★ *REVIEWING: **bit.ly/3da6VmI**, **amzn.to/3d1L14S* ★ *QOTD: What matters most to you when it comes to a product like the Level? How would you use it in your home?* ★ *Love our conversation/outtakes? Be sure to watch to the end* ★ *COMMENT RULES: Please be respectful. No outside links, URLs, email addresses, etc. Violations are automatically deleted.*
I think there are many ways to enjoy listening to music. If I want to hear the best possible sound, I fire up my main system and really get into the music. Other times I just want to put on my headphones and listen privately and not disturb others. I also have a small portable bluetooth speaker to take outside or listen in the bedroom or on my desktop. I enjoy all of these options for different reasons and applications. Thanks for reviewing different options like this. This hobby isn't a one size fits all.
For $1,700 US this thing should be able to function without Google Home getting in the way, or better, without it being enabled at all. Does it work at all if you only connect it to your phone and not the rest of the world? It’s a Bluetooth speaker and you might want to use it at the beach or camping, although there would be the “fear of scratches” factor at that point. Looks like I’m not quite ready to give up on my Klipsch KMC1 or bicep breaking KMC3. They do exactly what it says on the tin. They both ROAR!
One of the most interesting portable speakers I've seen reviewed, and a quick question - are the 39hz claims accurate? If so, this B&O stands alone, and I would definitely consider buying it. Thanks again Drew and Kristy for the video!
Wow. The controls illuminate when you approach the speaker. I watched this video a year ago and never picked up this feature. Over the past year I have watched countless RUclips videos on Bang & Olufsen and I can safely conclude that this here above video is the best.
I guess I was so impressed, I have 4 B&O Levels set up as 2 pairs, and can play via AirPlay all 4 speakers at the same time. The scalability and quality of sound fills the room, the DSP is precise, and has the flexibility to increase its stereo imaging through the App. With 4 Levels you don’t need to push the volume to hard, with the quality of sound being tight. And yes, Google Assistant is a drag 😅
Never clicked on a video so fast. I've been waiting for this video since I found out about this speaker! We desperately need one of either a desktop/laptop, TV or travel speaker and I thought this might tick at least two of the boxes at once (our TV is in a small space, so not enough room for full hifi system). I'm about to get married, so would like to put a speaker solution on our wedding list, something that will last for years to come! Looking forward to listening to the review!
@Andrew Robinson finished watching. Thanks Kristi for testing as a desktop speaker, that's 2 of 3 boxes ticked! Really great to hear that a speaker this portable can take so much guesswork out of buying a multi-device setup and still deliver on performance. Hope they release an update to allow you to turn the AI off, although this will replace an Echo for me so I'll probably make use of it.
Really great review! I do really like how you talk about the mindset, and use cases for this speaker system. For me, B&O has really always been about the magic of it's design mixed with the fantastic sound their products produce. So I really love the way the touch controls light up as you approach. It's always amazing to me how some groups of people will write that brand off because of their unnatural design style. I remember the first time I saw a Beocenter 9000 in operation with how the doors vanish under an aluminum plate to give you access to a CD player and a cassette deck, and that it's a product designed in the 1980's and has not one single physical button. The moment I saw that, I knew that's what I wanted, and I've been blessed to be able to enjoy this brand. They make some truly wonderful products.
I yes it all depends on your needs and your listening habits. If you're just using it to stream music at low volumes sure it'll be fine. However, when you want to truly hear music and it's greatest form, there's no replacement for displacement.
@@hemicuda9510 I would say yes and no because high end head phones do sound awesome and are tiny compared to large speakers. But yes because even the head phones need a pretty good sound source which may include turntable, receiver etc.
Thanks! And I am going to get back to you (email). We were traveling, but I have ideas on how we can collaborate. Give me a few days but I'll be in touch!
I bought a B&O Level partly based on this review so I’ll share my thoughts for anyone thinking of buying one. After spending some time with it, there are definitely positives and negatives to the product. On the positive side, it looks very stylish and has good sound quality, especially at mid-volumes. It doesn’t distort at higher volumes, but the sound seems notably compressed, with a loss of dynamics. Playing at 50-60% volume seems ideal. There are a few significant physical design flaws. One of the most annoying is that it’s almost impossible to move the level without touching one of the presets. This happens every time, no matter how carefully I try to avoid touching them. The wall mount works - sort of - but doesn’t feel especially secure. It’s also very difficult to have the charger make proper contact when the Level is mounted on the wall. I have to take it off the wall now to charge it, which seems ridiculous. The app is pretty useless beyond the initial set-up. It’s annoying to have to use multiple apps in the first place, and none of them work together particularly well. If you’re playing music in one app and open the B&O app to adjust the sound, the music will abruptly stop playing. The song will be visible in the app but won’t play through the B&O app. The same goes for my iTunes library. I can connect to it within the B&O app but none of the songs are playable. The whole thing just feels broken and unintuitive. Lastly, the LED light near the play button comes on sometimes but I can’t figure out what the colours are supposed to signify. Right now, for example, it’s amber/orange which according to the website means there’s no network connection, and yet I’m playing music through ApplePlay. Sometimes when I start playing a song the volume will be very low and can’t be adjusted so I’ll have to power off the Level and turn it back on to fix this. In general it feels like I either have a faulty product, or the Level itself is just a bit buggy and problematic. Do I regret buying it? Not really. I do enjoy it overall and it fits my space and design aesthetics. I do think it could be better designed considering the price. It does feel premium, but also poorly-considered in a few important aspects.
Update: I did a factory reset and it’s connected to wifi again. There was also an update of the B&O app which corrects the problem of the music stopping when the app opens.
Update 2: The Level will no longer charge through the magnetic charger. I have to remove the rubber gasket thing and plug the usb charger directly into unit. This is after approximately a month of light use.
