BeoLab 50

Beobuddy:

I already received my originally, sealed, handwritten invitation.

Some dealers are making an effort by trying to distinguish themselves from others.

But still, no BL50 to be found here in The Netherlands

 

Realy a very nice presentation........

 

 

And what is inside ;-)

MM

Millemissen:

And what is inside ;-)

MM

A voucher to pick up free 2 x Beolab 50 at your local B&O dealer :-))

 

jvdl:

SHEFFIELD:

BeoLab 50 are compulsory for all B&O dealers (unless shop in shop) and we are sampled, not a case of placing an order - you get them regardless....

Then I hope that those B&O shops having the knowledge and experience to set the Beolab 50 up as it should be...? (seems it cost some time to set them up)

 

 

When I say 'sampled' it's a BeoTerm we use meaning we buy them 😀. As for setting them up it isn't particularly difficult using the microphone for 'sweet spot' and other chosen listening positions... I've had a good number of clients in for a listening experience, including a few BeoLab 5 owners and have only received positive feedback - most have been completely blown away by the performance and the stunningly good aesthetics.

I had 30 minutes with them at the weekend.

And spent hours staring at my lounge, wondering how I could fit in a pair!

Thankfully they don't quite work, but boy did they sound fabulous

As much I think they're well priced in terms of what the competition offer, I'm struggling to see the wisdom in the pricing of these relative to B&O's market exposure and reputation. Bowers & Wilkins can sell £25,000 speakers to audiophiles the world over by the thousands but B&O who are hardly known of and would never feature ever on an audiophile's psyche and for this reason can't and won't be able to access this share of the pie without heavy and targeted marketing which can't and won't do.

Totally agree, we among the enthusiasts,  are making lots of positive noises but no confirmed purchases. My feeling is that this will become an ever stronger trend!

Totally agree, we among the enthusiasts,  are making lots of positive noises but no confirmed purchases. My feeling is that this will become an ever stronger trend!

Well folks, I am one who has actually placed an order for Beolab 50 with our dear friend "Sheffield" who was super helpful.

I have been with BL 5 for almost 10 years and have also listened to BL 90 many times at dealerships. All I can say if that for the Top of line speakers, B&O does bring magic. BL5 was a love at first listen for me and if I could afford, BL 90 would have been too but BL 50 is right in my camp and knowing that they are an offspring of BL90, I need no convincing.

svinaik:

Well folks, I am one who has actually placed an order for Beolab 50 with our dear friend "Sheffield" who was super helpful.

I have been with BL 5 for almost 10 years and have also listened to BL 90 many times at dealerships. All I can say if that for the Top of line speakers, B&O does bring magic. BL5 was a love at first listen for me and if I could afford, BL 90 would have been too but BL 50 is right in my camp and knowing that they are an offspring of BL90, I need no convincing.

Congratulations, please post pictures of the unboxing ceremony! I'll live vicariously through you!

svinaik:

Well folks, I am one who has actually placed an order for Beolab 50 with our dear friend "Sheffield" who was super helpful.

Excellent. They sounded absolutely fantastic when Nick demonstrated them to me a couple of weeks ago and I love how they look. As Sal said it would be great to see pictures when you get them.

Enjoy!

Beobuddy:

But still, no BL50 to be found here in The Netherlands

 

And it looks that no B&O dealer in the Netherlands having the Beolab 50 in his shop........
Strange UK B&O shops have them already more then 10 day's.....

 

A £25000 speaker is probably a big business decision and one that might take a little longer to mobilise funds for.

A £25000 speaker is probably a big business decision and one that might take a little longer to mobilise funds for if you're a dealer.

seethroughyou:

A £25000 speaker is probably a big business decision and one that might take a little longer to mobilise funds for if you're a dealer.

Sorry but that is a fancy answer!

We are talking about B&O shops that are not the smallest ones but having also other top brands!
It is not only the Netherlands but also in Belgium the same no Beolab 50 in the shop.

 

 

Hi jvdl,

my dealer in utrecht has had the beolab 50's sinse last thursday. They sound absolutely amazing. 

The reason he told me they were delayed is because b&o sent out 30 pair of speakers to the benelux, but almost as soon as the distributor

got them, the distributor went bankrupt. So the speakers were locked away in some warehouse for a bid. So that was a big thing unfortunately. 

M

jvdl:

Beobuddy:

But still, no BL50 to be found here in The Netherlands

And it looks that no B&O dealer in the Netherlands having the Beolab 50 in his shop........

Strange UK B&O shops have them already more then 10 day's.....

