News on a new audio system?

Dear fellow forumers,

Does anyone have any news or rumours on a new audio system which is long ovedue and talked about earlier this year?

,

 

I wouldn't think we would see anything in 2013.

That's very disappointing if true.

A hi-end B&O music system is long overdue since 2009 when the dead duck of a Bs5 was released.

How very sad  .

 

.

seethroughyou:

Dear fellow forumers,

Does anyone have any news or rumours on a new audio system which is long ovedue and talked about earlier this year?

,

PLEASE do not create any rumours about this.

There is nothing in it - except for hopes!

Greetings Millemissen

I am not creating rumours. I spoke with x2 B&O dealers in Berks and Herts in Feb and they both alluded to a new audio system but no news since then hence me asking aorund here. I have been waiting and the house will be decorated soon. If no news it makes it rather difficult to plan a new music system. Like others we cant wait for too long and may have to go elsewhere than B&O. I had hoped with the Hi-End International music fayre in Munich which opened on the 9th May there would be some news out...

seethroughyou:

I am not creating rumours. I spoke with x2 B&O dealers in Berks and Herts in Feb and they both alluded to a new audio system but no news since then hence me asking aorund here. I have been waiting and the house will be decorated soon. If no news it makes it rather difficult to plan a new music system. Like others we cant wait for too long and may have to go elsewhere than B&O. I had hoped with the Hi-End International music fayre in Munich which opened on the 9th May there would be some news out...

Just out of interest, what are you hoping for that isn't already available via BeoSound 5, BeoSound 5 encore, playmaker, network link?

seethroughyou:

That's very disappointing if true.

A hi-end B&O music system is long overdue since 2009 when the dead duck of a Bs5 was released.

How very sad  .

I disagree with your comment.  Whilst it arguably took a long time to improve that system, i feel that the SW based update process keeps the system viable and well performing in the future.  Its high price has been adjusted since launch, a bit painful for early buyers but approaching a very good value

seethroughyou:

That's very disappointing if true.

A hi-end B&O music system is long overdue since 2009 when the dead duck of a Bs5 was released.

How very sad  .

I disagree with your comment.  Whilst it arguably took a long time to improve that system, i feel that the SW based update process keeps the system viable and well performing in the future.  Its high price has been adjusted since launch, a bit painful for early buyers but approaching a very good value now.

@seethroughyou:

Just plan cat7-cabling for your new 'housing' - and you are good to go for any new Bang & Olufsen audio/video-system.

I  would also like to know what you expect from a 'new' audio system?

 

Greetings Millemissen

I think the Beosound 5 is wonderful.

I do also think the bs5 is a great system. I have had it for quite some years and I am happy that the system still is up to date with the latest sw updates. Only a few things with sw is still needed, but I can live without them.

And I do really like the wheel interface and I use MOTS quite often.

Millemissen:

@seethroughyou:

Just plan cat7-cabling for your new 'housing' - and you are good to go for any new Bang & Olufsen audio/video-system.

I would also like to know what you expect from a 'new' audio system?

Greetings Millemissen

I think Millemissen made a great post there - first of all, if you are planning dor a future av system then you really can't do better than to run Cat 7 to all the rooms/positions you may want products in, and make sure there are sockets nearby. These will provide full strength interference free connectivity for anything you want to do in the foreseeable future such as HD video or sound distribution, TV or audio systems, loudspeakers etc. Its so much easier than the old way of planning where you might want masterlink, powerlink, rf, aerials etc.

Secondly, what do we all want from a future audio system? If we could collectively invent the best audio system in the world right now - what would it be able to do? For me I would want the following, roughly in order of importance to me:

1.) high quality sound

2.) integrated spotify

3.) be able to play in lots of rooms simultaneously with no delays

4.) handle all audio formats - in particular flac, wma lossless, alac - also wma, mp3 and aac

5.) have a killer interface that is really easy to use - especially for creating playlists

6.) have a good mots style feature

7.) look really really cool!

8.) be able to operate it whilst sitting back in my sofa

To be fair the current Bs5 does do most of those - especially the top 3 - very well indeed!

What else do we want?

pf85:

seethroughyou:

That's very disappointing if true.

A hi-end B&O music system is long overdue since 2009 when the dead duck of a Bs5 was released.

How very sad  .

I disagree with your comment.  Whilst it arguably took a long time to improve that system, i feel that the SW based update process keeps the system viable and well performing in the future.  Its high price has been adjusted since launch, a bit painful for early buyers but approaching a very good value now.

What is a "good value"? What does it go for now?

Here in the states it was like 7900.00 at launch (according to a YouTube video at a B&O store review when it first came out).

MartinW:

Millemissen:

@seethroughyou:

Just plan cat7-cabling for your new 'housing' - and you are good to go for any new Bang & Olufsen audio/video-system.

I would also like to know what you expect from a 'new' audio system?

Greetings Millesimal

I think Millemissen made a great post there - first of all, if you are planning dor a future av system then you really can't do better than to run Cat 7 to all the rooms/positions you may want products in, and make sure there are sockets nearby. These will provide full strength interference free connectivity for anything you want to do in the foreseeable future such as HD video or sound distribution, TV or audio systems, loudspeakers etc. Its so much easier than the old way of planning where you might want masterlink, powerlink, rf, aerials etc.

