Beolab90. What are your opinions?

 

I logged in to the B&O webpage some month ago, for my usual dose of daydreaming, and I saw this horrendous new speaker, the Beolab90...

My first thought was that the designteam did this entire project during a yearly long ayahuasca session.  

Totally without the B&O essence... And influenced by heavy psychedelic drugs.

 

Last Friday though, I was invited to the B&O store in Marbella for the celebration of 90years and the Beolab90.

Some drinks, cheese, live piano music. Nice people and a smashing ambience. They really went all the way to make it absolutely amazing!

So after about an hour, I got to have a private sitdown with the speakers. They where setup in one of the cinema rooms. I would guess about 100sqm (I am bad at estimating this though).

 

First of.

THEY LOOK AMAZING UPFRONT!!!! The attention to details, the lines, the waves, the texture and feel of the fabric. The contrast of the aluminium, wood and fabric. But especially the fabric they have chosen, it is something really special with it, and the feel of it. It is quite robust. 

I changed my mind in half a second... THIS IS PURE BEAUTY!

Ok, I am a born B&O lover, but they really are stunning. The pictures do not do them justice in any way what so ever. They are colossal! They literally make the Beolab5 look like BL4000. And yet they are so incredibly graceful and have this nice inviting ambience to them. It is like the are saying

-Hey come up and touch me, feel me, "play me". :D

 

So after some drooling I sat down and listened.....

I have heard a lot of powerful speakers, veeeery expensive speakers, crazy speakers and well, very much different setups.

But the Beolab90 blew my mind!

It's like that picture of Jackie Chan with the text "mind blown" under, while he looks crazy. Thats how I felt.

The power in them, the presence of all the tones, the clarity of the sound, the smoothness, the details....

I could go on for ever.

It was like I had smooth whipped butter made out of diamonds inside my ears.    

 

I will probably never again, or at least for sure not in a long time hear a speaker like this again.

I will surely hear the BL90 again, but I doubt something else will beat this. It could very well be the best speaker ever made. Simple as that.

Mind you, that they had only the basic software in them, so they are just getting better.

 

Bang&Olufsen, you have made it!

You really have made the perfect speaker to celebrate your 90 years!!! 

You really have made THE PERFECT SPEAKER TO CELEBRATE ANYTHING!

And I do apologize for my first harsh thoughts, but at least to my defense, the pictures on the webpage really dont do the speakers justice.    

 

MIND BLOWN!

 

 

So, what about the rest of you all in here, whats your opinions about the BL90?

Thefutureofmusic:

It was like I had smooth whipped butter made out of diamonds inside my ears.    

Well... that was a fun way to start the weekend!  

Thanks!

-g

Well, I heard them at my local B&O store (http://www.beoherning.dk/om-butikken) fantastic service and fantastic store...

I have never heard loudspeakers that sound so good... As simple as that.. can't describe it, but it was so powerfull yet relaxed.

Just need to get a hold of 500000 dkr somehow...

Lottery here I come :)

 

/Weebyx

Haha Geoff, thanks I guess :)

It is impossible to describe how sharp and crisp they are and at the same time so smooth and nurturing!

How can whipped butter be made of diamonds.... Well, how the H€££ can B&O get them to sound like this...

it is two equal mysteries...

Weebyx,

So you have also had the pleasure! :D

I see that you are as stunned as I... It is no way to explain how they are... Simply need to hear them to understand that "strangeness" that are to them.

Worth mentioning as well, the Marbella store, absolutely world class service and kindness from all the people there!

A pattern seems to be emerging in the feedback from those who have seen and heard them in person (myself included):

They look great - whilst some of us have been unsure or had reservations about the design from the photos, everyone so far seems to have been impressed with the design once they've seen them in the flesh.

Nobody has had anything negative to say about the sound - quite the opposite. "Stunning", "Wow" and of course not forgetting "smooth whipped butter made out of diamonds"

Given we beoworlders are not renowned for being the easiest audience to impress, it seems safe to say that these speakers really are something quite special.

I'm looking forward to my local store receiving a pair later this month so I can spend a little more time with them as I was a bit pushed for time when I demoed them in London.

Martin.

 

Can't wait to see them! Wonder if the store in Helsinki has them? 

 

Not sure on buying them though... It's a lot of money. 

Martin,

 

Yepp, my friends, whom only so far seen them on photos, still think they look strange and/or ugly.

For me, the opinnioin turned in a second. I guess for some other poeple perhaps it will take some time.

 

It was similar when the Porsche Panamera came out. I thought they did the biggest misstake ever releasing that. So ugly!!

It actually took me several years to get used to it, and now, I think it is one of the most beautiful cars in the world...

 

Haha seems like my comment is catching on! :D I should perhaps put it in my tagline :D

 

But when you say that we are a group that are hard to impress, could we also be considered rather biased due to our love and loyalty to the brand?

