Another option might be a Beovision Eclipse, now discontinued.
Maybe you can get a good deal from an Eclipse still in inventory at your dealer.

Regards.

Olivier

[OlivierC]

Hi Steve,

Thank you and Harrie for the detailed and informative video about such a rare and exclusive kit.

I have been intrigued by the details seen in a glimpse at 5:57.
Maybe Steve’s cables would have deserved a tidier management even if they are normally concealed, nevertheless it is still interesting to see what it is hidden behind the wooden panels inside the cabinet.

My understanding is that there is a BS Core that it is receiving the input from the BG 4000c.
Then the Core is connected to the BL Transmitter, that it is providing the sound signal to the BL28’s (via WiSA or PL).
Still I can see more “spaghetti”, such as what I am guessing Ethernet and iPhone cables, but I am not sure about the purpose.
Maybe there is also some sort of multi plug adapter, as it would allow to have a single power plug to be connected to the wall socket instead of having the three power connections (Transmitter, Core and BG).

EDIT: I forgot that there is a 4th device: the Qi charger for the BR Halo (or other Qi-compatible device). Maybe that’s what the iPhone-like cable is for.

Is there anyone that can comment on this?

Thanks!

Olivier

PS @Matador, everyone loves your Beocenter 72-97!

[OlivierC]

Same here, I’ve just updated my favourite list. ?

The only drawback is that the pictures cannot be seen anymore.

 

Thank you Guy!

[OlivierC]

Quick search on Google, after reading KolfMAKER suggestion.
It looks like a Grundig speaker box type 45.
I can only spot few differences.
It should be placed vertically, a metal Grundig badge should be attached on the bottom right side of the front slitted surface and the standing legs seem to be missing.

 

Maybe an expert of vintage Hi-Fi can clarify.

Thanks.

Olivier

[OlivierC]

I am sorry but there is no way to upgrade the HDMI port.

That reason is that all the electronics in the tv main board that it is providing all the upgraded features is different.

Olivier

[OlivierC]

I can’t say much about the rest but I think Essence MKII is AirPlay 2 capable.
Just make sure that the sw is up to date.

Regards.

Olivier

 

(MM has been faster and more competent. ?)

[OlivierC]

Hello,

 

I’m not competent about this matter but there’s an interesting thread in the old forum where this item has been extensively covered, with the relevant contribution of Mr. Tonemeister himself! ?

 

Cloth options?

 

Hereunder an is interesting quote from one of his posts.

 

Just going back through some of the comments and questions above…

Regarding the effects of grilles and lamellae: Anything put in from of a loudspeaker (or any sound source, for that matter) that has (as a rule of thumb) a size of more than 1/4 of a wavelength of the frequency content will have an effect on the directivity of the source.

If you have multiple things that are causing this effect, then you may/will have a subsequent effect on the magnitude response (the “magnitude response” is what people mean when they say “frequency response”) at any one location in a free field (a “free field” is a space that is free of reflections – an infinitely big room, for example…).

If you’re building a loudspeaker that has such things (say, an aluminium grille or the lamellae that has an acoustical impact) then these effects are measurable as a function of level vs. frequency vs. angle. (a fancy way of saying “the frequency responses in different directions”).

If the multiple things in front of the source are regularly spaced, then the angle-dependent magnitude responses are more likely to exhibit a regular pattern vs. angle when measured in a free field.

So, we then have to consider what the measured effect is:
– In the very simplest case, you have no effect. Or, the measured effect is so small that it’s less than the difference caused by a cat walking into the room.
– In a simplest case, you have an impact on the magnitude response that is the same in all directions. This is unlikely, but possible. (For example, in a case where the grill is so restrictive that it creates a resonant cavity behind it (and in front of the driver) and that resonance is measurable everywhere.)
– In the more likely (and most complicated) case, you have an impact that is different at different angles. Then the question is “how big is the impact, and how much does it change as a function of angle?”

