Beolabs and sources.

Hello friends,

I have a question. Friends of mine are curious about buying beolabs for their living room. They have amplifier and speakers now. A CD-player, TV and a Beogram 3500 (I think, the same design anyway) connected to an amp.

I was almost going to suggest a Beosound ouverture or some such but they just have one aux input. They would need something with Powerlink (or RCA) that has inputs for at least two sources & also RIAA-enabled phono input (I don't think the player has it built in).

Maybe also input over for a chromecast audio or Airport express.

What would your suggestion be?

I'd be happy to find a nice solution, perhaps a beomaster is the way to go? Or a beocenter with built in CD? Let me know your ideas!

Beocenter 9000 has 2 AUX inputs.

But no powerlink :/

Kiran:

Beocenter 9000 has 2 AUX inputs.

 

Hello Michael,

I use a Beosystem 3500 at home, which I think is one of B&O's most flexible systems - this has two Powerlink outputs, plus a power amp for passive speakers and four line inputs (Phono, CD, Tape 1 and Tape 2).

Other systems from this era with similar connections are Beosystem 4500, 6500, 7000, as well as Beocenter 9500 and 9300.  However, out of these, only Beocenter 9500 has an RIAA pre-ammp built in if I recall correctly.

Ultimately, any speakers and input devices can be used with pretty much any system, don't worry too much about needing Powerlink sockets as Beolab speakers can be connected safely to any B&O system built since 1960 (with the right converters).

Please let us know which products you and your friends are considering and we will be pleased to help you get everything working!

Kind regards, Steve.

This goes with my Beolab 5 thread doesn't it.

Bang and Olufsen don't make a Beosound that supplies a high quality source, that's the truth of it. And we are all now looking at legacy systems to drive our new speakers, including me.

You can use an Ouverture, BC 2300, 2500 whatever with only one AUX input and add an AUX expander from oneremote.

http://shop.oneremote.dk/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=3494

It will triple the AUX socket, all Beo controllable, but no Datalink...

Another (cheap) solution for a "Beostarter" could be an MCL2 AV box with IR receiver.

https://www.beoworld.org/prod_details.asp?pid=978

You can use it as a kind of audiomaster (source center with stereo preamp). Three inputs, all Beo controllable, even connected Beo devices via Datalink (Beogram 3500!). Or connect a BG CD7000 (pest CD player Beo ever made...) and it should working via spdif , if you have BL5s connected. You can even start/stop the system manually from IR transceiver. MCL2 AV can be remote controlled via Beolink 1000, Beo4,5,6 BR one in Beo4 mode and even in 2way communication mode with Beolink 5000,7000. If you have two audio systems in the same room (zone) you can set the system to L.OPT 4 (link mode). You can hide  away the box like an essence. And you can use it as an active linksystem later on, if you want to expande the system with a "real" Beomaster like BM4500, 6500,7000....BC9500,9300,2500,2300, Ouverture.

Hope this helps

Stefan

Hi Chris,

There are some great new(er) music systems from B&O (how about Beomaster 5?) - I just prefer the classic systems personally.  I wouldn't say that Moment or Essence are particularly flexible in terms of wired connectivity, but they can still form the basis of a good music system.

Kind regards, Steve.

I'd love this, but I'm told it's software doesn't support streaming Spotify. This would have been perfect, as I could have ripped my cds to it.

Chris Townsend:

I'd love this, but I'm told it's software doesn't support streaming Spotify. This would have been perfect, as I could have ripped my cds to it.

Beovision 7-55 Mk2, Avant RF 28, Beolab 5, Beolit 15, Beoplay A1/A2, Beocom 2, Beotime, H3 ANC/H8/H6/H2, Form 2, Beoplay A3, Beovision 5-42 connected to a DVD1

You could add an essence to it. Not ideal but you do seem to like the BS5. (As do I.)

