Bang and Olufsen Beolab 5 - The Ultimate second hand Buyers Guide! Don't make an expensive mistake!

✅ Instagram: / steveatsoundsheavenly
✅ Facebook: / soundsheavenlycables
✅ Cables for B&O: soundsheavenly.com/
✅ Buy Steve a coffee: www.buymeacoffee.com/soundshe...
Bang & Olufsen fans, your journey starts here! Should you buy Bang and Olufsen's Beolab 5 speakers second hand? This pre-owned buyer's guide covers everything you need to know to ensure that you buy the right speakers, not a potential money pit.
Steve from Sounds Heavenly is joined by Nick from B&O Wilmslow and Lee from beobuyer.co.uk to take an in-depth look at the design, sound, features and build quality of the iconic Beolab 5 speakers to see if they are viable as a second hand purchase.
Steve is a brand ambassador for B&O as a member of the Bang and Olufsen Collective and a sponsor of beoworld.org - the World's largest independent Bang and Olufsen enthusiast website. If you have any questions about getting the best from your Bang and Olufsen system, please ask Steve via the contact page at soundsheavenly.com
The full range of Beolab 5 cables mentioned in the video can be seen on Steve's website here: soundsheavenly.com/39-beolab-...
If these videos have helped you to enjoy your Bang and Olufsen products, please consider buying Steve a coffee at www.buymeacoffee.com/soundshe... - many thanks!
Many thanks to Nick from B&O Wilmslow and to Lee from beobuyer.co.uk for their contributions to this video.
#Advertisement #BangOlufsenCollective #BangandOlufsen #SoundsHeavenly #Beolab5

[@soundsheavenly]

Thanks for watching! Every cable you ever need for your B&O system can be seen on Steve's website here: soundsheavenly.com If these videos have helped you to enjoy your Bang and Olufsen products, please consider buying Steve a coffee at www.buymeacoffee.com/soundsheavenly - many thanks!

[@springy-2112]

Thank you Steve for your wonderful cables and connection advice for many years . Also technical help steering me to the right people's knowledge .. Love the channel. You have a lovely well deserved break .. As always peace and love brother 👍🏻☮❤

[@soundsheavenly]

Thanks, glad you like the videos! Wishing you a very Happy Christmas!

[@mikecorbett5831]

I'm happy that these are still serviceable. I've had my second-hand pair for about 5 years so far. Thanks for the information!

[@soundsheavenly]

No problem! Lee is an expert on these great speakers, so it was a pleasure to be able to share his knowledge

[@m6j159]

Very informative, Steve...thank you. Have a well earned rest - look forward to seeing more from your excellent channel in 2021!👍

[@soundsheavenly]

Thanks, wishing you a happy Christmas!

[@dlorbieski]

Very informative and well presented 👍👍thanks for sharing....have a restful and relaxing holiday. Take care and you all be safe

[@soundsheavenly]

Thanks! Also wishing you a very Happy Christmas!

[@stevealexander1588]

Thank you Steve for another excellent video to close 2020. Looking forward to the 2021 series already, have a great Christmas !!!. Steve Alexander

[@soundsheavenly]

Thanks Steve, hope you have a great Christmas! (I may get one or two more videos done before the New Year)

[@Raydee27]

Great video, good useful advices when considering purschasing a second hand of BL5's. Nice to see 9LEE from Beoworld

[@soundsheavenly]

Thanks, yes it is great to get the benefit of Lee’s experience here!

[@frolff8301]

Thank you Steve for this review of the Beolab 5! I have been eyeing these for a while. I use Apple Airporl Express 2 to run other rooms (too lazy to pull masterlink and install beolink). I do find the digital analog converters in the AE2 and Macbooks to be inferior, so I use a Cambridge Audio DACMagic 100 (149€) and let that do the DA conversion. With that there is no quality loss from Flac or Apple lossless ripped cd’s, also Apple Music streamed this way is raised to 196bits resulting in much better quality, especially on my Beolab 1s. Keep up the great work and Sounds Heavenly is the best source for B&O cables.

