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Dear All,
I have just bought four BeoLab 5 (2004) and are about to buy a Beolab 7-6 as center. I would like to use them both as a music system but as well connected to my 65" Panasonic TV and a receiver (which I haven´t bought yet) Thinking of the Onkyo 7or 8 series since it has an upscaling (which I need to get HDTV since I use Telia internet TV)
I want to connect Spotify, AppleTV, Blueray and DLNA for music which is actually controlled by the receiver.
I want to control the Beolab through my receiver since I control the sources from that. And I can control that from iphone and ipad.
When the receiver is switched on, the Beolab starts up. When I turn it off, the beolab shall turn off. Loudness should be controlled by the receiver. If I choose THX mode, that should go on. (Most likely an Onkyo question....)
Can anyone help me out how I should connect this, please? I do not want to use Beolink but are after the design and great sound of Beolab 5.
I would also like to know if anyone have tried a wireless solution to the speakers that they can recommend?
Check the Onkyo line level output, before you buy it, I have an 708 and it cannot drive my BL 8000 to full volume, the line level for the 708 is 200 mV, it should be at least 400 mV.
Connecting active speakers to line will give you problems with the speakers turning on and of, when longer periods of silence is there, you will need a RCA and trigger connection to the Onkyo and this connection to a 8 pin din plug to the speakers. The trigger on the Onkyo is 12V, trigger to B&O speakers are 4.5V.
Collecting Vintage B&O is not a hobby, its a lifestyle.
Thank you! Seems like you know this! :-)
Do you have any suggestion of another receiver you think can be better where I will not experience this kind of problem?
Best !
THIS might help
Ralf
Living Room: Beosystem 4, Beolab 7-2 (Center), Beolab 9 (Fronts), Beolab 8000 (Rears), no Subwoofer. Screen: Sony KD-85XH9096Dining Room: Beosound Essence MK II with Beolab 4000 on stands, fed by Amazon Echo Show 8Home Cinema: Beosystem 4, Beolab 7-4 (Center), Beolab 1 (Fronts), Beolab 4000 (Rears). Projector: Sony VPL-HW55Home Office: Beosystem 3, Beolab 7-4, Beolab 5000, Screen: Sony KD-55XH9005 on Beovision 7-40 stand, ML to Beosound 9000 MK3 and Beosound 5/Beomaster 5 (1 TB SSD version)Bedroom: Sony KD-65XH9077, Beosound Essence MK II with Beolab 6002 and Beolab 11 (all white, wall-mounted)
In storage: Beolab 5000/Beomaster 5000 (1960s).
Hmmmm, and that is a big HMMMM with the Beolab5's...
Using the beolab 5's this way would require a sound control to them... When you use the BL5's with third party equipment you are supposed to change the volume on the BL5's with your Beo4 (or other B&O remote) Line in will not change the volume properly.
But in this setup, you also have to have the Beolab5's connected to each other using the special "syncro" cable. Yours are early ones, just like mine, so I don't think they will work with the syncro cable. (Mine does not, even though there's electronics for it)
Syncro is meant to even out the sound if one of the speakers ir-eye misses an input change.
The Syncro cable is meant to be used with a stereo pair, but maybe someone can modify it to work with 4 speakers, and still keep the ohm setting in the cable, which is vital.
Too long to list....
To make things easier (a lot easier) buy a S/H Beosystem 3. All your problems solved. *Puff!*
Are you located in Finland BTW?
If so, where the heck did you find 4 Beolab 5's???
Thank you! That was very helpful! Will review it more properly at the weekend!
Hi, No, I am actually in Sweden. Haven´t bought them new (not in that financial stand yet) and there are quite a few for sale. So nothing strange about the 4 BL 5.
bayerische: To make things easier (a lot easier) buy a S/H Beosystem 3. All your problems solved. *Puff!*
Exactly in what way will everything be solved?
Maybe the Onkyo isn´t the best due to one of the answers in this thread? I am trying to get rid of all remote controls so am really interested in finding a way not to have to use those. Still - Beosystem 3 - how will that work with DD 5.1 and music? I am sorry, I am not that familiar with all B&O´s solutions.
From the beginning - it started with that I wanted to have a soundsystem that was really good and could play at a high volume. A real party machine! Airplay, spotify, DLNA could all be integrated. Since I do like B&O, if I have to see the speakers, the choice was easy. Then I wanted to combine the music solution with the TV. Not the best sound in a TV, as you know. And now my wife started to brawl..... :-) 1 remote.
And here I am! :-) Thank you for all good advices and please, enlighten me with all your ideas to make this work!
Regarding the volume setting, the best way is to set the BL5 to almost max as a starting volume when turned on, then you control the volume with the onkyo.
Hugolainen: Hi, No, I am actually in Sweden. Haven´t bought them new (not in that financial stand yet) and there are quite a few for sale. So nothing strange about the 4 BL 5.
OK, just put to A to the B with "Hugolainen"...
Try finding 4 used in Finland... That's why I asked. I bought mine from Denmark.
