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 Beoworlders,
With £100k to spend on the ultimate home cinema, what would YOU choose? Bang & Olufsen, or something completely different?
Please come and join me at B&O Wilmslow in this video to check out both options - please comment to let me know which one you would choose:-
https://youtu.be/tQ4weRWerAU
Kind regards, Steve.
Steve.
www.soundsheavenly.com
Founder of Sounds Heavenly Cables and Brand Ambassador for Bang & Olufsen
Sounds Heavenly are proud to sponsor BeoWorld!
Please check out my YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/soundsheavenlycables
Great video, Steve. I have lately been thinking about some of those considerations.
I remember a time when B&O provided its own solution for both options. Do we remember the interactive page on its website where we could build our own home cinema by selecting various products and options? Now, however, without a replacement for the BeoSystem 4 we no longer have an easy solution for building a projector-based home cinema.
There was a time when I used CINEMA mode with a motorized projector screen quite often. However, that was a time when TV screens were much smaller than they are now. Now I find myself almost exclusively watching movies on my (non-B&O) 75 inch TV. The size of the TV compared to a projector screen just isn't as noticeable as it once was, and the picture quality is superior on the TV. Plus, we don't have to worry about keeping the room dark.
Most significant is B&O's failure in adopting Dolby Atmos sound. I've tried using Beolab 4000s on the ceiling for simulated height channels created by the BeoSystem 4, but I'm really not impressed.
I reckon the ultimate home cinema setup will be a Beovision Eclipse 65", Beolab 90s at the front and Beolab 8000s at the rear. At least I hope so anyway - I'll let you know next Monday evening when the Eclipse has been installed!
As to the ultimate ultimate, If I turned out to be the winner of the 120 million Euros on the the Euro Lottery (I'm not sadly...) then I'd probably be looking to these people for my home cinema - http://www.kharma.com/kharma-projects/room-in-a-room-concept/
When I bought my present home, I decided to create my ultimate home cinema (and hifi) system. For video, this comprises a BeoVision 4-103 with BeoLab 90s as fronts and BeoLab 50s as rears.
AdamS:I reckon the ultimate home cinema setup will be a Beovision Eclipse 65", Beolab 90s at the front and Beolab 8000s at the rear. At least I hope so anyway - I'll let you know next Monday evening when the Eclipse has been installed!
I guess this is in most cases not a question of either or!
If you go for the cinema room - given you have the space (and can offer the costs for that extra space and the needed rebuilding for it as a cinema room) - and you have the £100k, you have no living room setup.
Question: could you live with that - do you really want to spend that much time in a dark (Narnia) room?
So if you really want a cinema room, you’d almost have to double the £100k in order to have the living room, that most people need.
And that iwould be another question - it certainly would only be a possibility for few people.
Note: a guy without family would do well with just the cinema, I guess!
Personally I’d go for the B&O setup.....a cinema room is not particularly good for music!
MM
There is a tv - and there is a BV
Hi MM,
Yes, that is an interesting point. Whilst both systems were great for movies, the cinema room could not get close to the Beolab 90/50 setup for music....that is not to say there was anything bad about it, just that the Beolabs were SO good.
I hope to set up a separate cinema room one day in the distant future when the kids grow up and their playroom is spare.....
I don't really understand cinema rooms in homes; that is to say it's not a concept that appeals to me at all. Firstly, it takes away the excitement of visiting the cinema a day/evening out with friends/family, and secondly, it turns my home into more of a commercial dwelling. I see it as a complete waste of time and money. I have just spent c£180k on home improvements, which did not include anymore B&O or a cinema room; in fact not even an extension or a third bedroom. My objective was to make my home cost, warm, and inviting, which I have mostly achieved. I would be interested to know why a separate cinema room does appeal to others and whether or not they feel it takes something away from the family? Is it not just a glorified man's cave? Each to their own of course. Simon.
B&O products are V1-32, BS2, H95, E8 and an Essence remote.11-46 now replaced with Sony A90J 65”, Sony HT-A9, Sony UBP-X800M2 and Sony SRS-NS7.
