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
I have read many posts about the different versions of the Beolab 8000, and also the article on Beocentral, but I can't determine what version is the best in terms of sound and age if I am buying second hand. Is it the old pre serienumber 10145230 version or the Mrk 2 you think would be the best buy second hand?
Brgds Mogens
Hi. I went through the same situation earlier this year and the various write ups can be a little confusing. The Beocentral article certainly seems to suggest the mk1 are actually better speakers but don't forget they will be much older and more likely to have problems due to their age. I ended up with a pair of mk2 and am very happy with them. They are supposed to have better bass response but again Beocentral suggest this is mere marketing hype. Condition, obviously, is everything and you should view and listen to them carefully before buying, but as mk2 are newer I think they would be my recommendation although they will be dearer.
I found when I first got them it was very difficult to get their placement ' just right' for best sound, the bass was very messy somehow but if you persevere with placement and settings it is worth it, they really do sound good. They always look stunning wherever they are placed.
Graeme.
I had firstly a mk2 pair and wasn't impressed at all. Recently I bought a mk1 pair for a low price and was astonished by the quality of highs and mediums.
i didn't know the technical difference mentioned by beocentral, that's interesting and to my ears they sound finally pretty good if you don't ask them too much bass.
they are from 1995 and work perfectly.
4 beolab 5, beolab 9, beolab 10, beolab 5000, beolab 8000 mk2, beolab 6002, beolab 3500, beovision 7 55 mk2, 2 beovision 11 46 mk4, beotime, beosound ouverture, beosound essence, beoplay A8, beomaster 900 RG de luxe and the collection continues...
Buy a pair of Mk1's and turn the bass up on your music source one notch. Hey presto - 'bass enhanced' !!
The Mk2 are newer... to my ears, that's it.
I hear lots of 8000's - and you do get the odd pair which just sound 'better' than the others, Mk1 or Mk2, but I've no idea why.
Lee
I bought a pair of used BL 8000 in 2004, serial No. 15xxxxx should be year 2001, dont know if this is MK1 or 2, but as Lee mentions a little more Bass and they sound very good, depending on your source, I drive them with my BS 3000 bought new 2002, Some CDs needs fiddling with the sound others not, radio stations blare out a lot of bass to the delight of people with ear buds or bad car stereos. I love this set up as do my wife, used only for CDs and radio.
Collecting Vintage B&O is not a hobby, its a lifestyle.
Hi.
Thank you for you posts. It is kind of a dillemma. Sound quality or newer speakers. But as far as i Can tell buying unseen from auctions is maybe to riskey no matter what mrk i choose.
mogens
Thank you all for you posts. It is kind of a dillemma. Sound quality or newer speakers. But as far as i Can tell buying unseen from auctions is maybe to riskey no matter what mrk i choose.
I unfortunately can't compare. I only have one pair of MK 1 8000s, which I'm very happy with. However, what I can state is that Pentas seem to vary quite a bit. Only my 4th pair was up to expectations and this one's also one of the older MK 2 pairs.
Greetings,
Kai
If I were you I wouldn't worry about Mark 1 or Mark 2. Buy on condition, and on what sort of life they've had.
So many people get wound up on what year something was made, or what Mark they are. Buy the older mint pair over the newer scratched pair. Buy the one's used by a little old lady over the ones used in a teenager's bedroom.
Differences between Mark 1 and Mark 2 speakers are often negligable, and you probably wouldn't know there was a difference if no one told you!
x:________________________
I think what I would say here is let your own ears decide. It is always subjective asking for speaker advice, everyone hears differently and has different expectations. The lab 8000 is not an audiophile speaker but In the right conditions and set up can be a very accomplished speaker none the less. Set yourself a maximum budget and within that go and listen to mk 1 and 2's if you can.
Graeme
9 LEE: I hear lots of 8000's - and you do get the odd pair which just sound 'better' than the others, Mk1 or Mk2, but I've no idea why.
The MK Is can be divided into two groups, pre ABL and ABL. Basically, the ABL function boosts bass at low volumes and rolls bass off at higher volumes to prevent distortion/ driver damage. If you're going to push the speakers to higher volume levels, the ABL type are a better choice. ABL was introduced around S/N 10145230.
The late MKI and MKII are electronically the same and use the same drivers. The main difference is the physical construction... different cabinet and heatsink / inner cone assembly. I imagine these changes were done for production reasons, but I don't definitely know. Might be some slight differences in the cabinet resonances due to the difference in physical construction.
EDIT: I'm seeing that people are using MKI/II to refer to pre/post ABL. I always considered all 8000s below S/N 17255079 to be MKIs and the change to MKIIs accompanied the physical changes to the heatsink/cabinet/cone. Perhaps I am mistaken.
Nathan
I take the difference to be as mentioned on the Beoworld Beolab 8000 page. There is also a different latch on the cable input, and this makes it easy to differentiate between the two
From January 2003, BeoLab 8000 was obtainable with new driver units giving extra bass at low levels. While not delivering as much as a BeoLab 2 (dedicated sub-woofer) the bass drivers with the newer BeoLab 8000 have a marked improvement over their predecessors. The upgrade involved new frequency equalization and improved ABL system. These improvements are mostly apparent at high volume levels. The changes are implemented form serial 16992475 onwards.