Use BL5 digital input for streamer

Hi all,

I would like to get your thoughts on the following:

- Current setup: Currently I have a setup with a beovision eclipse, 2xBL5 front and 2xBL9 rear. Furthermore I have a Beosound 9000 connected. I use of the digital out of the Beosound 9000 for CD playback; to do this I have powerlink switchbox connected to assure the BL5 receive the CD signal to open up the digital connection. I am very happy with this setup; watching tv or movies is giving the advantage of proper surround sound and playing CD's in stereo over the BL5's has the advantange of the better sound quality by using the digital connection. And I do not have to play around with BL5 option settings to achieve this.

- Proposed setup: I would like to incorperate a digital streamer but also assure to get the best sound quality possible over the BL5's. As a streamer I would like to use the Cambridge Audio CXN V2. I thought the setup shown in the picture might work best in this case. If I turn on the CD player, I can use the digital streamer with digital out without changing the BL5 option setting. Alternatively I can use the streamer without turing on the CD player, but then I have to change the BL5 option setting each time.

- Questions:
- Does anyone have experience with a similar setup? What are your experiences?
- Any thoughts on the proposed setup? Good idea or does anyone have a better idea?
- Is there any other way to use the digital input in the BL5 without having to change the option settings in a setup like this?
- Is it correct that the maximum digital input the BL5 will accept is 24 bit 96kHz (or 88?)?

Looking forward to your thoughts on this!

 

How will you be able to control the volume of the streamer, when using the digital output there?

As far as I know that will be a fixed output.

The socalled digital Pre-amp mode of the Cambridge streamer allows volume adjustment to be performed.

However the digital signal will then be converted to an analogue audio signal for connection to a power amp.

MM

Thx for your reply; My understanding:

If I turn on the Beosound 9000; I would be able to control the volume of the Beolab 5 similar to using the Beosound itself (this signal would be send over the blink connection).

Correct?.

 

In that case the only purpose of the 9000 would be to send the cd command.......and the cd/cd’s would spin or it would tell you that there is no cd to play every.time you want to use the streamer.

MM

I had a Cambridge CD player digitally connected to Beolab 5's. My Beomaster was required to switch the speakers on and control volume through powerlink but with no CD in it's player it would auto switch off after 30mins. So you could place another CD in the Beogram CD to keep it going and have two players running or remember to re-select CD on the Beolink before 30 mins was up to keep it from switching off. All in all it was a right Royal pain and my future plans to get the Cambridge streamer were abandoned.

I experienced the same auto-off issue with a beosound Overture. In the end I abandonded the idea. It was too much hazzle. Today i only use my B&O for tv/movie watching while i have a hifi system in another room for music listening. Sad to say. 

thx for the reply; this is also my concern; I would loose a bit of the B&O luxury of 1 integrated setup with 1 remote and user friendly.

At the same time I think the sound quality of the Beolab 5 is better when using the digital input. Any other ideas how I could incorperate a "high end" streamer in my setup?

kimchr:

I experienced the same auto-off issue with a beosound Overture. In the end I abandonded the idea. It was too much hazzle. Today i only use my B&O for tv/movie watching while i have a hifi system in another room for music listening. Sad to say. 

This is another idea I am considering; I could move my Beolab 9 to the front; get some other rear speakers (beoplab 3?) and move my Beolab 5 to another room and dedicate this as a music setup. But I feel this is also a bit of a sad direction; I love my current setup and would like to keep this, but also find a smart way to get good quality digital audio streaming. Should be a way to get around this; any thoughts are much appreciated.

Personally I would not make much fuzz about this.

Connect the dig-out of the streamer to the digital/analog combi port of the Eclipse and make a Speakers Group with the 2 BL5’s as L/R (connected via PL) for that.

I know that you are convinced that the BL5’s ‘sounds better’ when using the digital connection.

It might be that the audio processing in the Sound Center does a better job even with the BL5’s connected via PL, than you would have thought.

Have you already tried the above?

At least do make a test - it is not that complicated, even if it is only for temporary use.

You could also avoid using the PL switch and a lot of cabling by doing so.

The 9000 could still be connected to the streamer for CD playback.

MM

 

Millemissen:

Personally I would not make much fuzz about this.

Connect the dig-out of the streamer to the digital/analog combi port of the Eclipse and make a Speakers Group with the 2 BL5’s as L/R (connected via PL) for that.

I know that you are convinced that the BL5’s ‘sounds better’ when using the digital connection.

It might be that the audio processing in the Sound Center does a better job even with the BL5’s connected via PL, than you would have thought.

Have you already tried the above?

At least do make a test - it is not that complicated, even if it is only for temporary use.

You could also avoid using the PL switch and a lot of cabling by doing so.

The 9000 could still be connected to the streamer for CD playback.

MM

Thx for the suggestion; this would certainly be the easiest way for the setup. Certainly worth some experimenting before making a final decision.

I know what you are looking for but it does not exist. I have been there as well. So you better use the BL5 via a digital input and listen to music with these. Powerlink is no comparison for music. In my opinion, for surround sound you don’t need such large speakers. A good sub and some small speakers are equally good.