ARCHIVED FORUM -- March 2012 to February 2022READ ONLY FORUM
This is the second Archived Forum which was active between 1st March 2012 and 23rd February 2022
Hi all,
I'm new to the forum so hello!
I have been considering buying a Beosound 5 or Encore for a while. I've heard from a dealer that there will be a £1000 off offer for June and July but I still can't work out if they are still ridiculously expensive or whether they are genuinely worth the cost.
An alternative for me would be to buy the new A8 but that would leave me without MOTS which is one of the primary reasons for buying.
I'd appreciate anyone's thoughts.
Thanks
Huwwy
You should try to know what is the purpose of this offer. Is it like for the BS8 where they are trying to clear the inventory before they bring a new model?
Beoworld app with direct photo upload and emoticons.
Hi Phil, that was my initial thought too and as many on here are much more in the loop on B&O developments I thought I'd ask to see if anyone has any inside info.
At this moment in time, personally, I think it's wise to go with the A8 airplay and stick to streaming your iTunes from your iPhone or MacBook - Apple really seem to know what they are doing in that department.
Why would anyone want MOTS? when you can chose to make your own playlist? I just don't get it! But hey, just my opinion :)
Paul,
If you had MOTS running on your music I think you might find it interesting. I think it is simply fantastic - let me explain why from my point of view. Before I had MOTS I simply played the same music over and over. Of course every so often I would dig into my collection and pull out an older disc and play it, but generally it was the same old artists and tracks.
But now with MOTS I hear music that I haven't heard in a long time. Even some of the tracks I wasn't really interested in before when I now hear them in a different context they sound great. For example if I was listening to an album with mostly fast music and a slow one came along I was not so interested, or of course the opposite could happen. Now I just select a song to suit my mood and let the machine go to work. Also I don't have to worry about preparing a play list. I travel quite a bit and frankly I can't wait to get home these days and chill out to the MOTS.When people come to visit it is also great. They select a song they like and whatever else is in my collection that is similar pops up. My friends also like playing with the Beosound 5 interface.
Of course this is just my opinion and the way I now enjoy music. I am sure other people may have different needs and solutions.
By the way there is one thing I would like to do and I don't know how. I have recently started to rip to FLAC and I don't know how to include the album. Anyone out there who can help.
Stephen
I have bought an Encore this year, after using Airport Express with a Beosound 2300 (A.AUX), and also testing Sonos for more than a year.
I have to say that MOTS is THE key thing in a BS5 system, and it's better for me than Apple's Genius. With Sonos I had everything that I wanted (multiroom, scheduled on/off, Spotify/Deezer integration, nice iPad interface...), but I was always listening to the same songs!
About buying this system today, I would not say that it's too late, I would maybe say that it's too early! (in fact, I find the BS5 outdated, it's just an old PC; 3 cables from BS5 to BM5... The BS5E has almost the same capabilities, and is less bulky...) B&O has launched a totally new platform with the Encore, and this system has to evolve in functionalities, (and he BS5 also), just to meet the functionalities of something like Sonos :
- Maybe one day those systems will integrate Spotify/Deezer/Qobuz for unlimited music streaming (it's now a must have like an A.AUX connector!)- B&O has to launch the "BeoNet circular controller" for secondary rooms in order to make the Encore something that is not stand alone- B&O is said to release the BeoNet to ML converter for people that want a BS5 Encore with ML (the BS5 already has ML, it's nice, but it's a bulky solution)- B&O NEEDS TO PROVIDE QUICKLY AN UPDATE FOR BEO6 2-WAYS WITH THE ENCORE (like the BS5)- A second interface on iPad (iPhone) would be great to have a cool way to search for a specific song with a keyboard. It's said to be somewhere near the launch for more than one year now...
diisign.com
Hi mbee, When i discussed buying an Encore with my dealer he told me that his understanding is that the Encore would not be adapted/upgraded to allow multi room use or two way remote or have any other major developments. It was this information that stopped me buying an Encore. I can't believe it is true but he is a B&O dealer!
From my point of view one clear answer: Yes, yes, yes ...
FIrst and most important reason is the sound quality of the Beomaster/Beosond 5. It´s far better than listening to music via AppleTV. I think it´s even better than listening to a CD from a BeoCenter 2.
