Beolab 5s and Beosytem 7000

Evening all,

I'm moving into a new house that is being built for me shortly, and I have been thinking for a long time now about selling all my vintage B&O gear and getting a pair of Beolab 5s.

All my music collection is on CD or vinyl, so I was thinking about finding a Beosystem 7000 to act as the source. I've also wanted a Beolink 7000 to play with for as long as I can remember so that would also scratch an itch that has been with me for over a decade.

I've got a couple of questions to ask really about the connectivity and functionality I would get from this:

Would I be connecting the Beogram CD straight to the 5s with an optical cable, and using Powerlink cables to the speakers for the other sources and to turn them off and on with the Beomaster?

I have an Avant RF that I'm fond of and don't want to get rid of. Is there a way of integrating this into the whole system, and if so, how?

Anyone any experience of using a Beosystem and some 5s?

 

TIA

Hi

coaxial input into the bl5 not optical.

you cannot plug the beogram cd directly to the bl5 you have to use the powerlink of the beomaster 7000.

if the option of the bl5 (l.opt) is set to 0 then each time you will use the radio, cd or aux source the bl5 will power on. The volume control will be done on the bm 7000.

if the option of the bl5 is set to 1 then you will have to select on your beo4 the button radio for powering on the bl5 and the bl5 need to be plugged to your source with a digital coaxial cable. The volume control can be done directly on the bl5 by simply by using the remote.

mine are connected to a bv with powerlink and with a coaxial cable to a raspberry pi computer controlled by an ipad.

 

hope this helps

 

 

Hello olvsiab

Very intrigued by your setup using a Raspberry Pi Computer and controlling it with an iPad! Can you tell me  more? I currently have my BL5s connected to a HDMI DAC via coaxial and I use a BeoRemote one to control the BL5s like you described using L.OPT 1. 

I am interested to know how you can control and power on the BL5 without using any B&O devices.  Care to elaborate?

Hi

For details pm me

I was using my Beolab 5 for many years in Option 1 (controlled by Beo4). Preamp was a Cambridge DAC MagicPlus (has SPDIF out) as a digital hub. Sources as MacMini, AppleTV and a Beocenter 2 digital out were connected to the DAC MagicPlus.

Pro: best result in soundquality

Cons: Changing the sources on the DAC MagicPlus has to be done manually

Proposal for j0hnbarker:
Use a Beomaster 7000 / 6500 and connect the Beolab 5 (option 0) with PL. Add a DAC MagicPlus or similar as digital Hub. Connect all digital sources to DAC MagicPlus and use the SPDIF out to connect the Beolab 5. The digital out of the Beogram CD can easy connected to the DAC MagicPlus as well. In Option 0 the Beolab 5 ONLY opens the digital input if the source is "CD".

 

I've considered connecting my Beocenter 9500 to the Beolab 5s via Powerlink as it would be a very striking combination. I've owned a System 7000 as well. For now, the 9500 is happier with the Penta 3s which are true design contemporaries. 

Make sure you keep a spare Beolink 1000 or Beo4 around even if you get the Beolink 7000. That was what originally brought me to B&O, but after using it in daily practice, I found it to be kind of clunky so I sold my last one and just had a BL1000 and Beo4 since then. I've considered getting another one, but only as a novelty, and only with the stand which really completes the look. 

Thanks for the input so far :)

I'm set on the 7000 as the source, it's just a case of finding a way to make it work. FWIW I will keep a Beo4 remote too as I have read about how impractical the Beolink 7000 can be as a day-to-day option!

carlito:

I was using my Beolab 5 for many years in Option 1 (controlled by Beo4). Preamp was a Cambridge DAC MagicPlus (has SPDIF out) as a digital hub. Sources as MacMini, AppleTV and a Beocenter 2 digital out were connected to the DAC MagicPlus.

Pro: best result in soundquality

Cons: Changing the sources on the DAC MagicPlus has to be done manually

Proposal for j0hnbarker:
Use a Beomaster 7000 / 6500 and connect the Beolab 5 (option 0) with PL. Add a DAC MagicPlus or similar as digital Hub. Connect all digital sources to DAC MagicPlus and use the SPDIF out to connect the Beolab 5. The digital out of the Beogram CD can easy connected to the DAC MagicPlus as well. In Option 0 the Beolab 5 ONLY opens the digital input if the source is "CD".

 

Thank you!

So if I do this and only have the one digital source (Beogram CD) am I effectively overcoming the fact that the Beogram CD doesn't have a coaxial out, but routing the optical out through the DAC MagicPlus gives me this connectivity?

Hi John,

I hope you are well.

I'm not sure you will even need a separate DAC to achieve what you seem to want to do. Stein Leikanger ('Soundproof' on this site) posted a number of threads on the old forum about his experiences - here's a link to the most succinct.

http://archivedarchivedforum2.beoworld.org/forums/p/27255/212354.aspx#212354

To my admittedly very untechnical understanding, this would seem to suggest that if you connect a 7000CD via the S/PDIF out direct to the S/PDIF 'in' on the BL5s you get all the benefits both the direct connection and control via a Beo4.

Cleve

Your planned setup will work and sound awesome - it`s a plug and play setup. I had a BS7000 connected to BL5 via an AV9000 years ago.

All controled by BL7000/5000 including timercontrol for the AV system and lights (LC2).

Ofcourse you can connect the BG CD7000 to BL5 via spdif - it`s the best sounding CD player from Beo - BL5 will automatically switch to coax input when you press CD and a digital source is connected. The whole system will be 2-way (excluding the Avant - linked via Beolink converter 1611).

You can add MCL- or/and ML linkrooms without any problems. You won`t regret to buy that system, but maybe you will regret selling all your vintage Beo. 

BTW: BL5 will work in L.OPT 0 controled via your audio/videomaster (BS7000/Avant) and can be used in AV0/2 setup, AV 1/1 setup with BL5s connected to BS7000 and AV2/0 setup this one should work completely 2way.

Hope this helps.

Stefan

Thanks Cleve/Stefan

From the sound of it I can have what I want then, which is some Lab 5s as my only speakers, with a BS7000 as the source, and my Avant RF all linked in together with some sort of functionality via the Beolink 7000 if I want to play with it.

I'll be keeping a Beo 4 for day-to-day use too :)

Ps, Cleve - we're well thanks. Hope you are the same?

John,

I'm fine thanks. I've retired now and am thoroughly enjoying myself.

Regards to Fliss

Cleve