[Steve at Sounds Heavenly]

Update: John is having trouble logging into Beoworld at the moment, so he has asked me to post this update:-

I’m still here, it’s nice that some of you care ?. Yes….the Preston YouTube channel is closed as I have left not just Preston but Bang & Olufsen entirely. Part of me is sad to come away from B&O after 17 years but it’s time for a new start.

I will however be back on YouTube with my new job as Digital Media Manager for Peter Tyson based in Carlisle and Newcastle.

I’ll initially be training and getting settled in, learning about other high end audio gear like Linn, Naim, McIntosh, Kef, B&W, Focal etc.

Eventually I’ll be making all sorts of YouTube videos about the above brands and of course I will cover new B&O product launches too as they have a B&O franchise within Peter Tyson.

So although I’ve officially left B&O and sales I’ll still keep up to date, not only through work. I have B&O at home and my wonderful other half, Nicky, works for the B&O head office.

So watch this space, I’ll tell you all when the new channel is launching, hopefully with the help of my 2 good mates, Miki and Steve.

Thanks all….John.

[Steve at Sounds Heavenly]

Hi,

I will ask John if he can post an update here to let you know his plans when he gets a chance.

To keep up to date with all that is happening, I suggest joining the B&O Beotalk Discord server, this is a lively and friendly B&O community with over 600 active B&O fans. I know that John has already posted an update there, but it wouldn’t be fair of me to copy that onto this open forum without his permission.

You can join the Discord server free of charge via this link:-

https://discord.gg/KFDj7mUhw4

BeoWorld is (of course!) still here for those Beofans who prefer the more traditional open web forum that we have here.

Kind regards, Steve.

[Steve at Sounds Heavenly]

Hi Tommi,

Either the B&O Core (if funds allow) or the cheaper Connection Hub should work well for this. The Core has a streamer built in, whereas the Hub has optical and analogue audio connections to allow you to connect a separate streamer as well as the TV.

Kind regards, Steve.

[Steve at Sounds Heavenly]

Hi,

I have to say that I always enjoy Andrew and Kristi’s reviews, they are music lovers who are doing a superb job of explaining what is so special about B&O to the traditional hi-fi community (who aren’t always the most open-minded people!). For me, this review really came to life at the end when Kristi gave her views, as I was touched by her emotional response to using the A9 and how its simplicity allowed her to enjoy her music in a way that hadn’t previously been possible.

As a long time B&O fan (33 years and counting!), I can identify with this. I share the same love for the B&O brand and products (old and new) that enthuses me to share my excitement for what B&O are doing with their latest products.

It has been a real pleasure to speak with both Andrew and Kristi on several occasions and their love for what they do is clearly the driving force behind their channel, rather than it being purely a business.

Looking on the B&O Discord and Facebook groups (where the majority of B&O fans converse), it has been encouraging to see that the overwhelming response to Andrew and Kristi’s A9 review has been positive and supportive. Whilst we will all have our own preferred approach to reviews, I hope that B&O fans will support their channel as they are making a big difference in keeping the brand that we love alive for the future.

Kind regards, Steve.

[Steve at Sounds Heavenly]

Hi,

The cable that I suggested was to use a Passive with the Beovision 7-32 that was mentioned originally. Newer B&O TVs with RJ45 outputs don’t work correctly with Beolink Passive, as they don’t provide the correct trigger signals for the two trigger inputs of the Passive (one of these signals is missing in newer products).

For this reason, the normal RJ45 to Powerlink cables won’t work to trigger the Passive.

I suggest using BeoAmp 2 instead to use passive speakers with newer B&O products.

Kind regards, Steve.

[Steve at Sounds Heavenly]

Hi,

Yes it is possible to use the Passive with the older Beovision 7-32, you just need a fully wired mk2 Powerlink cable to use the Passive as an amplifier with your B&O TV (please note that only UK shipping is available for this item at the moment):-

https://soundsheavenly.com/powerlink-8-pin-din-connection/23-319-powerlink-mk-2-compatible-black-8-pin-din-cable-with-fully-wired-8-cores.html#/9-length-18m

However, the Passive won’t work correctly with newer TVs like the V1, normal RJ45 to Powerlink cables won’t give the correct switching signals for the Passive.

Kind regards Steve.

[Steve at Sounds Heavenly]

Hi herrit,

I see your point, but I hadn’t intended any irony…

I was referring to the bold colour choices, the hand made wood cabinet and the matching of Beolab 28 to a 51 year old turntable. 😉

Kind regards, Steve.

