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Beolab 90 review

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Peter
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Peter Posted: Sat, Nov 12 2016 12:09 PM

Review in Hi-Fi News - picture of Geoff in as well!

Peter

seethroughyou
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December issue?

.

 

 

Present: BL90, Core, BL6000, CD7000, Beogram 7000, Essence Remote.

Past: BL1, BL2, BL8000, BS9000, BL5, BC2, BS5, BV5, BV4-50, Beosystem 3, BL3, DVD1, Beoremote 4, Moment.

.

Peter
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Peter replied on Sun, Nov 13 2016 8:37 AM

Yes - it is the lead article and on the cover. First real review. Not as over the top as the first reviews of the Beolab 5 though HFN often seem less effusive that some of the other rags. I wonder if they got first review due to the presence of Tim Jarman - though he is not the reviewer!

Peter

Millemissen
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Picture - or it wasn't ;-)

MM

There is a tv - and there is a BV

Peter
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Millemissen:

Picture - or it wasn't ;-)

MM

 

Peter

leosgonewild
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I think they are lacking a little in the mid-ranges..

Stick out tongue

"You think we can slap some oak on this thing?"

Millemissen
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Thanks Peter,

not all of us can go to the local shop to buy a copy of the hifinews.

MM

There is a tv - and there is a BV

elephant
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elephant replied on Mon, Nov 14 2016 10:05 AM
Frankly that cover ... [:\'(] ... I'm speachless

Reminds me of the design description for ET ... something that only a mother (sorry Geoff) would love !

BeoNut since '75

Peter
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Peter replied on Mon, Nov 14 2016 9:24 PM

Millemissen:

Thanks Peter,

not all of us can go to the local shop to buy a copy of the hifinews.

MM

If you would like my copy, I would be happy to send it to you - I don't think I will be troubling the scorers in the Beolab 90 market! Email me at mcevedy(at)mac.com

Peter

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John replied on Thu, Nov 17 2016 7:32 AM

Would be interested to read this - can one buy a copy of the magazine individual issue online at all?

 

Cheers

 

John.. :-)

Mr 10Percent
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I just ambled down to the local WH Smiths to have a squint at this. Had full expectation that for the first in 20 years, I'd actually buy a HiFi Magazine. Alas, that record remains intact. The review is simply not worth the GBP4.99, the magazine demands.

Now obviously, I have skin in the game but the review I though was very flat and uninteresting if not un-gushing. A bit on the history of B&O, A bit on Linear Phase speakers of the 1970's, and what seemed to be quiet a bit of Reviewers Ball-lux-speak regarding his overly informed insitu measurements on the technical performance.

All very flat and rather uninteresting article. A least the "all form, no substance" and "could buy better for the same money" mantras were not costed into the price of the ink. I think the Reviewer would be better off doing articles in a Richer Sounds.

Score of 87/100 (is that good, v.good or excellent in the grand scheme of things). I would imagine Mr Martin will be disappointed with that.

Going to the pub now to spend GBP4.99 on the money I inadvertently saved today.

Chris
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Chris replied on Sat, Nov 19 2016 2:11 PM

Mr 10Percent:
The review is simply not worth the GBP4.99, the magazine demands.

 

Had a pdf copy and your opinion is exactly my thought to.

- The Wilson Alexx (November issue) and B&W 800 D3 (October issue) are off course allways a lot better.Crying

"Believe nothing you read and only half of what you see, let your ears tell you the truth."

Peter
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Peter replied on Sat, Nov 19 2016 2:49 PM

Tend to agree - the Beolab 5s got a far better write up. The 'not very hi-fi' line may be meant well (or not!) but does sum up a slight bias in the reviewer! I shall keep my subscription but only because Tim reviews vintage equipment - he is pictured as he was at a show demoing old equipment fronted by a Beogram 4000 (which I seem to remember he bought at a car boot sale!)

Peter

Jeff
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Jeff replied on Sat, Nov 19 2016 3:26 PM

Peter:

Tend to agree - the Beolab 5s got a far better write up. The 'not very hi-fi' line may be meant well (or not!) but does sum up a slight bias in the reviewer! I shall keep my subscription but only because Tim reviews vintage equipment - he is pictured as he was at a show demoing old equipment fronted by a Beogram 4000 (which I seem to remember he bought at a car boot sale!)

The attitude that the reviewer seems to have expressed is exactly why I have maintained that, no matter how good the BL90 is, it will not make the inroads they might think it would into the true believer audiophile type community. I wonder if there are enough well heeled potential buyers who are not audio types to float that level of product for B&O, people who want to pay that kind of money just for show who aren't that into audio, or if there are enough audiophiles willing to drop that much money (there are a fair number of them who spend that much or more) who have open enough minds to consider B&O.

The BL5s are outstanding speakers, better to my ears than speakers I've heard that cost much more and still require more money still for associated electronics, and the audiophile community has never beat a path to B&Os door for them either.

Jeff

I'm afraid I'm recovering from the BeoVirus. Sad

Mr 10Percent
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)

Jeff:

Peter:

Tend to agree - the Beolab 5s got a far better write up. The 'not very hi-fi' line may be meant well (or not!) but does sum up a slight bias in the reviewer! I shall keep my subscription but only because Tim reviews vintage equipment - he is pictured as he was at a show demoing old equipment fronted by a Beogram 4000 (which I seem to remember he bought at a car boot sale!)

