Lets settle this once for all: Beovision Contour vs. Eclipse as a stand-alone speaker?

Let’s argue for & against. 

I guess this has already been ‘settled’:

https://archivedforum2.beoworld.org/forums/p/49329/350553.aspx#350553

MM

It really wasn’t settled, they compare it a bit and end up with Eclipse due to adding speakers. No true comparison as the Stage wins on paper. 

Ozzy27:

It really wasn’t settled, they compare it a bit and end up with Eclipse due to adding speakers. No true comparison as the Stage wins on paper.

So you don't like/agree the outcome? And want a recount of votes?

 

No I want a true discussion not with the classical “I’ll go for the Eclipse so I can connect my 50’s to it”. Per my experience in the shop the Contour sounded better than the Eclipse, so I would like to hear people’s experiences & why they prefer one over the other.

Dont you have your answer, and the one that should matter most to you.

If the Contour sounded better to you, then go for the Contour,

 

 

 

Ozzy27:

No I want a true discussion not with the classical “I’ll go for the Eclipse so I can connect my 50’s to it”. Per my experience in the shop the Contour sounded better than the Eclipse, so I would like to hear people’s experiences & why they prefer one over the other.

 

There is not much to settle in my opinion. My feeling is that the stage is on par with the soundbar of the eclipse, if not better. But it is a stand alone soundbar and therefor it has to overpower the eclipse imo.

The eclipse (and harmony) are very good 3.0 systems regarding sound and it is a joy watching movies / tv on it. It is in a full surround setting when it comes to its full potential. The true image processing is excellent and the multiple sound settings is unparalleled. A beovision was and will be the true hart for any bang & olufsen setup that includes any type beolabs. It really brings the speakers to its full potential.

My point is that you cannot compare a stage (or beovision contour) with a beovision. Pure from a sound point of view it may be just that bit better, for a true surround setup you need a beovision and beolabs. Never ever will this be beaten by any soundbar whatsoever.

That said, in many cases a stage is just the best thing to have with your tv, or even as a stand alone sound system.

Good reply, good to hear different views on the topic. I agree completely that a full setup is out of this world.

I guess its good to read this blog from Geoff about the True Image system https://www.tonmeister.ca/wordpress/2013/12/06/bo-tech-trueimage-upmixing/

This explains the main difference between Stage and the Eclipse/Harmony systems and their different price tags, so both have a different use case. 

Sound wise I think the stage is better at producing bass, however the eclipse has a 'wider' soundstage and more clear tone. I'm not sure about the Atmos capaiblities, in my opinion it doesn't really make sense for a soundbar, if you want atmos you need ceiling speakers etc. However the upfiring tweeters create a different sound space offcourse. It's up to everyone's personal taste to see if they like it or not. 

There is no 'winner' in this debate. Sure you can look at tech specs but again it doesn't tell the whole story. The winner is the one that YOU think has the best sound when comparing at the dealer. 

(Note, these are my personal opinions from in-store demo. Your room accoustics play a big role). 

….or this one about the tech behind the Soundcenter:

https://www.tonmeister.ca/wordpress/2017/09/15/bo-tech-its-not-just-a-soundbar/

MM

Millemissen:

….or this one about the tech behind the Soundcenter:

https://www.tonmeister.ca/wordpress/2017/09/15/bo-tech-its-not-just-a-soundbar/

MM

Exactly, that's also good post going more into detail about how to compare it. 

I hope Geoff will make a new blog about the Stage and gives a bit more technical insights on it, that would really be interesting. 

Exactly - there is no "setting this once and for all" - thats a bizarre question.

Especially when the OP listened to both and preferred the sound of one over the other.

We're not comparing BL90s to an Alexa speaker, we're comparing two things much more broadly similar.

And when it comes to these things, as many including Geoff have posted many times, what matters is what pleases you most.

 

 

swestland:

I guess its good to read this blog from Geoff about the True Image system https://www.tonmeister.ca/wordpress/2013/12/06/bo-tech-trueimage-upmixing/

This explains the main difference between Stage and the Eclipse/Harmony systems and their different price tags, so both have a different use case. 

Sound wise I think the stage is better at producing bass, however the eclipse has a 'wider' soundstage and more clear tone. I'm not sure about the Atmos capaiblities, in my opinion it doesn't really make sense for a soundbar, if you want atmos you need ceiling speakers etc. However the upfiring tweeters create a different sound space offcourse. It's up to everyone's personal taste to see if they like it or not. 

There is no 'winner' in this debate. Sure you can look at tech specs but again it doesn't tell the whole story. The winner is the one that YOU think has the best sound when comparing at the dealer. 

(Note, these are my personal opinions from in-store demo. Your room accoustics play a big role). 

 

swestland:

I hope Geoff will make a new blog about the Stage and gives a bit more technical insights on it, that would really be interesting. 

I think with a MK2 or Stage NG due 'sometime soon', I think B&O would wait for the next series. Stage NG was supposed to be based around the Eclipse speaker, to allow you to connect other speakers. It will also be a lot more expensive.

It's taking a long time. My dealer told me about it back in January this year. I guess chip issues are delaying new product releases.

Of course, in the first place you have to listen and decide which of the two sounds best to you. However, in this particular case the two products have a very different design philosophy. The Countour (Stage) is designed to be a stand alone product, the Eclipse is designed with extensibility in mind. For that reason it is not a totally fair comparison. The Contour will sound more dynamic compared to the Eclipse without additional speakers because that is how it is designed, but it will never beat an Eclipse with additional left/right/back speakers.

Also, if I am not mistaken, the Contour uses a C series panel and the Eclipse a G series panel. The G1 will have a little bit better peak brightness performance than the C1.