Ctiger2 Posted March 7, 2004 Share Posted March 7, 2004 Wonder if he's ever heard a fully horn-loaded Klipsch heritage system? Sound Advice: Bang & Olufsen speakers are the cream of the crop Don Lindich, Special to the Star Tribune March 6, 2004LIND06 Q. You frequently cite the overwhelming importance of speakers when designing a sound system. What do you think are the best speakers on the market, the ultimate in sound? R. Smiley, Tucson, Ariz. AIf you are looking for "the best sound," obviously this could mean big bucks. Speakers exist that cost $250,000 per pair, and there are more speakers costing more than $50,000 per pair than you might think. However, I have never found an absolute correlation between price and sound quality. At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, I heard a surround system with a speaker system costing more than $100,000. It was decidedly unimpressive, sounding flat and bland. A nearby suite had a surround system with $3,500 in speakers. It outperformed the more expensive system handily. In the world of high-end audio, "the emperor has no clothes" has a lot of parallels. That said, the best sound I heard at the show, or any audio demonstration for that matter, was Bang & Olufsen's remarkable new BeoLab 5. Historically, the Danish manufacturer has gone its own way in the audio world and was not the first choice among audiophiles looking for the ultimate speaker system. All that has changed with the BeoLab 5. The BeoLab 5 combines several unique technologies to produce its fabulous sound. A licensed "acoustic lens" technology focuses and disperses the sound, and 2,500 watts of amplification are built in to each speaker. One would think that incorporating amplifiers totaling 2,500 watts would make for a speaker the size of a refrigerator; fortunately, this is not the case. The amplifiers are Bang & Olufsen's ICEpower digital amplifiers, which are small and run cool. The BeoLab 5 calibrates itself to match room acoustics. A small microphone extends from the base of the speakers, and test tones are played for a few minutes. The speaker measures the test tones and automatically sets itself for optimum performance. The end result? It is hard to describe, but this jaded audiophile was pretty much blown away. The sound is full, natural, perfectly balanced tonally and effortlessly dynamic. Bass is incredibly tight and deep. I did not want the demonstration to end -- I could have melted in my seat. The cost for this audio perfection? Only $16,000 per pair. Quite expensive to the average consumer, but a bargain in the high-end audio world, especially considering that it comes with 2,500 watts of amplifier power. Given the price, Bang & Olufsen did not expect to sell many pairs per year. Word got out quickly, though, and it was caught off guard by the response. The BeoLab 5 is selling far better than expected. Even if you cannot afford the BeoLab 5 speakers, if you enjoy audio, it is worth the trip to a Bang & Olufsen store (there's one at the Galleria in Edina) to give them a listen. You can read more about the BeoLab 5 speakers at Bang & Olufsen's Web site (http://www.bang-olufsen.com). Visit Don Lindich's Web site (http://www.multimediaanswers.com)to submit questions, get product recommendations and learn more about audio, video and digital photography. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BackBurner Posted March 7, 2004 Share Posted March 7, 2004 We've been all over this topic twice already. ( i posted it the last time ) But i think there cool and would love to hear a pair. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.