★ *QOTD: What hifi brand do you think has the best style and design?* ★ *REVIEWING: **amzn.to/3hlU8xB** // NEED MORE INFO? ✔︎ THE ⬆︎DESCRIPTION⬆︎* ★ *Love our outtakes? Be sure to watch to the end* ★ *COMMENT RULES: Please be respectful. No outside links, URLs, email addresses, etc. Violations are automatically deleted.*
B&O of course. But as a Dane I might be biased. I do however also think sometimes they make ugly designs, like the TV with tilting speakers you can currently buy.
I like the looks of Linn and Naim, both brands ooze quality and sound as good as they look. I also like the simplicity of Hegel’s design,s for speakers it can only be Sonus Faber.
I’m so glad you did a review of Soundstage! I have that same model. There wasn’t a lot of reviews, but I was really drawn to the design and was torn between this and the other sound bars mentioned in your video. My wife wanted a minimal set up and doesn’t like bookshelf speakers with wires everywhere, but I was hesitant to drop so much money on a sound bar. The sound this thing produces is so good and I can confirm that in a small living room, that bass is plenty! It’s reassuring seeing you give the Soundstage praise.
I live in a Paris apartment with a relatively small living room. I was looking to replace a very good but too cluttered hifi system that would cover both music and TV. I chose the B&O Sound Stage (oak finish) with an LG OLED TV and B & O stand. I won back lots of space, reduced clutter and overall love it for music and for movies. I gets lots of positive comments from visitors (My 20 year old nephew was blown away that there were touch controls embedded in the wood finish). Satisfied customer.
I purchased this as my first B&O and I would describe the sound as "buttery". It's just very smooth and like you said, pleasing. I also agree that the lower frequencies while they do show up, they quickly start sounding bad as the volume goes up. I hung mine on the wall and it does seem to sound better in that position.
Only reason i had to let go mines. I don’t think any soundbar can sound this good. Don’t know about Ambeo. I really wish they had the option of adding a sub.
I am by no means an audiophile but I watch you faithfully. You and Kristie are the best at what you do. I'm not sure who writes the scripts but the command of the English language is inspiring. Hopefully, some of your younger viewers are taking notes.
After having this soundbar for about a year now, I think I love it even more than when I first bought it. It's actually so good that I don't even enjoy listening to music on a few of my Bose systems because the B&O is that much better. The Bose soundbars are very good, but even with the subs, the B&O has a crisp quality sound that makes the Bose sound dull. Anyone that is not impressed probably hasn't used the mobile app to tune. The default Movie and default Music are excellent. I actually was turned off by the default TV setting because it literally sounds like a basic, yet quality TV. Although a basic TV sound isn't the worst thing in the world when trying to wind down for bed or just trying to hear dialog. This is perfect for me with small children as I have a full music system in a single box that doesn't have knobs for toddlers to turn, yet I can still enjoy audiophile-level sound quality. Yes, the bass has its volume limitations, but it's low and beautifully accurate.
I have been a B&O customer for years and I have been stuck between the Stage and Muso 2. This is the first direct-ish comparison between the two and I am so thankful.
I have listened to both an for music the Naim is way better. I wouold go for the Naim for music and another soundbar for tv and movies. Maybe the Klipsch Cinema 1200.
I enjoy this product's ability to automatically double as a HiFi system or TV sound system by switching sound profiles. I find it excellent with music. There are likely better TV speaker systems if you already have a dedicated music setup in the room, but otherwise the convenience and practicality is excellent. I find the EQ difficult to correctly set or understand, even though the UI is so easy to use. I just bumped treble +1 and bass -2 and that seems decent.
Hey Andrew, thanks for bringing light to this product. I have been trying to get a soundbar system for my living room with the greater priority on music as I am a singer songwriter and spend a great deal of time listening in the living room. I tested each sound system with my producer as he has a trained ear. I first purchased the Samsung q950t and immediately noticed the immersion and it was absolutely amazing for movies. Music on the other hand wasn’t to my liking and even though it does not matter too much - I was just not too fond of the look of it. We then purchased the Sonos arc, sub (gen3) and Sonos 1s for surround and we did not like it one bit. Both movies and music we found were very lifeless - really could not compare to the q950t in both music and moveis. The subwoofer however was very nice! Returned the Sonos, and purchased the Bose 700 and 700 sub - and found it to be amazing for music. Clear voices and great soundstage - very immersive. Great seperation of instruments and once I have added the sub, the sound really opened up. My producer agreed that this was the best one so far and that it portrayed the music with a great feel and tone. Then we saw your video about the stage, and wanted to test the Bose against it before we settle on one. After testing it against the Bose side by side, I have to say the stage may not have the widest soundstage and did not sound the greatest for movies or tv shows but for music - perfect. Comparing the sound to the Bose with the subwoofer, the Bose sounded very thin lacking the punch out of the soundbar. It was no contest. The word my producer used to describe it was dynamic. The drums were felt, the bass coming from the single soundbar you could feel, and playing with all the sound profiles is really great. Once we tweaked with all the sound adjustments we were able to tune the music to our liking. The stage is the one that I now have mounted on my wall. Thank you for your reviews and I hope whoever reads this and is in the market for a soundbar for music and is willing to spend the money, that my experience comparing each against each other helps you out. If cost for the stage is too high, the Bose is the next one I would have kept.
Just brought this 3 weeks ago after watching 👀 many reviews. There presentation opening the box and app set-up is real classy compared to most I seen. I am blown away at the sound and for being a piece art build wise. App is great, 1st time didn't touch any settings. Tuning was right for all eq settings. No need for subwoofer 🎉. If had surround speakers it be hard to beat. But love this purchase. It doesn't try and be something it's not just great sound and looks and build quality. While others promise you the moon and under perform. Though about you, word pleasant while listening lol, and they are. But for your question , I think B&O do the best job with style and design with great sound. I seen there products that are 17 yrs old that still look and sound great. If I ever get a chance, would love to own those beosound 28😊. You and your wife do a great job, 👍 you both add too it and great for 2 points of view.
Excellent episode. I’ve been a big B&O fan since 70’s and owned several of their products but never speakers. This review is just what I needed to revisit them. I love the flexibility of this soundbar. You are one of the best reviewers not only on UA-cam but anywhere. Thanks for the excellent content
I have been a B&O fan since the 80's when I was just out of high school. I had a mission that I would own some B&O products once I made enough money...LOL! Could not walk pass a store that sold B&O without drooling and walking inside. Loved the clean modern industrial design as well as the clean sound. Bass heads wouldn't like their products. So when I purchased my first house, I gifted myself with the Beosound 2500. And since then, have owned several B&O components. The market is changing and I am fan of the older products. But I did recently stop by a B&O retailer to check out the Stage. He said he didn't like the white color of the base but I thought it came in other colors. Still a fan and looking forward to purchase more of their products in the future.
Could not agree more, in 2 weeks i tried the LG sn11rg, did not really liked it, then tried the klipsch the fives, better to my taste than the LG but still i was missing something. Then tried the B&O stage and really falled in love with them. Will Never turn back again. I used all your videos on those three products before ordering. Thanks for this :)
I love how you mention movies when reviewing your products. I feel like so many reviews fail to mention that and only focus on music. I personally use my home speakers and my headphones for mostly movies and tv shows. I cant be the only one.
I am glad you ended up purchasing the Beosound Stage yourself, since I unfortunately was not able to help you (sorry), so you could test it. I actually bought the exact same version like you, and also had second thoughts about the white base. But since I ended up hanging it on the wall, it is not an issue, to my opinion. On the contrairy, it actually look quite good that way. So I have kept it for over a year by now. And boy, can it play! Both when watching movies (it can be pretty scary actually!) but also when listening to music, especially on a daily basis. By the way, you can operate it (and the LG tv-panel) with the Beoremote 1 - which I of course chose to purchase in bronze as well. A very nice set :-)
Design ? Bang and Olufsen, no contest or discussion. If I ever win a lottery, first two purchases would be an 88 inch Beovision Harmony television with two Beolab 90 ‘s.