The attitude that the reviewer seems to have expressed is exactly why I have maintained that, no matter how good the BL90 is, it will not make the inroads they might think it would into the true believer audiophile type community. I wonder if there are enough well heeled potential buyers who are not audio types to float that level of product for B&O, people who want to pay that kind of money just for show who aren't that into audio, or if there are enough audiophiles willing to drop that much money (there are a fair number of them who spend that much or more) who have open enough minds to consider B&O.

The BL5s are outstanding speakers, better to my ears than speakers I've heard that cost much more and still require more money still for associated electronics, and the audiophile community has never beat a path to B&Os door for them either.

 

having just spent my GBP on a Leffe Blonde (plus a few more), I'd go so far as to agree with you......but then that's no excuse for lazy reviewing, which is what the article actually is. 

Consider this; imagine B&O give you a set of these for 48hrs, all set-up and for you to play what you want? How much fun would you have with zero commitment? Exactly. None of that comes through. As I say, the individual should stick to reviews in Richer Sounds

 

 

elephant
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elephant replied on Sat, Nov 19 2016 5:19 PM
Jeff:

I have maintained that, no matter how good the BL90 is, it will not make the inroads they might think it would into the true believer audiophile type community.

I fear you are right

But it may be hurtful to one's pride but not one's purse

The only serious (seemingly) buyer I have seen was some one with a large loft who wanted volume for his parties and for whom price was no object

BeoNut since '75

Duels
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Duels replied on Sat, Nov 19 2016 5:29 PM
Mr 10Percent:

Going to the pub now to spend GBP4.99 on the money I inadvertently saved today.

That doesn't sound like a lot of fun will be had!
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Duels:
Mr 10Percent:

 

 

Going to the pub now to spend GBP4.99 on the money I inadvertently saved today.

 

 

That doesn't sound like a lot of fun will be had!

I would have purchased a few copies if it were anygood

Jeff
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Jeff replied on Sat, Nov 19 2016 6:31 PM

@Mr. 10 Percent, absolutely. If B&O gave me a pair for 2 days, I'd listen to every single thing I had, probably twice! And have a blast seeing how it all sounded. From what you say, it sounds like the reviewer thought the whole exercise was just a chore.

Back in the day I wanted to borrow a pair of speakers for a while from the store. The owner said sure, take home a pair of Cizek 1's. My response was aw man, not them. They always sounded flat compared to the other speakers, and we couldn't give a pair away. Them or nothing, so I was approaching them in the same way perhaps the reviewer was. Turns out they were remarkably uncolored and wonderful sounding when setup right and when you actually took the time to listen to them properly. Apparently the reviewer wasn't open to that kind of epiphany.

Jeff

I'm afraid I'm recovering from the BeoVirus. Sad

paolomariano
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If I could afford them, this would probably be my color choice Smile

Duels
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Duels replied on Sun, Nov 20 2016 10:00 AM
paolomariano:

If I could afford them, this would probably be my color choice

I could have chosen that for you Paolo. Would look great in your room.
paolomariano
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Duels:

I could have chosen that for you Paolo. Would look great in your room.

That would have been very kind of you, Duels! Smile

Thanks! Wink

The second problem is that I do not have enough room for them in my current apartment.

Who knows... maybe in the future...
Michael
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Michael replied on Sun, Nov 20 2016 11:01 AM
paolomariano:

If I could afford them, this would probably be my color choice

Looks ten times better than the black ones

Beolab 50, Beolab 8000 x 2, Beolab 4000 x 2, 
BeoSound Core, BeoSound 9000, BeoSound Century, 
BeoLit 15, BeoPlay A1, BeoPlay P2, BeoPlay H9 3rd Gen, BeoPlay H6, EarSet 3i, 
BeoVision Eclipse Gen 2 55", BeoPlay V1-40, 
BeoCom 6000 and so much else :)  

Jeff
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Jeff replied on Sun, Nov 20 2016 4:55 PM

Good color choice, I like the white better than the black, and the lighter color wood. Minimizes their visual size a bit, otherwise they, like most ultra high end large speakers, can get a tad bit overwhelming. I remember being quite impressed with a pair of Duntech Black Knights, but it was like listening to two of the monoliths from 2001!

Jeff

I'm afraid I'm recovering from the BeoVirus. Sad

abyss
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abyss replied on Sun, Mar 12 2017 6:10 PM

There is a good review of the box in the german magazine "Audio". 

The editor highlights the incredible precision of the box. His conclusion: "A word: a factor of addiction, whoever hears this box - correctly measured and adapted to the situation of the room - wants more of it, much more, it was very difficult for me to leave the Listening Room. Particularly when it came to the border areas in terms of low-level or high-range dynamics.

They listed it with 108 points just under  Gauder Akustik Berlina RC9 (110 Points), B&W 800 D3 (109 Points) and on the same level as for example JBL Everest DD66000 Sonus Faber II Cremonese. All with a price tay range between 30'000 and 96'000 Euro.

Too much money for me anyway and to big too, so i will stay with my Piega Cool

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