Before UHD came it would be easy to make a home cinema entirely by B&O products with the exemption of the screen. What I mean is you could get a Beovision/Beosystem preferably one that has 7.1 decoding capabilities (if Beovision is what you would go for). Connect to it a matrix and on the matrix a sony projector. As far as sound is concerned fronts I would go for beolab 9, rears beolab 3, sub beolab 2, surround beolab 3. As center I would use the beovision's speaker or in case I had a beosystem I would get a beolab 10. I think the setup would definitely cost less than 100k.
Now for the UHD version of it I wouldn't buy a beovision. The reason is that they are very expensive and for the last couple of years they tend to change very quickly so I don't want to end up with another black box. So I would definitely buy a beosystem that has 7.1 and UHD. For example it could be a cheap version of a beosystem with 5.1 and UHD without any integrated speaker and a 7.1 and UHD with integrated speaker as a more expensive alternative. DO YOU HEAR ME B&O??????
But there is no Beosystem, so I would go for an AV Amp preferably a Yamaha. As far as the speakers and the projector are concerned I would go for the same ones I picked for the B&O setup. Given that the Yamaha supports Atmos I would go for a couple of Beovox 2-2 or palatial for ceiling installation.
Last but my no means least. I think that a home cinema needs a projector. Even a TV with 130" diagonal doesn't bring the atmosphere a projector has. In other words the projector is kind of the record player of the home cinema. It is bulky, heavy, you have to wait (at least a bit) for it to start, you need to have the drapes closed to watch.....but it adds character...
This is my goto ultimative cinema:
https://www.kinorama.dk/information/vib-boerneklub
Did not do the math, but I reckon that I could go there relatively often for the rest of my life even by taxi cab for the 100k 🤓
For an upgrade of my everyday B&O setup in our house as of now, I could easily do with a lot less than 100k.
That said, if you have the money and the space, go for it and spend the 2x100k!
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/ Peter Pan
Interesting discussion, I was just having a similar one with a friend a while ago. He had, in one house, a big home theater with theater seating/lounge chair type things, and a 100 inch screen/projector. He said he misses it, but he never watched the news or regular TV shows on it, it was where he went to devote full attention to a movie.
I've always sort of wanted a "real" home theater room, but as time has gone on and I've not had the proper space for one, I've come to realize that for me anyway, I like the fact that my living room is sort of a home theater but not dedicated. I have a 65 inch plasma and a decent surround setup, but not ultra high end. Still gives me the require envelopment and bass though. It's a room where we feel comfortable with the TV off and the stereo on, or with any TV show on, but can dim the lights and really focus on a special movie. If I'm watching something my wife is not into she'll just play on her laptop or knit. If we have company and don't want to watch TV, I have a couple of chairs that are easily moved to the other side of the coffee table making a conversation grouping.
I don't like going out to the movie theater, it's expensive, and I don't like crowds of idiots, usually playing with their cell phones instead of being quiet and watching the film. Plus the local cineplex has about the worst projectors and image quality, let alone sound, I've ever seen.
Still, the total immersion of a 100 inch screen would be fun. So, when this TV eventually dies, I can see a 77 inch in my future.
Jeff
I'm afraid I'm recovering from the BeoVirus.
Jeff: I don't like going out to the movie theater, it's expensive, and I don't like crowds of idiots, usually playing with their cell phones instead of being quiet and watching the film. Plus the local cineplex has about the worst projectors and image quality, let alone sound, I've ever seen. Jeff I'm afraid I'm recovering from the BeoVirus.
.
Present: BL90, Core, BL6000, CD7000, Beogram 7000, Essence Remote.
Past: BL1, BL2, BL8000, BS9000, BL5, BC2, BS5, BV5, BV4-50, Beosystem 3, BL3, DVD1, Beoremote 4, Moment.
@Jeff
If ‘my’ local cinama was as you have described, I would sure not go there either.
Luckily it is different :-)
But spending £100k on a (cinema) room, that you just use once in a while, hmmmm!
Just imagine, what else, you could do/make/experience with that kind of money.