I am looking forward to more reviews from people whom are not soul deep B&O lovers.

 

I am going to the store next week to pick up some cables. Thought I would ask them to play some vinyl on BL90....!!!!!!!  Imagine hearing that incredible sound with a slight vinyl crackle to it... Dear God...

 

Bayerische,

 

I hope you get the chance to listen.

 

I am totally sure about buying them, I just NEED the money :D

As I mentioned in another thread, I had to opportunity to audition the BL90s in London a few weeks ago, but yesterday my local store (Exeter) had their pair of BL90's installed.

Matt at Daniel were as hospitable as ever and I spent several hours in the store this afternoon - I think if I had stayed much longer they would either of had to offer me a job or start charging me rent

It did mean though that I have now had an opportunity to listen to a large variety of music on the BL90s, from a number of different sources, including FLAC, CD, SACD and Deezer, and at no point do the BeoLab 90s disappoint.

Those of you who read my initial impressions from my visit to London may remember I was very impressed, and having spent more time with them today I can safely say that has not changed.

What struck me most on my first audition was the level of clarity and detail produced, and whilst that hasn't changed, what *really* struck me today was the depth of field of the stereo imaging - sitting in the sweet spot it is entirely possible to pinpoint particular sounds or instruments and these can appear to be quite some distance behind the plane of speakers themselves. We're generally very used to hearing everything as if it is emanating from the vague area between the two speakers but to hear things emanating from much closer or further away is quite an interesting experience.

Most of our listening was conducted at moderate volume levels, but when turned up the BeoLab 90s really do demonstrate that they are more than capable of performing at levels way beyond what anyone is likely to be comfortable with for very long, and doing so without the loss of detail or starting to sound screechy as is common with many speakers.

During the afternoon we had one guy wander in off the street who said he had come in because he thought there was a live performance going on in the store, and a woman from another shop a few doors down the street who came in during one of the louder periods of testing who asked for the volume to be turned down and/or the doors to be closed - at least we think that is what she wanted, it was a little difficult to hear what she was saying

Kind Regards,

Martin.

Hi all

Just heard the Beolab 90 at the King St store in Sydney.

All I can say is I wish I had a lazy AUD 110k sitting around. The last time I heard any speaker that made me want to buy it on the spot like this was the Beolab 5 when it was launched. I regretted never buying that and I know I will regret never buying these lol.

The sales person who showed me the speakers was very nice and accommodating despite me forewarning him that 110k speakers are not on my horizon for decades. I couldn't ask for better service.

We played only a few musical pieces - jazz and classical orchestra (had to dash back to work). For the classical piece the sound stage was wonderful, I could clearly hear the different instruments being played simultaneously with very high precision. The sound was very full bodied and it honestly sounded like I was listening to a live orchestra in the Sydney Opera House!! Brilliant!

Jazz was wonderful again, you could hear the timber of the vocals, the guitar notes, everything sounded so natural.

Congratulations B&O and Geoff for making a truly wonderful sounding speakers - and quite attractive looking speakers. I've always wanted speakers that could play music to sound like a live performance - something I think the Beolab 90 are truly capable of doing so.

In many ways 110k is cheap considering you're effectively getting an on demand live orchestra in your own home!!

PS there's serious power in these speakers - it might have enough power to drive a music hall

Saw them in Boston on Monday. But big for my taste but they sounded great. Worth the money I'm not sure but bet they will end up in a few Cheshire houses

I popped into the store again today to pick up some parts that I had ordered at the weekend and the Beolab 90's have had a software update over the past couple of days.

Along with a few  other changes, wide beam mode is now available and it was interesting to compare this with the sound in the narrow beam mode. In wide mode there is a definite reduction in the depth of the stereo image - making it more difficult to pinpoint the positions of each instrument / performer whilst sitting in the sweet spot, but unlike in narrow mode, there is virtually no change to the audio when you move away from the sweet spot and start wandering around the room (much like we are used to with the lab 5's and other speakers with acoustic lenses).

There is no doubt that narrow beam mode gives superior results, and wide mode is a little more of a compromise, but not by as much as I might have expected.

As Geoff would say, this is the cost of having friends

The only problem I can foresee is that it might make you keen to encourage your friends to go home so you can switch back to narrow mode, but  they might be more reluctant to leave given the Lab 90's really are exceptional even in wide beam mode...

Martin.

I had a chance today in London to listen to a pair of 90s for few mins (in narrow mode).

As someone else said before: stage presence these speakers are able to create is unlike anything else I have ever heard. Just incredible.

They are clearly completely out of my range but the whole product team and Geoff Martin can be very proud next few days in LV presenting it to wider audience and members of the press.