Second reason is the Design of the BeoSound 5.
Most important: correct tagging of the Albums, otherwise it is hard to find the music you are looking for or you have two album covers for one album etc. If the tagging its correct: wonderful (beside of that I am missing the category "Genres" - but being aware of the concept of MOTS the absents of the category "Genres" its quite logical).
MOTS is really interesting and yes, I also like it (MOTS was not the main criteria for me).
Fazit: I will keep my Beomaster/Beosound 5 for a long long time :-)
Michael99
Huwwy: I'd appreciate anyone's thoughts.
I've owned a lot of recent B&O kit, including the BS5/BM5 combo. I hated it. I felt like a fool/fraud/idiot for buying it, it remained here for 3 months, was traded in against other stuff (I didn't lose too much money).
It's a very expensive PC/controller combo. I'd put my money towards an A8 and use the spare cash to upgrade your speakers.
The Encore is ok, it's the combo I didn't like. I still believe the Encore is too expensive for what it offers (a controller for your NAS drive, effectively), but if you can get it discounted as part of an offer, it would be worth some consideration. You also get MOTS with the Encore, too, so it's a much better option. Buying the BM5 sums up everything I don't like about the old-school B&O customerbase :)
Huwwy: Hi mbee, When i discussed buying an Encore with my dealer he told me that his understanding is that the Encore would not be adapted/upgraded to allow multi room use or two way remote or have any other major developments. It was this information that stopped me buying an Encore. I can't believe it is true but he is a B&O dealer!
If they do that, they are just completely wrong.
But the fact is that yes, your dealer is a dealer, he wants to sell a €5000 BS5 instead of a €3000 BS5E. And as it is now, the BS5E is just a big iPod (with MOTS and HD audio playback, which are already big PROs against Apple or Sonos)...
What is hidden behind the screen of the Encore is the new digital audio platform of all B&O audio products (it was developped to be that). No ML, but BeoNet instead/ 2-ways possibilities/synchronised music in multiroom... The BS5E is just a bit of software close to perfection, but it seems that B&O is not really motivated to develop the BS5E fastly. It's sad because it could be a real gem in a new BeoNet home. I'm just waiting to see what they do. If they wait too much, I will have to go another way, but literally, MOTS has changed how I listen to music. It's like evaluating a DJ in a party, wondering "good song, what will you put next to that??", it just makes me use almost 100% of my music library, when I was using max. 10% with Sonos, and 50% with Apple/Genius.
Michael99:FIrst and most important reason is the sound quality of the Beomaster/Beosond 5. It´s far better than listening to music via AppleTV. I think it´s even better than listening to a CD from a BeoCenter 2.
I must correct you here : the latest Apple TV has no analog audio out, it's only HDMI, so it's all digital. Connected to a Beovision, the (really good) DAC of the Beovision (whatever Beovision it is) will convert to analog, and the amplification will be done by your Beolabs. So normally there will be almost no difference of quality between AppleTV and BS5 (as long as you don't want to listen to HD audio tracks like 24bit/96kHz)
If you connect directly a set of Beolabs to an Airport Express, it's a different story : the awful analog audio out of the AE will make your great lossless songs sounding like bad MP3s (limited highs, higher than adequate bass level...)
I must admit that coming from Sonos and before that Apple Airplay-based system, I was a bit skeptical about the BS5 Encore. Now that I've played with the device, used to have the album cover displayed on a cool medium-sized screen in the livingroom, and used to have MOTS, it will be very difficult, almost impossible, to replace it with Sonos/Airplay, even if they provide some advantages (scheduled on/off for Sonos, and synchronised multiroom audio + iPad navigation for Sonos+Apple)
Michael99: FIrst and most important reason is the sound quality of the Beomaster/Beosond 5. It´s far better than listening to music via AppleTV. I think it´s even better than listening to a CD from a BeoCenter 2.
I don't know about "far better". I simply use a digital out from my Airport Express to the BS4 and that effectively achieves the same thing.
BTW rather than spending tons of cash on a BM5/BS5 combo, you'd be better buying an Encore and using the spare cash towards better B&O speakers. There's huge difference between, say, the A8 and BL3s, for example. Far more of a difference than the "far better" sound quality you imply by using the BM5.
