B&O Beolab 20 Speaker Review

[soundtrane]

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View attachment 272689

with the pants down, looks like a cheap build like the vandersteen 2ce.

 

[Deleted member 48726]

with the pants down, looks like a cheap build like the vandersteen 2ce.

I don't know, man. Where are the similarities do you think?

 

[Sal1950]

No way is this a Audiophile's $15,000 speaker.
They're strictly for the wealthy hipster that wants a speaker to do show & tell with his other wealthy hipster pals..
I really detest products like this. LOL

 

[JSmith]

JSmith

 

[soundtrane]

I don't know, man. Where are the similarities do you think?

View attachment 273044

"industrial design"

you know what was the plastic cap behind the tweeter? i found it in an american plumbing supply store, a cap to cover open pipes...

 

[sarumbear]

As @Mart68 says, it may not have presented an audible issue, it may even sound good/better depending on program material.

But what is the point of having “digital signal processing (DSP) to correct the room's acoustic” if all it does is to work as a tone control for subjectively altering the frequency response curve?

It's likely complicated a bit where B&O have variable loudness compensation always on, if I understand that correctly. It's quite possible that curve is intentional, at the measurement level.

Intentionally offering a non-flat curve to the listener is possibly the worst sin a Hi-Fi speaker manufacturer can do.

 

[Sokel]

"industrial design"

you know what was the plastic cap behind the tweeter? i found it in an american plumbing supply store, a cap to cover open pipes...

Industrial design is more like this in my opinion :

 

[Mart68]

But what is the point of having “digital signal processing (DSP) to correct the room's acoustic” if all it does is to work as a tone control for subjectively altering the frequency response curve?


Intentionally offering a non-flat curve to the listener is possibly the worst sin a Hi-Fi speaker manufacturer can do.

I appreciate you know a lot more about this stuff than I do so sorry if I am missing something here, but we don't want a flat in room response because it sounds way too toppy. Isn't the Harmon house curve 10db drop in amplitude from 20Hz to 20KHz?

 

[sarumbear]

I appreciate you know a lot more about this stuff than I do so sorry if I am missing something here, but we don't want a flat in room response because it sounds way too toppy. Isn't the Harmon house curve 10db drop in amplitude from 20Hz to 20KHz?

Harmon curve is flat. It’s a tilted flat curve.

 

[mathman]

Try this album:

Winter Songs, by Terje Isungset, Lena Nymark, Sidsel Walstad, Nils Økland, Espen Jørgensen

11 track album

terjeisungset.bandcamp.com

And the first song, Fading Song.

Whoa, that first song is crazy!
Thanks for the recommendation @amirm !

 

[Rewind]

I listened to a similar speaker but larger and lore expensive, at the Bang & Olufsen store in Oslo. The functionality of built in Room correction was impressive but actually listening to it was not so interesting. I am used to high efficiancy horn speakers with much more detail.

 

[MarkS]

Harman research shows that focusing on sound power goes against listener preference.

Then how do you explain this Revel F206 spin, which sure makes it look like smooth sound power was the goal (with choppy on-axis acceptable)?

Measurements for speaker Revel F206

www.spinorama.org

 

[pseudoid]

Beolab was activating my room mode at 105 Hz

Thank you for the review, @amirm,
It is probably too late to request the details of how your room resonance mode was determined.

 

[anmpr1]

I listened to a similar speaker but larger and lore expensive, at the Bang & Olufsen store in Oslo. The functionality of built in Room correction was impressive but actually listening to it was not so interesting. I am used to high efficiancy horn speakers with much more detail.

In 2005 I had a chance to spend some time with the B&O 5. I have no idea whether the 20 sounds anything like the 5, but both appear to share a similar design. At the time I was quite impressed with the Beolab's overall sonic presentation, and if I could have afforded it, it would have been on my 'short list'. 5 didn't sound like most other speakers, with its wide dispersion, providing a 180 degree spread into the room, for the mids/highs. Lows were DSP regulated; it equally played very loud or soft with no big differences.