Like you I like to be in the livingroom with my people, when watching, listening....or at least knowing that they are nearby - a man’s cave (for 100k) is nothing for me.
Beovision 7-55 MK1 red, Beolab 10 red. Beolab 50, all black. Beolab 17 broken ice. Beolab transmitter. Apple tv4 and apple express 2.
Quite frankly I have no use for a cinema room at home as the cinema is within walking distance of my home. Last time I went is probably five years ago
Vähintään yhdeksänkymmentä prosenttia suomalainen!
Hi All
Just to make the point that a Home Cinema from Bang & Olufsen of Wilmslow doesn't have to cost £100K.
When planning the conversion of this room we decided what specification we wanted to showcase so that potential customers can experience what is available. The level of equipment can be scaled to meet individual requirements in terms of available space and budget.
The comparison Steve made in his video came about as the price point of this particular specification of cinema was very close to our Eclipse 65", Lab 90, Lab 50 set up. Of course this can also be scaled up or down depending on size of screen and choice of speakers.
Opman
Well, I'm a grumpy old misanthropic curmudgeon, and damned proud of it!
Since we moved to this town a little over 6 years ago, the local theater has deteriorated a lot. When we got here, it was a pretty decent theater, 10 screens, lots of staff, clean, etc. Now they don't even man the front ticket windows, only a quarter of the snack stand has stuff in it, it's manned by usually one guy who sells you your ticket and points you to the hallway with the theaters. No ticket takers. Last time I saw a movie there on first week of a first run movie (Blade Runner 2049) there were 5 people in the theater, counting the three of us.
So, it's dying. Honestly, what do young people do for dates anymore?
My wife, who grew up here when it was a really small town, talks about one summer when she was of dating age in early high school. There was one theater, one screen, and it showed "When Dinosaurs Ruled The Earth" for over 3 months. Imagine being a young person dating and the only thing to do was go see that awful piece of dreck over and over. I think it scarred her for life.
Back to the subject, I still wouldn't mind a theater room, I think. I'd love the opportunity to decorate one, probably in the style of the old Fox Theater in Atlanta which is very Egyptian deco, But I also think I'd usually wind up watching things on the living room system and seldom go in. Hard to say, maybe the experience of a huge screen would hook me, but I tend to decide to watch something ad hoc, sitting there doing something else and decide to turn the TV on and see what I want to watch (my Netflix and Amazon queues are so full it will take me until the sun explodes to finish them).
I remember seeing one very cool home theater done up like the inside of a Star Wars Imperial Star Destroyer.
But I've not got the proper space nor am I likely to ever renovate the house to get such a space, lot of money for something I doubt I'd use much. But as I said, a 77 inch OLED would not be bad.
In my case since I do go to the theatre for new releases my ultimate ‘home cinema’ would not try to recreate a movie theatre. My current dream set up would be :
1. Sony 77 inch OLED (currently have the 65 inch version)
2. Beolab 50 upfront (I have not heard the BL 90 but the 50 sound great) - so would be nice upgrade from my current BL 8000 + BL 2 (In the mean time I am adding a 2nd BL 2 to the mix and just ordered the trigger cable from Steve).
3. I am currently using the Sony’s Acoustic Mass speaker as center channel. Sony basically combines all 5 speakers built into the screen as a center channel. The effect is that the sound comes from the speaker. So, likely won’t change that.
4. I use BL 6000 for rear channels. They look great and sound perfect for rears. My ultimate would be to upgrade to Atmos and upgrade the 2 BL 6000 with BL 18 and add two more BL 18 for 7.2.
5. My my room the BL 2 look and sound great, so I am fine with my subwoofer. I don’t like it when the bass is overpowering.
6. Apple TV 4K - already there.
7. Need an Atmos receiver. TBD
8. I already have BO Concept sectional and ottoman in my viewing room...
That would be my main improvements. The BL 50 probably the main upgrade and 77 inch screen from 65.
