Beolab 28

[Pearljam5000]

They look pretty gimmicky to me especially at $15K

 

[seaninbrisbane]

They look pretty gimmicky to me especially at $15K

You could consider them to be gimmicky, but good design and materials costs $. When you take into account that they have amps, speakers, DACs, DSP, etc, I wouldn't say that they offer terrible value. I'm just a bit fed up with my lounge looking like a hifi shop.

 

[JHC]

I'm just trying to figure out the best way to connect the speakers to Roon and my two analogue sources (Nagra IV-S and Revox B77 mkII). I'm thinking about connecting directly to the Roon Rock PC (with USB->SPDIF converter), and then using the 3.5mm line in for the analogue devices using some type of switch.

I also looked into these, similar situation with Roon & analog source. For the Roon part, might just use it as ChromeCast and stream 96/24 to them, much easier that way.

 

[seaninbrisbane]

I also looked into these, similar situation with Roon & analog source. For the Roon part, might just use it as ChromeCast and stream 96/24 to them, much easier that way.

Do you think there might be a difference in quality between optical in and ChromeCast streaming?

 

[JHC]

Do you think there might be a difference in quality between optical in and ChromeCast streaming?

I doubt it, the USB-Optical converion seems like extra step. Also, since you are using Roon, you can perform the Active Room Compensation in the 28s and should able to tweak the tonality with the PEQ in Roon to your liking.

 

[echopraxia]

I'm seriously thinking about selling all my gear and buying a pair. They look beautiful and supposedly sound great. Plus, I'm getting fed up of the never ending cycle of swapping/upgrading DACs, AMPs, speakers, and all the cables are doing my head in!

Unless this particular style really matters to you, you can do far better with far less money with options like multichannel Genelec digital monitors. I guarantee you a similar amount spent on Genelec 8351B/8361A’s will absolutely blow away anything comparably priced from B&O — in every acoustic category, from quality to power etc. And no need to worry about DAC or amp or DSP with digital Genelec’s either.

Aesthetics is in the eye of the beholder, though. Personally, I find the design aesthetics of most B&O in-home speaker to be extremely distasteful and off-putting — way too much trendy statement feel, too much ‘trying SO hard to look like anything BUT a speaker’, and not nearly enough minimalist simplicity and timeless class IMO. Look back to some of their older products and you’ll maybe see in them what I see in all their products, including today’s. But you might entirely disagree and that’s ok: aesthetic style is subjective, after all.

In terms of B&O: I’ve had a chance to listen to the B&O BeoLab 90, and all I can say is the experience left me thoroughly unimpressed and underwhelmed with them compared to my Revel Salon2’s and Genelec 8351/8361. In wide mode the treble sounded weird. In the narrower mode it was better, but rather lackluster overall compared to the near perfection I’ve been accustomed to from my Genelec 8351B’s.

Sure, if you’re coming from Bose or B&W or some other lackluster overpriced speaker, you’ll probably be blown away because the BeoLab 90 I heard is clearly an excellent and neutral speaker. But Genelec 8361A are IMO better, while costing literally less than 1/10th the price.

The same day, I also listened to Magico M2’s, and those were impressive aesthetically and acoustically. They sounded nearly as good as my Salon2’s, and for “only” 3-4x the price Aesthetically though, I find the Magico M line to be the most beautiful of any speaker I’ve ever seen. But again, this is extremely subjective from person to person.

 

[seaninbrisbane]

There's no way I'd be putting out a pair of Genelec 8351B speakers in my lounge. Would you rather have these on display rather than the B&Os? I really like B&O design (from all decades) - so I guess it is just a matter of differing taste.

 

[echopraxia]

There's no way I'd be putting out a pair of Genelec 8351B speakers in my lounge. Would you rather have these on display rather than the B&Os? I really like B&O design (from all decades) - so I guess it is just a matter of differing taste.

100% Genelec > B&O aesthetics for me personally. But this is extremely subjective, and in no way is meant to invalidate your aesthetic preferences. Keeping that in mind — I personally find B&O hideously distasteful (a representation of esotericism for it’s own sake fighting to shut down otherwise superior engineering choices so it can pretend it’s not a speaker), while I find the Genelec Ones to be a unique and beautiful intersection of art and science (continuous waveguide yielding smooth sculpted curves that are not only beautiful and exotic, but exist for a real purpose).