[@soundsheavenly]

Many thanks, glad the review was helpful. That is great feedback about your setup, good equipment can really help the sound quality when playing digital music. I am always happy to help if you need any help connecting your B&O products!

[@user-oj6jn5ii6e]

Cool video. Thanks for the component repair price averages. Happy Xmas.

[@soundsheavenly]

Thanks, also wishing you a happy Christmas!

[@davidperry4013]

Those are my favorite B&O speakers and somehow like them more than the new B&O offerings due to the overall aesthetics.

[@soundsheavenly]

Yes, they are certainly striking, their appearance is the first thing you notice when you walk into a room (unless they are playing music, in which case you can't miss the amazing sound!)

[@EmmanuelGorand]

Nice speakers and very nice to see Lee !

[@soundsheavenly]

Yes, it was great to get Lee on the channel and hear his expertise on these superb speakers

[@BangOlufsenHome]

Thanks for sharing Steve I love my pair😊

[@soundsheavenly]

Thanks, yes they are great speakers!

[@chatelinolivier2187]

Hi Steve, I think the Beolab 5 are the most iconic speakers with the Beolab 8000. I will try to get a pair of these speakers for my studio room.

[@soundsheavenly]

Yes, Beolab 5 are incredible, still amongst the very best speakers ever made

[@martinjandijkstra3205]

Good video. They are not offered as frequently as for example beosystems and pentas but I keep an eye on them. I like the acoustical lense design and the theory behind it.

[@soundsheavenly]

Yes, they are quite rare as they are the flagship speakers and so less were sold when they were new. Great sound though, well worth listening to

[@beomille509]

All the best to you....from Millemissen

[@soundsheavenly]

Thanks Millemissen, wishing you a Happy Christmas!

[@simonduncan8327]

Just watched this video again Steve really helpful . It’s probably either Beolab 28 or Beolab 5 for me in the future. 28 will have a smaller footprint as my listening room isn’t huge May I ask you as I’ve not heard either what the difference in the sound of the 28 and 5 ? Thanks Simon

[@soundsheavenly]

Thanks, at regular listening volumes, the Beolab 28s win every time. The music just seems to come to life, you have to hear them to believe how good they are. If you like action movies or bass driven music at massive volume levels, then Beolab 5 is the answer, it has the depth and power to take on any challenge. Above all, go and hear them for yourself, as everyone's ears are different.

[@arpakdemircan3854]

Hi Steve, Excellent insight to B&O products. After watching your Beolab 5-50-90 comparison video, I’ve decided to buy a pair of Beolab 5s:) So we can say that you are guilty of my recent pırchase:)) I’ve recently bought a pair of Beolab 5s. I’ll connect them directly to a Lumin D1 Streamer through RCA cables. Lumin being a non-B&O product, do I also need to connect the speakers to each other through sync commection. The previous owner used them with RCA only connection. Thanks

[@soundsheavenly]

Thanks, glad to hear my video was helpful! If you use the analogue RCA outputs of the Lumin to the line inputs of the Beolab 5 then you just need a cable to each speaker, you don’t need any cables between the two speakers

[@wxingwei]

Happy new year! Very useful information Steve. I have a pair of Lab 5s but they both stopped working around the same time : ( I am wondering if there is a channel that I can deal with B&O directly to replace the chassis? thanks.

[@soundsheavenly]

Hi, sorry I don't know about repairs, but I think you have to deal via a local repair agent, instead of directly with B&O.

[@janjansen9139]

Hi Steve, thx for your always good videos👍- I have a question regarding BL5, do you know when the mk2 and mk3 was introduced, and if you know, starting with which serial numbers ?

[@soundsheavenly]

Thanks for your kind words! Sorry I don't know the specific dates when these speakers changed from mk.1 to mk.2, but a B&O dealer should be able to confirm this for you

[@jeffso4073]

Yes I agree the speakers are expensive but is beautiful speaker do you have any advice which company sale the used beolab 5 speakers thanks

[@soundsheavenly]

Hi, please contact Lee who is featured in this video, you can reach him at www.beobuyer.co.uk for used Beolab 5 speakers!

[@staalefo]

Where is the intro-tune? It's the trademark of your videos... And when can we see a video of you playing it? Merry christmas to you as well!