I am a B&O lover/customer from way back. I lost enthusiasm for their products when Streaming became their focus. I had a hard enough time when their audio systems went to power amplifiers built into the loudspeakers and out of the receivers. My love is still back in the boxy 6000 series and previous 8000, 7000 etc. series.
I disagree with what you said a commenter posted. You are a very good reviewer. Good broad range of human perceptions of a particular product. I really enjoyed this one on the B&O Stage. As far as the problem you have with the white base, I have a solution for that in which I and many B&O owners use. To improve the looks of some of their products, we apply stained wood veneer to them. I have recently used real leather on smaller sections of vintage B&O Products. My son covered an old Sony Subwoofer and it came out beautiful. On many Vintage B&O stereo systems, wood veneer makes the product much less clinical looking and adds to its warmth.
A number of years ago, I think around 2003, one of my customers (I was a field tech) had a B+O television and iiirc, it was very nicely designed but it is the only B+O television I ever saw in a customers home. Always loved the B+O turntable from the 70s with the finger touch control buttons.
Andrew I want a simple solution for my living room (medium-large rectangular shape, system to be placed on the shorter side) under my TV. Intended for streaming music and Netflix movies. Currently what would you do from the following? 1. B&O stage at 1350 eur (current discount price together with B&O remote control) 2. Wait for the new ambeo plus (at 1600 eur) expected on October 3. Wait for the new JBL 1000 (at 1200 eur) expected on October * Not going to pay 2200 eur for the big Ambeo and generally I could wait for the new soundbars I would really appreciate your view!
I have a b&o beosound stage. I have the aluminium with the black base which I think looks better as the base blends in a lot better. I have mine set up in a small room and the Dolby Atmos does work really well but I don’t know how well it would work in a bigger room. Not being able to add extra speakers and a sub is a downside but the 4 mini subs built in really do pack a punch
Ok then after a long journey of should I shouldn’t I buy the stage, a faulty ambeo, the appalling sound quality of the Sony a7000, then also trying the Sonos arc, I realise iI should have gone with the stage from the start. I was on a mission to get the most immersive surround experience possible without rear speakers. I always thought the immersion was more important than anything else. I was soooo wrong. The pure quality of the sound on offer through the beosound stage completely overshadows the fact it’s only a 3.1 system. The bass goes as deep as you’d need it to I’m a moderately sized living area. The detail and of sound coming through is incredible. My ambeo is an issue with failing to finish the calibration after connecting a sub. I thought the ambeo was king of sound when it came to sound bars but I genuinely think the stage gives a much more balanced sound. When I first switched it on we had the original Jurassic park on tv. It was the scene where the kids are running from the raptors through the restaurant kitchen. When the kids ran and hid there was definite depth to the sound even without surround. The sound of the footsteps were coming forward as they were running towards the camera. That surprised me. Then the sound of the raptor breathing on the door window, as random as that scene my seem, was so cinematic, the deep bass seriously added to that effect. Build quality is the best bar none. The app is easy to use, is actually say the best I’ve used for a sound system. This is by far the best sounding bar, in my opinion, on the market.
@@isaaccruel3994 sorry but I can’t now. The stage developed a fault that kept randomly switching my tv on through the hdmi sync when no one was around. The fault was confirmed by my point of sale and I returned it. I’ve now gone back to the ambeo and so far no issues with that. Now I have a working ambeo I’m very happy with it. Good look with your settings.
My fav youtuber...your videos made me to decide my choice of soundbar. Your video's are extremely focussed on basics. Thankyou..wish you good times ahead.
Two things I love about my stage..... 1. The sound is amazing for the size!!! 2. This thing looks amazing.... It looks like artwork and not a clumsy soundbar
I had Bose, H&K, sennheiser, sonos and jbl for years. But the day I visited a B&O store I noticed how overpriced and bad the others are if your compare them correctly - they are all producing mid-range basic sound that can’t stand any deep sound and cheap materials and design. But I think psychology is the key why people love buying those things.
Hi Andrew, thanks for this great review. I got early access to the Beosound Stage back at its UK launch in October 2019 to review on my channel, so I'm sorry to hear that you are having trouble getting access to B&O products. Please reach out if you would like any help or support with B&O products as I have been working with these for many years and covering them on my channel. Best regards, Steve at Sounds Heavenly (B&O Brand Ambassador).
I am a budding audiophile, albeit 'budding' because life happened and my financial situation is less than ideal. However, I have been able to purchase a couple of Beoplay A1 speakers (which, with the correct positioning, are superb) and the H9i headphones. So far I am extremely happy with the products and will (hopefully!) continue to use B&O kit will into the future. Thank you for your review!
I came from a total 7.1 Yamaha amp system with Paradigm speakers to a sound bar solution. It took a few years for tech to get to a point I could compromise. I live in a unit now so I downsized to a Sonos eco system. I bought the Sonos arc dual subs and 1 SL’s which were sold and replaced with Dual Sonos 5’s for rears. This is what’s made the system amaze me. The arc by itself is nice but it’s not going to impress as a all in one unit. Any sound bar for full theatre experience needs a sub and surrounds this unit maxed out “in speaker config” delivers in a smaller footprint but it is amazing. You should consider purchasing this setup as they have a great return policy and review it.
$2.5k for a soundbar? I'm not much of a soundbar person anyway but I would certainly not pay that. I do have a Bose SB at my vacation condo and bought it for size and simplicity for the location. And it enhances the sound a lot. Buying it 'open box' made it a good deal for what I got.
4:10 The small circle slider in the app can be expanded together with Bang & Olufsen Beolit 20 and Beosound Level by putting your thumb and index finger together on that little circle and then pulling them apart! That way, you can broaden the sound image to your taste for music or movies! I learned it from another person! Now I don't know if you can do the same with the app together with the Beosound Stage Soundbar, but if you can, it could be useful! Copy and paste this, and listen through the whole video ----> Steve at Sounds Heavenly - 3 easy ways to improve the sound of Beolit 20 and Beolit 17 Bluetooth speakers for music and movies! I learned it from him!
Love your channel, happy you have now reviewed all the soundbars that matter. Gonna cut short here, so my dad has the Samsung sound bar, the 9.1 and I have the B&O Sound Stage, we both got it recently, I gotta say, it's not even a competion, the B&O is just eargasm all the way. Even if the Samsung is better for movie watching with it's rear speakers...it's total garbage listening to music. If you want an allrounder I think the Sound Stage is the best option on the market. The app is damn good too, and the design...it's like a block of art, unlike the plasticy Samsung :)) my dad is going to return it after hearing my B&O play Eagles - Hotel California haha.
Industrial design - hard to beat B&O over the years. Other companies may have a bright spark from time to time but B&O have a steady hot flame over decades. If you ever saw the 9000 series 'music centres' or the 8000 speakers back when they were new you'd think that the future had arrived. 30/40 years later and they still look like they came from the future. Best possible sound? Nope, not then, not now. But the experience and the sound? Nonpareil! A light touch on the remote and the surface of the 9000 slides open for a cd, another touch, a gentle shhh sound and the cd starts playing. Touch the glass and the unit springs to life with just the controls you need for the function. Aluminium and dense black plastic still seamless after decades. I love it.
I disagree. To me, that design is trapped in the early 1990s and looks so old in the 21st century. All the chrome and silliness just doesn't fit into todays portable, digital lifestyle. It's old. Really old.
@@BarcelonasHotCrowd well, hi-fi is not portable is it? It's a different paradigm, but B&O do make some lovely looking portable audio as well. Good design is not a matter of time. Fashion on the other hand is. Good design always pleases the eye.
Thank you Andrew. I have enjoyed all of your reviews that I have watched and truly appreciate your approach. It helps that our basis for evaluation is similar- enjoy the best you can afford and enjoy more as you can afford more... Continued success!
People complain about B&O being to expensive. There are other audio names that are much more costly but you like what you like. Some people like Hondas and some people like Mercedes. You pay for what you like or save up enough until you get it or you just don't get it.
