Newcomer here. A6, S8 or A9?

I'm torn between choices for my new home. Never have B&O's before but I do have an entry-level set of Castle Knight and AMC's amp for many years.

Have listened to A6 and A9 in the shops and got very mixed experience: A6 is absolutely stunning for some songs, but seems unimpressive for some others that usually have more bass and depth on other speakers. A9 is a lot more consistent and looks most lovely (almost bought at first sight), except the height is no good with TV/projector setup, unless I can put in on the ground? can't try S8 but saw excellent reviews and comparison to those from beolab range.

Price wise S8 is no different to A6 to me. A9 cost double.

Music quality first. But I also need it for movies.

 

Any suggestions? Or 2nd-handed Beolab types? But the connectivity appears very troublesome..

 

 

PS: I don't really need the subwoofer or high volume. But I suppose S8 might be much superior to A6/A9 if it's comparable to those costing thousands?

if music quality comes first then i'd look at some Beolabs....the BL3's have many great admirers, and pre-owned sets are around for similar prices to what you have mentioned above.......flexible and unobtrusive too.......otherwise the S8 may be your best bet, seeing that there is a connection hub that would seemingly make your life easier with a non-B&O set-up and would well for both movies and music, especially movies........

dont know much about your set-up (size of room, use cases, preference of sound type)....but an A9 / A6 with a TV sounds a bit odd to me......the A9 is an excellent one box speaker, i have one in my bedroom, and its superb for a one box solution, but if i want something as a primary method of listening to music in my lounge, i'd always go for separate stereo speakers........

i'd go and try out the S8's, assess connectivity, and see what they sound like for music......

 

 

aqd:

Have listened to A6 and A9 in the shops and got very mixed experience: A6 is absolutely stunning for some songs, but seems unimpressive for some others that usually have more bass and depth on other speakers. A9 is a lot more consistent and looks most lovely (almost bought at first sight), except the height is no good with TV/projector setup, unless I can put in on the ground? can't try S8 but saw excellent reviews and comparison to those from beolab range.

I have both the A6 and A9 (plus BS1, BL3s etc).

I'd say if space permits, the A9. It's far superior to the A6 on many levels. A6 is ok, but a bit "muddy sounding" to me. Alternatively, how about the BeoSound 2? The bigger brother to my BeoSound 1?

But if you need it to connect to your TV, the A6/A9 isn't for you. You need BL3's or similar.

Agree on that one - A6 and A9 are music systems, not intended as tv speaker/s.

I'm with Sandyb - of those mentioned, go for the S8 (including the hub).

MM

The effect square is 15sqm. But not sealed as there is a large hallway.

So I should get s8? cannot try, have to order blindly.. What's lacking from A6 that make it unsuitable for TV? Just the bass? 

haven't seen BeoSound locally. But it's 360" so not a pair? Can it still be paired by custom setup? They told me straight no for A6 and A9.

 

Isn't Beolab 3 very expensive BTW? more than 3k dollars? How about 3500 or 7.1 soundbar? But the connectivity is.... $#%

 

PS: checked S8 manual for connectivity, also inconvenient as my media setup including TV/projector will be wireless... But if the quality is superior for music I'd go for it. Most of my music collections are "operatic" I think.

The music systems mentioned (including the BS35) are made for/tuned for stereo sources - means 2 channel (mostly) music.

Sound from a tv or even more from a projector setup deserves at least 3 channels (F/R and Center).

I know that some people just go for a 2 channel setup with sound from tv,

but if you really mean 'media setup includingTV/projector', you will need a big (matching) sound.

This means using a receiver or a preamp for 3 or more channels (including a sub somehow).

Going wireless with B&O (if that is your preference) means thinking of the newer WiSA-enabled speakers and a Wireless1 for the connections to the source/tv.

This is another cup of tea - speaking investment.

 

Where do you want to compromise?

Can it be a 2 channel setup (with/without sub), must it be wireless, should the F/R speaker have a distance from another in the room, at which sound pressure level do you intend to listen, where is the limit for costs.....?