Tomas: Regarding the volume setting, the best way is to set the BL5 to almost max as a starting volume when turned on, then you control the volume with the onkyo.
But...
Also a great way to destroy the speakers by accident...
Hugolainen: bayerische: To make things easier (a lot easier) buy a S/H Beosystem 3. All your problems solved. *Puff!* Exactly in what way will everything be solved? Maybe the Onkyo isn´t the best due to one of the answers in this thread? I am trying to get rid of all remote controls so am really interested in finding a way not to have to use those. Still - Beosystem 3 - how will that work with DD 5.1 and music? I am sorry, I am not that familiar with all B&O´s solutions. From the beginning - it started with that I wanted to have a soundsystem that was really good and could play at a high volume. A real party machine! Airplay, spotify, DLNA could all be integrated. Since I do like B&O, if I have to see the speakers, the choice was easy. Then I wanted to combine the music solution with the TV. Not the best sound in a TV, as you know. And now my wife started to brawl..... :-) 1 remote. And here I am! :-) Thank you for all good advices and please, enlighten me with all your ideas to make this work!
The Beosystem 3 has all those integrated. It's basically all the electronics from the BV7/BV9 without the screen.
Have a look
It's going to be rather expensive, even used. But it will solve all your problems. As you'll get everything connected to it the proper B&O way, and you'll only need one remote control.
Rather than get a "receiver", why not get a preamp/processor? It looks like all of your speakers are powered so you shouldn't need the amplifiers in the receiver.
David
Hi All and thanks for your great inputs!
Think I am getting a grip of it now. (Remember I am not a techie) :-) too bad B&O always need special solutions - especially when they are quite pricey towards other brands.
Beosystem 3 might be a good solution. One thing I do not like is that it is not any upscaling to 4K. As mentioned earlieir - I use internet TV so having a few TV:s make it not being able to have HD. That sucks for sure.
And it is only 50Hz where the TV´s scale to 100 -200 and even 600 hz. That will be standard soon.
Any thoughts?
Will that sort out the issue with volume ? Have thought of that solution and there are other brands that manages that.
Do you have a special brand in mind?
bayerische: Tomas: Regarding the volume setting, the best way is to set the BL5 to almost max as a starting volume when turned on, then you control the volume with the onkyo. But... Also a great way to destroy the speakers by accident...
In the same way as it's getting run over by a car, if your somewhat cousious it doesn't happen.
Since the BL5's will only be connected to the preamp/amp then the volume setting is done there.
I've been running a setup lite this for about a year now, with no problems.
That is good to read. I thought I read of something like this, but I haven't been able to find it (but I'll keep looking).
I brought up this issue on a later post that was prompted by this question.
I don't think I would recommend to buy a Beosystem 3 at this time... Just get a cable that feeds the speakers with the pre-out signal from the Onkyo and at the same time take the 12V trigger from the Onkyo (I assume it has triggers?) down to 5V and feeds it to the speakers, and bob's your uncle! The speakers will turn on when the Onkyo turns on, and off when it turns off, and all the sounds-settings will be controlled by the Onkyo.
I don't see why it shouldn't work, and I don't see a reason to use the Beolabs in non-beo mode.
Magnus
What processor do you use?
Or, what do you recommend to use? :-)
Magnus, how come your statement about BS3?
And Why not use the BL5 outside a beosetting?
If you're only interested in Beolab 5, and not the other parts of "the B&O experience" (Beolink, Beo4++), I don't think that the Beosystem 3 is the way to go. It's getting old and expensive, and I think a normal receiver will do the job just fine.
About non-beo mode vs. beo-mode:
As far as I understand, if the Beolab 5 is in "non-beo mode" it expects a fixed line in and you will have to regulate the volume and turn them on via the Beo4. Of course, you could set the volume high and then regulate it with the Onkyo, but you will still have to turn them on with Beo4.
But if they are in "beo mode" aka. they think they are connected to a Beosystem, they will behave like a normal Beolab; turn on when they get a trigger signal and no volume control. I think this will be the easiest in your setup, as the Onkyo will control everything.
I'm by no means an expert, but I think this is how they work. I would ask Steve at Sounds Heavenly (ad on the bottom of the page) for help with the cable, he probably knows!
Or maybe a real expert swings by this thread!
Edit: If your planning to use a Beolab 7 with non-beo equipment, I'm pretty sure you have to make a special cable anyways, as I don't think Beolab 7 have a line mode! It will be a cable like THIS.
Right now an old Thule , works fine for the job.
Im looking into getting a used bv4/bs3, but that combo seems to have to many limitations so im not sure anymore if thats the way to go..
But if they are in B&O mode, I don't think there will be a preset sound level in the speakers themselves, as this is then set by the "Beomaster".
As a side note, I never understood the point of having 4 Beolab5's in a surround setup. The signal being fed to the rears is pretty limited... It looks good, but is there a huge sound benefit?
Cool to have four though...
My system is completely different from yours, but I'm happy with it, and it really is the only possible way for me, to keep the one remote platform, and I enjoy the design of my Beosound 9000 so much, that it's OK to have it just for "control".