Keep in mind that if you ever on-sell your B&O kit, they command good prices 2nd hand. What you pay initially, you will get back at the other end vs the black-box products.
Great review! I have been waiting for this one to make a decision based on ambeo or the sound stage. I went to a store to listen to the ambeo and was blown away by the surround sound experience but was left extremely disappointed when streaming music via Bluetooth. Even the guy at the store could not figure it out why it sounded so bad when playing music and even re-calibrated the ambeo and toggled the settings but to no avail.
The remote control is over £300 but I just use my phone. It sounds great and goes with my LG GX. B&O sell the LG TV and B&O soundbar on a stand as a package.
My first set of floor standing speakers were B&O Beovox 5000-2 acoustic suspension speakers that I bought in Germany in 1969..before there was even a name for vintage gear and they were wonderful
Bang & Olufsen is in fact one of my favorite audio brands regarding design. I absolutely adorde their Beosound 1, 2 and the Beosound Balance. My other brands would be Bowers & Wilkins (I still love my B&W P5 S2), KEF and Bose. The KEF LS 50 Wireless are gorgeous and I like the styling of the Bose soundbars and their Home Speakers, not just because I own a Bose Soundbar 500. They may not be as "warm" stylewise as the other brands, but the hit the almost ideal mark between industrial styling and sleekness.
I’ve heard there should be a new sound bar in the pipeline from B&O before Christmas. It should be called Beosound theatre and should be able to handle a surround sound setup 😀🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻
Har set post omkring dette på Beoworld, men har du source tættere på Struer? Er meget interesseret i, om hvorvidt det er det en Stage med ekstra udgange, eller hvorvidt der er en opgradering udover dette? Noget du måske kan kaste lys over?
@@Tobias810 tænker det vil være et naturligt skridt for dem at lave en Soundbar med sorround Sound. Da de jo praktisk talt er det de sælger idag forklædt som et beovision Eclipse og harmony.
Hello Andrew, Thanks for nudging me to audition the Stage at B&O, a test it passed with flying colors. “Pleasing” is a very good way to describe the sound. By the way, the ARC connection means you can control volume and mute with the remote control of your smart TV. I agree with your thoughts on the white base, and opted for the smoked oak with black base. Sound? Among numerous positives, I was surprised by no longer having to mute every ad because some actually have decent sound. In conclusion, I’m wondering if Kristi and you may revisit the Stage, this time with a black base . . . ? Happy Listening.
Great review! Totally spot on I got mine in November for the bedroom and its in its element I would say great for bedroom music or bedroom binge watching. its funny as I almost purchased the ambeo based on your review then I demoed the stage and revox studioart. It was so close between the Revox and Ambeo but the Soundstage was just a lot more musical and the design just stunning. So the answer to your question for design. 1.Bowers & Wilkins 2.Bang & Olufsen 3.Revox/Naim I can't decide lol
The placement and positioning is interesting. It looks almost like it should be wall mounted to have the drivers face you. Hard to wrap my head around vocals firing upwards.
I know, right? And yet, it works and sounds THE SAME whether you table or wall mount it (so long as you tell it what configuration it is setup in, in the App).
@@andrewrobinsonreviews -- I shared the same thought you were just showing it "prone". I went to the B&O site. Any shot with a TV (including the spec page) showed drivers facing forward. A couple "glamour shots" showed it facing up (but one of those was close to floor). You say "tell it...in setup", so it must be an option -- bizarre.
Another great review. I love how the images and graphics so beautifully compliment Andrew's commentary. It must involve a huge amount of editing and camera work but boy, the effort is worth it! 🙂👍
Best hands down appearance for me is Technics. Best in value & looks is Denon 600/800 amps. Q acoustics for bookshelf speakers. Best vintage Pioneer SX-850. Best vintage looking speaker Advent Laureate floor standing. (Still own!).
I think B&O missed a great opportunity by not allowing it to be paired with a BeoLab 19, or for that matter, a pair of M3’s as rear channels for true surround sound. I’ve been trying to see if a WiSA capable TV could bridge the gap, to justify my spending … but i don’t know if it’s possible. In any case, great review, enjoyed watching / listening. 👍🏽
I have an A9 sitting next to the TV that would make a great sub - couldn't agree more! That said, it feels like something that could be changed with a software upgrade...
@@robertstone5417 If the sound bar has multi-point bluetooth, then yeah it’s a software upgrade. Otherwise, if it can’t already pair with at least two simultaneous Bluetooth sources, then pairing with a Bluetooth speaker isn’t feasible. However, it has internet streaming capability if I recall correctly, so it should theoretically be possible to pair with another internet connected B&O speaker. They’d just have to factor in things like latency in their code. But will they do it? Probably not, such an upgrade is worth purchasing the next generation for the first generation buyers. 😩🤷🏽♂️
I quite like the white base with the bronze. Is the negativity less about how it looks than it is about quality connotations given that cheap things are often white?
Design: B&O in general, B&W (the Nautilus and 800 series), Avantgard-Acoustic ( horn-style is timeless ), Devialet, Focal (towerspeakers like the utopia )
We've asked to review their products many times and they continue to say they don't have units to send us so until that changes, a Sonos review is unlikely to happen.
Hey Andrew, you have done such a great review on the Beosound STAGE that I actually bought one. Can you review more B&O products? The newly released Belolab 18, Besound Level and Balance definitely need your way of reviewing. Please consider. Thanks again :)
We bought ours when the lockdown happened, we have enjoyed it, your review is spot on. I just had a issue pop up, while listening on the TV mode I have a very loud ting bell sound on top of the sound it’s playing, I can switch to evening or movie mode and it goes away. I have reached out to B&O and not found a fix. Thanks for the review.
Nice review Andrew, I went through a B&O stage, restoring some of the 80`s gear & living with them for a while. My opinion of the B&O sound from that gear was - its fun & enjoyable, but not hifi. The internal build quality was shockingly bad on units like the Beomaster 8000, thats what really turned me off their gear.
In my opinion sound bars are ok. I am a music listener first so tend to prefer speakers, the DSPs in sound bars do a good job to a limit but at higher volumes for larger rooms sound bars don’t sound good. Great review as usual!
Besides John Darko, your the best 😏 Love your calming voice. Most topics are very interesting and gives me the info I want to know. Just keep ‘m coming ! Greetz from the Netherlands 🇳🇱
Nou ik kijk geen John Darko meer sinds hij de comments uit heeft gezet. Ik snap opzich wel dat Darko dan meer tijd over houdt, dus meer content creëert en dus meer inkomsten heeft. Maar de interactie van youtubers met het publiek is toch wel een essentieel onderdeel, anders is het net kabel TV.
@Qorax Darko is free to do with his channel what he wants. If he feels it is in his best interest to turn off comments, that is his choice and, honestly, I get it. We try not to compare ourselves to other channels/creators, and wish everyone the best and much success.
@@andrewrobinsonreviews Yes, I've heard his arguments and I agree that they're all valid, but I just draw a different conclusion from it, since I think comments are an integral part of UA-cam. I mean, the fact that the comment section costs a lot of time to manage, time which could've been spend on creating more content leading to higher income is a valid argument... but disabling it channel wide, removes one of the most important features of UA-cam - interaction of the host with his viewers. So my conclusion is that UA-cam might not be the right type of platform for him; disabling comments is just a workaround to make it work for him. I think of the "disable comments" feature as a last resort if the whole comment section turns foul or gets overran by spambots (when posting highly controversial content for example).
I lost the B&O bottle opener that I got with my Beogram 2400 some time ago. Yeah, I finally tossed out the turntable just in time for the vinyl resurgence 🙄 Honestly though, I’m more upset about losing the bottle opener because it only took up a bit of space. Where oh where have you gone, my wee enabler?
today I went to shop and hear both stage and naim, it is really hard for me to decide which one, both looks very nice. I like the look of naim a bit more tho, but the sound of stage was a bit more dominating the room
Well i think you an the wife are doin a bang up job!! That new intro music is pretty sick!!! I like Bower's and Wilkins design language... and hate to say it but Bose had decent designs too. I really like the look of LG too.