Hello,

You can use those input selectors: https://revoxbeo.jimdo.com/bang-olufsen/

 

Cheers

Steve at Sounds Heavenly:

Hello Michael,

I use a Beosystem 3500 at home, which I think is one of B&O's most flexible systems - this has two Powerlink outputs, plus a power amp for passive speakers and four line inputs (Phono, CD, Tape 1 and Tape 2).

Other systems from this era with similar connections are Beosystem 4500, 6500, 7000, as well as Beocenter 9500 and 9300.  However, out of these, only Beocenter 9500 has an RIAA pre-ammp built in if I recall correctly.

Ultimately, any speakers and input devices can be used with pretty much any system, don't worry too much about needing Powerlink sockets as Beolab speakers can be connected safely to any B&O system built since 1960 (with the right converters).

Please let us know which products you and your friends are considering and we will be pleased to help you get everything working!

Kind regards, Steve.

Hey Steve! 

Thanks for the advice. A BS3500 would be a nice setup for them I think since (I think) they have the vinyl player from that series. I am afraid though that it might be to long for their furniture. Maybe A beomaster 7000 would be more or less the same? And easier to hide away in a cupboard. 

Do you know if the 3500 works with Beo4?

I noticed that the player had RIAA built in, so any output should be OK I believe. Thanks for your advice and I'll consider you if and when they ask for help and I need any special cables!

Cheers, Michael 

Hi Michael,

Yes, Beosystem 3500 works perfectly with either Beo4 or Beolink 1000, as do the 4500, 6500, 7000, 9000, 9300 and 9500 systems of the same era.

Here is a list of the Beograms that need a separate pre-amp: http://www.soundsheavenly.com/faq/question/beogram-turntables-need-external-pre-amplifier-kit/

Kind regards, Steve.

stefan:

You can use an Ouverture, BC 2300, 2500 whatever with only one AUX input and add an AUX expander from oneremote.

http://shop.oneremote.dk/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=3494

It will triple the AUX socket, all Beo controllable, but no Datalink...

Another (cheap) solution for a "Beostarter" could be an MCL2 AV box with IR receiver.

https://www.beoworld.org/prod_details.asp?pid=978

You can use it as a kind of audiomaster (source center with stereo preamp). Three inputs, all Beo controllable, even connected Beo devices via Datalink (Beogram 3500!). Or connect a BG CD7000 (pest CD player Beo ever made...) and it should working via spdif , if you have BL5s connected. You can even start/stop the system manually from IR transceiver. MCL2 AV can be remote controlled via Beolink 1000, Beo4,5,6 BR one in Beo4 mode and even in 2way communication mode with Beolink 5000,7000. If you have two audio systems in the same room (zone) you can set the system to L.OPT 4 (link mode). You can hide  away the box like an essence. And you can use it as an active linksystem later on, if you want to expande the system with a "real" Beomaster like BM4500, 6500,7000....BC9500,9300,2500,2300, Ouverture.

Hope this helps

Stefan

Hello! Interesting suggestions. Im surprised all the aux multipliers made for B&O equipment are so expensive. I can find much easier options if I search for options not for B&O in particular, but maybe not so surprising. The auto detect feature is a good thing to have and makes it easier for the end user as well. 

The MCL2 AV seems to be a very interesting product and might be something for me in my study as well. I have an ouverture sound master now but want something more invisible. Maybe this is it. Or maybe I'll just get a BeoCenter 2 and feel like batman a little :).

I think the MCL2 AV might be a too complicated setup for them, but maybe its not that bad? Easy to configure? Cheap I suppose too. Sound quality? Fine?

Thanks! :) //Michael 

Hi Michael,

If you don't need remote control for the Aux devices, there is a much cheaper way to connect four products to the single Aux input on newer B&O systems:-

http://soundsheavenly.com/input/18-aux-input-switch-box-for-multiple-input-devices-to-one-aux-socket-4-way.html

Even less expensive is this two way Aux input splitter cable:-

http://soundsheavenly.com/bang-olufsen/11--aux-y-7pin-.html

Kind regards, Steve.