I spent an hour listening to the Beolab 90 at a dealer showroom here in Stockholm, the other day.

They where not calibrated to the room yet, and did not have the "Enhanced Power Mood" that is an upgrade that will come later.

The source was a high end DAC feed from an OPPO Bluray, having a TIDAL client. The DAC had an analogue connection to the BL90.

I´m not really experienced in listening to real high end speakers, so I have no real reference, so I can only convey what I experienced (with my limited english).

I can just add to what everyone else have said: The BL90s are some awesome speakers. I was listening on various types of music, including classical cello pieces, jazz with a lot of voice and acoustic guitars. Everything was delivered with so much details, it was incredible. The bass was tight and dry. The speakers had a great "attack"and the dynamics was fantastic. After a short while I had forgotten about the speakers and was listening to the music. 

E.g. this track was fantastic to listen to:  TIDAL - Brian Bromberg: My Bass http://tidal.com/track/8755973

Really demonstrated the "attack" I was mentioning above.

Encourage everyone to seek the opportunity to listen to them.

B&O will participate at a "HighEnd show" here in Stockholm in February. They will then showcase the BL90 in a 300 m2 room at the Sheraton.

I will for sure be there :)

 

 

riverstyx:

As Geoff would say, this is the cost of having friends

The only problem I can foresee is that it might make you keen to encourage your friends to go home so you can switch back to narrow mode, but  they might be more reluctant to leave given the Lab 90's really are exceptional even in wide beam mode...

 

Friends are highly overrated.

Cheers

-g

Geoff Martin:

riverstyx:

As Geoff would say, this is the cost of having friends

The only problem I can foresee is that it might make you keen to encourage your friends to go home so you can switch back to narrow mode, but  they might be more reluctant to leave given the Lab 90's really are exceptional even in wide beam mode...

 

Friends are highly overrated.

Cheers

-g

Should not be a problem - just let them/him/her sit on your lap 

MM

I can't wait to hear a pair in person here on the west coast of the US, but here's a link from Geoff Martin's site with some early reviews, amazing so far -- pretty much with what everyone on this site who has heard them is saying. B&O has a true gem (add it to the list) on their hands. BRAVO.

A lovely video by Soundstage.

http://www.whatsbestforum.com/showthread.php?21703-New-BeoLab-90-Video-on-InSight!

.

Just resurrected this thread to say WOW! Went into another dealer today to look at the Avant model, they didn't have it, but they did have BL90s which I have never heard. OMG! Well done B&O. I would not pay £60k for a pair of speakers, but if I did, these would be them. The soundstage was so impressive and when people say that it sounds as if the band/singer is in front of you they are not kidding. I have never in my life experienced sound like this and every single detail of every single instrument in the composition could be heard with the clearest of clarity. Surely this sound cannot be improved? If it can, how? I really hope these speakers are a success for B&O and that the audiophile community give them the accolade and praise they deserve. I honestly cannot imagine how one could improve this kind of sound. Just wow! :)

BAND'OH!:

Just resurrected this thread to say WOW! Went into another dealer today to look at the Avant model, they didn't have it, but they did have BL90s which I have never heard. OMG! Well done B&O. I would not pay £60k for a pair of speakers, but if I did, these would be them. The soundstage was so impressive and when people say that it sounds as if the band/singer is in front of you they are not kidding. I have never in my life experienced sound like this and every single detail of every single instrument in the composition could be heard with the clearest of clarity. Surely this sound cannot be improved? If it can, how? I really hope these speakers are a success for B&O and that the audiophile community give them the accolade and praise they deserve. I honestly cannot imagine how one could improve this kind of sound. Just wow! :)

 

You also heard the Beolab 50?
Those ones coming very close to the Beolab 90.......

 

Hi Jvdl, well yes I did hear the BL50s last week but they certainly didn't sound anything like the BL90s I heard recently. Could it be that they weren't set up in the best position maybe? Sound is, like anything, objective of course but I definitely recognised the BL90s were something really special, which I didn't necessarily hear with the BL50s. Must be the set up as everyone else on the forum speaks very highly of them. I'll try again at a different dealer sometime soon :)

Hello BAND'OH! I not agree with you I heard the BL90 already longer time ago at my dealer and last week also the BL50 also near each other. Sure it is not the same that is normal when you see the price difference and hearing! It would not be very nice when they are 100% equeal, but the taste is the same.

I have on this moment the BL5 for 10 years and I make the switch to the BL50 and get them on september 23th. A year ago I almost buy the BL90 but I was not ready for it on that moment..... my luck that I wait and buy now the BL50's

 

I guess I need to have another listen. Perhaps next week some local dealers should have them installed.

