[sohels]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Duggeh /img/forum/go_quote.gif Aside from the BabyStax, best sounding portable audio I've tried.

Hmm.. makes me want to try them.

 

[Duggeh]

I'd like to ask all of those who are trashing B&O for their design only sound none trashy opinion have you actually heard a selection of B&O products.

B&O is a design house yes, but they make some staggeringly good sounding products. That you pay more per unit performance for them than you might for other brands is a factor of the name and design, however this does not mean that they are all looks no substance.

 

[edstrelow]

I recall Bang and Olufsen fondly for some of their turntables and cartridges. I had a 4000 turntable with a radial tracking arm which on direct comparison with a Linn Sodek of a more recent vintage outperformed it. For those not into turntables, a radial arm, tangential arm, or other terms, refers to a turntable arm which does not pivot as the arm moves across the record, but which is motor driven so that it always stays at a tangent to the disc. Thus the cartridge and stylus are not placed at an angle to the groove and can be played back in more or less exactly the manner in which the grooves were initially mastered.

Does this make a difference to sound quality? Yes indeed.

This turntable was also available with the arm modified in, I believe, Singapore and a few other places to accept conventional as opposed to B&O cartridges. Alas, it died after many years but I did manage to get a later model of a lesser basic quality, but in which the arm still performed fine, and which I have to this day.

These radial tracking turntables placed B&O in the forefront of design at that time. The rest of their stuff was good but not superlative and probably overpriced vis-a-vis performance. However, their appearance and ergonomics were/are big selling factors.

 

[Assorted]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Caribou679 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Very funny! Social status!

I was being sarcastic.

 

[ClieOS]

I am with Duggeh on this one.

No doubt B&O is a designer brand, and even B&O admits they are designer brand. However, this doesn't mean they are all crappy stuff. My experience with B&O is quite positive. I actually consider A8 to be one of the best earbud/clip-on I ever heard before PK1 came along.

 

[mthrsuperior]

I think the point was clear Duggeh. That is, you're spending a disproportionate amount of money for design.
Which is all well and good if that's your bag.
I'd be curious to know of even one B&O component you can recommend that can hold a candle to anything at 1/3 it's price cause I'm all ears.
I spent half a day or so recently in hysterics at the gap between appearance and sound of B&O gear from several decades vs other things in the same price range or much less.
Namely:
Beosound 9000
Beolab 8000
Beolab 4
Receivers 1900, 4400, 8000
Speakers RL140, 3702, Pentas
Beogram 4002
Sadly I didn't get to hear the Beosound 6 which I'm a little intrigued by.

The intellectual arrogance here is astonishing.
Even by web forum standards.

 

[Duggeh]

I'd have to have time with the PK.1, but the seen MX500 for example, isnt even 1/3 of the A8 whatever the price difference is.

I've not heard any B&O speaker products in my own rig, only in showrooms, so it's difficult for me to make calls at that end.

I don't think that the spending is disproportionate though. Not compared to comparative products in other industries.

The intellectual arrogance here is astonishing.
Even by web forum standards.

I'm not sure what you mean by that, or who it might be directed at, but I get great big red unfriendly vibes off it.

 

[ClieOS]

There is a reason for that.

B&O tend to grab (what they believe to be) the best audio equipment from the market and redesign it. If you add up the cost of the original product, the designing fee and the payment for all the custom job needed for the refitting, it is no wonder why you are paying a much higher price.

 

[mthrsuperior]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Duggeh /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm not sure what you mean by that, or who it might be directed at, but I get great big red unfriendly vibes off it.

Sorry that was red and unfriendly but it wasn't for you or anyone in particular.
It's about the third time I've lost it here in as many days too.

It was the sound of my head hitting the desk again.

I've been away from the forums long enough to have forgotten my ID and password and lost access to the e-mail address I'd registered with.
I've been back for all of maybe 3 weeks and have lost count of how many times I've seen comments like "If you think that you probably haven't heard it" etc. (Not at all meaning to paraphrase you !!!)
Or conversely, comments indicating that, quite obviously, the poster has no empirical experience of what they are arguing about.
This being *your* point.

That and the hateful e-mails I was getting from users here before I started blowing my top.
What? 'Computer courage' is a very telling thing.....

That and after nearly 1200+ perfect eBay transactions over 6 years I've received two sets of counterfeit cans this week!
I'm a little touchy about all things internet right about now.

I do agree with you though that there are other audio companies spending a similar higher percentage of development on design.
My designer wife wouldn't want it any other way!

 

[Duggeh]

I asked the question about personal experience of those who had posted because B&O bashing is like Bose bashing, or many other things on this forum. Its a sport which all and every participates in having not even sat the theory test, nevermind the practical.

I just do not like to have people posting such opinions when those opinions are based only in what they have read int he opinions of others. I made a longer case on my views on this sort of thing in the do not comment on gear youv'e not heard thread.

My inquiry was not intended as a personal slight against you, or any other person here. It was not intended as an admonishment, but perhaps to give pause for thought. I respect and wholly understand your opinion on this matter.

Getting riled up about this sort of thing thought ultimately serves no purpose. Its when people get annoyed and keep posting that the mods end up with their work cut out as things can degrade off the topical track.

Have a gin on me, chill. Understand that the internet is always going to be filled with those whom you will always roll your eyes at.

 

[mthrsuperior]

Thanks man, we're obviously on the same page.
You see my new sig??

 

[Duggeh]

There is a degree of understanding of how something will sound or of its capabilities which can be understood from its technical specification if the mind in questions is intimately experienced enough in the matter. For most circumstances though, that line is about right.

 

[majid]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gurra1980 /img/forum/go_quote.gif You pay for for the nicest design available in the audioindustry IMO and you get good sound quality, but of course if you don't care for looks you can get better pure SQ for the price. For someone interested in interior design B&O is often a natural choice.

B&O design is a far cry from what it used to be in the 60s and 70s, when they used rosewood and other quality materials. Now, it's all plastic and metal.

They do have innovative technology, like ICEpower and the acoustic lens.

As others have noted, the price-performance ratio is not oustanding, but it would be unfair to put them in the same sack as Bose. I have a pair of A8s and I used to own a Form-2 (which I managed to resell for as much as I originally paid for, how's that for resale value retention?). Both were quite enjoyable, and it took me 10 years before I felt the need to find something better than the Form-2.

 

[pjnewman]

I really love my BEOSYS 10 purchased in 1989. This little unit still sounds great and I have pretty much traveled the world with it while in the US Navy. Heck, I used to have a Pioneer TT (long gone

) attached to it and in today's world have both an iPod and/or junky Numark TT plugged in to it.

I still like the "look" of today's B&O gear, but their prices are a bit prohibitive and the sound doesn't come close to what they produced in the 60s & 70s.

 

[Demix500]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Assorted /img/forum/go_quote.gif You'd have to be really clumsy to break your A8 clips, because I am pretty rough myself, and I only broke off the plastic cap that holds the rubber and metal rings together. Besides, people don't buy B&O for the sound. I use a BeoCom 2 bought for decoration purposes

The screw that holds the ear piece together broke for mine. Literally the SCREW broke.