Bang & Olufsen Beolab 90

[Purité Audio]

Frantz Hi, yes I had the same B&O prejudice, I never once entertained the thought of a pair of Beolab 5's yet when I look at the design now, it obviously is worthy of merit.
I hadn't realised the wave guides were licensed from Grimaldi, or that they were using DRC back in 20002 all innovative stuff.
We had a chance to listen to the smaller actives the artillery shell shaped design the 19's and they sounded pretty good too, active, waveguide everything included, an elegant Meridian 'type' design.
The 90 I feel though is a completely different animal, B&O say that the technical design came first and there was no compromise ,the aesthetics had to fit around the technology.
My wife who thought them 'ghastly' actually liked them in the flesh!
The plan is to have the Kii's and then also be able to demonstrate the 90 as technically they have similar goals.
Keith.

 

[Thomas savage]

Frantz Hi, yes I had the same B&O prejudice, I never once entertained the thought of a pair of Beolab 5's yet when I look at the design now, it obviously is worthy of merit.
I hadn't realised the wave guides were licensed from Grimaldi, or that they were using DRC back in 20002 all innovative stuff.
We had a chance to listen to the smaller actives the artillery shell shaped design the 19's and they sounded pretty good too, active, waveguide everything included, an elegant Meridian 'type' design.
The 90 I feel though is a completely different animal, B&O say that the technical design came first and there was no compromise ,the aesthetics had to fit around the technology.
My wife who thought them 'ghastly' actually liked them in the flesh!
The plan is to have the Kii's and then also be able to demonstrate the 90 as technically they have similar goals.
Keith.

you been time traveling again Keith? Do the beolab 90 double as a tardis?

Are you the new doctor who? Can I be your side kick?

 

[Purité Audio]

I am just so keen to add zeros to invoices!
Get a pair of 90's and I will split the margin with you!
BW Keith.

 

[amirm]

Every other speaker ( except the Kii Three) is like a dinosaur compared to these.

Hey, hey, hey! I am going to officially file a protest with the Audiophile Court in Hague!

 

[Purité Audio]

I only say these things to bait AJ !
Keith.

 

[Thomas savage]

I only say these things to bait AJ !
Keith.

Might be waiting a while for a retort

 

[Fitzcaraldo215]

Every other speaker ( except the Kii Three) is like a dinosaur compared to these.
Keith.

Watch what you say. I happen to be a member of DADL, the Dinosaur Anti-Defamation League.

Seriously, Keith. I do not know and I have not heard these speakers, but they are intriguiging. Mostly, I really love what DSP EQ can do. DSP is a powerful concept still in its infancy, and it is potentially applicable to more than just room correction. But, I still have a conceptual problem with putting DSP in the speaker box itself unless the signal distribution to it is digital. Maybe, though I doubt it, the reality of analog signal distribution today is effectively just as good, but my mind has a problem with extra a-d, d-a. Is that the way these and the Kii 3 work?

In my fantasy future dream architecture, speakers would all be active and bi/tri/quad amped with internal class D amps and they would contain their own internal DSP for crossovers, room correction, and more, all driven from standardized, non-proprietary digital inputs, ideally, but not necessarily, wirelessly. It seems we are slowly drifting in that direction at the leading edge, Meridian comes to mind as a pioneer with their incomplete and proprietary architecture. But, all the pieces of the puzzle are still not all yet in place together.

Part of the problem is industry fragmentation into traditional, separate, smaller speaker, amp, DSP, DAC, etc. firms. Only a few span enough separate categories to even be able to consider making an attempt at the whole enchilada. B&O is one of the few.

 

[Kal Rubinson]

In my fantasy future dream architecture, speakers would all be active and bi/tri/quad amped with internal class D amps and they would contain their own internal DSP for crossovers, room correction, and more, all driven from standardized, non-proprietary digital inputs, ideally, but not necessarily, wirelessly. It seems we are slowly drifting in that direction at the leading edge, Meridian comes to mind as a pioneer with their incomplete and proprietary architecture.

Indeed. If I get a pair, would that warrant a visit?

 

[Purité Audio]

I am trying to get B&O UK to demonstrate them at at least one UK HiFi show, I truly believe it would be revelatory.
Keith.

 

[Fitzcaraldo215]

Indeed. If I get a pair, would that warrant a visit?

You bet, Kal.

 

[Purité Audio]

More Danish B&O wizardry,

Keith

 

[Purité Audio]

What's inside,

Keith

 

[Purité Audio]

The design of the Beolab 90,

Keith

 

[Thomas savage]

Stop getting me excited, I can't afford a pair of these!

 

[Purité Audio]

Geoff Martin who studied at MacGill ,

Keith

 

[Chuck Gerlach]

Just as an FYI: The lens design of the original BeoLab speaker was done by a guy named Manny Lacarruba. I heard the prototype a bazillion years ago in his home in Sausalito . He and I worked together while at SigTech. He has since partnered with Anthony Grimani and his new company, [http://www.grimanisystems.com/technology/]

 

[Purité Audio]

Thanks Chuck, and welcome to ASR, there was a thread a while back where they talked to the two Grimani partners and it was mentioned that B&O licensed their wave guide for the Beolab 5.
Keith.

 

[Purité Audio]

Geoff Martin ar CES with the Beolab 90,

Keith

 

[Thomas savage]

Oh, it's aimed at guys with one sofa and no friends... Perfect for me then

 

[Purité Audio]

You have a sofa?
Keith.