I have never heard a piano sound so beautiful as I did on the BL90. I'd love a pair and if I could get a used pair around just below the £30k mark I'd go for it but there's no chance of that. It's the best speaker I've ever heard, after spending the last 2 years auditioning speakers. The closest I could get for a fraction of the price is some studio monitors with room correction but who wants big black coffins in their living room.

I was so impressed seethroughyou and it takes a lot for me to say such a compliment towards a product as I am usually very fussy and critique as much as possible. They are undeniably awesome and I applaud the efforts of Geoff and the team at B&O. Simply mind blowing to me. Very very very impressive.

BAND'OH!:

I guess I need to have another listen. Perhaps next week some local dealers should have them installed.

I don't think you do. I agree, the 90s are something else. I guess the source and set up may affect this. I heard them with an £18k Linn turntable and they are simply out of this world!

The lab50s are amazing, I heard them fed by flac files...a much nicer package in my eyes and I would buy without any hesitation if in my budget - but whilst they are amazing they are not 90s. I heard them back to back in the same dealer.

All subjective of course, this is just my opinion.

If you ever own either of these, just sit back and enjoy!! They are both awesome.

Does anyone know how much a dealer used/demo pair go for now? There are quite a few stuck with dealers either in showrooms or in their back storage around Europe. I need some advice on a fair price for a two year old Beolab 90s. I'm thinking £35,000-£40,000. Is this the right territory? I have dreams at night, waking up on Xmas morning to see a pair sat in my living room twinkling under the Xmas tree lights. May be or may be not....

http://www.morethanav.co.uk/products/hierarchy/178/57.html

I saw this the other day as I am thinking of getting some 8000s.

£43k - so not too far off

seethroughyou:

Does anyone know how much a dealer used/demo pair go for now? There are quite a few stuck with dealers either in showrooms or in their back storage around Europe. I need some advice on a fair price for a two year old Beolab 90s. I'm thinking £35,000-£40,000. Is this the right territory? I have dreams at night, waking up on Xmas morning to see a pair sat in my living room twinkling under the Xmas tree lights. May be or may be not....

Have you listened to the BL50s seethroughyou? They are incredible speakers. Sure if you can get 90s for a decent price then do it. But the 50s are well worth a listen at £23k.

Duels:

Have you listened to the BL50s seethroughyou? They are incredible speakers. Sure if you can get 90s for a decent price then do it. But the 50s are well worth a listen at £23k.

Ok, I spent 90 minutes yesterday listening to BL90 and BL50 very carefully. Both speakers were calibrated fully. Having seen the BL50s in the flesh they sadly didn't do anything for me in the looks department. I got the impression the designers weren't sure what to include so they threw everything into mix - wood? Yes! Aluminium? Yep? Cloth? Yes, let's have that too....! I agree with someone else here who said they look like a big room air purifier/heater or from my perspective a large shiny suppository.

The BL50 are a step up in sound quality. More detail, more ambient information, less screechy and abrasive, about the same bass but tighter compared to their predecessor the BL5. All in all about 10-20% improvement no more (if I had to quantify it). Would I spend £23k on them? Well the shiny suppository look doesn't do anything for me but even if I adored the way they looked they aren't to my mind a sufficiently big step up in performance. In isolation they sound good but in comparison, they sound constricted and hollow compared to the BL90. Not a bad effort but not enough in my book. I had reservations about them using the acoustic lens and this has been confirmed. They should have ditched it, the treble and midrange still don't sound at all right compared to some good studio monitors. Perhaps they can't ditch it given the budget and volume constraints. Perhaps this is all they can achieve given these compromises and to do more requires multiple drivers and more volume. That leaves me with the BL90, well they still leave me with butterflies in my stomach and as I sat there I could feel the same butterflies from track to track. The detail and ambience between the notes is spectacular, if you close your eyes you can hear the soundboard on the piano reverb and multiple warm tones come through. As the pianist slides to the left, the piano should start to rumble with sub frequencies travelling across the room and filling your seat - you can feel that with these speakers. You can hear the double basses and plucked cellos which you can sort of hear but can't feel in the BL50s. The BL50s locate the phantom centre nicely but the BL90 do that and more by placing the piano about 6ft behind the wall of the dealer's showroom. This sounds silly but they give a 3-dimensional effect to the sound giving a realistic glimpse I to live music; it's almost like you're listening to a surround sound blu-ray of the performance but only with 2-channel.

Great review SeeThroughYou !

Thanks for replying with that in-depth review Seethroughyou. Good to get feedback from someone who has listened properly to both. I don't quite agree about them looking like suppositories but you made me smile anyway.

If I had £20k ish to spend on speakers I'd buy the 30s tomorrow. If I had >£50k to spend I'd buy the 90s. Simple as that. I hope you do find a pair of 90s and pull the trigger. It would be great to hear ongoing updates as you got to know them better.

A great and interesting review  seethroughyou