ARCHIVED FORUM -- March 2012 to February 2022READ ONLY FORUM
This is the second Archived Forum which was active between 1st March 2012 and 23rd February 2022
mbdj:Just about to purchase beolab 5s is it best to buy new or pre owned?
Purchasing new will give you the best peace of mind and support from your local dealer. Purchasing pre-owned will net you a *significant* cost-savings in this particular case as the full boat retail for BL5s now (at least in the US) is $24,000.00. Pre-owned pairs typically sell for far below this and better yet, there haven't been many changes to the BL5 over the years so most any pair from the past few years is likely to be suitable, as they don't typically see a lot of abuse.
However, you should be aware of a few things. Most importantly, you can ask the seller for the serial numbers (I always provide this by request to my BeoLab 5 buyers when I sell a pair) and you can then contact B&O directly and check them against a registry of stolen or otherwise blacklisted speakers. Secondly, BeoLab 5 scams are very common on the used market, so it's important to be diligent about *who* you're buying from and where you buy. Next, if the speakers have been used at all and the owner set up the PINs, you must obtain these with the speakers. Sometimes, you can find a seller throwing in a Beo4 as well.
Another draw back that I read of elsewhere (can't find it now but it was about unintended consequences in engineering design) is about calibration.
B&O apparently built-in calibration software that was limited to about 200 recalibrations- more than enough for most room changes or house moves. Unfortunately many owners like to demonstrate to visitors how clever the speaker is at recalibration and in reality, the 200 limit is quickly exceeded in many cases. Such speakers may turn out to be a disappointment to later owners.
Graham
Dave:Do you know if the software be updated or reset, regarding the amount of calibrations it can perform? That's so bizarre that it will only allow 200...
Sorry, but I just recall reading this in an online sample page... probably somewhere in google books. It stuck in my mind, and if you search the archived forum you will see plently of posts about the beolab mic coming out but no longer finishing the recalibration.
It's probably a chip.... only B&O can tell us whether it can be replaced or reset.
vikinger: Another draw back that I read of elsewhere (can't find it now but it was about unintended consequences in engineering design) is about calibration. B&O apparently built-in calibration software that was limited to about 200 recalibrations- more than enough for most room changes or house moves. Unfortunately many owners like to demonstrate to visitors how clever the speaker is at recalibration and in reality, the 200 limit is quickly exceeded in many cases. Such speakers may turn out to be a disappointment to later owners. Graham
Huh, interesting. I can't see why that would be the case unless the memory chip they used to contain the information (or the mechanics of the arm of course) was somehow only good for 200 "writes" or something like that. Don't know why they would artificially limit it to a certain number. Interesting info.
I bought mine new from a dealer. Yes, it was a lot of money. However, I was concerned about potential problems due to the complex nature of this speaker.
It turned out it was good I bought them new from a dealer as I had a problem with them. Specifically, I had unplugged them due to an impending thunder storm. Unfortunately, one speaker would not accept the PIN when I restarted them. I had tried to turn off the PIN before this, without success. Part of the problem (aside from me) was that since the manual had been written, the Beo4 had changed as well. However, the problem speaker would not also accept the master code which is supposed to supersede any inadvertent resetting of the codes on my part.
After many calls with the dealer (some after hours) not to mention consultation with B & O USA, it was determined that the circuit board that controlled the PIN was malfunctioning.
A repair person complete with "the suitcase" (which supposedly contains everything a BeoLab 5 needs aside from cabinet and drivers) came and dismantled the speaker (it was really cool to see inside) and replaced the malfunctioning board. The troublesome speaker has worked fine since.
Since then, i have disabled the PIN on both speakers. The repair person joked that if I see someone running away from the house with one of these speakers on his shoulder, let him go.
I plan on buying other BeoLab speakers (used) for a surround sound system However, the ones I'll be purchasing don't have the complexity of the BeoLab 5 so if the seller says they work fine before purchase, I'll be fairly confident that they'll work.
Another thing to consider is how the speakers will be delivered to your residence. According to the delivery people (hired by B & O), the factory packaging was not sufficient to protect the speaker after they were removed from the pallet. The speakers were removed from the pallet in the truck, the packaging was removed from the speakers, and then each speaker was carried from the truck, into my house, and then down to the basement. These speakers are very heavy and may be challenging to ship and move to your listening room.
D
This isn't the reference I was looking for, but is another one suggesting motor failure after repeated demonstration of the room calibration feature. If the link does not work then google 'beolab 5 calibration eating the big fish'
http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=0iTeUTSPZs0C&pg=PA120&lpg=PA120&dq=beolab+5+calibration+eating+the+big+fish&source=bl&ots=JsGsGD4jNk&sig=0XJN5N2aIkjSTNvoZse0pZqg0Bw&hl=en&sa=X&ei=Cn_DU-LGBsmg0QXljYDIAg&ved=0CBwQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=beolab%205%20calibration%20eating%20the%20big%20fish&f=false