@@ericfan9149 try to clean the charging pins on the magnetic charger. Its common for these sort of pins connection to lose charging connection when its even slightly dirty
In the last 9 months using a pair of B&O Level I have had to remove the battery and reset them up twice. If taking one of the pairs out of the room with the wireless lan router in it the pairing stops and will not re-establish - full reset after batteries removed. For no apparent reason Google Assistant will respond to a silent room. It will beep/buzz perhaps reconnecting to wi-fi or Bluetooth every now and again. Volume will sometimes dip and fix itself a minute or two later. They don't function correctly as speakers to computer or television due to the lag.
That oak unit is beautiful! The portability is a big deal to me, as I already walk around my apartment with a JBL Charge. But I would certainly keep the Level mainly in the kitchen. Great review, as always!
Hey Andrew, after watching this vid? I gave the Level a shot. ( gold/oak). It’s in my bedroom and it does a really nice job. I had a software issue but B&o was quick to fix the problem and said that one more issue? They would rush another out to me. Great service. It’s because of your review i decided to give it a try, so thank you again. Tom C.
Hi! Thanks for the experience sharing. I am looking for a portable speaker for very low volumes to use in hotel rooms. I am considering B&O Beosound Level or Dali Katch G2. I usually get uncomfortable with the portable speakers due to the wooomf sound which is I think caused by the bass distortion ar the fake (imitaded) bass. Almost all have this problem. Would you recommend the Level for very low volumes? Or should I get a smaller one like Dali Katch G2? But the sound of Dali Katch G2 is a bit thin and brittle. I am not sure... Thanks.
A lot of haters in the comments. I thoroughly enjoyed the review and the wood finish looked so amazing, thank you for focusing on design as well as sound. Love hearing your conversation at the end as always.
I had a B&O wake up call. At the time, late 70s, my system was a 1m tall rack of Sansui 19inch, equipment, and a pair of Cerwin Vega 185 litre 15inch speakers, but I was shocked at a party to listen to a small B&O stereo that blowed the hat of my equipment, and was powerful enough to vibrate a speaker to fall of a shelf and hit one party guest in the potato
I'd argue that the level is an excellent addition to any audiophile's collection rather than choosing one over another. I love my stereo for the 3d image I get, I love my headphones for all the micro details and the level would be excellent when you're doing other stuf like working or generally for background music. I've been looking for a good portable(-ish) that doesn't sound crap (a lot of em do not sound that great). So I'm definitely gonna check out the level (and the design is a big plus) :)
So did they include a bubble level on the Level? I think Kristi's comments seal the deal on this lovely speaker. I'd have one. Andrew, are your Sony headphones cans or buds?
I sooooo loved this review. I am still not sold on the speaker, and it's sound mainly just because I have not heard it yet buuuuut I really love the video and appreciate what you said. Kristi's comments at the end really hit the spot for me. The use of a speaker like this as I work is a real use case for me. I have 2 of the B&O A1 gen 2, and I have them hung up on a bookshelf and use them as a stereo pair. WOW, a lovely sound. I have 2 of the Bang and Olufsen P6 on that same shelf and two together as a pair - WOW - what a wonderful sound. I also have an old Bose Sounddock Portable, a lovely speaker, and I connect that to my PC and WOW, what a sound. All of these work wonderfully as the speaker connected to my PC, and the need here is different to the need for a main speaker system. I don't have space or real time or even patience or money to be a system collector - I really just want to hear the music and spend the little leisure time Iahve enjoying as much of the music as I can. I WANT the best system which will drag out every single iota of music I can get. However - I find that I am listening to a lot of Spotify on BlueTooth, and that means that even if I had a much better system, I might not get the very best from it - also I may not be moving soon, so my acoustically challenged attic would take away from the sound quality which that The price is probably the most prohibitive thing. However, while the level would simply not be able to compete on soundstage and depth, they don't have the portability that the level offers. I think I need to get out to a B&O shop (while they still exist) and listen to this speaker and see if I am about to do the same 180 that you did. Thank you so much for making the video. What a wonderful way to spend a few moments, and what wonderful people you two are for putting in the work to provide it. Thanks again. If I was not subbed already - I would be doing so now.
Good morning Kristi 🌞 Going well and attempting to stay cool. Great review as always. I look at the B&O like a Ducati Motorcycle. Beautiful design and appealing to the eye. You could say almost sexy. To experience either of them you put up with the technical complexity to enjoy the performance.
I bought a pair of Sony XB-43 and I must say "WOW" when you put them in stereo pair I can see Bluetooth speakers eventually taking over even home use for a lot of people as their main go to stereo ... I pair them with the TV outside projectorakes a hell of a portable audio system
That house at the start! Now that's OMG right there! Totally in love with mid-century modern... and maybe you too, especially as you have an Eames lounger (me too, but um, a modern replica, which is still incredibly stylish and comfortable). I'm going with a black and light oak look in my lounge so I've got the KEF LS50 Meta in carbon black and black leather Eames 😊
@@andrewrobinsonreviews I had the grey one for review for a looong time. Had to recently give it back as I am starting trip over all the B&O gear I have here lol. I absolutely love the level, another fun fact, the level looks exactly like one of the wings on the Beovision Harmony. Just too bad when I got mine the oak wasn't available yet to match to my Harmony. But now you can order the plain silver one with the oak cover from your nearest dealer! The app was weird for 3 weeks out of the last 6 weeks or so, they've basically fixed it all now. My Stage and others have no issues and the connection is pretty much instant.
This is the first review I have watched of Andrew's. I must say, I was very pleasantly surprised, not that it was a good review by Andrew, but that it was a different kind of interview for a frequently nerdy subject. For reference, I am one of those guys who have a super nerdy job (network engineer) and have an obsession with devices that produce high-quality sound. It's almost embarrassing to say, but I have in excess of 15 portable speakers, some Bluetooth, some wifi, some Apple Airplay, among other wireless technologies. I have everything from a B&W Zepplin or Sonos Move, all the way to a JawBone jam box that actually still works. I have a pair of B&O H95s which are simply amazing and now, based on this review and those headphones, I am going to purchase the Level. I do not subscribe often, but I did subscribe to your channel and plan to watch some of your other videos. I plan to level another comment once I have received the Level and had a chance to live with it for a couple of weeks.