@@KristiWright Just had an idea... not sure what ya two have planned but, you ever think of interviewing like designers, or... heads of these companies of any of the products Andrew reviews? I always like seeing what some of them have to say about their brand and maybe audio... philosophy? i guess thats what i'd call it. I follow another YT'er called Hexibase. He's a sound engineer/designer and he's doing some real neat stuff with 3D Printing speakers. I'm just excited to see the channel growing more! And both of you giving it your all!! No BS, i think this is a top notch production and i could see this channel getting even bigger for sure! In a strange way people not being to go places sure left us with a lot of time on our hands and what better way to occupy said time with some Andrew Robinson + the Mrs.... I got my coffee and my fuzzy bathrobe on LETS DO THIS!!
I really love listening to music but wouldn't call myself an audiophile, I do however really love your reviews and will use them to sway my future purchase decisions. I see a lot of blown up UA-cam content on Devialet 'high-end consumer' products such as the Premier Phantoms, I know its not as easy as asking and receiving, but I would love to hear your opinion on them and thier performance - are they really all hype or is there high quality behind them?
if you were to compare the STAGE vs the Bose ultra and the Dione.....which one is the best pick...and I do know that the Bose is considerably cheaper in price...but at times more expensive doesn't always mean better
This was exactly the review I've been waiting for! Thanks so much Andrew! Tough to pick between the Naim and the B&O here - but I do agree that the B&O seems more flexible, especially since it can be wall mounted or placed on the counter.
Only Samsung 950T comes close to AMBEO. And its 950T is 1500 euros cheaper! I bought 950T yesterday hopefully it exceeds my expectation. TY for the 950T Review Andrew!
I would like to hear your professional opinion on the Sonos Arc; of course the Arc is a lot less expensive than the B&O, hence to my ears the Arc competes with the best in the business. Thank you for your excellent reviews.
I love those tone controls on the app, it's such great design. I do find it odd though that in B&O's marketing they really don't show it in the configuration you have it. Their marketing pictures really hides those bases. That really doesn't give you a true picture of what it could look like in any other orientation.
Good review, but I'm a bit confused. You had it sitting on the table which shoots sound straight up and above your head for the atmos part. Seems like sound would suffer a bit to me. Did you ever notice a difference in sound quality in front of the speakers and off-axis?
Hi, Stage owner here, you can chose from the app if you have the stage flatt or wall mounted (facing front) and the acoustics will adapt to that. I have mine currently flat and I noticed no difference, both music and movie
If this was to be updated with outputs for a sub & surrounds and more importantly, an updated HDMI 2.1 input I'd be very interested in this. Here's hoping.
Hey Andrew, after viewing this vid i decided to pick the blk/blk sound Stage. Thanks for your insight on the white base looking cheap. I totally agreed with you. I didn’t want this to stand out laying it in front of my New 8K 75” Samsung TV. Now, the sound? Wow, I was very impressed. The lows are great the voices are crisp and the overall listening experience is v nice. I decided to keep it. When i. Really want to fill my entire large room? I have a full Martin Logan system for those times. But at night when i want to keep it a tad “ stealth”? I use the Sound Stage . Thxs again, Tom C.
If not in the US, at least in the Germanic world (which includes Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and The Netherlands as well as Germany itself), this particular 'shade' of white is considered very elegant and luxurious. At some point in their production run almost every B&O product is available in a white version as a limited-edition usually at a hefty premium. P.S. Have you never seen a Mercedes Benz S-class with an all white (not off-white or cream, mind you, but Ice White) leather interior? Only we Americans view it as 'tacky.'
40 years ago I was a big fan of B&O...back when they had a permanent display of their wares at the New York Museum of modern art (I think that was the venue). BUT B&O has been acquired by Harmon-Kardon which is not the original HK, either, but is now an Asian company. So my question is whether B&O still has company autonomy that allows it be the B&O of the original independent company. I am about to receive a B&O sound system in a new Ford Mustang Mach E. But I always loved B&O back in the day...and even still have the 4002 Turntable (1973) which, sadly, has an electronic problem which makes it impossible to use (turntable speed controller failure). But when you say "pleasing" I fully understand. If everything in life is a compromise, then B&O always made the right compromises to produce an especially "pleasing" result. I listen to classical (mostly), jazz, and the "Great American Songbook" (aka Sinatra, Bennett, Fitzgerald, etc.). For these "natural" sounds B&O always delivered. So, bottom line, is the B&O of the present (owned by HK) not a degradation of the B&O of. yore?
That's not true. They sold out the automotive division as Tonkerdog points out. They are still very much self owned and autonomous. A chinese investor does own 20% though. They sold the automotive part of the company to focus on their main business. You're still getting a true B&O experience in your home - that's partly why they're struggling as a company all the time. Even here in Denmark, no one really buys B&O because of the cost.
This review was very helpful. Looking for an all-in-one system that favors music. My introduction to B&O was similar to yours and I have become completely enamored by the A9-any chance you’d do a review?
★ *QOTD: What hifi brand do you think has the best style and design?*
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B&O of course. But as a Dane I might be biased.
I do however also think sometimes they make ugly designs, like the TV with tilting speakers you can currently buy.
I like the looks of Linn and Naim, both brands ooze quality and sound as good as they look. I also like the simplicity of Hegel’s design,s for speakers it can only be Sonus Faber.
11 year old me says Emotiva cause the speakers look like a F-117 stealth bomber!
Sonos arc ( and the , sub 3, Sonos one fir rear ) beautiful- Apple of sound bar
@@MasterChief37 -- thank you! I've loved Naim/Linn *forever* (since Nait+Kan+Sondek combo).
I have no clue what this dude is talking about, but I enjoy listening to it.
Lol.Thumbs up!
He is explaining how to peal potatoes.
Brilliant
Oh I'm glad you said that. I've been watching him to go to sleep. It's just great!
Ohh... I thought he is doing a third word nations humanitarian aid plea. Upss.. my bad.
I’m so glad you did a review of Soundstage! I have that same model. There wasn’t a lot of reviews, but I was really drawn to the design and was torn between this and the other sound bars mentioned in your video. My wife wanted a minimal set up and doesn’t like bookshelf speakers with wires everywhere, but I was hesitant to drop so much money on a sound bar. The sound this thing produces is so good and I can confirm that in a small living room, that bass is plenty! It’s reassuring seeing you give the Soundstage praise.
I live in a Paris apartment with a relatively small living room. I was looking to replace a very good but too cluttered hifi system that would cover both music and TV. I chose the B&O Sound Stage (oak finish) with an LG OLED TV and B & O stand. I won back lots of space, reduced clutter and overall love it for music and for movies. I gets lots of positive comments from visitors (My 20 year old nephew was blown away that there were touch controls embedded in the wood finish). Satisfied customer.
Thanks for sharing!
I purchased this as my first B&O and I would describe the sound as "buttery". It's just very smooth and like you said, pleasing. I also agree that the lower frequencies while they do show up, they quickly start sounding bad as the volume goes up. I hung mine on the wall and it does seem to sound better in that position.
Only reason i had to let go mines. I don’t think any soundbar can sound this good. Don’t know about Ambeo. I really wish they had the option of adding a sub.
I am by no means an audiophile but I watch you faithfully. You and Kristie are the best at what you do. I'm not sure who writes the scripts but the command of the English language is inspiring. Hopefully, some of your younger viewers are taking notes.
After having this soundbar for about a year now, I think I love it even more than when I first bought it. It's actually so good that I don't even enjoy listening to music on a few of my Bose systems because the B&O is that much better. The Bose soundbars are very good, but even with the subs, the B&O has a crisp quality sound that makes the Bose sound dull. Anyone that is not impressed probably hasn't used the mobile app to tune. The default Movie and default Music are excellent. I actually was turned off by the default TV setting because it literally sounds like a basic, yet quality TV. Although a basic TV sound isn't the worst thing in the world when trying to wind down for bed or just trying to hear dialog.
