Speaker advice please....

Hi Everyone,

I have a Beocenter 7000 running a set of Beovox CX50s, all housed within my full wall shelving unit. My question is this, if i was to add another set of (B&O) speakers what woiuld people recommend? I have been told good things about Beovox S45.2 but unfortunately because the speakers will need to sit within a fixed space (35cm (H) x 30cm (D)) they would be too big. Any other ideas?

Thanks,

Miles

 

Hi Miles,

I'm not sure the S45.2s are out of the question.  They can be used on their sides, in which case the only barrier would be the width of the shelving unit space available.  The obvious alternative would be the CX100, but they won't offer the sort of performance imporvement you will get from the S45.2s. 

Another option is from a slightly earlier period - the 1702s.  These are available in a veneer to match your 7000 and from a period when the quality of B&O woodwork was very good indeed.  They sound warmer than the CX range and can be listened to for long periods without listener fatigue.   I have used mine with a 7007 - the same amp as your 7000 - very successfully 

Cleve

Or you could get a Beovox Cona Sub  - will improve the sound out of all recognition!

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Cheers

Nigel

 

h1npw:

Or you could get a Beovox Cona Sub

Exellent advice.

h1npw:

Or you could get a Beovox Cona Sub - will improve the sound out of all recognition!

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Cheers

Nigel

Hi Nigel,

I did consider this as an option (I have a Cona with my CXs) but I realty don't think the combination is as good as the S45.2s. But it is most certainly an option.

Cleve

What about hanging P30s or P45s adjacent to the cabinet?  Is that an option?  I have both, and if you have space for the P45s, they are outstanding.  The P30s aren't bad either, but not up to the quality of the S45-2 or P45.

Hi Cleve,

Thanks for this.

The width isnt an issue, so if the S45.2s operate effectifely on their side then i think that is decision made! There are some on ebay currently for £95, is this a fair price?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HIFI-Speakers-Bang-Olufsen-Beovox-S45-2-Vintage-/400688849053?pt=UK_AudioVideoElectronics_HomeAudioHiFi_HiFiSpeakers&hash=item5d4aeaa09d#ht_201wt_1161

Thanks again,

Miles

Hi Miles,

They will work well on their sides - the

S45 badge at the base of the frets swivels so it reads either vertically or horizontally so they are designed to work either way. They won't sound quite as good as they do on their stands slightly away from the rear walls but they are still very good.

The P45s referred to on this thread are very similar and are specifically designed to work attached to the rear walls - either vertically or horizontally. I have a pair and they do work extremely well with the BeoCenter 7xxx series, but from your description of where they will be used, the dimensions are slightly too large.

The real problem with buying S45s, particularly on eBay, is the possibility of damage in transit. S45s, and P45s for that matter, are both very prone to dislodging the magnets in the bass drivers in transit. Unless the magnets have been glued in place they are very prone to being dislodged and they sound awful if that has happened. It can be fixed and there are a number of threads referring to how to do that but if, like me you are a technical incompetent, it is a job best left to an enthusiast who knows what they are doing.

If you do risk a purchase on eBay, then ideally pick them up (after listening!) and cosset them during the trip home.

S45s will usually benefit from new capacitors in the crossovers, but these are available from Martin Olsen ("Dillen" on this site)

Speaking of Martin, he very recently sold a pair (in rare Oak finish) on eBay for less than the asking price of the pair you are looking at. These would have been virtually mint, fully working with good capacitors and with the magnets sorted for transport.

This probably won't help you make a decision on the pair you are looking at. I bought mine for a lot less - with their stands - but I had a round trip of 300 miles to get them, I had to restore the veneer and buy and arrange for someone to install a set of Martin's capacitors.

I think I would want them to be fully sorted for the sort of asking price and want them to be cosmetically pretty well mint.

Cleve

I use S45's lying on their sides on a shelf unit. I actually find the sound to be better than when I had the speakers wall mounted in a vertical position, although this is as likely to do with the room acoustics and resonance of the shelf unit as anything else. The original  S45's are almost identical to the S45.2 but might be fractionally narrower. The main differences seem to be the resin backs and the fact that they only have one metal trim on the front edge rather than trims front and back.

There is a separate thread discussion on the early S45 and S45.2.

I wouldn't worry about lying these speakers down.... and most of the early Beovox passive speakers (with flat fret panels) had mounts designed for both horizontal or vertical wall mounting (but not the S45 which had a slightly curved/angled fret and a resin back).

Graham

I suggest you wait until Martin sells speakers on ebay (dillen_de)...

Ralf

Thanks to everyone for the really usefull advice....I will pm Martin...