Problem with height of beolabs for wheelchair user

Hi all, I'm new to the forum and I have some awkward questions. 

Im a tetraplegic and I've just turned 30, so I've decided to treat myself to a new stereo.

The problem is I'm permanently in a wheelchair and that means my hearing level is always at 5 foot, this means that some floor standing speakers are really low. 

What would you guys say are best for my situation beolab 5/9 (80cm/120cm) or beolab 1 (183cm)?

 

Also at the minute I have a full 5.1 setup through a wonderful receiver, but I think I'll change this! What I can't decide is whether to just run my 7.1 hd dts sound from my pc straight through to active beolabs via a power link trigger cable or use some sort of beosound/receiver (all of my video and sound comes via pc) 

5 foot seems very high for a wheelchair user's hearing, even when in an electric one. However I would suggest than Beolab 5s and 9s will certainlt give you the best sound - you really do need to listen to them first though - speakers are very personal choices and what is right for me could well be awful for you. Any dealer worth his salt will arrange a proper listening session and could well sort out a home session - as far as control is concerned, the level of function in your hands may well determine the choice of device. Have you looked at the Possum control devices?

Control isn't the issue really i can sort that out, it's more volume control and quality. Also i would be buying the speakers 2nd hand, so i don't think a trial would be possible. 

thanks

I have both 1s and 9s. The 9s disappear much more whereas the 1s do not. With the 9s it does not seem as if the sound is coming from the speakers whereas with the 1s it does sound much more like the sound is coming from the speakers.

Also, I have had both speakers in the same room with about a 9 foot ceiling. In that room, the 9s sound much better. I now have the 1s in a room with a sloping ceiling that is around 20 feet high at it's highest. The 1s sound much better in there, almost as good as the 9s.

The 9s do have much more bass.

I am 6'5" tall so when sitting I am am guessing my listening height is around four feet or a bit higher. I have never noticed anything sitting or standing that would make me choose one speaker over the other based on my listening height.

sounds like an epic room! so you don't recommend the 1's in low ceiling rooms (i love the height of the 1's) I also would get a sub if i had the 1's

I would probably buy the best speaker you can afford and raise them on solid plinths filled with sand or leadshot and budget for that. Raised off the floor you'd get less reflections off the floor and if they are closer to your ceiling buy and experiment with some flat acoustic absorbing panels - lots of companies do them and they come in assortment of colours and materials to complement your living room. 

cameron11:

sounds like an epic room! so you don't recommend the 1's in low ceiling rooms (i love the height of the 1's) I also would get a sub if i had the 1's

The 1s sounded good in the lower ceiling room but sound even better in the high ceiling room. Part of it may also be they were against a wall in the first room, and are against an open staircase in the second room.

cameron11:

sounds like an epic room! so you don't recommend the 1's in low ceiling rooms (i love the height of the 1's) I also would get a sub if i had the 1's

PS. I am also very much a fan of the height of the 1s. I sometimes have the feeling when visitors are at my house that the 9s are visually disappointing and may look like a lesser speaker after seeing the 1s when they first come in the house.

Exactly, you want your b&o to be visually impressive as well as sound good.  My setup is classic 2 speakers either side of a unit. 

Hi,

My "reference ear height" when I'm doing the final sound design for the current BeoLab loudspeakers is between 110 and 120 cm. (Of course the tuning is checked at other heights - but just to make sure that things don't sound completely strange. That said, the behaviour of the tuning at positions higher than 120 cm is more important than at lower positions because it's more likely that someone is standing up than lying down while listening...)

However, both the 5's and the 1's were done before my time - but as far as I know, they were also both tuned by a sound designer sitting in the same chair that I use...

From a strictly sound quality point of view, the fact that your ear hight is constant means that your perception of the loudspeakers' tone colour will also be more constant. This is because the reflection off the floor and ceiling doesn't change for you. So, if you tune/calibrate your system to suit your preferences, you are more likely to be more constantly satisfied with the result than most...

Cheers

- geoff

Even if you are buying second hand, I am sure a dealer would be happy to demonstrate Beolabs to you even if you were planning to buy second hand. I know Newcastle are always helpful and enjoy showing their wares - a happy customer may well buy later or recommend them!

 

Speaking of speaker heights, now that I'm lucky enough to have both the 9s and 20s, I've noticed that the 20s are taller than the 9's and (pending an amateurish home review coming) I find that the sound from the 20s is more pleasing to my listening position, whereas the lens of the 9's seems to be pointed straight out, rather than tilted slightly up as in the 20s. Am I imagining this?

If this is the case, has anyone actually made plinths for the 9's to raise them off the floor or ever so slightly tilt them up to compensate for different seating positions?

Pardon me - but most people are sitting, when they are listening.

At least part of the time.

I don't think, that your 'problem' is that much different from other peoples, when they have to choose speakers.

MM

I'm quite abit higher than a regular sofa!

I have the beolab 1s that are very nice/natural speakers albeit weak on bass. Last year I added the BL19 and this has made a huge positive difference, to the point that I did not see the need to upgrade my speakers (I was looking at the BL9). The BL5s are in another class and significantly better, but at a very different price point. If money is no object the BL5 will deliver better sound than the BL18/20, BL9, BL1+BL19 combo.

For me height has no impact on the sound, whether sitting or standing.

Hi Cameron,

Welcome to the forum.

The tweeter of the BeoLab 5 sound dispersion is at 93 cm from the floor, which I think is ok for wheelchair use.

If you can afford the BeoLab 5 then go for them. They are top notch in sound quality, dynamic range and frequency range. I think you will not be disappointed.

I am going to express a contrary view and know I am in the minority...but......I wanted the Beolab 5. I had them brought to my house by the dealer on two separate occasions. One time I had them in my house for many days. As much as I wanted to want them, I just did not notice an improvement over my 9s. Yes, they were different, but I could not say better. Perhaps it is just the way my room's acoustics work.  

 

 

I'm also in a wheelchair and I have the BeoLab 5s. No problem! Treat yourself!

//EA

Razlaw:

I am going to express a contrary view and know I am in the minority...but......I wanted the Beolab 5. I had them brought to my house by the dealer on two separate occasions. One time I had them in my house for many days. As much as I wanted to want them, I just did not notice an improvement over my 9s. Yes, they were different, but I could not say better. Perhaps it is just the way my room's acoustics work.  

You are not the first to say something like this Re: the Beolab 5 speakers. I have heard that the automatic calibration sometimes over-compensates in certain environments - not a flaw in programming, just sometimes makes the sound less pleasing to the human ear, even though it "should" sound that way. Unfortunately, we all have different preferences for what we enjoy.