After those evaluations are done, then the first question to ask is “although this is a measurable effect, in what cases could it be audible?” If the effect can only be audible in an anechoic chamber while listening to anechoic xylophone music (yes… I have a recording of anechoic xylophone music – on one of the few CD’s that B&O has produced…) then there’s not much to worry about.

Another question is: “is this something that can be taken care of “upstream” in the signal processing?” As a simple example: if the effect of a grille is to create a single minimum-phase resonance at one frequency with a fairly low Q, then this is something that can be easily “undone” in the signal processing. You just put a filter in the system that has the opposite phase characteristic, and it will cancel the effect of the resonance in the time domain (and also, therefore, in the frequency domain).

Another question to ask is “does the effect matter, given the expectations and use cases of this loudspeaker?” For example: the grille on a portable loudspeaker may cause diffraction that results in a wider directivity (or “diffusion” as some people call it) – but this is exactly what you might want for such a product. (The acoustic lens generally falls under this heading – it’s a thing in front of a loudspeaker driver that has an effect on its directivity – but it’s on purpose…) This could also be considered to be an advantage for a centre loudspeaker, since the purpose of a centre loudspeaker is to make the centre image more easily locatable for a large group of people. If you had one chair and no friends, you would not need a centre loudspeaker – assuming your chair was in the right place… So, a highly directional centre loudspeaker makes no sense.

So, to take this into the real world: When we make a loudspeaker with a grille, we do the initial measurements without the grille, and then repeat the measurements with the grille – and assess whether we need to react. Maybe the effect is negligible. Maybe the effect is measurable, but not audible in most cases. Maybe the effect is audible, but we can undo it using signal processing. Maybe the effect is audible – and desirable. Or maybe it’s really bad and there’s no way to fix it. In that last case, we’ll have a meeting to start thinking about what we can do about the grille. At least one of those things will happen (probably more than one – since we’re talking about different effects at different frequencies…)

Jumping to the end of the development: the final assessment and tuning of the loudspeaker (here “tuning” is done both with measurements and by listening to the loudspeaker in different rooms and situations) is done on the complete final product. So, if you listen to the loudspeaker with the grille/lamellae/whatever OFF, then you are not hearing what we heard when we decided that this is the way the loudspeaker should sound.

However, it could be that, due to your preferences, or your room, or your cat, a loudspeaker without its grille on sounds better to you with the song that you’re currently listening to, an the volume you’re listening to it at, in the place where you’re sitting, today. (As a simple, but highly unlikely example due to the extreme numbers: If a loudspeaker fabric drops the level by 1 dB at 20 kHz, and therefore we have put in a boost of 1 dB at 20 kHz to compensate for this, but you have a slight hearing loss of 1 dB at 20 kHz, then by taking the fabric off the loudspeaker, you’ll get a 1 dB boost that will sound better to you…)

A long answer for a simple question…. sorry.
-g

 

I’m not sure I’ve linked and quoted properly but I hope it works and, most of it all, it is of some help.

 

Olivier

[OlivierC]

Hi Steve,

thank you for the video, it is impressive!

I really did like the remotely controlled Beogram.

My guess: BG —> Beomaster —> ML/NL adapter —> Core?

About the cinema room: I’m not asking B&O to make everything but I’m also wondering how they managed the sound processing without a BV.

Another question is about the BV Harmony.
The current BV’s have B&O sound processing “only”, so how is it possible to control the motorised screen positioning by scene?
I thought this option was lost since BS4-based BV phased out.
Back then it was possible to have different positioning and speaker configuration based on the source (e.g. when listening to BG then the screen was off and hold still using only stereo speakers, when watching tv, the BV moved towards the viewer using all the speakers etc.).

Maybe I’m just confused (sorry!), any suggestion would be appreciated.

Again, thanks for the great video!

Olivier

[OlivierC]

I don’t have further information but my guess is that the setup shown in the picture is including a Beosound Core for 2022 streaming purposes and a Beolab Transmitter 1, not an Essence, in order to add WiSA capabilities.

 

Olivier

[Author]

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