Hi! Thanks for the experience sharing. I am looking for a portable speaker for very low volumes to use in hotel rooms. I am considering B&O Beosound Level or Dali Katch G2. I usually get uncomfortable with the portable speakers due to the wooomf sound which is I think caused by the bass distortion ar the fake (imitaded) bass. Almost all have this problem. Would you recommend the Level for very low volumes? Or should I get a smaller one like Dali Katch G2? But the sound of Dali Katch G2 is a bit thin and brittle. I am not sure... Thanks.
Thanks for the elaborate review on the Level. Just bought one and truely experience what you were saying. Very satisfactory. Two thumbs up. As you said, it’s just at a different level.
I mentioned this here before - after spending an arm and a leg on HiFi, I am now happy to listen to a sub 50 dollar bluetooth thingy. No, the sound quality isn’t great by any standard, but just the ease of use, portability, and hassle free enjoyment wherever and whenever is awesome.
Pretty much like me...... Sold everything and went the streaming route with my iPad Pro and Denon 250. Absolutely brilliant sound and ease of use, may go for the KEF lsx if they make a mkii version
I agree with Kristi. I think style should be considered a lot more in the hi-fi industry. I’m looking at most of the integrated amplifiers (selfishly lol)
Haha love seeing andrews shots from my “neighborhood”. I live about 20 miles from Palm Springs. I love taking a trip down there to enjoy the mid century modern vibe. If you’re an enthusiast check out mid modern week. It’s a great time to get nostalgic.
That's cool! Would love to head back for Modernism week some time. Since our trip, we've even looked at buying a house there but the high temps and (likely) future water shortages give us pause.
@@andrewrobinsonreviews the water shortage is a huge issue out here. Sharing between so cal, Vegas, and Arizona is putting a monumental strain on the Colorado River. Escaping the heat is tough but you could look at Joshua tree, yucca valley or 29 palms. There are some mid moderns there and the higher elevation really helps cool summer days by about 15 degrees. Be well, Andrew and Kristi. Thanks for visiting. And thank you for your work.
Bang & Olufsen's design should be the rule and not exception. Everything they make I want to get it. What a great looking speaker. I love the conversation at the end. I think the dialogue really gets to the heart of, "The only person who has to like the sound of your system is you." We chase and chase but it's the products that engage us and get us engaged in the music that really matter at any price point. 200k is going to be insane. Can't wait.
why i like your channel: you make it entertaining ,you keep it simple ,i suspect your partner in crime is not really onboard with a whole lot of gear; hence your massive audio cabinet keep up the good work
The massive audio cabinet is around to help store all of the equipment we need to have on hand at any given time. It's also stylish and fits our living room and way of life and work load since our home doubles as a film set. That said, it's not always in use and I quite like the simple bench that you see in the background of the A-camera of this video. As far as whether or not I'm "really onboard with a whole lot of gear" - it really depends on the gear. I don't mind having it around but I'd much rather look at something with a little bit of style than a half dozen uninspired black boxes. More often I find myself asking if all the gear is really necessary. There are a ton of options to chose from when it comes to hearing good sound. No longer does one HAVE to have a lot of gear to achieve that mark and I think that's a good thing.
@@Mikipedia You and me both! We were all set to get a pair of the 28s but shipping issues may put a long term wrench into those plans. We've asked for the 50s but no word yet on if we'll get them.
@@KristiWright You're welcome to stay at my place (in Europe) now that borders are open and use my pair of 50's :p In all seriousness though, my local dealer also has 28's I am sure I could borrow for a bit. Another dealer close by (european close by, meaning ~25 minutes away) has 90's too. But my 50's/18's/17's/3's etc. are yours to use if you're ever in the area.
After watching the review, I have bought the LEVEL speaker. I tried it at a B&O showroom and I am very pleased with its style and sound quality. It is the best portable bluetooth B&O speaker. I own a Beolit 17, A1 2nd gen, A2 active and P6. The main difference of sound of Level and my collection is the bass. Level bass is very controlled and refined. Workmanship and finish of LEVEL is the best among all B&O portable speaker.
Thanks for the experience sharing. I am looking for a portable speaker for very low volumes to use in hotel rooms. I am considering B&O Beosound Level or Dali Katch G2. I usually get uncomfortable with the portable speakers due to the wooomf sound which is I think caused by the bass distortion ar the fake (imitaded) bass. Almost all have this problem. Would you recommend the Level for very low volumes? Or should I get a smaller one like Dali Katch G2? But the sound of Dali Katch G2 is a bit thin and brittle. I am not sure... Thanks.
@@gatila76 B&O Level uses five-driver setup and so the bass is not over emphasized at all. Other B&O Bluetooth speaker such as Beolit 20 is different in the sense that the bass is imitated. For some people bass of Level may be lacking but I like the clarity and definition of the bass.
I use two B&O s3 with my Mac mini m1 and love the sound , I would love to have the level , I use the Bose micro as my shower speaker . Love the channel and wish my hearing was as good as it once was , many years reading stereo review and now read sound and vision on my iPad , no longer have a two channel stereo setup , and use a sound bar for tv and not 5.1 anymore , had the first zvox sound bar , keep going strong and see you no the next video
I totally agree with paring my room down and reclaiming the space in my home and am seeking a new and more elegant audiophile solution. Case in point: Two months ago I gave my brother about $20,000.00 worth of audio equipment and now must give this B&O speaker a listen. Thanks guys!