This is perfect for me with small children as I have a full music system in a single box that doesn't have knobs for toddlers to turn, yet I can still enjoy audiophile-level sound quality. Yes, the bass has its volume limitations, but it's low and beautifully accurate.
I have been a B&O customer for years and I have been stuck between the Stage and Muso 2. This is the first direct-ish comparison between the two and I am so thankful.
I have listened to both an for music the Naim is way better. I wouold go for the Naim for music and another soundbar for tv and movies. Maybe the Klipsch Cinema 1200.
I enjoy this product's ability to automatically double as a HiFi system or TV sound system by switching sound profiles.
I find it excellent with music. There are likely better TV speaker systems if you already have a dedicated music setup in the room, but otherwise the convenience and practicality is excellent.
I find the EQ difficult to correctly set or understand, even though the UI is so easy to use. I just bumped treble +1 and bass -2 and that seems decent.
Hey Andrew, thanks for bringing light to this product. I have been trying to get a soundbar system for my living room with the greater priority on music as I am a singer songwriter and spend a great deal of time listening in the living room. I tested each sound system with my producer as he has a trained ear.
I first purchased the Samsung q950t and immediately noticed the immersion and it was absolutely amazing for movies. Music on the other hand wasn’t to my liking and even though it does not matter too much - I was just not too fond of the look of it.
We then purchased the Sonos arc, sub (gen3) and Sonos 1s for surround and we did not like it one bit. Both movies and music we found were very lifeless - really could not compare to the q950t in both music and moveis. The subwoofer however was very nice!
Returned the Sonos, and purchased the Bose 700 and 700 sub - and found it to be amazing for music. Clear voices and great soundstage - very immersive. Great seperation of instruments and once I have added the sub, the sound really opened up. My producer agreed that this was the best one so far and that it portrayed the music with a great feel and tone.
Then we saw your video about the stage, and wanted to test the Bose against it before we settle on one. After testing it against the Bose side by side, I have to say the stage may not have the widest soundstage and did not sound the greatest for movies or tv shows but for music - perfect. Comparing the sound to the Bose with the subwoofer, the Bose sounded very thin lacking the punch out of the soundbar. It was no contest. The word my producer used to describe it was dynamic. The drums were felt, the bass coming from the single soundbar you could feel, and playing with all the sound profiles is really great. Once we tweaked with all the sound adjustments we were able to tune the music to our liking. The stage is the one that I now have mounted on my wall.
Thank you for your reviews and I hope whoever reads this and is in the market for a soundbar for music and is willing to spend the money, that my experience comparing each against each other helps you out. If cost for the stage is too high, the Bose is the next one I would have kept.
Just brought this 3 weeks ago after watching 👀 many reviews. There presentation opening the box and app set-up is real classy compared to most I seen. I am blown away at the sound and for being a piece art build wise. App is great, 1st time didn't touch any settings. Tuning was right for all eq settings. No need for subwoofer 🎉. If had surround speakers it be hard to beat. But love this purchase. It doesn't try and be something it's not just great sound and looks and build quality. While others promise you the moon and under perform. Though about you, word pleasant while listening lol, and they are. But for your question , I think B&O do the best job with style and design with great sound. I seen there products that are 17 yrs old that still look and sound great. If I ever get a chance, would love to own those beosound 28😊. You and your wife do a great job, 👍 you both add too it and great for 2 points of view.
Excellent episode. I’ve been a big B&O fan since 70’s and owned several of their products but never speakers. This review is just what I needed to revisit them. I love the flexibility of this soundbar. You are one of the best reviewers not only on UA-cam but anywhere. Thanks for the excellent content
I have been a B&O fan since the 80's when I was just out of high school. I had a mission that I would own some B&O products once I made enough money...LOL! Could not walk pass a store that sold B&O without drooling and walking inside. Loved the clean modern industrial design as well as the clean sound. Bass heads wouldn't like their products. So when I purchased my first house, I gifted myself with the Beosound 2500. And since then, have owned several B&O components. The market is changing and I am fan of the older products. But I did recently stop by a B&O retailer to check out the Stage. He said he didn't like the white color of the base but I thought it came in other colors. Still a fan and looking forward to purchase more of their products in the future.
@@gerardmcmillan8591 Same as now I own a lot off B&O stuff
Could not agree more, in 2 weeks i tried the LG sn11rg, did not really liked it, then tried the klipsch the fives, better to my taste than the LG but still i was missing something. Then tried the B&O stage and really falled in love with them. Will Never turn back again.
I used all your videos on those three products before ordering. Thanks for this :)
I love how you mention movies when reviewing your products. I feel like so many reviews fail to mention that and only focus on music. I personally use my home speakers and my headphones for mostly movies and tv shows. I cant be the only one.
I am glad you ended up purchasing the Beosound Stage yourself, since I unfortunately was not able to help you (sorry), so you could test it.
I actually bought the exact same version like you, and also had second thoughts about the white base. But since I ended up hanging it on the wall, it is not an issue, to my opinion. On the contrairy, it actually look quite good that way. So I have kept it for over a year by now.
And boy, can it play! Both when watching movies (it can be pretty scary actually!) but also when listening to music, especially on a daily basis.
By the way, you can operate it (and the LG tv-panel) with the Beoremote 1 - which I of course chose to purchase in bronze as well. A very nice set :-)
Design ? Bang and Olufsen, no contest or discussion. If I ever win a lottery, first two purchases would be an 88 inch Beovision Harmony television with two Beolab 90 ‘s.
I am a B&O lover/customer from way back. I lost enthusiasm for their products when Streaming became their focus. I had a hard enough time when their audio systems went to power amplifiers built into the loudspeakers and out of the receivers. My love is still back in the boxy 6000 series and previous 8000, 7000 etc. series.
I disagree with what you said a commenter posted. You are a very good reviewer. Good broad range of human perceptions of a particular product. I really enjoyed this one on the B&O Stage. As far as the problem you have with the white base, I have a solution for that in which I and many B&O owners use. To improve the looks of some of their products, we apply stained wood veneer to them. I have recently used real leather on smaller sections of vintage B&O Products. My son covered an old Sony Subwoofer and it came out beautiful. On many Vintage B&O stereo systems, wood veneer makes the product much less clinical looking and adds to its warmth.
A number of years ago, I think around 2003, one of my customers (I was a field tech) had a B+O television and iiirc, it was very nicely designed but it is the only B+O television I ever saw in a customers home. Always loved the B+O turntable from the 70s with the finger touch control buttons.
Its a fantastic soundbar, no wonder they sell very well. I got mine in the summer 2020 and have no regrets its just amazing.
Thank you for sharing your personal experience!
@J SR The company is in Denmark, not sure where Stage is produced.
Andrew I want a simple solution for my living room (medium-large rectangular shape, system to be placed on the shorter side) under my TV. Intended for streaming music and Netflix movies.
Currently what would you do from the following?
1. B&O stage at 1350 eur (current discount price together with B&O remote control)
2. Wait for the new ambeo plus (at 1600 eur) expected on October
3. Wait for the new JBL 1000 (at 1200 eur) expected on October
* Not going to pay 2200 eur for the big Ambeo and generally I could wait for the new soundbars
I would really appreciate your view!