[Steve at Sounds Heavenly]

Hi trackbeo,

No, my cables aren’t braided as it doesn’t add anything to the sound quality. They are hidden inside the top of the cabinet (where a hinged shelf conceals the Core and the Transmitter 1) so sound quality is the top priority here. However, I do like the idea of ginger braided cables…. 😉

Kind regards, Steve.

[Steve at Sounds Heavenly]

Hi Matador,

I like the colour choice – yes, the colours are bold and unusual but it is certainly striking. I love the fact that B&O’s design is often bold and the way they can make a 51 year old turntable look completely at home with the new Beolab 28 speakers is quite an achivement.

I’m looking forward to seeing it in person, as sometimes material colours don’t show well in photographs. The cabinet certainly looks interesting and has a true mid-century Danish style.

I’m pleased that B&O aren’t standing still with their design, but they are keeping their vintage products alive whilst pushing the boundaries of modern styling.

I would be interested to hear what other Beofans think?

Kind regards, Steve.

 

[Steve at Sounds Heavenly]

Hi pepps,

I’m excited that this has finally launched, it has been an honour to provide a very small part of this project, namely the adapter cable that links the Beogram into the Core. A lot of work went into this one small aspect of the product ?

To answer your question, the Beogram 4000c used in this system has an MMC cartridge made by Sound Smith in the US, they make cartridges for just about any Beogram model and I use their SMMC4 on my Beogram 3500 at home with excellent results.

Kind regards Steve.

 

[Steve at Sounds Heavenly]

Thanks Guy,

Yes, I can make these cables for shipping to a UK address. For customers outside UK, I can help if you have a friend or relative in UK who can receive mail for you, or a UK freight forwarding address. (Please accept my apologies for not being able to offer any overseas shipping or support at the moment. I am currently having to take time off work to care for a family member who is unwell and this severely limits the service that I can offer to customers.)

Thanks for your understanding.

Steve.

[Steve at Sounds Heavenly]

Hi,

I also prefer the A5 to the Level for sound, I will follow up with a side-by-side test video soon. The room compensation can be run at any time via the app using the A5 internal mic, you can’t save this but you can just run it again if you move the speaker.

Kind regards, Steve.

[Steve at Sounds Heavenly]

Hi,

There isn’t a separate setting for this in the app, as the room compensation will automatically adjust for the speaker position.

Kind regards, Steve.

[Steve at Sounds Heavenly]

Hi Beoworlders,

Has anyone tried the latest app version 4.9 with the A5 yet? This unlocks a new “Advanced” tab in the Beosonic settings, you can adjust Frequency Tilt, Sound Enhancement and Directivity (Front/Omni mode).

If you think the standard Omni mode is good, wait until you hear it playing in Front mode! This is very impressive…

Kind regards, Steve.

[Steve at Sounds Heavenly]

Hi Sia43,

No, that won’t work. The only way to get power and audio to the A5 via USB is to connect a PC. However, any music source (eg. Essence or Core) on the B&O app should be accessible wirelessly to the A5, as is the case for any other Mozart-based speakers.

Kind regards, Steve.

[Steve at Sounds Heavenly]

Hi MM,

The A5 does not allow feeding analogue audio into the USB-C port. However, it can connect to a computer using a USB-C cable and thhis will play the computer audio to the speaker, as well as charging the speaker.

Kind regards, Steve.

[Steve at Sounds Heavenly]

Hi,

A5 doesn’t have a line input, so this feature is not present in the app. The only way to physically connect any device to the A5 is to link a PC via the USB-C socket (this doesn’t work for analogue audio), then the A5 will act as the PC speaker.

Kind regards, Steve.

[Steve at Sounds Heavenly]

Hi,

Mozart-based B&O products like the A5 don’t allow you to adjust the gain of the line input, but on speakers that have a line input, you can change the sensitivity of the input (ie. how loud the line input needs to be before the speaker automatically switches to the line input as the source). A5 doesn’t have a line input, so this doesn’t apply.

Kind regards, Steve.

[Steve at Sounds Heavenly]

Hi,

At present, only A9 mk5, Beosound 2 mk3 and Theatre have analogue audio input enabled via their USB-C sockets. A5 can only play audio from a PC via this socket, so your only option for the A5 is to link to a PC and use the PC as your Roon end point.

For the Theatre, this is possible via a Bluesound Node. If you are in United Kingdom (or you have a UK shipping address) then please get in touch via my sponsor link at the foot of the page and I can help with connections. Sorry I can’t offer support or shipping to customers outside UK at present.

Kind regards, Steve.

[Steve at Sounds Heavenly]

A few more photos “in real life” 😉

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