Moxxey, how are you achieving a digital connection from the Airport Express to your BS4? I thought the BS4 only had an AUX input?
I love my BS 5 and use it every day
The MOTS really is the Dog's B_______
HI!Previously I had a BeoSound 4 with memroy cards, and also connected my iPod via Aux. It worked, but still it was not really what I wanted. After upgradring to BM5/BS5 I'm very satisfied with how it works. The upgrades that has come are real great such as viewing album art in every search mode Album/Artist/Title...
Then coming to the MOTS, yes that's awesome. Especially playing one song and feeling I want this to be the "seeder". JUst hold Go on the Beo4 and voila, here we go with a new playlist...
I use MediaMonkey for adding art, and I use at least 500x500, and as high resolution as I can find. Takes literally no space in comparison to the music. MediaMonkey makes a greater job of updating all of the music files in a folder, since sometimes I've experienced that only the first song has good resolution and then the rest has crappy resolution.
What I would like to have on my wishlist is an iPad version of the Beo 6 remote. Not like those out there that plays Dnla, but disables MOTS... instead, make a good iPad version, that resembles of the control of BM5 control, and I would be happy to pay some bucks for that,....
That's my two cents...
Lars
That's exactly what my dealer told me. He made it very clear that the Encore is strictly intended to be a stand-alone product and that there is absolutely no future plan for it to be part of a link room system. He said that that is what the BeoMaster 5 is for. I'm wondering what other buyers' experiences have been with their dealers and if their dealers have been as clear and straightforward as ours. There seem to be an awful lot of people with expectations that the Encore can do or will do what the original BeoMaster 5/BeoSystem 5 can do.
My wife mostly use radio, so any system would be OK for her I think (if controllable with Beo4).
But today I just wanted to listen to Princes Alphabet Street, and then let MOTS take over, and I have to admit, MOTS really explorer music you NEVER listen to, it is really great.
It does make me want to buy more music that I can add to BS5. I have about 17.000 tracks on my system right now.
beojeff: That's exactly what my dealer told me. He made it very clear that the Encore is strictly intended to be a stand-alone product and that there is absolutely no future plan for it to be part of a link room system. He said that that is what the BeoMaster 5 is for. I'm wondering what other buyers' experiences have been with their dealers and if their dealers have been as clear and straightforward as ours. There seem to be an awful lot of people with expectations that the Encore can do or will do what the original BeoMaster 5/BeoSystem 5 can do.
It is either wishful thinking on the part of BeoWorlders or the dealer trying to sell what he has today vs. having a customer wait to purchase. I'd say the odds are 50-50, but, then again, you never know for sure what the future holds so, even if the dealer is just trying to sell what he has today, it is dangerous to buy a product based on "futures"...
Stan: beojeff: That's exactly what my dealer told me. He made it very clear that the Encore is strictly intended to be a stand-alone product and that there is absolutely no future plan for it to be part of a link room system. He said that that is what the BeoMaster 5 is for. I'm wondering what other buyers' experiences have been with their dealers and if their dealers have been as clear and straightforward as ours. There seem to be an awful lot of people with expectations that the Encore can do or will do what the original BeoMaster 5/BeoSystem 5 can do. It is either wishful thinking on the part of BeoWorlders or the dealer trying to sell what he has today vs. having a customer wait to purchase. I'd say the odds are 50-50, but, then again, you never know for sure what the future holds so, even if the dealer is just trying to sell what he has today, it is dangerous to buy a product based on "futures"...
In my opinion, the descriptions of the BeoSound 5/BeoMaster 5 and the BeoSound 5 Encore on the B&O website do no make it clear at all to the consumer what the differences are. As we all know, the differences are quite great. In fact, the descriptions even seem to make the Encore look like the product with greater features. Notice where the description of the Encore states "No Limitations" with a subheading "Lossless music in every room." To me, this seems rather misrepresentative of the two products. Also, I recently received a promotional booklet from B&O that included the Encore. That same booklet did NOT include the BS5/BM5. To me, it seems like a lure of "bait-and-switch" to get the customer into the store. The customers with existing multi-room B&O systems would be disappointed to find that only the BS5/BM5, which costs CONSIDERABLY more, will offer the true masterlink features.
