Surround setup: get rid of beolab 2?

Hello all

 

I am currently considering replacing my beolab 3 as fronts + beolab 2 subwoofer with beolab 9, and then using the beolab 3 as rear-speakers. 

 

My question is; Will the beolab 9 be able to reproduce the LFE-channel + other channels sending bass as well as my beolab 2?

 

My other option is to keep my beolab 2 and beolab 3 and then buy another pair of beolab 3 to use as rears .. 

 

Hope you get my question!

 

Kind regards,

Mace.

Hi Mace,

since we don't know your room, and how you have set things (especially the BL2/which BV the BL's are connected to) up - it's a hard question to answer!

It is also a matter of personal choice and of what kind of music, that you listen to - or the mix of video (surround) and music (stereo), you listen to.

I would - in general -  prefer a set of BL9 to the BL3/2 combo.

Best try them out at home - if possible!

MM

I have 2 x Lab3 with Lab2 as my surround at home, and personally prefer Lab3/lab2 combo to Lab9.

However, think about Lab 20 - much better than anything other than Lab5.

I spent a while listening to the Lab20s yesterday in the store and they are mightily impressive- incredible bass response. Pound for pound, probably the best speaker in the range....

 

I agree with Sheffield and MM.

To not disturb the balance get BL3s for the rears - unless you want an audio upgrade in which case get BL29s.

In either situation we presume your BeoVision has a subwoofer power link port and you keep the BL2.

You may find that with the BL20s that the BL2 is less relevant - except for the biggest explosions

With Lab 20s you wouldn't need a sub...

Mace:

My question is; Will the beolab 9 be able to reproduce the LFE-channel + other channels sending bass as well as my beolab 2?

 

Hi,

Without knowing your source (specifically, because I'm wondering about how you're doing the bass management)...

One BeoLab 9, averaged over a frequency range in the low end, can produce a louder low-end than one BeoLab 2. (Of course, if you look at one particular frequency, that may not be true - or it may be more true.) This is why a BeoVision 11 / BeoVision Avant / BeoPlay V1 / BeoSystem4 will NOT bass-manage from a BL9 to a BL2.

Of course, if you have one BL9, you probably have two. So, that will be able to play even louder.

So, if you replace your 2xBL3+1xBL2 with 2xBL9, you will not lose bass. You will gain bass - on average.

Cheers

-geoff

Thanks for all the feedback.

 

I can see, that i should have specified my setup. I use a Denon X3000 surround-receiver as a pre-amp. As far as i have understood, with odyssey on and rear speakers set to 'small', and 'no subwoofer', it will send the bass to the front speakers (the LFE + other speakers at their given cross-over).

 

I have listened to the beolab 9 (and they sounds great), but as i am buying 2nd hand, i can't try it in my home. That's why i wanted your opinions, from real life situations..

.

Hi

Excellent info from Goeff - as always.

I would definetely replace a BL3/BL2 combo with BL9's. When I did, I also noticed the advantages of having two "subs" - Two BL9's did, at least in my room, distribute the bass much better. Sure, the BL20 is better - but today you can get a good deal on a set of 9's: If you are using your setup for movies and prefer HD sound throug bluray movies, upgrading to 4x BL9 would beat a setup with 2xBL20 (front) + 2xBL3 (rear) - IMHO. Replacing a pair of BL3 (rear) with BL9 was a big surprise to me, as I always thought the rear channels didn't do much work. But for DTS-HD and Dolby Digital the difference will put a smile on your face. Each and every time, IMHO.

Roger

Mace:

Thanks for all the feedback.

 

I can see, that i should have specified my setup. I use a Denon X3000 surround-receiver as a pre-amp. As far as i have understood, with odyssey on and rear speakers set to 'small', and 'no subwoofer', it will send the bass to the front speakers (the LFE + other speakers at their given cross-over).

 

I have listened to the beolab 9 (and they sounds great), but as i am buying 2nd hand, i can't try it in my home. That's why i wanted your opinions, from real life situations..

I would agree with Geoffs assessment, especially as he is a trained expert, and I am not...lol

But, an Beolab 9 is a better loudspeaker than a Beolab 3, apart perhaps from size and discreetness.

I use a pair of Beolab 9's, along with a V1-40 which I bought new, and do not feel any need for a separate sub to handle LFE.

In fact, when I first got the Beolab 9's, the bass was so good, on both music and movie LFE, I couldn't believe it for the size of the speaker, and was initially terrified that something would break - i.e. a bass driver voice coil slamming into the magnet end plate and destroying the voice coil, or some other electro mechanical disaster.  But after Geoff so kindly wrote in and explained how B&O's ABL (adaptive bass linearity) circuit works to both extend the bass and protect the speaker from overload, I felt considerably more at ease with my new purchase.

Eighteen months later they still surprise and delight me with their bass capabilities on movie LFE.

My room is solid concrete floor and ceiling, with double brick plastered and painted walls (being an apartment) with carpeted floor and around 5 x 4 metres in size, with 2/3rds of the end wall being ceiling to floor glass overlooking a balcony.

I usually listen on movies (Bluray) at around 55 - 60 on the volume, and at that, LFE is enough to rattle doors and windows on some movies, and makes the couch go all wobbly as well!

As far as low bass/LFE is concerned, I've accordingly never experienced a desire for more bass volume via adding a separate sub.

Something like a Beolab 5 or it's successor might tempt me though, but mainly only for my favourite pipe organ music where I really want to feel those 32' stops doing their thing at 16hz, but for movie LFE, I'm very well satisfied indeed.

Accordingly, I'd recommend the Lab 9 solution, with 3's at the rear, given the options you've stated.

Hope this helps

Kind regards

 

John..

 

 

Oh, and many thanks again also to Geoff for writing in - am finding the latest tech articles extremely interesting - and thank you!

Kind regards

 

John...

Roger:

Hi

Excellent info from Goeff - as always.

I would definetely replace a BL3/BL2 combo with BL9's. When I did, I also noticed the advantages of having two "subs" - Two BL9's did, at least in my room, distribute the bass much better. Sure, the BL20 is better - but today you can get a good deal on a set of 9's: If you are using your setup for movies and prefer HD sound throug bluray movies, upgrading to 4x BL9 would beat a setup with 2xBL20 (front) + 2xBL3 (rear) - IMHO. Replacing a pair of BL3 (rear) with BL9 was a big surprise to me, as I always thought the rear channels didn't do much work. But for DTS-HD and Dolby Digital the difference will put a smile on your face. Each and every time, IMHO.

Roger

Hi Roger

Very interesting to hear about your experience swapping out the 3's for the 9's at the rear (with 9's at the front).

I'm currently using my pre-existing ES Sony TA-DA9000 ES amp to drive a pair of Tannoy MX2's for surround duties, via an adaptor lead from the V1-40 toe the Sony amp (from Steve at Sounds Heavenly), which works well, but I know things will get substantially better when I add some B&O speakers to the rear surround position (and not least allow me to sell the Sony kit and rack etc off, and de-clutter the room).

I'm holding out for Lab 5's or their successor for the fronts, and then move the 9's to the rear, but I must say a set of the new 20's for the fronts, and move the existing 9's to the rear is another tempting option indeed!

Kind regards

 

John..