 

Due to some shipping issues, the BL50 did arrive at the end of last week. I've already spend more than an hour listening to them in Houten and saw them yesterday also presented in Drunen. So there are already sevearl dealers with BL50's here in Holland.

BTW, breathtaking, goosebumps causing, very nice speakers.

I want them.

 

Anyone have photos of them 'in the real world'

With an Avant 75"

Not the best pic, but snapped a quick one

Ohhh, yess! Thank you Mikipedia!

I've 4 lab 5's with an Avant 85 at the moment, debating sorely if I should make the jump...

What is your experience with them so far?

Hi boskonay,

They aren't mine yet unfortunately. If iam buying them it'll be a package deal with the Eclipse.

I've had a good long listening session with them and played around a lot with things. They are absolutely amazing, they literally gave me goosebumps with certain music.

Sound wise, they blow the 5's away. Not hugely but still by a rather handsome margin. Its hard to explain. The bass doesn't shake your house or windows but rather your eardrums. I don't know how to put it in words exactly, but its on another level. I have a feeling that because the bass drivers are smaller but there are 3 of them the bass is more present, whilst being super tight and clear. It certainly doesn't lack in power what so ever.

The mids are silky smooth and the sound staging is super emersive. You hear every voice and instrument seperately, its so real it is unreal its able to do it. Imo this is where it shines much more over the bl5's.

The tweeter is also spectacular, a good improvement. At any volume level you can hear a pin drop clearly. In certain fleetwoodmac songs i heard instuments in the songs that i never knew were there.

On the visual aspect, they look huge compared to the bl5's. Wider too. I think because the bl5's have several shapes and the separation of the ufo's, they look more airy if that makes sense. I know the bl5's are about 2"/5cm wider, but they don't look it. They almost look small. I think this is mostly because of the black cover on the bl50's that makes them look so huge and wide. The front of the bl50's are a bit of a black hole imo and i really hope they make the sort of diamond/aluminium looking cover i've seen in the recode.dk video on youtube(they said it was a prototype/preproduction piece still). For the visual aspect, the moving tweeter is absolute magic though. True B&O magic, i love it! The wood is fab and the alu cover/siding is fantastic too. Visually the only thing that makes me think twice is the black cover in front.

Don't get me wrong, i truely think they are amazing, but somehow i personally think i might like the "timid" look of the bl5's more. As for sound they win, but as you have 4 bl5's, are you lacking for sound? :p and would you get 2 bl50's or 4 bl50's? If you get 4 of them, you'll have an eargasm everyday. Even when you just watch the news or something lol

Just my 2cents :)

LOL eargasm !

Thanks for the review and shop picture.

Which tracks brought out the strength of the BL50s ?

I listened to a bunch of dire straits and fleetwood mac. Some katie meloua, jack johnson, red hot chilly peppers and a lot of miscelanious music of all sorts. Nothing threw these speakers out of their comfort zone. Highs, deep lows and mids, these do it all to such a degree that if you close your eyes it seems like its happening right in front of you and dead centre at that.

Btw i forgot to add that compared to the bl5's the bl50's are MUCH less hight sensitive. By that i mean that if you move up and down with your head the sound doesn't change really, if at all. Atleast i couldn't hear it when i laid on the floor for fun :p

The bl5's get much more bass heavy when you move your head down below the bottom ufo dish.

The reason i haven't bought them yet is that iam still working with a bv10-46, asfar as iam aware there is no propper software for the bl50's and the bv10-46. So i want to refresh both my fronts and bv at the same time, ideally.

Mikipedia:

I listened to a bunch of dire straits and fleetwood mac. Some katie meloua, jack johnson, red hot chilly peppers and a lot of miscelanious music of all sorts. Nothing threw these speakers out of their comfort zone. Highs, deep lows and mids, these do it all to such a degree that if you close your eyes it seems like its happening right in front of you and dead centre at that.

Btw i forgot to add that compared to the bl5's the bl50's are MUCH less hight sensitive. By that i mean that if you move up and down with your head the sound doesn't change really, if at all. Atleast i couldn't hear it when i laid on the floor for fun :p

The bl5's get much more bass heavy when you move your head down below the bottom ufo dish.

The reason i haven't bought them yet is that iam still working with a bv10-46, asfar as iam aware there is no propper software for the bl50's and the bv10-46. So i want to refresh both my fronts and bv at the same time, ideally.

I think a dealer will be rather happy to make you a nice deal for both!!!

Thanks so much for such detailed info!