Hints :
- On the new B&O website, the BS5E is pictured with a Beo6 in 2-way mode on its side... Maybe it's just a picture error (as it is surely the BS5 that is pictured), but I doubt that they did not see that.
- Considering what the Encore really is, I'm reffering to the last interim/annual financial reports that were issued by B&O. They defined the not-already-named Encore as the next gen full digital audio platform for B&O products. Now that the CEO has changed, things can change. But the Encore has to evolve if they want to sell it, limiting its functionnalities just to preserve BS5/BM5 sales is pure suicide considering the other offers on the market.
First, never confuse marketing with reality. Marketing's goal is to paint a pretty picture that speaks to your emotions and gets you interested to the point you'll engage in a conversation with a store. It's the store's job then to bring the client back to earth. For example, B&O must be working on wireless speakers and TVs - including wireless power - because rarely do any of their photos show wires. Speakers in the middle of the floor (or TVs hanging from the ceiling!!!) with no connections to anything . Makes a pretty picture, but doesn't really work in reality. Likewise, the Beo6 showing cover art on the page with the BS5E (but the picture might actually be a BS5). I'm not arguing against this functionality or saying it will never be available - I this capability with my BS5 so I hope they expand it to the BS5E - but, I am saying don't read too much into marketing materials.
Financial reports tend to be better, but most contain a "safe harbor" statement (all in the US) where it basically says, any forward looking statements are subject to change.
While masterlink is old, old, old... what benefits does a user actually see if it becomes digital vs. it's current analog state? This is probably the question Tue asked, and the answer was "not much right now, but in the future... " So.. he said, we need to make money today if there's ever going to be a future and reallocated resources toward the Play strategy... just a guess, but I've seen this movie a few times in my professional career...
Stan
Stan: While masterlink is old, old, old... what benefits does a user actually see if it becomes digital vs. it's current analog state? This is probably the question Tue asked, and the answer was "not much right now, but in the future... " So.. he said, we need to make money today if there's ever going to be a future and reallocated resources toward the Play strategy... just a guess, but I've seen this movie a few times in my professional career... Stan
Hi Stan, you make some very valid points here and, after reading all the other replies to my original thread, I have decided not to buy either the Beosound 5 or Encore at the moment.
After a lot of consideration, I feel that the Beosound 5 is now getting a bit dated in terms of features (not looks!) and expensive for what it does and although there is a money off offer right now through my dealer I am worried that this may be simply to 'clear the decks' of old stock before some kind of product announcement.
My dealer has told me that the Encore will not be developed into a link system or have any other major developments and, with the Play strategy seeming to be at the forefront of B&O's plans, I don't want to invest in a system which isn't quite what I want and then rely on possible future upgrades which may never happen.
I'm sad that I cannot be confident enough in the future development plans for either the Beosound 5 or Encore to go out and buy one. I really feel that B&O should make some clear statements about the future developments of these products particularly in view of their current Play strategy.
Thanks to all who posted a reply to my original question.
Hmm... I didn't realize I was talking someone out of buying a BS5 or BS5E rather than just warning about putting too much credence into "futures". Then again, if you believe these products are incomplete and you would not enjoy either in their current state, then that is probably the correct choice... Please reference my earlier post about how much I enjoy my BS5, but everybody has different wants/needs. Also, I guess I'm a bit hypocritical since I bought my BS5 partially on the hope of future features - although, at the time, it was so incomplete (and new) the probability was very high that B&O was going to enhance it... and they did. In my mind, the two-way Beo6 integration was the last major feature it needed (ok, now that Apple has opened up their lossless format, support for that would be really nice, too), but that is just me...
I agree that the path forward for the BS5 and BS5E products is a bit murky. The trend seems to be toward model consolidation vs. proliferation. Does this mean that the BS5E will grow into all the capabilities of the BS5 (meaning the BS5 is more or less legacy)? Or will they continue forward with the current state (as I see it) of the BS5 being the "flagship" (with all the bells and whistles) and the BS5E being the "value" model.... Only time will tell...
Well I've pretty much come to the conclusion that BS5/BM5 is the only real happy solution for me and have now arranged a dealer demo at home.
Since losing my BS9000 I have been using Apple TV mark 1 to distribute sound but have not been happy with sound quality after ripping all cd's into Apple lossless. It's also difficult to distribute the sound around the house through ML (too many "clicks" and effort) and in one room tried to use AE with BS8 and that's really hard work.