I have a b&o beosound stage. I have the aluminium with the black base which I think looks better as the base blends in a lot better. I have mine set up in a small room and the Dolby Atmos does work really well but I don’t know how well it would work in a bigger room. Not being able to add extra speakers and a sub is a downside but the 4 mini subs built in really do pack a punch
My brother works at a Bang and Olefson store and he just showed me the Beolab 90 speakers and i am blown away
Ok then after a long journey of should I shouldn’t I buy the stage, a faulty ambeo, the appalling sound quality of the Sony a7000, then also trying the Sonos arc, I realise iI should have gone with the stage from the start. I was on a mission to get the most immersive surround experience possible without rear speakers. I always thought the immersion was more important than anything else. I was soooo wrong. The pure quality of the sound on offer through the beosound stage completely overshadows the fact it’s only a 3.1 system. The bass goes as deep as you’d need it to I’m a moderately sized living area. The detail and of sound coming through is incredible. My ambeo is an issue with failing to finish the calibration after connecting a sub. I thought the ambeo was king of sound when it came to sound bars but I genuinely think the stage gives a much more balanced sound. When I first switched it on we had the original Jurassic park on tv. It was the scene where the kids are running from the raptors through the restaurant kitchen. When the kids ran and hid there was definite depth to the sound even without surround. The sound of the footsteps were coming forward as they were running towards the camera. That surprised me. Then the sound of the raptor breathing on the door window, as random as that scene my seem, was so cinematic, the deep bass seriously added to that effect. Build quality is the best bar none. The app is easy to use, is actually say the best I’ve used for a sound system. This is by far the best sounding bar, in my opinion, on the market.
Could you kindly share your movie watching setting? I cant seems to get much surround sound effect when watching movies…
@@isaaccruel3994 sorry but I can’t now. The stage developed a fault that kept randomly switching my tv on through the hdmi sync when no one was around. The fault was confirmed by my point of sale and I returned it. I’ve now gone back to the ambeo and so far no issues with that. Now I have a working ambeo I’m very happy with it. Good look with your settings.
My fav youtuber...your videos made me to decide my choice of soundbar. Your video's are extremely focussed on basics. Thankyou..wish you good times ahead.
Two things I love about my stage..... 1. The sound is amazing for the size!!! 2. This thing looks amazing.... It looks like artwork and not a clumsy soundbar
I think B&O is head and shoulder above anyone else when it comes to design. Amazing design.
Most off tech is B&O TV HIFI CD speakers turn table
I had Bose, H&K, sennheiser, sonos and jbl for years. But the day I visited a B&O store I noticed how overpriced and bad the others are if your compare them correctly - they are all producing mid-range basic sound that can’t stand any deep sound and cheap materials and design. But I think psychology is the key why people love buying those things.
Hi Andrew, thanks for this great review. I got early access to the Beosound Stage back at its UK launch in October 2019 to review on my channel, so I'm sorry to hear that you are having trouble getting access to B&O products. Please reach out if you would like any help or support with B&O products as I have been working with these for many years and covering them on my channel. Best regards, Steve at Sounds Heavenly (B&O Brand Ambassador).
Love the intro redesign and the chapter options within your video. Thoughtful touch.
Thanks for noticing!
@@andrewrobinsonreviews Says Andrew while Kristi is off screen with fists on her hips! 😂 😜
I am a budding audiophile, albeit 'budding' because life happened and my financial situation is less than ideal. However, I have been able to purchase a couple of Beoplay A1 speakers (which, with the correct positioning, are superb) and the H9i headphones. So far I am extremely happy with the products and will (hopefully!) continue to use B&O kit will into the future.
Thank you for your review!
I came from a total 7.1 Yamaha amp system with Paradigm speakers to a sound bar solution. It took a few years for tech to get to a point I could compromise. I live in a unit now so I downsized to a Sonos eco system. I bought the Sonos arc dual subs and 1 SL’s which were sold and replaced with Dual Sonos 5’s for rears. This is what’s made the system amaze me. The arc by itself is nice but it’s not going to impress as a all in one unit. Any sound bar for full theatre experience needs a sub and surrounds this unit maxed out “in speaker config” delivers in a smaller footprint but it is amazing. You should consider purchasing this setup as they have a great return policy and review it.
$2.5k for a soundbar? I'm not much of a soundbar person anyway but I would certainly not pay that. I do have a Bose SB at my vacation condo and bought it for size and simplicity for the location. And it enhances the sound a lot. Buying it 'open box' made it a good deal for what I got.
4:10 The small circle slider in the app can be expanded together with Bang & Olufsen Beolit 20 and Beosound Level by putting your thumb and index finger together on that little circle and then pulling them apart! That way, you can broaden the sound image to your taste for music or movies! I learned it from another person! Now I don't know if you can do the same with the app together with the Beosound Stage Soundbar, but if you can, it could be useful!
Copy and paste this, and listen through the whole video ----> Steve at Sounds Heavenly - 3 easy ways to improve the sound of Beolit 20 and Beolit 17 Bluetooth speakers for music and movies!
I learned it from him!
Man, my cats would LOVE that B&O grill as a scratching post!
I’d send the cat packing after that.
Yeah, you're not alone... my first thought as well.
Love your channel, happy you have now reviewed all the soundbars that matter. Gonna cut short here, so my dad has the Samsung sound bar, the 9.1 and I have the B&O Sound Stage, we both got it recently, I gotta say, it's not even a competion, the B&O is just eargasm all the way. Even if the Samsung is better for movie watching with it's rear speakers...it's total garbage listening to music. If you want an allrounder I think the Sound Stage is the best option on the market. The app is damn good too, and the design...it's like a block of art, unlike the plasticy Samsung :)) my dad is going to return it after hearing my B&O play Eagles - Hotel California haha.
Agree 100%. I listened to to Sonos Arc. It sounded like a tin can as it was setup in the store.
Great start to 2021. Been waiting for the review. Thank You. And that color combination. Loving it. That’s my next purchase. Thx’s again
Thanks for watching! We hope you enjoy it!
Industrial design - hard to beat B&O over the years. Other companies may have a bright spark from time to time but B&O have a steady hot flame over decades. If you ever saw the 9000 series 'music centres' or the 8000 speakers back when they were new you'd think that the future had arrived. 30/40 years later and they still look like they came from the future. Best possible sound? Nope, not then, not now. But the experience and the sound? Nonpareil! A light touch on the remote and the surface of the 9000 slides open for a cd, another touch, a gentle shhh sound and the cd starts playing. Touch the glass and the unit springs to life with just the controls you need for the function. Aluminium and dense black plastic still seamless after decades. I love it.
I disagree. To me, that design is trapped in the early 1990s and looks so old in the 21st century. All the chrome and silliness just doesn't fit into todays portable, digital lifestyle. It's old. Really old.
@@BarcelonasHotCrowd well, hi-fi is not portable is it? It's a different paradigm, but B&O do make some lovely looking portable audio as well.
Good design is not a matter of time. Fashion on the other hand is. Good design always pleases the eye.
Thank you Andrew. I have enjoyed all of your reviews that I have watched and truly appreciate your approach. It helps that our basis for evaluation is similar- enjoy the best you can afford and enjoy more as you can afford more... Continued success!
I had a very similar experience with B&O for the first time. Way ahead of their times. That’s probably why I enjoy your channel so much.
People complain about B&O being to expensive. There are other audio names that are much more costly but you like what you like. Some people like Hondas and some people like Mercedes. You pay for what you like or save up enough until you get it or you just don't get it.
Keep in mind that if you ever on-sell your B&O kit, they command good prices 2nd hand. What you pay initially, you will get back at the other end vs the black-box products.
Great review! I have been waiting for this one to make a decision based on ambeo or the sound stage. I went to a store to listen to the ambeo and was blown away by the surround sound experience but was left extremely disappointed when streaming music via Bluetooth. Even the guy at the store could not figure it out why it sounded so bad when playing music and even re-calibrated the ambeo and toggled the settings but to no avail.
The remote control is over £300 but I just use my phone. It sounds great and goes with my LG GX. B&O sell the LG TV and B&O soundbar on a stand as a package.
My first set of floor standing speakers were B&O Beovox 5000-2 acoustic suspension speakers that I bought in Germany in 1969..before there was even a name for vintage gear and they were wonderful
Bang & Olufsen is in fact one of my favorite audio brands regarding design. I absolutely adorde their Beosound 1, 2 and the Beosound Balance. My other brands would be Bowers & Wilkins (I still love my B&W P5 S2), KEF and Bose. The KEF LS 50 Wireless are gorgeous and I like the styling of the Bose soundbars and their Home Speakers, not just because I own a Bose Soundbar 500. They may not be as "warm" stylewise as the other brands, but the hit the almost ideal mark between industrial styling and sleekness.
