Beolab 8000 + M-DAC - bad idea?

Hi folks.

First post, and a total n00b to B&O, so please go gentle with me.

I'm considering a move to a quite minimalist system of Sonos (which I already use everywhere in the house) + an Audiolab M-DAC (which I already have) + active speakers.  The M-DAC would act as a DAC (no, really!) and pre-amp.

The Beolab 8000s look like a good trade-off between looks and functionality (a lot of the "pro" actives seem a little agricultural for the living room).

Am I missing some obvious howling pratfall or does this sound like a reasonable idea?  Anyone else here do the same?

I currently use a pair of Wilson Benesch standmounts and an eye-poppingly large and expensive Moon amp which, with the benefit of highsight, was probably a mistake to buy and definitely over-specced for my purposes.  I listen to rock and electronica in a small London living room at conversation volumes.

Is the whole 8000 thing a pipe-dream too far?

Oh yes, would I just use RCA/phono cables instead of regular speaker cables?  Any problems with 3m runs of phono cables?

Too many questions probably.  Thanks in advance.

/g

 

Great idea if the M dac has volume control, BL8000's do not have that. It can be hooked up with RCA cables, BL8000 will automatically switch on when the music starts. Use FLAC files or some other lossless music format for the best results!

You will have a great and beautifully simple setup this way!

This is a fine setup. Consider also BeoLab 3 (or BL3+BL11 Sub) if sound quality is your ultimate goal.

Thanks guys.

Yes, the M-DAC has a volume control, and (nearly) all the music is lossless.

All I need to do is persuade the wife now - most would jump at the opportunity to rid the living room of big boxes.

/g

 

Sounds like an excellent set-up!

Just one thing to be aware of: the M-Dac will probably introduce some latency, meaning that there will be a slight time gap between the Beolab's and your other Sonos speakers.

This could be annoying when playing your music in party mode.

Success!

Jan