I thought it sounded quite pleasant, and in a way its coherency reminded me of the old Harold Beveridge electrostatic--that is, the presentation was not quite like anything I'd heard from most other loudspeakers. You could sit around the room in various positions and still get a sense of the music, without any limitation of a 'sweet spot'. I remember it sounding best in a sitting position, on a sofa or chair, ear level with the two lenses. Standing limited the sonic presentation, so it was not like the Beveridge in that respect, the latter being a floor to ceiling line-source.

That was 18 years ago. My limited time spent with the large Beveridge was over 40 years ago. Whether I'd have the same reaction to both, today?

Certainly, if one's idea of sonic nirvana is a forward firing two or three way sealed (or vented) small box, the 5 would not be the 'droid you are looking for. Although it did kind of look like that robot (or whatever it was) from Dr. Who.

 

[m8o]

Radio Shack once sold a speaker with that [patented/ pat pending, at the time] tweeter. Decades later when the era of eBay came to be, I could never figure out the model. Does anyone happen to remember that and know the model?

 

[anmpr1]

Radio Shack once sold a speaker with that [patented/ pat pending, at the time] tweeter. Decades later when the era of eBay came to be, I could never figure out the model. Does anyone happen to remember that and know the model?

The upward firing tweeter assembly (at least in the 5, and maybe in this 20) was designed by Manny LaCarrubba, and licensed from Sausalito Audio Works. It would surprise me is RS had anything at all to do with whatever is in the B&O.

 

[pablolie]

One should never expect hifi from lifestyle products - they are designed to serve the needs of people that place the stuff where the decor best allows for it. I have alwats thought B&O stuff is easily beaten by stuff that is a twentieth of the price tag and is simply put together with an average amount of care. Never once been impressed with the sound, and I have heard to teir top of line... not for me, ever.

 

[EJ3]

In 2005 I had a chance to spend some time with the B&O 5. I have no idea whether the 20 sounds anything like the 5, but both appear to share a similar design. At the time I was quite impressed with the Beolab's overall sonic presentation, and if I could have afforded it, it would have been on my 'short list'. 5 didn't sound like most other speakers, with its wide dispersion, providing a 180 degree spread into the room, for the mids/highs. Lows were DSP regulated; it equally played very loud or soft with no big differences.

I thought it sounded quite pleasant, and in a way its coherency reminded me of the old Harold Beveridge electrostatic--that is, the presentation was not quite like anything I'd heard from most other loudspeakers. You could sit around the room in various positions and still get a sense of the music, without any limitation of a 'sweet spot'. I remember it sounding best in a sitting position, on a sofa or chair, ear level with the two lenses. Standing limited the sonic presentation, so it was not like the Beveridge in that respect, the latter being a floor to ceiling line-source.

That was 18 years ago. My limited time spent with the large Beveridge was over 40 years ago. Whether I'd have the same reaction to both, today?

Certainly, if one's idea of sonic nirvana is a forward firing two or three way sealed (or vented) small box, the 5 would not be the 'droid you are looking for. Although it did kind of look like that robot (or whatever it was) from Dr. Who.

I would like to add that this is a 4 way speaker and that it has a 15" bass speaker aimed at the floor. That is that way that I have my 12 subs aimed also, as I like the dispersion effect.

 

[Deleted member 48726]

The upward firing tweeter assembly (at least in the 5, and maybe in this 20) was designed by Manny LaCarrubba, and licensed from Sausalito Audio Works. It would surprise me is RS had anything at all to do with whatever is in the B&O.

Here is another way tp do upfiring tweeter-->

Libratone Zipp Mini Teardown / Repair Guide

Libratone Zipp Mini Teardown / Repair Guide: In this Instructable I will fully disassamble the Libratone Zipp Mini If your bottom plastics is broken you can follow the instructions until step 5. If you want to replace the battery follow until step 13.

www.instructables.com

 

[375HP2482]

Soundpower dilutes the direct sound with all the reflections in the room, resulting in erroneous prediction of listener preference.

"dilutes"?

Wouldn't "corrupts" be more accurate?