I’ve heard there should be a new sound bar in the pipeline from B&O before Christmas. It should be called Beosound theatre and should be able to handle a surround sound setup 😀🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻
Har set post omkring dette på Beoworld, men har du source tættere på Struer? Er meget interesseret i, om hvorvidt det er det en Stage med ekstra udgange, eller hvorvidt der er en opgradering udover dette? Noget du måske kan kaste lys over?
@@Tobias810 jeg ville ønske jeg vidste mere. 🤞🏻 finger for den kan lave surround Sound 😀🤞🏻
@@Tobias810 tænker det vil være et naturligt skridt for dem at lave en Soundbar med sorround Sound. Da de jo praktisk talt er det de sælger idag forklædt som et beovision Eclipse og harmony.
It's out now, should be ready for buying or at least ordering today. Just watched it with all types of finish on the B&O website
Hello Andrew,
Thanks for nudging me to audition the Stage at B&O, a test it passed with flying colors. “Pleasing” is a very good way to describe the sound. By the way, the ARC connection means you can control volume and mute with the remote control of your smart TV.
I agree with your thoughts on the white base, and opted for the smoked oak with black base. Sound? Among numerous positives, I was surprised by no longer having to mute every ad because some actually have decent sound.
In conclusion, I’m wondering if Kristi and you may revisit the Stage, this time with a black base . . . ? Happy Listening.
In terms of industrial design, I like B&O and Naim. I also love some of the retro-looking Klipsch products.
What is your take on b&w formation line
You weren't kidding when you said you love reviewing sound bars :) You're almost making me want to try one
Great review! Totally spot on I got mine in November for the bedroom and its in its element I would say great for bedroom music or bedroom binge watching. its funny as I almost purchased the ambeo based on your review then I demoed the stage and revox studioart. It was so close between the Revox and Ambeo but the Soundstage was just a lot more musical and the design just stunning.
So the answer to your question for design. 1.Bowers & Wilkins 2.Bang & Olufsen 3.Revox/Naim I can't decide lol
I watched the outtakes and I gotta say I like your attitude dude. Keep on keeping on!
The placement and positioning is interesting. It looks almost like it should be wall mounted to have the drivers face you. Hard to wrap my head around vocals firing upwards.
I know, right? And yet, it works and sounds THE SAME whether you table or wall mount it (so long as you tell it what configuration it is setup in, in the App).
@@andrewrobinsonreviews Great to know! Beautiful product.
@@andrewrobinsonreviews -- I shared the same thought you were just showing it "prone". I went to the B&O site. Any shot with a TV (including the spec page) showed drivers facing forward. A couple "glamour shots" showed it facing up (but one of those was close to floor). You say "tell it...in setup", so it must be an option -- bizarre.
Good to see a B&O review. Shame they don't seem to get the value of UA-cam as a viable option for promoting their products.
That's because when you go technical the lose big on their price range.
Hi Andrew
Please do more B&O reviews as I’m long time fan of both you and B&O thanks 👍
They are definitely not going to send him products and I’d guess he can’t afford to buy their products on the regular.
This is the best review channel I have ever seen. When it comes to everything I love I find it here.
Wow, thanks!
Another great review. I love how the images and graphics so beautifully compliment Andrew's commentary. It must involve a huge amount of editing and camera work but boy, the effort is worth it! 🙂👍
Much appreciated!
Best hands down appearance for me is Technics. Best in value & looks is Denon 600/800 amps. Q acoustics for bookshelf speakers. Best vintage Pioneer SX-850. Best vintage looking speaker Advent Laureate floor standing. (Still own!).
I adore my Stage. Looks and works best wall mounted.
thats what i thought isnt it supposed to be wall mounted thats why its white?
I think B&O missed a great opportunity by not allowing it to be paired with a BeoLab 19, or for that matter, a pair of M3’s as rear channels for true surround sound. I’ve been trying to see if a WiSA capable TV could bridge the gap, to justify my spending … but i don’t know if it’s possible. In any case, great review, enjoyed watching / listening. 👍🏽
I have an A9 sitting next to the TV that would make a great sub - couldn't agree more! That said, it feels like something that could be changed with a software upgrade...
@@robertstone5417 If the sound bar has multi-point bluetooth, then yeah it’s a software upgrade. Otherwise, if it can’t already pair with at least two simultaneous Bluetooth sources, then pairing with a Bluetooth speaker isn’t feasible. However, it has internet streaming capability if I recall correctly, so it should theoretically be possible to pair with another internet connected B&O speaker. They’d just have to factor in things like latency in their code. But will they do it? Probably not, such an upgrade is worth purchasing the next generation for the first generation buyers. 😩🤷🏽♂️
An honest sounding review if I've ever heard one, and the white base bothers me too (especially at that price)
I quite like the white base with the bronze. Is the negativity less about how it looks than it is about quality connotations given that cheap things are often white?
@@andrewwilson8273 Yes !!
It's ridiculous isn't it? I cant abide white speakers. Yet there is no way that should matter to their sound
Design:
B&O in general, B&W (the Nautilus and 800 series), Avantgard-Acoustic ( horn-style is timeless ), Devialet, Focal (towerspeakers like the utopia )
Love your content! Hoping for a Sonos Arc review in the future!
Ditto.
We've asked to review their products many times and they continue to say they don't have units to send us so until that changes, a Sonos review is unlikely to happen.
I love my Stage, it's epic, combined with the B&O S8 you will have the base which might be missing for some users. Works like a dream.
How do I pair it with the s8? Do you use Airplay 2? And how about for movies? :)
@@alexanderulv3886 B&O PLAY Connection Hub?
Hey Andrew, you have done such a great review on the Beosound STAGE that I actually bought one. Can you review more B&O products? The newly released Belolab 18, Besound Level and Balance definitely need your way of reviewing. Please consider. Thanks again :)
We bought ours when the lockdown happened, we have enjoyed it, your review is spot on. I just had a issue pop up, while listening on the TV mode I have a very loud ting bell sound on top of the sound it’s playing, I can switch to evening or movie mode and it goes away. I have reached out to B&O and not found a fix. Thanks for the review.
I have a B&O answering machine. A rare beast that still works great after 30 years
Nice review Andrew, I went through a B&O stage, restoring some of the 80`s gear & living with them for a while. My opinion of the B&O sound from that gear was - its fun & enjoyable, but not hifi. The internal build quality was shockingly bad on units like the Beomaster 8000, thats what really turned me off their gear.
In my opinion sound bars are ok. I am a music listener first so tend to prefer speakers, the DSPs in sound bars do a good job to a limit but at higher volumes for larger rooms sound bars don’t sound good. Great review as usual!
Besides John Darko, your the best 😏
Love your calming voice. Most topics are very interesting and gives me the info I want to know.
Just keep ‘m coming !
Greetz from the Netherlands 🇳🇱
Nou ik kijk geen John Darko meer sinds hij de comments uit heeft gezet.
Ik snap opzich wel dat Darko dan meer tijd over houdt, dus meer content creëert en dus meer inkomsten heeft.
Maar de interactie van youtubers met het publiek is toch wel een essentieel onderdeel, anders is het net kabel TV.
@Qorax Darko is free to do with his channel what he wants. If he feels it is in his best interest to turn off comments, that is his choice and, honestly, I get it. We try not to compare ourselves to other channels/creators, and wish everyone the best and much success.
@@andrewrobinsonreviews Yes, I've heard his arguments and I agree that they're all valid, but I just draw a different conclusion from it, since I think comments are an integral part of UA-cam.
I mean, the fact that the comment section costs a lot of time to manage, time which could've been spend on creating more content leading to higher income is a valid argument... but disabling it channel wide, removes one of the most important features of UA-cam - interaction of the host with his viewers.
So my conclusion is that UA-cam might not be the right type of platform for him; disabling comments is just a workaround to make it work for him.