@@andrewrobinsonreviewsMy brother is now in possession of an NAD M25 amp, NAD T175 HD Processor, a pair of Vandersteen 2Cs, a B&W CMT center channel speaker, a pair of B&W 804 Nautilus, a Mirage and a Paradigm sub, plus a pair of B&W surrounds (the model of which I no longer recall); plus Monster Silver core speaker cables and a Rega RP 1 turntable and an NAD turntable presmp.
@@paulmasella1616 have a look at Beolab 50's or Beolab 90's or even beolab 28's, you'll get amazing sound and no amps and cable nonsense to connect it all.
I have a B&O level and an Edge. I love the Level but I hardly use it. That’s something you need to ask yourself before purchasing these things, do I need really it? Else you’d have a great speaker that is under-utilised
Hi! Thanks for the experience sharing. I am looking for a portable speaker for very low volumes to use in hotel rooms. I am considering B&O Beosound Level or Dali Katch G2. I usually get uncomfortable with the portable speakers due to the wooomf sound which is I think caused by the bass distortion ar the fake (imitaded) bass. Almost all have this problem. Would you recommend the Level for very low volumes? Or should I get a smaller one like Dali Katch G2? But the sound of Dali Katch G2 is a bit thin and brittle. I am not sure... Thanks.
Thx a lot for doing a review of another danish audio product. Growing up 10miles from the B&o headquarter and factory in Struer Denmark it fills me with pride and Hope for the future of the relativly small yet very innovative company. I also think the gold/oak combination is super beatiful and the product does have a clear reference to the old Beolit 700 I think. Personally I have 2 pairs of B&o Play H6 headphones that are also very well craftet and non fatiguing. Try them. Oh and next time you talk about European speakers, you might not omit Denmark.. B&o, Buchardt, Dynaudio and All the other great brands here. Anyway, great review 👌
What I learned from this review. 1) Andrew is a fashionable person who moves his speakers around the house in a non-gimmicky way. 2) He brings hifi equipment on holidays 😁 Seriously though, I'd buy this. It looks great and if it sounds as good or better than the Muso 2 (my kitchen speaker) then it's a great product. Also, style is important. While my number 1 priority is sound, there's something neat about a product that's visually beautiful too. For examples devialet amps & Sonus Faber speakers. Stuff you don't feel you have to apologise for having in your home 😉
@@KristiWright no problem. Your channel is great. Hopefully Devialet will send you 2 an amp. I've only heard the Expert Pro 220 but it was an interesting experience. It sounds great out of the box but the speaker calibration takes it to another level. There's also phono stage calibration. Their calibration & configuration system is memory card based which seems a bit weird in 2021. Some of their DSP tech is similar to the Technics reference amp you demoed so I'd be interested to hear a comparison. Devialet amps tend to have lots of power (220 is 220 WPC) so you could drive even very demanding B&W speakers, and then there's the Devialet remote control which is unique.
@@andrewrobinsonreviews thanks. Yes I watched the review. It seems Devialet have produced a soundbar that can trigger an earthquake and turn Natalie Merchant into a walrus. 😁 I suppose this is a bit of the Devialet problem that exists with their speakers and not the amps. Although the house sound is punchy in the amps too. They're not aiming for neutrality. The Phantom 1 is a great speaker so long as you don't actually order it in its most powerful form (the 108dB model). The 103 is more than enough and maybe the 98dB smaller version is fine for most. Devialet clearly have a market niche for those who want floor pounding bass and a stereo Phantom 108db setup makes sense in a concert hall rather than a living room. Seems they applied the same thinking to the Dione. More power, more bass etc. They know a lot about moving huge volumes of air from modest cabinets but maybe took it a bit too far. I don't really see the need for 8 long throw woofers in a soundbar. But they'll probably sell these. There's a market for room shaking bass in a stylish package.
I am glad you guys are reviewing stuff like this. “Indoctrinated” is exactly the right word. I have been an audiophile and a recovering audiophile and now I don’t care hat I am. I just want to enjoy listening to music. The simpler life can be, the better I like it. I just want something that sounds good that I don’t have to fool with a lot. And if it looks good that’s a bonus. I wish stereo pairing these was easy. We used ot have a pair of original Homepods in our bedroom as a stereo pair and that didn’t last long because they would frequently lose their pairing. Now they are just (semi) smart speakers in different rooms that I ask about the weather occasionally. Of course I already know the answer here in Texas. I don’t really need portability but I wouldn’t mind it either. I might try a pair of these. The app needs to be rock solid though or it will just piss me off.
Love this review! Can totally relate to the dragging your speaker around habit; I bought a Beolit 20 (to travel, take to the park, etc.) and now find myself bringing it everywhere with me, even at home. I have a Beosound A9 that I’m using less frequently now because I’m enjoying the portability so much. Definitely considering getting a Level thanks to your review 🤩
Quite concise, and still keeps me intrigued with this particular speaker! And yes, I’d spring for the gold/wood look as well!! Great review, hope you both had fun in Palm Springs/CA.
Interesting conversation about the aesthetics of gear. I tend to agree, however I recently bought the Cambridge Audio AXA35, but ended up trading it in for the UGLY Rega io (yes, it's a black box). I really wanted to like the Cambridge amp because it looks elegant, but ultimately the sound is the most important factor. The Rega is pretty much hidden away in my setup, but I am just wowed by the sound.
Thank you, thank you, thank you! There are so many speakers I can not even consider since they are ugly. And there are so few audio enthusiasts that understand why, with the comment that "you cant hear how it looks".
I honestly feel the same way about my JBL boombox it honestly pretty good. I love that thing. I take it around the house and it sounds just as good as some more expensive speakers I’ve heard. And it waterproof and portable
Some reviewers suggest the delay through the digital process means the Level and Emerge are not suitable to be hooked up to a television, even with the fibre optical input, and if so then from a computer watching video (film, RUclips etc) would be a problem. For some material the program, like VLC, includes a delay so you can get the synch closer but it changes for each film.
