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Im not 100% certain it is internal loudspeaker room correction. To me, playing music via the LG Media Player and the DNLA network, the music loses a good deal of edge and its like there is a bit of “fog” in the room, while playing via the Auralic is crystal. It may be the Powerlink doing the damage?
Consider three pathways:-
Melco Server >> DNLA Network >> Auralic Streamer (512)>> Auralic DAC >> XLR (Analogue) >> BL90 (ADC 192) = Superb.
Melco Server >> DNLA Network >> Eclipse/LG Media Player >> Powerlink (Analogue) >> BL90 (ADC 192) = “Meh”.
Melco Server >> DNLA Network >> BSTH/New LG Media Player >> Powerlink (Analogue) >> BL90 (ADC 192) = Much better than Eclipse/LG but not close to the Auralic pathway.
Its either BSTH improves the LG Media Player or the new LG Media Player is better than the old app and/or the Powerlink is better?
Finally, BL90/50/28 will most likely have been designed around a “true digital rendering process” and streamline. Older Beolabs 1, 6000, 8000, 9 etc…may have been better receiving from the old true analogue sources. The BSTH sorta bridges the gap between the generations improving older units but not doing as much as the pure digital loudspeakers?
I think what you are experiencing with the BSTH and BL28 is what I have readily experienced with Eclipse/BL90 or latterly, BSTH/BL90. Direct feed to the loudspeaker is significantly “better” (clarity, image, tonal complexion etc..).
I have run room-sense on BL90 only (N/W/O) and BL90+BSTH+BL3 and BSTH Only.
- For TV only, I now mainly run BSTH and no surrounds
- For Films (Netflix/Amazon/Kaleidescape etc..) full 5.1 (Atmos capable next week!!)
- For non-critical music LG Player via the BSTH ro BL90 only
- For critical music (Music server or Qobuz), BL90 via an Auralic stack and XLR.
What is not clear from your post is the Source. I have always been of the opinion that the LG Media Player (DNLA) in the Eclipse was rubbish, less so via eArc/BSTH. Or if you are piping an external source into the BSTH and it is acting as a pre-amp? i.e. is the Media Player or the BSTH causing a degradation in sound quality?
In both our cases, piping music into the loudspeaker directly seems to be the highest quality option.
Not sure what the output signal is with 5.0.2 but sound immersive enough where I’m sat.
Also noted, your screen-shot indicates Apple TV and the Codec is PCM, which suggests either the Apple TV or Theatre is downmixing or I suppose down emulating to the highest playable codec (PCM).
Bullet Train
source: Kaleidescape Server, Dolby Atmos, HDR
Loudspeakers: BL90, BL3, Theatre.
Please can you expand on what source and what connected loudspeakers you have if any?
The Harmony is big money – all in the motorised stand and it does not have Atmos (I think it is limited to 7.1?)
Apart from the showmanship of the speakers, the Theatre is a more capable product. I can’t see Atmos coming to Harmony but if the did, you would almost have to stump up or re-task surrounds……again, boosting the overall price point.
Everything I hear from my Dealer is they cannot build them fast enough. Back orders from December are now being delivered.
I think they will sell plenty and be very happy about it.
B&O need to capitalise on sales by introducing a small compact, powerful and flexible loudspeaker for Theatre surrounds. The Celestial is to much of a major install in my opinion.
I can see all Beovisions above 55in EoL soon because of the Theatre. Harmony is a very complex TV setup, the Eclipse with motorised stand slightly less so but rationalising to a single Beosound would save a significant operating cost I would assume?
I could also imagine the Stage going EoL in its current form with a new mini Theatre taking its place in the 48 to 55in range. Simplified and cheapened (no powerlink) but with similar mounting options.
All speculation on my part.
This track (Midnight – a Coldplay MOS remix) is excellent for watching your loudspeakers just sonically disappear into thin air and for listening to a totally immersive ultra-wide sound stage if Electronica is your bag?
Today, I just pulled the tigger on a used pair of BL17’s. These will go as my Office speakers and the office BL3’s will move to height speakers with the Theatre.
I considered the keeping the BL3s and adding a BL11 but in the end kept the simplicity. Ill give the BL17s a review and see if they are worth the fuss.
My direct opinion on the BL17 per the threads above is that it seemed to me to be an unrealistically expensive loudspeaker. It looked like BL4000 but at its EoL, B&O were charging I think £3600-3800. Compared with other offerings – no matter how good the Bl17s are/were, that looks a lot of cheddar for a small simple-looking loudspeaker.
My comments (bias) is based on ownership rather than critical listening comparison.
I had the BL5 for approx 13years. They were solid and only fault was an upper tweeter replacement. The sound to my ears was rich and tonally “thick”. I never thought of the BL5 bass as boomy but it is certainly not as detailed and layered as the BL90 bass.