I think of the "disable comments" feature as a last resort if the whole comment section turns foul or gets overran by spambots (when posting highly controversial content for example).
This is the review i was looking for. I am a owner of Beosound Stage and i LOVE IT.
Great recorded video and audio,very relaxing to watch and learn. Thank you. Usefull material
I lost the B&O bottle opener that I got with my Beogram 2400 some time ago. Yeah, I finally tossed out the turntable just in time for the vinyl resurgence 🙄 Honestly though, I’m more upset about losing the bottle opener because it only took up a bit of space. Where oh where have you gone, my wee enabler?
I’ve been waiting for your review on B&O’s Stage! Woo-hoo!!!
Hope it was worth the wait!
@@andrewrobinsonreviews Yes, absolutely - great review! Love the Stage in Anthracite, will almost blend in with my living room wall!
Sonos Arc just looks the best soundbar in my opinion 👍🏻
MICHAEL MCDEVITT i own thé sonos and lacks delivery of bass, and any spatial surround sound. Avoid it and get an AV receiver
today I went to shop and hear both stage and naim, it is really hard for me to decide which one, both looks very nice. I like the look of naim a bit more tho, but the sound of stage was a bit more dominating the room
Well i think you an the wife are doin a bang up job!!
That new intro music is pretty sick!!!
I like Bower's and Wilkins design language... and hate to say it but Bose had decent designs too. I really like the look of LG too.
Thanks for noticing the new music! It was time for a change.
@@KristiWright Just had an idea... not sure what ya two have planned but, you ever think of interviewing like designers, or... heads of these companies of any of the products Andrew reviews?
I always like seeing what some of them have to say about their brand and maybe audio... philosophy? i guess thats what i'd call it.
I follow another YT'er called Hexibase. He's a sound engineer/designer and he's doing some real neat stuff with 3D Printing speakers.
I'm just excited to see the channel growing more! And both of you giving it your all!! No BS, i think this is a top notch production and i could see this channel getting even bigger for sure!
In a strange way people not being to go places sure left us with a lot of time on our hands and what better way to occupy said time with some Andrew Robinson + the Mrs.... I got my coffee and my fuzzy bathrobe on LETS DO THIS!!
As a very happy B&O owner, it s a very pleasing sound 😊 5:17
I bought mine last year same model as yours. I´m so happy with my Stage. :-)
This guy is excellent, speaks like Kevin spacey.
Sir t beosound stage or t bose 900 with t bass 700.which will sound better overall?
I really love listening to music but wouldn't call myself an audiophile, I do however really love your reviews and will use them to sway my future purchase decisions. I see a lot of blown up UA-cam content on Devialet 'high-end consumer' products such as the Premier Phantoms, I know its not as easy as asking and receiving, but I would love to hear your opinion on them and thier performance - are they really all hype or is there high quality behind them?
if you were to compare the STAGE vs the Bose ultra and the Dione.....which one is the best pick...and I do know that the Bose is considerably cheaper in price...but at times more expensive doesn't always mean better
have you tested Beo Sound Emerge yet?
I would like to see your opinion about it!!
Didn't hear any outside noise creeping in at all, even while listening on headphones! Thanks for the review, as always, Andrew!
Awesome, thank you!
This was exactly the review I've been waiting for! Thanks so much Andrew! Tough to pick between the Naim and the B&O here - but I do agree that the B&O seems more flexible, especially since it can be wall mounted or placed on the counter.
I love their turntables. I have a Beogram TX and a Beogram 8000.
Only Samsung 950T comes close to AMBEO. And its 950T is 1500 euros cheaper!
I bought 950T yesterday hopefully it exceeds my expectation. TY for the 950T Review Andrew!
I would like to hear your professional opinion on the Sonos Arc; of course the Arc is a lot less expensive than the B&O, hence to my ears the Arc competes with the best in the business. Thank you for your excellent reviews.
I love those tone controls on the app, it's such great design. I do find it odd though that in B&O's marketing they really don't show it in the configuration you have it. Their marketing pictures really hides those bases. That really doesn't give you a true picture of what it could look like in any other orientation.
I think they do that because the bases are sort of blah, unless you get one of the finishes with a black base. The App is sooooo good!
Good review, but I'm a bit confused. You had it sitting on the table which shoots sound straight up and above your head for the atmos part. Seems like sound would suffer a bit to me. Did you ever notice a difference in sound quality in front of the speakers and off-axis?
Hi, Stage owner here, you can chose from the app if you have the stage flatt or wall mounted (facing front) and the acoustics will adapt to that. I have mine currently flat and I noticed no difference, both music and movie
Awesome finally seeing some great Danish audio products on your channel 👌👌
I have a 5000 System with a set of Beolab Pentas. Was a set up I wanted since I was a kid visiting the store.
If this was to be updated with outputs for a sub & surrounds and more importantly, an updated HDMI 2.1 input I'd be very interested in this. Here's hoping.
sad for the price it’s not even up to date.
When I look at your room, you could definitely be Danish. Light colors, minimalistic yet still warm, classic designs...
Hey Andrew, after viewing this vid i decided to pick the blk/blk sound Stage. Thanks for your insight on the white base looking cheap. I totally agreed with you. I didn’t want this to stand out laying it in front of my New 8K 75” Samsung TV. Now, the sound? Wow, I was very impressed. The lows are great the voices are crisp and the overall listening experience is v nice. I decided to keep it. When i. Really want to fill my entire large room? I have a full Martin Logan system for those times. But at night when i want to keep it a tad “ stealth”? I use the Sound Stage . Thxs again, Tom C.
If not in the US, at least in the Germanic world (which includes Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and The Netherlands as well as Germany itself), this particular 'shade' of white is considered very elegant and luxurious. At some point in their production run almost every B&O product is available in a white version as a limited-edition usually at a hefty premium.
P.S. Have you never seen a Mercedes Benz S-class with an all white (not off-white or cream, mind you, but Ice White) leather interior? Only we Americans view it as 'tacky.'
Well, for my situation getting the black/black exterior was perfect. You really don’t even notice there is a sound bar in front of my tv.
Waiting to see some b&o on this channel
Damn happy to see it finally
Hope it was worth the wait! Hopefully there will be more Bang & Olufsen products on this channel in the future.
I'd be happy to see more B&O.
40 years ago I was a big fan of B&O...back when they had a permanent display of their wares at the New York Museum of modern art (I think that was the venue). BUT B&O has been acquired by Harmon-Kardon which is not the original HK, either, but is now an Asian company. So my question is whether B&O still has company autonomy that allows it be the B&O of the original independent company. I am about to receive a B&O sound system in a new Ford Mustang Mach E. But I always loved B&O back in the day...and even still have the 4002 Turntable (1973) which, sadly, has an electronic problem which makes it impossible to use (turntable speed controller failure). But when you say "pleasing" I fully understand. If everything in life is a compromise, then B&O always made the right compromises to produce an especially "pleasing" result. I listen to classical (mostly), jazz, and the "Great American Songbook" (aka Sinatra, Bennett, Fitzgerald, etc.). For these "natural" sounds B&O always delivered. So, bottom line, is the B&O of the present (owned by HK) not a degradation of the B&O of. yore?
B&O automotive was acquired by Harman not regular B&O.
That's not true. They sold out the automotive division as Tonkerdog points out. They are still very much self owned and autonomous. A chinese investor does own 20% though. They sold the automotive part of the company to focus on their main business. You're still getting a true B&O experience in your home - that's partly why they're struggling as a company all the time. Even here in Denmark, no one really buys B&O because of the cost.
are there any records of B&O being there?
I have a Stage as well and use it on our dining room for music only and the sound is amazing. Love this Sound bar and the build quality is super!
Thanks for great review. With a small apartment I didn’t know which way to go, your review helped me finally make a decision. Thanks guys
This review was very helpful. Looking for an all-in-one system that favors music. My introduction to B&O was similar to yours and I have become completely enamored by the A9-any chance you’d do a review?
He has now done one btw
Could you do a video on controlling ambient lighting? We all really need that one!!
😂