[@soundsheavenly]

Thanks, I'm glad you like it! I will add a video soon where I play this tune (it only appears at the end of this this video)

[@evobatman]

One day. Soon.

[@soundsheavenly]

That is my plan as well!

[@tom-vx1lp]

i like the look of them

[@soundsheavenly]

They sound great too!

[@tom-vx1lp]

@@soundsheavenly thanks for all your testing.

[@janjansen9139]

Tak!

[@soundsheavenly]

Thank you!

[@storeralessandro]

BRAVO STEVE ...ORA FAI NATALE

[@soundsheavenly]

Thanks! Have a good Christmas!

[@diogobrandao6627]

Hi Steve, great video. Have you tried the beolab receiver (wisa) with the beolab 5? Any words on that? Would be great to know how that integration works and eventually have a video. 🙏🏼

[@soundsheavenly]

Thanks! Beolab 5 doesn't work with Receiver 1, they were designed to be wired speakers only. I always recommend running cables to Beolab 5 for the best results, even if you need to employ a decorator to hide the wires around your home. Please ask at soundsheavenly.com if you need any help getting the best sound from your speakers!

[@diogobrandao6627]

Thanks a lot for the quick answer Steve! Pity they are not compatible though.

[@soundsheavenly]

@@diogobrandao6627 No problem, always best to connect high quality speakers like Beolab 5 with a direct cable to avoid losing any sound quality - wireless would have been a bonus but unfortunately it isn't an option.

[@martinaston1715]

Hello Steve listening to your Chanel whilst in Tenerife🌞 I am considering this speaker but I solely use Tidal and Qobuz high Tier subscription music. Streaming as these are not WISA is there options to stream from my iPhone keeping the min CD quality ? Like I do with my A9 MK4 Thanks in advance Martin

[@soundsheavenly]

Hi Martin, I imagine you have better weather there than I do here in UK. Yes, Sonos Connect or Bluesound Node are great for high quality music streaming as they both have digital outputs for the Beolab 5 speakers. I can help with cables for any music streamers, please feel free to get in touch at soundsheavenly.com

[@martinaston1715]

@@soundsheavenly thank you 4 ur reply dealers had been suggesting B&O Core but good to know I have alternative s

[@jimjones5394]

do you really have to have the remote to turn the speakers on or is there a way to do it manually?

[@soundsheavenly]

If you use Beolab 5 with a B&O system, then you don't need the remote. If you want to use them without a B&O system, then you will need the remote, there is no simple way around this (only complex and expensive options like Control4 home automation systems).

[@SurferAntonio]

Hello Steve. Thanks a lot for your videos they are very helpful. I have Beolabs 6000 and 8000 and find them fantastic. I am going to sell my main audio system and replace it with Beolab 5. The question is have you ever tried to do a "hard reset"(by pressing the touch field for more than 20 sec) of BLs in order to reset DSP calibration? Will BLs require a PIN code after this action? My seller of BL5 does not have a PIN code and says the BLs are never asked for it. Looks like a dealer disabled the code during installation and setup. Hope for your answer.

[@soundsheavenly]

Thanks for your kind words! I don't know about resetting Beolab 5, I have not heard of that. If you are buying Beolab 5 without a Pin code, please ensure you have a full receipt for the purchase, include the seller's original purchase receipt from a B&O store - this is needed in case you ever need to prove your ownership to get the Pin code from B&O in the future.

[@SurferAntonio]

@@soundsheavenly Thank you for your quick reply. I will ask for the purchase receipt and hope the seller still has it.

[@Smog104]

Hi What’s the difference between Beolab 5 Mk 1 and Mk 2 thanks ? Is it worth paying a little extra for mark 2 ?

[@soundsheavenly]

Hi, I apologise that I don't know any more detail than Lee explained in the video, best to contact Lee at www.beobuyer.co.uk as he often has these speakers for sale and he can explain what you need to know. I can help with any cables you need at www.soundsheavenly.com

[@Smog104]

Thanks Steve

[@eliassofokleous9207]

Hi there where can I get bl5 chassis from??