Interesting as Christie favors it as a her Desktop PC speaker, and she mentioned watching RUclips. I wish we could look into this a bit more as I was thinking of using it as a PC speaker🤔
I have a pair of Beosound Level speakers. At only 4.5 litres they have a surprising good bass. They can replace full size speakers in a hi-fi stereo set up.
There is no hope that a future update would enable them to be used in a surround sound system or as a pair of computer speakers. The problem being the long delay when watching video possibly due to the DSP processing in them. Other manufacturers including many at a lower price point have been able to use their speakers with both computers and television with acceptable lip sync. They are marketed as a life style speaker. They are for stereo audio only. Audio over wifi (no compression) is clearly better than it is over Bluetooth. It will work using Windows Music Player but with limited audio only codecs. Watching RUclips over Bluetooth has a 300ms delay. The Chrome browser extension to cast does not adjust the delay - at least I have not got it to work. Using VLC has some control but not easy to adjust and when seeming okay at the start of the film drifts out soon after. I don't have a television to cast to using Apple TV 4K or Chromecast TV. The B&O Level has the potential to work everywhere and keep the costs, even at this price, lower because of that flexibility. You could go to a stereo pair, use the app to separate them and take one speaker out into the garden or garage. Returning it back to it's position and pairing up with the other Level. You could bring in a Emerge or Level from other rooms to enjoy surround sound with 5 speakers (if the app were to allow it) over wi-fi, Bluetooth, fibre optic or 3.5mm analogue but for the issue of lip sync. It could replace portable radios, boomboxes, computer speakers, stereo hi-fi systems and surround sound set ups. Unlike the equipment we might have doing those tasks these are portable, wireless just needing plugging into a wall socket and setting up on the app. They already work perfectly in multi-room set up so why not in surround? The lag from video sources and set up is software. The lip sync not a hardware limit when other Bluetooth and wifi speakers can achieve that at a lower price point. I know that issues with Wi-fi was the reason for WiSA to use a different wireless protocol. Perhaps they should use WiSA electronics and not Wireless lan. I wrote to B&O support and this is the response:- "Connection to Windows computer: · Only able to playback via wireless through Chromecast but only works for single speaker option. · If you would like to play from stored files from PC to your Beosound Level, it can only be done via Bluetooth and Lip sync issue will be present as this speaker is intended for music source. Connection for surround setup: · These speakers are not designed for surround setup." Alternatives, yes, but with other limitations or issues : Any speakers with WiSA but Beolab 28 are 18litres and cost many times as much. KEF LSX II (6.7litres) and LX 50 (19litres) wireless as stereo to computer and television work. Still don't upscale to 5.1. Devialet Phantoms originally had poor lip sync but an operating system update eventually reduced that to an acceptable level. No user upscale to 5.1 (5.5, possible and some owners have added components to achieve that). B&W Formation Flex can be used as rear speakers to the B&W Bar and Bass for surround (not the Formation Duo due to lag) but possibly need the box Formation Audio.
I was able to see Emerge and Level speakers used with Apple Airplay. My daughter has an iPhone. Selected Airplay a list of devices appears, the two pairs of speakers. Select a RUclips video and a film clip and no lip sync problems at all. No Bluetooth as the iPhone has that switched off. From both PC and Windows laptop Windows media player and Chrome browser can cast to the speakers but have a 330ms latency. Adjustments do not make a difference. I can't move to a Apple MAC OS and iOS as some of my hardware would not work and there are not equivalent software packages. Besides that move would cost more than the B&O speakers. I have no idea what Airplay is doing that is not available in some form for a Windows based computer to do. I can't test out if an Airplay system could transmit surround sound to two pairs of speakers. For Windows PC users the program TuneBlade provides Airplay features. It immediately finds the speakers and everything played on the PC is sent to the Beosound Level and Emerge. Google casting works from Chrome browser and Windows Media player but I have yet to get synchronization with video and the speakers keep disappearing as options to cast. TuneBlade has an adjustment for buffering, anything below 300ms breaks up the sound. Leave at 2 seconds. It also has a slider for system latency but does not appear to get closer to lip sync. Using the audio track synchronization of VLC set at 2.000 seconds works. It is reset at the end of every film. I have the feeling that TuneBlade/Airplay is not as good as DNLA using the same source (audio file) or over Google Chrome casting.
In March 2024 the update to the software enables the selection of low latency in the 3.5 mm analogue input. Selecting this means the speakers can't be used in multi-room or even wirelessly paired. It only works for a single speaker. The Beosound Level is a stereo speaker (as is the A9) although with limited sound stage compared to a pair of speakers. Using a 3.5 to 3.5 mm stereo cable to a single Beosound Level speaker on a number of talking head videos and movies the lip synch is okay. However the channels are swapped over (solved by using a cross over cable). I feel the sound quality is not up to the room correcting optimum that I am more used to but what ever it is the difference is not great. Some films do seem a little off but still acceptable. I tested using a laptop so the 3.5 mm headphone socket has limited output. There is scope on the speaker to still get loud but you are having to adjust both the computer and the speaker separately. I wired up a 3.5 mm to two RCA phone sockets (Y cable) and used a cable with a 3.5 mm stereo with both channels wired to a single RCA plug. When plugged into the speakers (two Beosound Levels) they take a few seconds to switch over inputs and adjust to the volume level but are then in synch with each other. The low latency is low enough that they do work correctly as stereo in this dual mono mode. Being battery powered I now have hi-fi quality stereo without mains running from my Windows laptop. Apple owners don't have this issue as Airplay 2 handles the lag. The low latency of Mozart now means that you can wire up Beosound Emerge, Levels, Balance, A5 and A9 for use in a surround sound set up. Once set in the app or balanced on the volume control of each speaker the source (e.g. desktop computer or televisions) will control volume on all the speakers together. This is not seamless and a bit of hassle but it works and works very well as these speakers are all very capable. With Emerge having risen from £604 to £899 (Oak, gold) in two years and expect further price rises in August 2024) even using Beosound Emerge (the least expensive of the Mozart speakers) as surround speakers is expensive. But now, at long last, they can be recommended for use with all desktop and laptop computers and not just for Apple owners. Airplay 2 is stereo but with the low latency analogue input these can now be used in 4.0 and other surround sounds set ups (yeah maybe still too much hassle as no single control app or computer to cover every need).