Thought about several solutions but in the end the BS5/BM5 combination, although expensive even with a discount, just "feels" like the best answer to get the best out of BL5/BL9 speakers and link around the house.
Followed several of these shall we/shan't we threads and really decided that nothing seems to fit any better. If B&O do make later improvements then all the better.
Will see how the demo goes.
Mike
Since last week, I'm also using Beosound 5 Encore... At the very first begining my ex-dealer gave me totally wrong impression about the BS5. I thought that (even I wrote in this forum some comments regarding the difficulties of building up, networking etc.) BS5 is complicated then it should be. However, at the mean time I've been reading all comments about the BS5 in this forum and I decided to change my dealer. First of all, my new dealer gave me more detailed information and I decided to go for BS5 Encore.
It is very easy to set-up, can read any harddisk and different connection possibilities. User friendly, MOTS functining perfect, you do not need to listen always the same playlist or metal after soul, look special and with 13.000 radio stations (i didn't check all) never boring. USB slot make easy when your friends want to make you listen something new etc....
Who ever needs more can also write here which brand offers more? Apple? Sonos? Loewe?
Finally, I'm very happy with my decision. Especially, when I compare (price wise and technic wise) Beosound 5 Encore with Loewe Soundvision which costs 1500 Euro here in Germany.
Beovision Avant 55 / BV 11-40 / BV7-40 / Beovision Avant / Beosound 9000 / Beosound 5 Encore / Beosystem 4500 / Beosystem 6500 / Beocenter 9000 / Beolab 5000 / Beolab 18 / Beolab 19 / Beolab 11 / Beolab 17 / 3 sets of Beolab 4000 / Beovox Red Line 60.2
beopiranha: Who ever needs more can also write here which brand offers more? Apple? Sonos? Loewe?
Well, Sonos an Apple gives you a decent remote on your mobile devices or tablets to control, manage playlists and search your library. I agree MOTS is a great feature, but it will only let you discover music you allready have. Using a Sonos myself in combination with a streaming service like Spotify and the integration with social media, so I can play my buddy's playlists, will let me discover new music I don't have.
In my view some albums , I would never buy by listening it to it only once. But those same albums will grow more on me if you listen to them more than once. With Spotify I can do this.
But if you don't need these features, your BS5e is a great purchase!
DoubleU, thanks for your response.
I never said that Apple, Sonos or Loewe are offering something bad or useless. I've been writing many times here in forum that the best product of Apple is Itunes. Easy to use, discover and integrate. I appreciate what Apple brought us software wise.
I'm also using Iphone and Ipad attached to my BS9000 via Airport-express. But Airport express has software problems and change always gates and if you want to use your airport as an acces point and streamer your connection drops-out again and again. This is a commen problem with their latest softwares. So, best solution i decided to go to use stand alone BS5 attached to NAS and split wifi connection of BS5 and my computer. Like this I can download everything I want when I listen to music on BS5 and I can still upload and play my new music without droping out or needing synchronisation.
By the way, with this solution I also do not have to pay 25 Euro/year for Icloud...
Of course all these are personal choises..
I don’t use iCloud or an Airport Express. You only asked which brands offer more, remember? And I responded to that. The people who use or discovered Spotify will never buy a BS5. That’s what this topic is all about, isn’t it? The BS5 is a great product, but it’s not perfect. The product needs to keep up with, what the current/future market askes for.
I'm a bit late for this but for me personally it would be 'no'.
I bought a BS 5 / Beolab 9 combination because the house i bought had about 7 link rooms installed and i needed an audiomaster to get it all working. The design, as usual, is very nice, but the usability is a huge disaster.
For me: this is why:
My father bought a SONOS multiroom system and the control app is sooo easy to use it got me jealous :)
If it weren't for the link rooms, sticking an ipad on a metal stand would look almost as nice and provides a lot more functionality.
jhamers:If it weren't for the link rooms, sticking an ipad on a metal stand would look almost as nice and provides a lot more functionality.
If I were you, I would sell the BS5/BM5 and buy a BeoPort.
Connect the BeoPort to your iMac, use the IR eye as a luxury in the room that held the BS5, and connect the BL9s to the BeoPort.