When finally upgrading from the BL5 to 90’s, my original thoughts were that the sound was different – not better and not initially preferred. As I grew into the 90’s, the bass was recognised as superior, detailed etc… The imaging from the 90s is in another league. And so it should be.
I had a decent listening session of the BL28s when finalising the deal on the Theatre. It is a nice sounding loudspeaker and leagues away in sound from the gen1 and gen2 column speakers..
For me, I don’t care for the looks, I don’t care for the gimmicky curtains but most of all, the BL28s don’t have the same sound presentation and ease as the wide-body Beolabs (5, 50, 90).
However, lIke all BLs, you get used to the sound and adapt to it. I don’t think it is absolute sound quality you can pitch between the BL5 or 28. It’s personal preference.
The BL5’s are getting on a bit now. My old BL5, somewhere, loved in a new home are getting on for 20yrs old now. That has to present owners with a serviceability issue going forward. I think B&O are servicing them for the foreseeable future as it has to be seen to “support” its first mega-expensive loudspeaker. However, that only holds if they can get the parts so you better make enquiries as to what is what.
I have commented on the main Theatre thread that there is an issue in comms beteew the BR1, BeoApp and theatre. Too many configurations of the TV/Music Lists in the app crash the BR1 and the BR remote no longer updates. Configure a PUC with the source active (or the 2nd PUC), causes a lock-up.
Hard reset of Theatre seems the only way for now. Reset of the BR does not work, not a soft reboot of the theatre.
MM,
Working on our posts concurrently. Your explanation is much clearer.
remark about joining sources connected to the BLC (Beolink NL/ML converter): …….. I do not know with certainty this will work for the Theatre…… I expect direct access from the Theatre .
A lot of these setups are complex and to understand them as a 3rd party is difficult as you cant simulate all the effects etc….So, this is my best assumption based on a lot of Beolink info I do not recollect as well as I used to do.
Connecting the BC3000 >> BLC >> A6. This is a Beo4 to BR1 link protocol to 2 different generations of devices. Natively, there is no direct BR1 button mapping and its a scroll-thru of sources (B&O Radio > DNLA > Spotify > Bluetooth >>>>>). If The BLC has direct BR1 to Beo4 mapping, it may or may not work in a BeoApp system. (Depends if the A6 can receive BT commands from the BR1 I guess?)
The A6 is NL and is controllable via the BeoApp.
The Theatre is controllable via the BeoApp.
I would imagine that once you link the Theatre/A6 in the BeoApp (Box 1), volume sliders (Box2) can be adjusted to Theatre and/or A6 and the base-level sources of the A6/Theatre are marked in the 3 dots section.
So in essence, limited control with the BR1 at best. You may get CD track up/down, volume up/down…..but that’s as far as I can take it?
A rabbit warren of control protocols of 3 generations of product??
I can’t imagine that a BLI should be needed – to me it seems more a function that has not yet been implemented with the Mozart platform. Let us keep asking them to do so! MM
Probably, but thinking about it – and I may be wrong on this…..I think the BLI has a cross-mapping function for different controls and commands – thus making it easier to implement right now?
We shall agree to shake hands and laugh, my friend.
Indeed, I appreciate your candor and conversation 🙂
In the days when I had a V12V Aston, I used to love more than anything else cruising at 30-60mph rather than going bat out of hell at 200mph. (or even 100!)
Like the Porsche, you made a discerning choice buying the Theatre and like the Porsche, which you knew you could not fit a family of 8 inside but was a two-seater (assumed), we should all have had an understanding of what the Theatre can/cannot do? And like both of our motorcars – and my point, we can get the best quality for “us personally” by only driving at a fraction of the cars true capability or by not expecting it to do something it was never designed to do?
P.S. Remember telling my Dealer that Bridgstones were rubbish and to get some Pirellis on there (my preference). After a few “ifs and buts” I gave him two choices. One good for his business, the other not.
Just looking at the BeoApp,
Box 1 is the source join icon. Select the devices you want sound from
Box 2 is as far as I can tell (they changed it again), is a slider on the blend of volume between sources. Maybe this allows you to have sound to the TV and nothing to the A9?
You may be doing this already?? but if not, maybe this keeps the TV panel off?
When B&O had the MasterLink (ML) solution this is how it all worked. You could press N.Music or CD and then “Speaker 1” in the remote menu. Beosound music would play through the TV speaker. “Speaker 2” would activate any front stereo speakers and so on.
Turn on a music source and video sources would be killed and visa versa.
The BR1 and current-day web based products have an inherent linking of sources but which makes speaker selection difficult other than the default TV controlled speaker choice. I am sure it can be done….its just the infinite combinations which the manual does not tell you and only the most expert of installers will know how.
The last time I recalled using the BeoApp on a “true” Beovision (Eclipse), there were mybuttons on one of the back screens on the app. With the BS Theatre, this is now done a differently way.