I'm gonna grab one of these in oak thanks to your review. I'm not really much of a speaker person though I'm a head-fi guy. This seems like it'll bridge the gap between not losing my entire living room and TV console while still having good sound in the apartment.
Stunning video! Excellent work, and the speaker looks super cool. I'm with you both, the grey/black is meh, but the gold...wow! That said, I will stick with my old Bose Sounddock with a 30 pin Bluetooth adaptor, lol! I am way way too clumsy to be moving around with an $1800 (cdn) portable speaker!
HaHAA same here. It does seem exquisite, but my little pair of UE Boom 2s will have to continue serving me well though not stellar - they’re tough and waterproof and have survived life all over creation admirably so far.
I’d just like to say that I have hit pause 21 seconds into this video to comment that I appreciate how these videos are like a short film let alone a review. Very very good stuff! Ok I’ll finish watching now. :)
Loving these reviews with Christie, even though off-cam, is giving her opinions. Kinda giving the layman's point of view vs your, Andrew, expert opinions. A great review discussion of products. Keep it up...
I want to see a review of this versus a pair of Sony XB-43's as for the price I believe the pair Sony's XB-43's will blow this away I don't want some you could say it's not a fair comparison because of using a pair of but I'm just curious of the price difference vs. performance because the Sony XB-43's rock and I've been using them for about 8 months now especially when you eat you EQ them with neutron player and run hardwired at home meets a huge difference as well
B&O is more of a high priced "lifestyle" brand. They aren't typically considered high end audio, at least from the "audiophile" community…. B&O is typically recommended by an interior designer rather than a Audiophile.
That's what everyone says and I thought until testing it out for my self. Beoplay S8 and A2 has been a joy. Not highend ofcourse but much better sound than expected. Also bass-performance is top notch on all of them, except A2 when running higher voulmes.
Hi! Thanks for the experience sharing. I am looking for a portable speaker for very low volumes to use in hotel rooms. I am considering B&O Beosound Level or Dali Katch G2. I usually get uncomfortable with the portable speakers due to the wooomf sound which is I think caused by the bass distortion ar the fake (imitaded) bass. Almost all have this problem. Would you recommend the Level for very low volumes? Or should I get a smaller one like Dali Katch G2? But the sound of Dali Katch G2 is a bit thin and brittle. I am not sure... Thanks.
I really love Kristi's honest opinion, thank you. I'm actually looking for a speaker for my pc system and her comment on how nicely it works (and looks :p) with her imac really help me making decision!
Nice piece , beautiful but expensive ,love the portability and the idea of other people sharing in the sound unlike headphones , but would not use it to replace a true stereo speaker system in my main listening area however I can see why many would .
Prefer 2 Floorstanders and a good stereo amp for proper listening to music B&O Level speaker is the type of speaker be okay for in the Kitchen area, for when doing cooking or the washing up
This topic is interesting, and I'll try to remember to come back and watch it later. If y'all would do 5 minute TLDR versions of these longer videos, I would sneak those in constantly throughout the day.
@@KristiWright Don't get me wrong, I still watch a lot of the longer ones. And for things of less interest, I'll jump chapters. Y'all's production quality is leading in this space, which makes it easy to watch like a TV show though.
Thanks for the informative and aesthetic video (by the way, it can never be too aesthetic)! Perhaps you had the opportunity to compare the Beosound 2 with this device and could share your impressions?
Beautiful review, great shots, the Level has a very modern design that is just a pleasure to look at. Reminds me of the the other BDI stands that have the rows of wood. Don’t have the funds to buy this but definitely added to the list. I need a really good portable speaker.
@Andrew Robinson great job & when you have time or on your next Video I need help on adding a sub to a powered speaker that doesn't have a sub out. the one I have is the Swans M5A Active Bookshelf Speaker. keep up the great job loving your work.
In our kitchen we have two Alexa Dots sitting on top of each end of our kitchen cabinets totally out of view, inside the cabinet above the refrigerator is a Alexa subwoofer that makes it all a 2.1 mini sound system for just over $100 when everything was on sale. For the money it's a great hands free solution that offers decent mid quality fidelity and never has any booting issues except for the once or twice a year the Dots need a reboot because they get slow to react, never do they become out of sync with each other as far as left and right channels is concerned. Strange a premium product such as this B&O would have these glitches when a $20 x 2 product stays locked in. This speaker has definitely piqued my interest but at $1500 for what I would use it for a travel speaker would be a difficult purchase. I currently use a JBL Boombox for my travel needs and when I'm working in the garage or in the driveway washing our cars, what I really appreciate about the JBL is I do not have to play it loud to enjoy full range sound and that is a plus if your renting a condo for the week or in a hotel room. I'm certain the JBL does not have the fidelity of the B&O but Im also certain the JBL wouldn't embarrass itself next to it. Get the B&O down to say $800 and would love to take it with me on the road in my suitcase instead of the clunkier Boombox.
Respekt to B&O, they always play with designs and form Faktors and always find a way to get nice sound output. Andrew i love your channel and would be happy if you would give the Minirig 3 (stereo bundle) a try. I know it’s sounds crazy, but sometimes I prefer the sound of the Minirig (stereo + woofer) over my KEF LS50. And I’m pretty sure it will blow you away as they did me.