[@soundsheavenly]

Please contact your local B&O dealer directly for any B&O parts or repair requests, as I don't have any involvement with these.

[@williamericsson3606]

updating the software on a pair, any idea of how much that would cost?

[@iangrace232]

£60 or so at a service centre - the chassis are limited to certain sw levels and we have bought pairs where the sw levels are different.

[@soundsheavenly]

Best to contact your local B&O repairer, as prices may vary in different areas.

[@Joehernandez509]

Unfortunately you didn’t show a sync cable that is used to make sure volume matches on both speakers when using non b&o source . Do you make these sync cables ?

[@soundsheavenly]

Hi, you don't need the sync cable in most cases, this is only required if you have a non-B&O source connected AND the speakers are out of sight of the remote control when in normal use AND you use the B&O remote for volume control instead of the source device. Hence, these are very rarely needed!

[@Joehernandez509]

@@soundsheavenly hi there Steve , I can confirm that when using non b&o source you need the sync cable because I am using the blue sound node2 and whenever I start music one speaker usually my rt one is louder. So then I have to lower volume all the way down then come back up to try to insure that they are playing at same volume. Therefore the sync cable is very important because I am sure there are many people that will use beolab 5’s with other sources. I had actually checked your site when I first purchased my speakers to see if you had any sync cable , I didn’t see one.

[@soundsheavenly]

@@Joehernandez509 You should be able to set the volume of each speaker separately and save this to memory so they always start at the correct volume. The sync cable shouldn't be needed unless the speakers are hidden out of view (which isn't good for sound quality!)

[@Joehernandez509]

@@soundsheavenly how do I save volume to memory? Or Is that in the manual ?

[@soundsheavenly]

@@Joehernandez509 Hi, yes that is all covered in the Beolab 5 manual, I can provide PDF manuals on request with any cable purchase on my website

[@marvinjones3379]

What would be price of rarely used pristine condition beolab 5 Speakers purchased in 2010 ?

[@soundsheavenly]

Sorry I can't comment on prices, but I suggest doing your own research on eBay or with trusted B&O resellers to decide what you feel is a fair price.

[@justsendit8051]

We have these and they were inherited to me and I have never used them so they have only been collecting dust which is sad but the problem is that we don’t know the passcode and I think you can only guess 3 times but I’m scared to try that. Is the best option to contact bang olufsen or is there something else I can do? Maybe an electrician?

[@soundsheavenly]

Hi, you can only get the code from B&O, they will usually need to see your proof of ownership. Sorry I can't help with that.

[@SolisNotSolis]

There's a 24c gold plated pair on ebay at present. Just £125k. Seems like a bargain!

[@soundsheavenly]

Ha ha, the gold plating will have been done after they left the factory by a third party. I much prefer the standard brushed aluminium look anyway!

[@ntube7]

Hi Steve, there’s a pair on eBay Uk now for £5k. A few marks here and there. Would you say that’s a good price?

[@soundsheavenly]

Sorry I can't comment on prices, they can vary around the world, or based on age and condition. You need to do your own research to see what is fair in your area.

[@markopaljusi]

It's not DL design. Not even close.

[@soundsheavenly]

Sorry to question your comment, but I understand that David Lewis design were the creators of Beolab 5: beoworld.com/beolab5.aspx

[@markopaljusi]

@@soundsheavenly It's Valeur and his oriental influence also seen on BL 9, BL 20. It's obvious that the concept for all these shapes is based on the same idea. Even though Valeur has worked in DL design studio, his style is very different to David Lewis'.

[@soundsheavenly]

Thanks, that is interesting. I knew that David Lewis design was the company behind Beolab 5, but I hadn’t realised that Torsten Valeur was the designer of these speakers while working for DL design.

[@markopaljusi]

@@soundsheavenly Beocom 2, BL 5, 9, 20 , BS 1 and 2 are all sharing the similar oriental concept. For me it's not done and not refined. Some things are similar with DL, but lost the finesse (BV14, Avant). Beo remote 5 looks like 2 people had a fight and no one got it right. I'm glad about Beovision Contour. The first BV since DL that is has the perfect proportions!