I guess with the 4x 5 setup (and I have a pair of 17's in the back) I don't feel the sound is lacking, tho the clarity of bass is an interesting point and one I have experienced with the setup (my wife has a B&O fitted audi and on some tracks the bass is 'more' than the lab5's can manage in terms of 'feel' rather than power so I do understand what you mean there),

The worry is tho would a pair of 50's up front and keeping the 5's in the back left/right work...

Must say, your review has rather sold them!! Just waiting for my dealer to get a pair in to play with :) :) Thanks again!!

Iam not sure about that setup, soundwise i'd be carefull about wich bass your surround would give prefference too. But b&o may solve that in software obviously and therefor may be a non issue.

Visually i think it may look kinda strange, predominantly if you have the bl5's in black. Probably much less strange if you have them in white. Also you're rear/side bl5's would be considerably shorter than the bl50's. I know they're not short, but the bl50's somehow seems huge visually.

If you can swing it what in my opinion would be the "ultimate/insane" setup would be 4 x bl50's squared and the bl17's up high in the midle for side ways sound. Albeit the bl17's would be super optional and almost too much overkill :p

I currently have bl18's as rears and am seriously wondering if i would even need them with 2 bl50's up front.

Hmm , very true, 4x bl50's - now that would be a killer (and probably kill the wallet too! :) )

Already the 17's feel overkill in the current set-up especially until the Avant can deliver Atmos support

Yes i get that, but sometimes the the heart overtakes the mind :p

On the other hand, i guessing right now is the time to get the most out of bl5's for trade in/selling. That makes it €16k instead of €26k ish. If you'd trade everything it would be roughly (4x bl50's) - (4xbl5's + 2xbl17's) = roughly €30k give or take. A few years down the line that equation will definately change unfortunately.

So it depends a lot on how much you want/can spend and, to me, how old your current bl5's are. To me for comforts sake(repair wise etc) if it goes wrong after 10 year, you'll be kicking yourself that you didn't upgrade before an expensive repair.

Thats currently where iam at too atm. I currently have bl1's, bl2, bl18's and bv10-46. I downsized in house/living room and everything sounds much, MUCH better in a smaller room, but the age of everything is becoming a consideration although everything still works completely fine. But iam also considering my bankaccount :p

I've been to my dealer again, and they still sounds as good as i remember. I sometimes feel i live there as much as at home :p

I've also been to a "nutty" friend of mine, he too has 4x bl5's. I must say 4 of them still sound majestic, so what ever you do you'll be good

What kind of preamp would you use to drive 4x BL5?

What I would like to know is if all this BL50 magic isn't 90% due to the room compensation feature.

If you run 4x BL5 from a Beosystem 4 you will have sound spread all over your room, in all directions as they are very wide. If you run the same setup from a preamp with Dirac Live, for example, the sound will be much more detailed.

I've tried this configuration in my 7.0 setup (1x BL10 4x BL5 and 2x BL8000) and the improvement was very impressive. Still I'd like to hear a pair of BL50 for comparinson.

Please note that I'm not trying to diminish the BL50 performance! Imo is just impossible to compare speaker when one have room compensation and the other don't.

Putzgrilous:

I've tried this configuration in my 7.0 setup (1x BL10 4x BL5 and 2x BL8000) and the improvement was very impressive. Still I'd like to hear a pair of BL50 for comparinson.

I am surprised that you found the BL10 necessary !

I've been told that if you close your eyes and listen to the 50s, you could think you're listening to the 90s! Apparently they're that good!

I've been told that if you close your eyes and listen to the 50s, you could think you're listening to the 90s! Apparently they're that good!

elephant:

Putzgrilous:

 

I've tried this configuration in my 7.0 setup (1x BL10 4x BL5 and 2x BL8000) and the improvement was very impressive. Still I'd like to hear a pair of BL50 for comparinson.

 

 

I am surprised that you found the BL10 necessary !

Every home needs a center speaker ;-)

MM

We visited the Copenhagen flagship store 2 weeks ago during a City Trip.

Unfortunately, they were unable to demo because they were having technical issues with the speaker.

It's the ugly duckling in the room but that strictly personal.

 

very interesting photo side by side !

Thanks

Thanks for the photos Hero71, wow, the BL50 is HUGE even compared to the BL5, and the BL5 is a beast.

Of course, there are a load more drivers and amps in the BL50, so it is understandable, but still, not only is the BL50 a financial investment, but one of space as well.

I do like to see all of those acoustic lenses in that first photo, though.

Wow - that's a great comparison shot - I'm considering replacing some 5's with 50's and that really shows that, actually, they will be MORE imposing in the room!

Millemissen:

Every home needs a center speaker ;-)

MM

There is a tv - and there is a BV.

Thanks MM

I was thinking of the 🌷 forgot about the 🖤