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Ok, most people argree that Bose sucks but what about Bang & Olufsen?


sputnik

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Why doesn't B&O evoke as much animosity and ridicule as Bose? They also seem to place emphasis on image over performance. I admit that I'm not real familiar with all of their gear - I've only heard a few of their systems and I've only owned one of their products (an older TT). While I really like the cool looks and operation of B&O equipment, the performance is not worth the price in my experience. Their styling and operation is way beyond anything Bose could put out but basically they seem to be alot like Bose in selling hype over performance. Don't they also claim to be "high end"? They really do deliver a cool factor stylewise and it's fun equipment to play with but again the performance is disappointing. So why isn't B&O scorned as much as Bose? Is there more to B&O than I know about?

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Hahahaha!

Most of the people who rail against Bose and Monster the loudest haven't a clue as to what the real fundamental problems are when viewed from a technical perspective! But it is oh so trendy to be cool and fit in with the crowd and their ridicule, regardless of how justified it may actually be!

And just like the TV show Green Acres, there was trash and good trash on TV. Green Acres at least had Mr. Kimble, Mr, Haney and Arnold. So it was good trash.

Of course, in the world of automobiles, there is Jaguar, a fabulously sleek design wherein you were wise to have someone follow you both to pick up the parts as they fell off and to give you a ride back when it ceased working. And even I must admit that they looked great even on the blocks upon which most of them spent their lives!

Is there anything 'wrong' with B&O? No. Nothing fundamental. They work...ok. Not exceptionally, but they function, just like Bose and so many other products. But as we see in so many other product lines, simple functionality is not the primary driver for all people. Just as all people do not prefer Carhardt jeans to silk suits! And despite your or my opinions, neither is there any reason that they should!

If vertical turntables and elegant design is paramount, you will love B&O too.

But ultimately, and regardless of your preferences, I find it a sad testimony that so many are so worried about trying to find reason to trash others instead of refining their own preferences suitable for their own desired ends.

Wouldn't it be nice if we worried about improving the quality of the products we support and improving their marketing message, rather then worry about complaining about others!? Oh, but I forget, it is so much easier to complain about the 'thems' of the world rather then to improve oneself!

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My 2 cents - B&O is not railed at like Bose because they actually produce sound according to tried specs that does nothing to trick you into thinking inferior reproduction is quality. That said - they are significantly overpriced. I enjoy the experience in listening but can get similar quality for easily half their retail.

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Bose and B&O cannot be really compared since they are products of different cultures and business mind-sets. B&O is a much older firm than Bose (or Klipsch for that matter), and is more comparable to the old Zenith company in the U.S. before the Lucky Goldstar takeover.

B&O products have been rather advanced for their time, if compared to mass market products. Linear-trackers, quad cartridges, passive radiator/"phase filler" speakers and other products of the analog era reached some of their highest expression at B&O. The B&O SP-12A cartridge was one of the best high-ouput mag carts ever made for two channel, and their quad carts were superb too.

Unlike Bose, B&O has never tried to use pseudo-science to sell. True, many of their products had average performance +sleek styling+higher than normal prices, but at least they were/are intellectually honest about it. I'd love to hear one of their new flagship speakers. Klipsch will adopt interactive DSP for speakers someday, as B&O has, and I'd love to hear the results mated with a revamped Heritage line-up.

So, comparing the two is no more defensible than comparing Yugo and Mercedes-Benz.

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B0$e is plain low quality audio sold as some high tech and new idea.Cheap materials,flawed designs and overpriced for what it is.

Bang & Olufsen is high tech/tech art,well made but focusing too much on...the looks and less on sound.B&O is overpriced when compared to competition costing the same as far as sound quality goes.

B&O is way better quality than B0$e but not true audiphile or audio purist product.

And even by this route we can say Klipsch has only a few Heritage speakers that are for purists.

Wilson Audio speakers are for true purists,no audible cabinet resonance.Pure and simple.

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"But ultimately, and regardless of your preferences, I find it a sad testimony that so many are so worried about trying to find reason to trash others instead of refining their own preferences suitable for their own desired ends."