The Minirig 3 plus subwoofer is so flexible. No worries about finding a spot in a garage by just using one Minirig 3 or a pair for a wider stage. Place on a desk for working with a computer you can also have one or two subwoofers. There is even a backpack for when you go for a picnic or need to carry the set up with you. Long battery life. But it is not "everything in one box" and not water proof to have near a pool.
@@geraldmcmullon2465 absolutely agree! And because they are so small and modular you can place them anywhere you wish, and in the process of positioning them I learned very much about room acoustics
Totally agree with your thoughts on design. Why give ugly products a pass? These are items we place in our homes. Larger point, mind blown about the potential of this new audio approach. Buy one now to replace my Bose bluetooth office speaker, and possibly be a replacement with my living room system by adding a second when B&O cracks the code to room pairing? Yeah, I could envision that. Crazy.
I wonder how this compares to the Sonos Move. It wasn't mentioned as a competitor, but it's a much cheaper product, yet still expensive for a portable speaker. You can buy a set of Kef LSX AND a Sonos Move for the about the same cost as this one Bluetooth speaker. That's stiff competition at the same price point, even if the B&O comes equipped with gold paint and wood veneer.
Yeah I have KEF LSX as my desktop speaker and it has been great. Been looking for a portable bluetooth speaker for a while now, but aesthetically a lone I would love to get this, but sonos has been catching my eye lately. If money wasn't an issue I'd honestly get the level.
@@matteventu Sure, but there are plenty of other much cheaper speakers that also connect that way too. It's priced in competition with the most expensive powered 2.1 speaker setups, and even many basic 5.1 systems
Love this channel so much ! ❤️ One of the best !!!!! I have a question. Do you guys have any plans of reviewing Harman kardon citation series ( citation soundbar + citation sub + citation surrounds + citation towers as a 5.1 system)
I can't make that decision for you, but full disclosure, I routinely stalk ebay for a 2nd hand pair of Beolab 5s as I WANT THEM SO BAD. I love that speaker so much and would buy a pair in a heartbeat if I could find a pair in good condition under say $8K.
Yes they are still a very good buy, providing you adhere to a few rules. not technically speaking there are mk1 mk2 and mk3's, the latter two are fine(post ~2004). The chassis' on those (they're the pcb boards) can still be fixed if needed. Make sure the serial numbers are relatively close together, over time several pairs got mixed and matched(not really an issue but for peace of mind). Check if the chassis' have been repaired before or not, they tend to last about 10-15 years depending on how they are used. the 15'' driver on the bottom kicks so hard that over time it can wiggle capacitors loose :p either of you can also email me for more info if you like. All the people I know that have 5's absolutely love them and don't want to let them go, they're iconic but also sound absolutely fabulous!
I tried it but didn’t fit my needs. It’s incredible with the right music. It was overwhelmed easily with bass content. And I’m not talking EDM. I prefer the Soundstage by far. But wouldn’t want to carry one around.
Great review. I do agree that good product needs to have good sound and good looks. Are you planning to review the Band & Olufsen Emerge in the future?
No immediate plans to review the Emerge - though it looks sharp! TBH, the only other B&O products we are interested in reviewing right now are their 2 channel/home theater speakers.
Bang olufsen have a quite stereotypical “good sound” in that they always deliver clean highs and solid lows, many b and o fans utilise this by purchasing older products originally designed for b and o products like the beolab 7.2 sound bar originally designed for the beovision 7 tvs . The 7.2 sound bar 0riginally retailed for about 3k plus but can now be picked up for about 300 /400 dollars purchase an external bluetooth adapter or wiring adaptors 50 dollars makes a very outstanding tv soundbar . The reason they sound good is they pretty outstanding specs and tech that is not immediately apparent . 750 watts in built amplifier ,solid aluminium enclosure ,active cross overs ,2 small downward firing subs .
Thank you for your reviews. Love them. You mentioned the Klipsch The Three but I cannot find your review for it. I would love to buy the B&O but it’s not in the budget. Was considering the Klipsch or the Marshall Stanmore 2. Would like to see a budget Bluetooth speaker review like this.
Thanks, Bradley! In Wall and In Ceiling speakers are not likely to be a part of the channel any time soon b/c that would require permanent installs which don't quite work with our home/film set.
Im 60. I had an Apple2 in 1980; my schoolmates asked WHAT IS THAT? I’d use the level on my bedroom work table and the P6 in the bath. But in an obviously compromised great room, I turned on the BeoLab set the speaker to omni, queued keith don’t go. A compromised setting in a compromised room _ streaming from an iphone, not really knowing what to expect, and after the 1st lick, Iooked at it ~ looked at the iphone. A Nothing system, and setting compromised. If this is what a wireless Active System can do? We’re all good.
I’d been very much like you re portable Bluetooth boom boxes. That is, until I got my Beolit 17. OK so it’s not all that fabulous in a big room, but oh my, in a small one and on my trawler?! Marvelous. And exactly because of that indefinable B&O sound. The thing that gets me with it is that it always (appropriately placed) sounded very... vintage hifi to me. If this new Level is even more than that, I’m in! Frankly, I love all my B&O stuff, no matter what purists think. Thanks for a cool review!
Imagen that B&O made it possible to use the Level as rear speakers for the Beosound stage, like how Sonos arc and bluesound are doing. not only it would be a stylish surround sound, but a really good dolby atmos sounding system, but unfortunately i dont think its going to happen.
Another interesting area to review. Great job on investigating the many uses for this Bluetooth speaker. In our family we have been using Logitech Ultimate Ears and the associated app for our Bluetooth speakers. More reviews on this subject would interest me.
You didn't mention how to get sound to the thing. Bluetooth yeah but does it do wifi wireless or do you have to hook an ethernet cable? spotify or airplay? what about Roon? And no mention of the the price. Love the reviews but many important things left out.