Secondly, what do we all want from a future audio system? If we could collectively invent the best audio system in the world right now - what would it be able to do? For me I would want the following, roughly in order of importance to me:

1.) high quality sound

2.) integrated spottily

3.) be able to play in lots of rooms simultaneously with no delays

4.) handle all audio formats - in particular flac, wma lossless, alac - also wma, mp3 and a/c

5.) have a killer interface that is really easy to use - especially for creating playlists

6.) have a good mots style feature

7.) look really really cool!

8.) be able to operate it whilst sitting back in my sofa

To be fair the current Bs5 does do most of those - especially the top 3 - very well indeed!

What else do we want?

Thanks Martin for your post, thoughts and list -- which I have repurposed below.

I remember taking part in a B&O server a year or two before the BeoSound 4 was launched - and the BS4 embodied everything that I (and propbably many others) asked for at the time (e.g. SD card, DAB).

Where the BS4 fell short was (IMO) the following:

a) SD card became limited (2GB until the upgraded came later on, but as common with that era it was not an internet s/w upgrade)

b) SD card became irrelevant as most of use moved to iDevices or aDevices to carry our music (and much much more .e.g. music videos)

c) DAB became redundant when Australia switch to a superior DAB standard

d) the finish was disappointing as were accessories such as the stand 

e) cable access was incredibly frustrating and resulted in lots of fingerprints on the highly polished stand (and for some reason I seem to have to re-cable things every year )

I revisit the history of the BS4 just to say what we all know: it is difficult to predict what we need based on what we know today - most predictions have limited viability.  And therefore your list is useful ... but perhaps not future-proof - which is B&O's challenge. 

I have added my votes using "[ Y ]" (without spaces) to yours in the list and expanded the list, so perhaps others can reply-copy/quote the list below so we have a collated response of needs by the end of the weekend ... or the month

1.) high quality sound

2.) integrated spotify

 

2b) integrate with standards-based internet services for audio 

2c) support popular services such as SPOTIFY, PANDORA, whatever Apple launches, whatever Amazon launches, whatever Google launches

 

3.) be able to play in lots of rooms simultaneously with no delays

4.) handle all audio formats - in particular flac, wma lossless, alac - also wma, mp3 and aac

4b) play music video sound tracks

 

4c) play podcast sound tracks

 

5.) have a killer interface that is really easy to use - especially for creating playlists

5b) support standards-based interfaces from devices e.g. DLNA support

6.) have a good mots style feature

7.) look really really cool!

8.) be able to operate it whilst sitting back in my sofa

8b) support Beo 4

8c) support Beo5 / Beo6

 

8d) support standards-based interfaces from devices e.g. DLNA support

9.) support relay/replay of audio from other sources (e.g. what used to be ML BeoVision audio support)

10.) support direct attachment of speakers

10a) active

10b) passive, non-B&O

 

11.) support indirect speakers i.e. DLNA out, Airplay out to something like a Playmaker

12.) support ancient media (CDs )

Playdrv4me:

Here in the states it was like 7900.00 at launch (according to a YouTube video at a B&O store review when it first came out).

Beosound 9000, Beocenter 9500, Beogram 9500, Beomaster 8000, Beomaster 7000, BeoLink 7000, BeoLink 1000 1, BeoLink 1000 2, Beo4, BeoLab 1, BeoLab 5, BeoLab 6000, BeoVox RL6000, BeoVox S80.2, JBL XPL-140

My recollection is it was more like $5000.

Millemissen:

@seethroughyou:

Just plan cat7-cabling for your new 'housing' - and you are good to go for any new Bang & Olufsen audio/video-system.

I  would also like to know what you expect from a 'new' audio system?

Greetings Millemissen

My issue is that the "planning" to achieve HD 5.1 support in several rooms and audio 2.1 support in other rooms requires an over-engineering and over-supply of cables and switches ... one reason I like the inferior wireless solutions is that the need for "planning" is reduced

seethroughyou:

I am not creating rumours. I spoke with x2 B&O dealers in Berks and Herts in Feb and they both alluded to a new audio system but no news since then hence me asking aorund here. I have been waiting and the house will be decorated soon. If no news it makes it rather difficult to plan a new music system. Like others we cant wait for too long and may have to go elsewhere than B&O. I had hoped with the Hi-End International music fayre in Munich which opened on the 9th May there would be some news out.

B&O is not a member of the organisation ... so not likely:

http://www.highendsociety.de/index.php/member-brands.html

Razlaw:

Playdrv4me:

 

 

Here in the states it was like 7900.00 at launch (according to a YouTube video at a B&O store review when it first came out).

 

Beosound 9000, Beocenter 9500, Beogram 9500, Beomaster 8000, Beomaster 7000, BeoLink 7000, BeoLink 1000 1, BeoLink 1000 2, Beo4, BeoLab 1, BeoLab 5, BeoLab 6000, BeoVox RL6000, BeoVox S80.2, JBL XPL-140

 

 

 

My recollection is it was more like $5000.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xi5YCjI-ueI

Watching that video again, those guys sound Canadian, so based on the exchange rate in 2009 5-6k sounds about right.

I'm assuming the BS5E must be around 3400.00 now. There was one recently on Ebay for 1950 with warranty so that's certainly reasonable. Dead even in price used with a BS9000.