B&O in my life 😊:
I'm lucky enough to have a house is big enough (15 rooms) to have a dedicated cinema room so I started putting one together since about 1997. It has evolved over the years and is now largely based on B&O electronics. I did not spend near $100k, but more like $5k and my family and I have received more than our money's worth in entertainment between movies, concert videos, and sporting events, I'm sure we've saved a great deal of money over the years. Of course you have all the benefits of viewing material from home - no need to fight traffic, dealing with crowds, plus you can pause for the inevitable meal and bio breaks, and select the appropriate volume. You can pause rewind and replay in case you missed some dialog (and even use captions if needed).
I've installed a modest 5.1 speaker system based on the Vandersteen model 1. Model 1B front speakers, VCC-1 center, and VSM-1 surround speakers. I made my own very tall sealed box subwoofer that looks like a large model 1 speaker. I have a BS3 as the central hub and director connected to a Panasonic 720p LCD Projector using a 106" diagonal screen. The speakers are driven by B&O passive amplifiers. My sources include an Apple TV, Sony Universal Ultra Blu ray player, Google Chromecast, fios HD DVR, and I have a BM7000 and BG7000 connected through a converter.
The cinema room is modest in size - 13' x 15' so I only installed a single row of theater seats and have no sight lines to worry about. Since we're sitting about 9' from the screen, it fills a good deal of your field of view for a very immersive experience. The screen is also placed so you more or less look straight forward, so there's no neck strain. The sound is smooth and natural, so no listener fatigue either.
I've also set up a second surround system in my family room with three CX100s for the FCR and two CX-50s for the surround speakers. I'm using a passive subwoofer similar to a Cona, but larger, for the subwoofer, all driven by an Onkyo receiver and a Visio TV. Harmony remote for unified control. I have a third system in my living room that is an audio-based surround system with another BS3 and 4 BL Penta 2s.
So my family found we could get great enjoyment without having to break the bank. I would lean toward option two, but I would still use my BS3 at the core. If I didn't already have and love the Vandersteen speakers, I would probably include B&O speakers, there too.
Dom
2x BeoSystem 3, BeoSystem 5000, BeoSystem 6500, 2x BeoMaster 7000, 2 pair of BeoLab Penta mk2, AV 7000, Beolab 4000, BeoSound 4000, Playmaker, BeoLab 2500, S-45, S-45.2, RL-140, CX-50, C-75, 3x CX-100, 3x MCL2 link rooms, 3x Beolab 2000, M3, P2, Earset, A8 earphones, A3, 2x 4001 relay, H3, H3 ANC, H6, 2014 Audi S5 with B&O sound, and ambio
Hi,
This sounds like superb value for money! If you would like to see more ideas on using B&O for home cinema on a very small budget, this video may be of interest:-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Wep9ZSN3QY
As Nick from B&O Wilmslow mentioned in the thread above, you certainly don't need to spend anywhere near £100k to get a great home cinema experience, either with or without B&O.
Please keep your ideas and comments coming!
Dom,
Great sounding setups. You also mention two things that I think are important to remember. First, the screen should not be set to where you need to look up at it and get a crick in your neck. That's the thing that will limit me to about a 77 inch display if I upgrade from 65.
Second, the ability to either rewind to catch dialog or even turn on subtitles. I'm finding that far too often surround sound mixes on movies or especially TV shows are badly done, overemphasis on L and R and effects sounds and the dialog gets lost. Oddly, a lot of UK TV shows have this problem, "Sherlock" that I watch on Netflix has it badly. Dialog is hard to catch. I've even boosted my center a bit and still have issues with some shows.
My HT is separate from my B&O audio setup, though they are colocated. My HT is a Panasonic VT65 65 inch plasma, with a Marantz 5.1 AVR, an Infinity speaker bar (aluminum) with L, C, and R speakers in it, an Infinity sub, and a pair of CX50s for rears. Simple, fairly cheap but works very well. My sources are an Apple TV 4 and an Oppo BR player, all controlled by a programmed Harmony One setup.
My audio setup is a Beogram 3000 tangential with MMC2 and an Auralic Aries Mini feeding into a BS9000 and a pair of Beolab 9s. While I'd like to have the whole setup integrated it's not been a big enough priority to get a BS3 or BS4 to accomplish that.