Bang and Olufsen or Sony ES Quality products

Matixvolta

Well? I'm thinking of buying a home entertainment system.

Which is better. And please include why.

napalm@night

Bang and Olufsen is really the best of the best even more so if your a brandname person.The story behind the two companies is that some years ago sony bought bang and olufsen but they had an agreement that sony would not use any of there technology(this was some years ago when bang and olufsen were light years ahead of everybody in the technology dep.) however bang and olufsen somehow manged to buy themselves back a couple of years after that and sued sony for.....you'll never guess it steeling there technology!

If money isnt a problem i dont believe theres a reason why you shouldn't buy bang and olufsen from build quality to the technology there right up to the minute plus very stylish.....theres only one choice bang and olufsen if your a brand name boy with loadz of money!

if not sony should still do the job

Hope this is of some use to you

Matt Simis

Its odd tho, Ive seen people really slag off B&O on some of the AVForums.. insinuating that people buy them because of the name, that they arent actaully better??



Matt

Wook

B&O anytime, just for the slick design and the feel of quality itself i would pay a lot. (which you do:))

Fallschirmjager

Well, i dont own and B&O and i have a few Sony but i think you are not comparing the same. B&O would be considered REFERENCE material in the audio world whereas Sony would be excellent kit -- and there is a difference BUT in my opinion that is just names and a lot of dosh to pay.

i now always ask for a loaner and really set it up with your speakers and listen to it and choose. My mate has some serious kit and it sounds excellent in his gaff but jesus i dont have the same quality speakers and it absolutely crap in mine.

so before you get the loans out and regardless of the kit -- give it a whirl at home first and then you can really choose.

still its just an opinion

Kali

Out of those two? Sony.

Fallschirmjager.. B&O are far.. far.. from reference audio (TAG McLaren, Mark Levinson, Musical Fidelity)... try and find a B&O product reviewed by Stereophile magazine

I've heard B&Os top of the line home cinema setup, and for the money (~10k) it sounded terrible.

If you want style over sound and want to pay extra for that then go ahead don't let common sense stop ya

Anyway personally I wouldn't buy either. If you're looking for a small yet top-of-the-range "style" home-cinema speaker system in or around the grand mark:

B&Ws VM1 system:

http://www.bwspeakers.de/index.cfm/fuseaction/local.news/ObjectID/CF28DFF2-A0B7-45FB-9C794CAF70847DF2

or KEFs "eggy type" packages (which again have received brilliant reviews):

http://www.kef.com/KHT/

Match either of these with a quality receiver and dvd player and you've got cinematic heaven.

Guy:Incognito

i have to say that the ES stuff in the Sony range does sound great, While im just your bog standard pauper i do get a chance to play with sum of it cos i sell it in work and i really like it,. One of the lads in work used to work for in B&O and he seriously rates the Sony stuff 2. Anyway thats my tuppence worth lobbed in.

Matixvolta

Is 'Sony's eclusive Digital Cinema Sound' really that effective in delivering high performance band? Or is it exaggerated.

Guy:Incognito

if ur talking bout just usingthe sony stuff, and get a full system of es range products and use the top end speakers then its the dogs b****x.

MartinHSabag

If I had to choose out of these two only then Sony, but why have you mentioned only these two ?
There are hundreds of other brands that will be better than both of them.

Don't forget that at the end of the day it's all a matter of a personal taste, a good match to your room, type of music etc. so what ever might be great for me could be owfull for you...

I woud recommend to start with stating the budget, how much music Vs movies it's going to play, what type of Music, room size
and I will be able to come with some recommendations.

Good luck and don't hesitate to pm me if you wish.

Matixvolta

Budget: $A30,000
Music: Trance
Room: Going to move home
High Definition TV enabled

MartinHSabag

30K Australian Dollars ?
Are you in Australia at the moment ?

I can recommend dozends of brands and models however I don't know what brands can you get in a near hi-fi shp thus can't be much help, neither I know the prices there.

I'll try to give some guide lines anyway:

To build a system from scratch is difficult and might take months (!).
Just to give you few things to think about:
1. What is the most important part of the link ? the source ? the amp? the speakers ?
2. how do you split the budget ?
3. how do you compare between different components ?

There are several philosophies about "what is the most important part in the system or where do I start from?"
I won't go into each one, but I'll give you my philosophy:
The SPEAKERS are the most important as they will give your system the type of sound and the character to the sound that you wish to get.
The rest must follow and match and it does not mean that you can then buy cheap stuff but I would def start with listening to speakers of around 50-60% of the total budget until you find the type of sound you like.
Note that if the room is quite big you might want to go fro floorstanders and if the room is small then monitors (not satellites!).
Then, after you find the speaker you like (for trance music you need loads of bass and good highs - midrange could have a bit of a compromise here). look for tight and punchy bass but not boomy.
Take a couple of CDs you know really good and start visiting the shops in your area. Do not be tempted by a "sale" or a special deal if you buy a+b+c now...kind of bargains.
Take your time to listen to different models and brands within your budget.
If all possible try to take the speakers to try them at your own room - they WILL sound DIFFERENT from what you've heard in the shop.