A pair of 3 1/2" drivers plus boxes for $150? How about $50? A pair of 3 1/2" driver can only do so much. How about two pairs of 2.5" and a pair of 1" tweeter for $99 plus boxes and crossovers? It's no magic you know...

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  • 15 years later...

Hi i am a Bang and Olufsen enthusiast from the UK i have  Beolab  8000 mk2,   beolab 3 ,beo center 2, beosound overture, Beosound stage , beosound2, Beoplay A9, Beoplay E8 and H95 headphones and a beogram 3300 turntable with other accessories all in perfect working order in 2 seperate systems with 1 x beolab 19 sub woofer and 2 x beolab 11 subs.

 

Yes its expensive.......the quality and craftsmanship of the materials is second to none and its made in Denmark not assembled in a factory line in the far east which obviously cuts labour costs hugely. I have owned Rotel, Nad, Accoustic energy spks, Heybrook spks, Arcam amps n cd players etc......not Klipsch however i am to believe it is very very good hi fi indeed. My B n O sounds fantastic and far superior to the kit ive had since leaving school in the 80s in England. Bang and Olufsen sell high end audio NO argument there at all. What they do not do is lean to a consumer with a purist audiophile agenda in terms of tweaking with accessories or connecting to other manufacturers .I bought B n O and full stop as i wanted their sound alone which is clear as a bell at very high volumes , packs a punch with plenty of soundstage many would be suprised who have not tried it.

From a please the Wife angle the aesthetics are second to none and its so easy to use , no industrial sized cabling 1 inches thick..................

Bang and Olufsen are in a different market to Wilson and Klipsch to a large extent and so forth . It depends what your after im a music nut not a sound engineer i have hundreds of cds and vinyls and it satisfies the sound quality i require, it fits perfectly into any home even their old kit is timeless in design and its absolutely fantastically constructed.I am a metal worker by trade and what Bang and Olufsen can do with aluminium is no ones business.

Happy listening all and Klipsch does look like top audiophile gear lads n lasses, all stay safe.

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I thought B&O was out of business, until I saw a B&O showroom while walking thru SoHo in Manhattan in 2018. The most memorable device there was a round bluetooth speaker the size of a snare drum, mounted at a 45 degree angle on a tripod, for $2700. I was not impressed by the sound. It filled a space with mood music, but that's about all it did.

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On 4/26/2021 at 8:54 AM, S Duncan said:

 

Happy listening all and Klipsch does look like top audiophile gear lads n lasses, all stay safe.

 

Might I ask why you decided to reply to a thread that was started almost 16 years ago?

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Well, I’ll fall into the 16 year old rabbit hole!

 

Bose... agree their speakers are... so, so. But their in ear sound cancellation ear phones saved me in over 650,000 air miles, still going strong on a set of refurbs from outlet store at half price... value, yes.

 

B&O in ear phones... very stylish, good fit and sound and broke, just outside warranty period. Second pair same thing. Heard a B&O TT, amazing they made a cartridge that small! But, I’d be afraid it too would break.

 

If you have Pooh, fling it now!

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51 minutes ago, MC39693 said:

Well, I’ll fall into the 16 year old rabbit hole!

 

Bose... agree their speakers are... so, so. But their in ear sound cancellation ear phones saved me in over 650,000 air miles, still going strong on a set of refurbs from outlet store at half price... value, yes.

 

B&O in ear phones... very stylish, good fit and sound and broke, just outside warranty period. Second pair same thing. Heard a B&O TT, amazing they made a cartridge that small! But, I’d be afraid it too would break.

 

If you have Pooh, fling it now!

and the L1 Model II w/ a B2 Bass Module, or TWO of those. Pretty formidable for live sound. And my daughter's probably made over $100k with an L1 Compact. Crazy good little solo acoustic setup.

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I picked up one of their high-end turntables at good ol' Goodwill.  Seems to function properly, but I won't know about the sound until I spring for a cartridge in the $300-500 range.

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