It is not easy to give an exact advice - but maybe these questions could lead you to a decision?

 

Another direction to go, would be to think of using a BeoLab 7.1/7.2 or 7.6.

These can be bought second hand at good prices and they have different placement options.

IMO a good compromise to use as a speaker for 'a TV/projectot setup' in a room of 15sqm.

 

P.S. There is no such thing as a '7.1 soundbar' from B&O.

 

MM

Millemissen:

P.S. There is no such thing as a ' 7.1 soundbar ' from B&O.

MM

There is a tv - and there is a BV.

I suspect he meant beolab 7.1.

Similar to MM's thoughts......what is (a) max budget and (b) what are your use cases - how will you feed your speaker music ideally, and then how will you use it for TV / projector.......assuming you will use a receiver, but you mention wireless setup......where does that come in?

Many if not all Beoworld members will have excellent setups for both music and tv/movies, whether integrated as one, or separately.......all very do-able, though generally not cheap......and for some, they will have a B&O TV as the hub / speakers connected to it, and which handles all the audio processing and to which all sources are connected......but plenty dont, and connect B&O speakers to a non-B&O TV setup, so choices are available.....

BL3's - you should be able to get a pair for 1600 USD, i can see pairs available for 1300GBP, as i was thinking of adding another pair.....

 

Beolab 7.1, 7.2, 7.6 are very good stereo speakers for their size and suitable for music and TV. They are easy to add to non-B&O setups, too. Whether you buy / make cables yourself or just ask steve from soundsheavenly, you will have enough options to use that speakers with your setup.


S8 offers subtle installation as you can hide the sub and place the speakers where you want.

Maybe a B&O dealer nearby has a Beolab 14 set. As far as I know they are exactly the same speakers. So just listen to them in a 2.1 configuration. Afterwards you can decide whether you want a S8 or not.

Duels:

Millemissen:

P.S. There is no such thing as a ' 7.1 soundbar ' from B&O.

MM

I suspect he meant beolab 7.1.

Oh, well - he probably did --- sorry ;-(

MM

Millemissen:

Where do you want to compromise?

definitely the media setup. It's just for TV shows not movies. music is 24hr.

don't really like the look of S8. But I can't try BeoLab 7.1 or 7.2. How do Beolab 7.1/7.2 perform compared to S8 / Beolab 14 for music?

 

max budget is $2000 in first phase, just enough for A9, but lesser is better. I won't have a B&O setup or a B&O TV; Content will be mirrored from tablet. Audio source from phone first and maybe a dedicated PC later. Bluetooth or DLNA would be most convenient, however wired is acceptable if S8 or 7.1/7.2 is notably superior to A6/A9. In the shops they always use bluetooth+phone for A6/A9 and I couldn't tell any quality loss compared to RCA from PC (flac format)...

Haven't heard the 7.1s etc, if you're thinking about extending further down the road, I'd definitely think about the BL3s, as they will sound very good in combination with a sub ...they're marvellous on their own, perhaps not for a very large space, but doesn't sound like your case.....others can chime in on the 7.1/2s, otherwise you'll find many fans of the BL3s on the forum....many options, why not even some pre owned BL8000s? Though don't know how minimal you want to keep the aesthetic

Hmmm all right. I'll find a Beolab shop then. So basically nobody recommend beoplay if beolab is available? :(

great for music, makes less sense for TV........

All right I'll add budget for multiple sets then. Thanks you all!

 

--

Edit:

Sandyb:

great for music, makes less sense for TV........

But what exactly is lacking? Maybe I could fix later by adding something?

 

I had to order the A6 today. $689 for the black one is too good an offer...

 

With a linux box I should be able to split channels into different speakers: left satellite, right satellite, and center etc (even frequency range I guess? ALSA is flexible). If it's all that's required for media setup? Is there any from B&O for bluetooth bass / subwoofer which I could add?