Credible alternatives...

I get that they work well, but sounds amazing is stretching it....their headphones sound good but no more than that, and yes that's fine for most regular people, but that's then a question of how much higher end audio you need / want as priorities evolve...so from an audio fidelity point of view Apple are only a credible alternative from a software perspective

Even there their audio efforts have been slow to evolve, as Apple Music was initially as mess, and multi room has lagged a bit. And I'm an Apple fan so I'm hopefully objective

There is not much 'AV company' about Apple.

I love my iPhone and my MacMini and iPad (sure I do).

And I love my ATV's - but they are just an add-on to my A/V B&O setup.

Nothing more - could never be an alternative.

MM

Obviously, I did not highlight Apple as an end-to-end AV alternative to B&O as we all know very well what are both companies product lineups and how much they overlap. But mark my words, HomePod will wipe the floor with the M5 at half the price and full Siri integration.

As for the sound quality, my H7 beats (lol) AirPods hands down no discussion there. But hey, they hang on their stand for months now, and AirPods are used daily.

On the positive, more hopeful side, I wish that there would be a "v2" Horizon with OLED panel and WebOS. Then I could not think of any other TV set I would even remotely consider against it. <3

AnalogPlanet:

As for the sound quality, my H7 beats (lol) AirPods hands down no discussion there. But hey, they hang on their stand for months now, and AirPods are used daily.

I was talking someone on Wednesday who said much the same. They love the sound of their Beoplay 'phones but the AirPods are just too convenient !

Yes indeed and that was the point I made below I.e. That other factors, not just sound quality, may have become more important, or just as important, when considering AV choices.

As for the M5, it's just not an especially impressive speaker, even for a mid range product

It's clear that if you want some of the more modern tech aspects, voice control etc, then you won't be able to rely on B&O alone, maybe in conjunction with other products.

AnalogPlanet:

Obviously, I did not highlight Apple as an end-to-end AV alternative to B&O as we all know very well what are both companies product lineups and how much they overlap. But mark my words, HomePod will wipe the floor with the M5 at half the price and full Siri integration.

As for the sound quality, my H7 beats (lol) AirPods hands down no discussion there. But hey, they hang on their stand for months now, and AirPods are used daily.

I was referring to the initial question - 'alternative AV solutions'.

Since there imo is no alternative AV solution to a B&O AV setup, everything usefull from other vendors can be added to my B&O setup.

That setup is the backbone - any other device an addition.

In fact that is what B&O has been offering for decades with their PUC solution in their V products.

 

You may be right about the HomePod 'wiping the floor', but only for Apple/AirPlay users.

In any case, it won't be able to fully participate in a B&O NL-setup.

Besides, not everyone will aim for 'Siri integration'.

And who knows, maybe B&O someday will offer 'voice control' of their devices?

 

No doubt, that the AirPods are more convenient that the H7. But only for those, who want to stuff things into their ears.....

....which I personally don't like to.

 

MM

Your setup, and the past you refer to, does not mean too much for the current buyer. :) Actual portfolio is broken with customers (check on threads here on BV14, Horizon, Moment) being beta testers 1-2 years after release.

Is that an AV backbone I intend to invest in some 10K+ EUR? So it's not about the old products anyway not available in the pricelist anymore, and all the decades long gone.

For those wanting more B&O integration...

https://ifttt.com/bang_olufsens_beo_link_gateway

http://beointegration.com/uploaded/Amazon_Echo_and_IFTTT.pdf

I have a Linn power amp to power my M100-2's integrates really well with Beolink Active and sounds much better than the B&O power amp it replaced. Also have a Revox B77. I would probably buy Linn products in the absence of B&O.