Topic: Thoughts on Bang & Olufsen

[terrapinj]

my boss seems to have his mind made up that B&O is the be-all end-all of High End Audio Gear

i'm not very well versed in high end Stereo equipment but it seems a lot of their gear is designed for appearance more than function

didn't see much discussion here on B&O products

what are some of your thoughts on their stuff?

[boojum]

I have not heard any B&O speakers in 30 years.  Then they were thin, hyped and over-priced.  I liked the phono cartridges fine but the one pair of speakers I heard did not do much for me.  That may be the reason there is not much about them in public discussion.  If few people own them and they are not wildly expensive there is a good reason.  As usual, YMMV

[Lil Kim Jong-Il]

I've always perceived B&O as more a status symbol in the way Bose was before it was everywhere - not really an audiophile rig but something to show off as if it were an audiophile rig.  The brand is semi-exotic so I think that increases the appeal to some.  The cosmetic design is usually pretty cool.  One of the local hi-fi chains has B&O gear on display and it sounds nice but I would be more inclined to spend the same money on some of the gear discussed in this forum.  Maybe I've never heard it set up right.

[growltiger]

My thought is that their brand name sounds like Scandanavian porn

[MSTaper]

My brother is into Macintosh. Very expensive, not very stylish, but the system he has rocks! But he's more into classical and jazz. Used to love to hear him crank up Dark Side of the Moon for me!  rWc3523

[bhtoque]

All looks no sound when it comes down to it. My Aunt and Uncle have(had) a full B&O system. It's not bad, but it is there to look pretty, not sound like an audiophile rig. Hell, most mid-range stuff can best it from what I've heard.

JAson

[BC]

Their flagship Beolab 5 looks pretty interesting, very radical and innovative design. 4-way, ultrawide dispersion, digital filters and crossovers a la Meridian, and auto bass EQing to adapt to the specific room it is in. Here is a review and measurements, this reviewer is quite a curmudgeon but goes pretty ga-ga over the speaker.

http://theaudiocritic.com/blog/index.php?op=ViewArticle&articleId=6&blogId=1

[Frank in JC]

B&O makes "lifestyle" products, not "high-end audio equipment" in the traditional sense, and they market to consumers accordingly.  (I'm not saying they DON'T make quality gear, it's just aimed at a different sector.)  They do manufacture the class-D "ICEpower" amplifier modules which they sell as OEM parts, but I don't think that's a big item in their marketing and advertising strategy for their own products. 

They're selling to Mr. and Ms. Packaged Lifestyle... and as far as I can tell, that isn't any of us.  When they want to make money from us, they just sell Bel Canto or Jeff Rowland one of their modules!

[muj]

B&O makes "lifestyle" products, not "high-end audio equipment" in the traditional sense, and they market to consumers accordingly.  (I'm not saying they DON'T make quality gear, it's just aimed at a different sector.)  They do manufacture the class-D "ICEpower" amplifier modules which they sell as OEM parts, but I don't think that's a big item in their marketing and advertising strategy for their own products. 

They're selling to Mr. and Ms. Packaged Lifestyle... and as far as I can tell, that isn't any of us.  When they want to make money from us, they just sell Bel Canto or Jeff Rowland one of their modules!

+1

it's all about aestethics for B&O...they haven't changed the concept since i first saw the products back in mid-eighties.(when i was a wee lad)

[it-goes-to-eleven]

The product history goes back into the 20's..

http://www.bang-olufsen.com/page.asp?bhjs=0&id=215&decade=1920

[Chilly Brioschi]

What was that linear-tracking LP playback system that they made, which was in the Smithsonian?
Looked like science fiction audio and something that should have been in the movie A Clockwork Orange

[Stagger]

Most of it his flashy garbage. Cool tricks like motion activated doors and flat panel-like all in one systems do not high end make. Even their high end omni speaker pales in comparison to other stuff out there, in particular MBL speakers from Germany. Have your boss pick up a single copy of Absolute Sound or Stereophile and I think he will be stunned at the veritable dessert of B&hO coverage.... or possibly it's just TOO high end for them. 

[Nick's Picks]

i've wanted to hear that MBL stuff for a long while now.  they just look like they NEED to be heard

[Stagger]

i've wanted to hear that MBL stuff for a long while now.  they just look like they NEED to be heard

Pure audio pron! One of the few products that still really makes me drool. Right up there with the SF Strads & Amati, the new Magicos built out of a solid block of aluminum, High end VS, Focal, and Kharmas as the speakers I'd sell my soul for.... Satan, you out there?