But again, I’m well aware how subjective aesthetics are. And that’s precisely my point here: If you consider buying these, make no mistake — you are not paying for audio performance, you are overpaying to an absurd degree to buy solid but entirely unexceptional speakers that make an exceptional (and potentially polarizing) aesthetic statement. As long as you’re aware of this, and choose it, there’s nothing wrong with that.

 

[seaninbrisbane]

I find B&O hideously distasteful (a representation of esotericism for it’s own sake fighting to shut down otherwise superior engineering choices so it can pretend it’s not a speaker), while I find the Genelec Ones to be a unique and beautiful intersection of art and science (continuous waveguide yielding smooth sculpted curves that are not only beautiful and exotic, but exist for a real purpose).

But I’m well aware how subjective aesthetics are. But that’s precisely my point: If you consider buying these, make no mistake — you are not paying for audio performance, you are overpaying to an absurd degree to buy solid but entirely unexceptional speakers that make an exceptional (and potentially polarizing) aesthetic statement. As long as you’re aware of this, and choose it, there’s nothing wrong with that.

Have you heard the Beolab 28s?

 

[seaninbrisbane]

I find the Genelec Ones to be a unique and beautiful intersection of art and science

Maybe the Genelecs will be displayed in the MoMA one day?

 

[echopraxia]

Have you heard the Beolab 28s?

The Beolab 90 should be much better than the 28s, and I found them extremely unimpressive for the price (as I say, Genelec’s at 1/10th the cost I find to be very clearly superior). I’ve heard the Beolab 18 and it was so clearly worse than the 90 that it wasn’t even worth spending any time listening to.

It’s fine if you like the way they look — just make sure you don’t let your emotional preference for an aesthetic sway you into believing their technical competence matches their price. I assure you, it does not.

That said, B&O speakers sound good, and would be a very decent value purchase only if they cost about 5% of what they ask for them.

 

[seaninbrisbane]

I value your opinion, you're obviously a learned person. What are your thoughts on my current speakers (Sonus Faber Olympica III)?

 

[tuga]

View attachment 160847

They can go on a wall!

 

[echopraxia]

I value your opinion, you're obviously a learned person. What are your thoughts on my current speakers (Sonus Faber Olympica III)?

In terms of subjective aesthetic preference? I think Sonus Faber makes some of the most beautiful speakers in the world in the wood/earthy tones variety (whereas e.g. Magico M speakers are beautiful in a more futuristic technological way — completely different kind of aesthetic, not necessarily better or worse).

In terms of sound, I heard them on a showroom floor some years ago and really liked them. Beyond that I can’t say much, because this was before my Genelec and Revel etc. speakers, and so long ago that I can’t make any reliable comparison by memory. But I’d be quite surprised if they match the sound quality of similarly priced Revel PerformaBe speakers — but also IMO a totally understandable choice of aesthetics is an important factor, because IMO Revel speakers are rather ugly while Sonus Faber are some of the most beautiful. But as mentioned many times aesthetics are subjective so I certainly can’t make that opinion for you (nor would I want to).

 

[sdrichard]

To me, speaking as an actual Beolab 28 owner, Beolab 28 succeeded in providing a ’one-box’ solution (nevermind that it’s not a box) to both my listening needs and my family’s desire of having a simple, usable music system that does not destroy the general aesthetics of our living room. I understand aesthetics is a subjective thing. But trust me, Genelec’s ‘blob’ aesthetics would not fit into our living room.

The Beolabs are not cheap. They are not imaging champs, don’t have the last bit of resolution, and have way too much bass. But they project a very clear, open and pleasing sound. And they are not fussy about placement (partly due to room correction).

Plus, what other speakers allow a guest to walk up to the speaker and slide her fingers on top of a speaker to turn up the volume, or to turn them off?

 

[Notthsame1]

I am surprised to see no new reviews on the 28s. As an owner I am happy with their sound and appearance, but not as pleassed with their connectivity and app integration especially for a while house setup. The easy of operation for a guest or wife is really where the setup shines, paired with an essence remote makes it as easy using a light switch. I am not sure why so many negative options of the 28s if you have yet to experience them?

 

[kongwee]

B&O in living room, Genelec in listening room.

 

[Axo1989]

That said, B&O speakers sound good, and would be a very decent value purchase only if they cost about 5% of what they ask for them.

If you don’t value the aesthetics, haptics and UX then that statement could make sense, otherwise it’s nonsense. Those aspects can’t be duplicated in real life for $825.

 

[Pearljam5000]

B&O in living room, Genelec in listening room.

Genelec can be in both

 

[kongwee]

Genelec can be in both

Only the One series on wood veneer which will never happened.