I would also connect the BeoPort to the ML to the Link Rooms.
I would then use either BMLINK or LINKPLAYER (1, or the Beta 2) for link room and IR eye interaction.
But the main thing as you suggest, would be to use Apple's remote App on the iPad to do searching and control.
And use iTunes Genius to give you a proxy for MOTS.
Oh, and don't forget that you can use the Beo4 or the IR eye to get some control.
BeoNut since '75
If needed you can use the a.aux and have an Airportexpress to connect sportify or other devices.. It requires a phono-usb but that is a small issue :)
I can understand the irritation while choosing songs, I have the same irritation. However there is an app for the iPad and there is also the Boe6 remote which I think makes it easier scrolling through the lists. I will call my dealer and see if there is a possibility to lend one and see if it makes more of the BS5.
I had all my music on my macmini before I got the BS5. That works, but you always needed to start the tv, making shure that it was up and running. Then the batteries died on the ipad..
If you like the link system and the other B&O products you can always trade the BS5 for a BS4 and use the aux inlet, continuing with itunes or using a Sonos..
Michael:Hi ed, what's a beoport?
it is the third generation this solution => http://www.beoworld.org/prod_details.asp?pid=988
elephant:it is the third generation this solution => http://www.beoworld.org/prod_details.asp?pid=988 Beo-Ed :-)
Howdy Everyone,
This is my first post to the forum.
I just placed my order for a BM5/BS5 as the dealer is now offering through B&O a huge Holiday savings. At the retail price I couldn't bring myself to make this purchase, sale price is within my realm of "believeable". After reading posts about the Beosound5 am starting to have doubts. Did I do the right thing? Is the BM5/BS5 going away to be replaced by something better and less expensive?
A few readers wrote that they really love their BS5 especially the MOTS function. For me, I am looking for an all-in-one solution. I don't want to add addtiional NAS storage or buy addtional software. Hopefully I made the right decison.
Ps-wish me luck, I live a long way from the dealer so the BM5/BS5 with table stand is being shipped to me along with all the manuals and dealer Guide. I will be assembling and wiring the entire system myself as a standalone unit. Any thoughts, tips, tricks from those who already have this unit up and running in their current music systems. Any replies would be appreciated.
Thanks....
Joe
Joe: Howdy Everyone, This is my first post to the forum. I just placed my order for a BM5/BS5 as the dealer is now offering through B&O a huge Holiday savings. At the retail price I couldn't bring myself to make this purchase, sale price is within my realm of "believeable". After reading posts about the Beosound5 am starting to have doubts. Did I do the right thing? Is the BM5/BS5 going away to be replaced by something better and less expensive? A few readers wrote that they really love their BS5 especially the MOTS function. For me, I am looking for an all-in-one solution. I don't want to add addtiional NAS storage or buy addtional software. Hopefully I made the right decison. Ps-wish me luck, I live a long way from the dealer so the BM5/BS5 with table stand is being shipped to me along with all the manuals and dealer Guide. I will be assembling and wiring the entire system myself as a standalone unit. Any thoughts, tips, tricks from those who already have this unit up and running in their current music systems. Any replies would be appreciated. Thanks.... Joe
Howdy Pardner Joe
Welcome to Beoworld and the *M*A*G*I*C* of B&O.
I wish you great joy with the BM5/BS5 ... but Beoworld membership comes at a price .... you simply MUST do an unboxing thread of your adventures
Hi Joe
I think you are going got be very happy with the BS5, we have ours in the kitchen (where we are most of the time) and connected to ML around in the house. We have a pair of BL3's connected to BM5.
We really enjoy the system, and our guests also say wauv to the system. My wife mostly use the radio function, and if you have time, you really must scan thru the station around the world/genres, as you here will find so many interesting stations. That is also a strong feature of BS5.
I often listen to music, and navigate a lot on the system, we have about 18.000 music tracks. And here we often let MOTS do the thing for us.
The system is very stable and it does the job just perfect. But I agree, the List price is too high for the BS5.
There are some feature already available, with some software, i.e. Twonky for iPhone or Creation 5 for iPad, you can stream the music directly to BS5 if needed, or you can add additional sources to the USB port on the BM5.
And I bet that the features will grow over time.
Good luck with the system.