Come back with specific models that's you've heard or brands that are sold in hi-fi shops in ur area and then I can be more specific.

Good Luck

Matixvolta

can ya help from the list at:

http://lenwallisaudio.com.au

MartinHSabag

Now, what exactly are you looking for in that budget ?
What do you currently have ?

Is the 30K for TV+AV Recaiver+5.1 Speakers+DVD ?
Does the TV has to be HD ?

I'll try anyway:

Front Speakers - B&W 602 - 1199$
Center Speaker - B&W LCR60 - 699$
Rear Speakers - B&W 600 - 699$
Sub-Woofer - B&W ASW600 - 1299$

AV Receiver - I reckon that for Trance music Yamaha will do great and in HT they are maybe the best - RX-V1300 - 1999$

TV - Here my recommendation is (as I allways do) - keep your old TV (assuming you have one) or buy a cheap one for normal TV use and get a good projector for movies - TV (if you need to buy one) - Sony KVS29M31 - 2999$

Projector - Sharp ZXV-10000 - 16999$ (top of the line - real HD projector in 16:9 native !)
Projector Screen - (really depends on the distance and wall size) - Stewart Firehalk - 5038$ is a great one but very expensive, try to find a Da-Lite one (I got it shipped from the US with no problem)

Universal-Player (DVD-V, DVD-A, SACD, CD, MP3, VCD....) - Pioneer 655A - 999$ (if you don't need the "multi", then the 355A will do fine for 399$).

Grand total - 31930$
a bit over your budget (but that includes the TV that you might already have) and the top of the line projector - you might go for the Sharp 9000 which is a bit older model but still great, or a cheaper Screen - etc.

My guide line in building this setup was first of all MOVIES ! - in music it will do fine especially in the type of music you listen to.

Go to the shop and listen to the speakers + receiver I suggested - if you like the sound we can take it from there.

sci0x

Another option for a home entertainment system is available from Sony and is the DAVS888 DVD Home Cinema Kit. The system includes a DVD player: it supports MP3 music and CD R playback. The system also includes seven floor standing speakers that can be positioned in different rooms around your home. It also bundles with a sub woofer and offers a total output of 600W.

Price €1299.
Sony 01 413 1700

Kali

I hate to say it but try to avoid B&W speakers in Australia, they are just too over-priced (as are Arcam and a lot of other UK hi-fi products).. typically in the region of EUR150-250 dearer than UK store-prices.

And if thats the B&W 602.S3 (at $1199).. its UK retail price is close to $750, a huge difference

MartinHSabag

Good point Kali, however he lives in Australia...not in the UK...doesn't he?

If it is overpriced maybe he can find alternatives which are better for the same price, however from the website he gave there aren't many other options....:(

Kali

Aye thats what I meant, the 602.S3 retails at 300 sterling.. but the equivalent of the australian price is 480! and as good as the B&W is, there are doubtless better speakers in that higher price range (Quad 11L/ATCs//Mission floorstanders off the top of my head).. of course if there are no other options available for the same price, then go for it, you still won't be disappointed

Guy:Incognito

Originally posted by denis_o_leary
Another option for a home entertainment system is available from Sony and is the DAVS888 DVD Home Cinema Kit. The system includes a DVD player: it supports MP3 music and CD R playback. The system also includes seven floor standing speakers that can be positioned in different rooms around your home. It also bundles with a sub woofer and offers a total output of 600W.

Price €1299.
Sony 01 413 1700

Not to get into a debate about a product that is in a totally different (lower) class to the discussion, but (1) the davs-888 is an all-in-one so for a start is not in the same league as basically ANY seperate system in either the rest of the SOny range or in the B&O range, (2) its a 5.1 system, not a 7.1, only 4 of which r floorstanding plus 1 long centre speaker and a sub, the output on the all-in-ones r not comparible to separates. It also doesnt support a multi room set up (unless u want ur rears r sumting in a diff room , to no advantage) Anywhere selling it for over €1200 shud be avoided

rant over


ps just for proof of the speakers http://www.indigo-av.co.uk/pages/product.asp?prod_id=409 I like the way they slipped in the wrong remote in the pic, odd the way companies do that for no reason

iwb

So many choices out there. Take a look at www.norh.com for the most value for money you will find almost anywhere in speakers. I have a pair of Norh 4.0's in wood and they are nothing short of phenomenal for the price. There are very popular for HT. I know a guy who has only Norh in his HT setup and swears by them. He has had all sorts of other speakers before this for far more money.
They are based in Thailand but will ship anywhere and Australia isn't that far away for them.
By the way, I have compared a €15,000 B&O system to a €3,000 system I put together and there was no comparison. The owner of the B&O gear was extremely agitated by the time we were finished listening. His only solace was the fact that his wife loved the look of the speakers and he wanted a wallmount unit for neatness. Whatever helps you sleep better a night:D