★ *REVIEWING: **bit.ly/3da6VmI**, **amzn.to/3d1L14S*
★ *QOTD: What matters most to you when it comes to a product like the Level? How would you use it in your home?*
★ *Love our conversation/outtakes? Be sure to watch to the end*
★ *COMMENT RULES: Please be respectful. No outside links, URLs, email addresses, etc. Violations are automatically deleted.*
Love the idea of doing HIFI Bluetooth speakers! Would also love to hear your opinions on the dyna audio line of Bluetooth speakers! The music 3,5&7
I think there are many ways to enjoy listening to music. If I want to hear the best possible sound, I fire up my main system and really get into the music. Other times I just want to put on my headphones and listen privately and not disturb others. I also have a small portable bluetooth speaker to take outside or listen in the bedroom or on my desktop. I enjoy all of these options for different reasons and applications. Thanks for reviewing different options like this. This hobby isn't a one size fits all.
For $1,700 US this thing should be able to function without Google Home getting in the way, or better, without it being enabled at all. Does it work at all if you only connect it to your phone and not the rest of the world? It’s a Bluetooth speaker and you might want to use it at the beach or camping, although there would be the “fear of scratches” factor at that point. Looks like I’m not quite ready to give up on my Klipsch KMC1 or bicep breaking KMC3. They do exactly what it says on the tin. They both ROAR!
Amdrew , do you have interest to review AMP and DAC? We can offer samples
One of the most interesting portable speakers I've seen reviewed, and a quick question - are the 39hz claims accurate? If so, this B&O stands alone, and I would definitely consider buying it. Thanks again Drew and Kristy for the video!
Removable battery is a winner on its own.
Yes!!!
Wow. The controls illuminate when you approach the speaker. I watched this video a year ago and never picked up this feature. Over the past year I have watched countless RUclips videos on Bang & Olufsen and I can safely conclude that this here above video is the best.
Wow Andrew, you hit this review out of the park 😎🤗 being from Denmark I might be biased, but still you made me feel proud being Dane 🇩🇰
I like this format - the dicussion between husban and wife is awesome
I guess I was so impressed, I have 4 B&O Levels set up as 2 pairs, and can play via AirPlay all 4 speakers at the same time. The scalability and quality of sound fills the room, the DSP is precise, and has the flexibility to increase its stereo imaging through the App. With 4 Levels you don’t need to push the volume to hard, with the quality of sound being tight. And yes, Google Assistant is a drag 😅
Never clicked on a video so fast. I've been waiting for this video since I found out about this speaker!
We desperately need one of either a desktop/laptop, TV or travel speaker and I thought this might tick at least two of the boxes at once (our TV is in a small space, so not enough room for full hifi system). I'm about to get married, so would like to put a speaker solution on our wedding list, something that will last for years to come!
Looking forward to listening to the review!
I really hope you like it and that it was worth the wait!
@Andrew Robinson finished watching. Thanks Kristi for testing as a desktop speaker, that's 2 of 3 boxes ticked! Really great to hear that a speaker this portable can take so much guesswork out of buying a multi-device setup and still deliver on performance.
Hope they release an update to allow you to turn the AI off, although this will replace an Echo for me so I'll probably make use of it.
Will the DSP allow the Edge to work with good synchronisation to the video when used as a TV speaker?
Love your B-roll, nice and smooth. Nice work!
You and Kristi are on fire today! Very enjoyable video as usual. Beautiful product and they sure know it given how much they charge for this!
Thanks so much Rapheal! Appreciate you watching.
Your guides are really really awesome. Plus the laidback t-shirt and shorts look, it perfectly creates the most inviting atmosphere.
Glad you like them!
Really great review! I do really like how you talk about the mindset, and use cases for this speaker system. For me, B&O has really always been about the magic of it's design mixed with the fantastic sound their products produce. So I really love the way the touch controls light up as you approach. It's always amazing to me how some groups of people will write that brand off because of their unnatural design style. I remember the first time I saw a Beocenter 9000 in operation with how the doors vanish under an aluminum plate to give you access to a CD player and a cassette deck, and that it's a product designed in the 1980's and has not one single physical button. The moment I saw that, I knew that's what I wanted, and I've been blessed to be able to enjoy this brand. They make some truly wonderful products.
Kirsti's review is so legit. You wonder if you really need a big HiFi system or just a cute little good sound system regardless of cost.
I yes it all depends on your needs and your listening habits. If you're just using it to stream music at low volumes sure it'll be fine. However, when you want to truly hear music and it's greatest form, there's no replacement for displacement.
@@hemicuda9510 I would say yes and no because high end head phones do sound awesome and are tiny compared to large speakers. But yes because even the head phones need a pretty good sound source which may include turntable, receiver etc.
Amazing review of the Level! Great work Andrew as always
Thanks! And I am going to get back to you (email). We were traveling, but I have ideas on how we can collaborate. Give me a few days but I'll be in touch!
Safe travels Andrew. Very much looking forward to it. Thanks
That would be amazing to see :D
I bought a B&O Level partly based on this review so I’ll share my thoughts for anyone thinking of buying one. After spending some time with it, there are definitely positives and negatives to the product. On the positive side, it looks very stylish and has good sound quality, especially at mid-volumes. It doesn’t distort at higher volumes, but the sound seems notably compressed, with a loss of dynamics. Playing at 50-60% volume seems ideal.
There are a few significant physical design flaws. One of the most annoying is that it’s almost impossible to move the level without touching one of the presets. This happens every time, no matter how carefully I try to avoid touching them. The wall mount works - sort of - but doesn’t feel especially secure. It’s also very difficult to have the charger make proper contact when the Level is mounted on the wall. I have to take it off the wall now to charge it, which seems ridiculous.
The app is pretty useless beyond the initial set-up. It’s annoying to have to use multiple apps in the first place, and none of them work together particularly well. If you’re playing music in one app and open the B&O app to adjust the sound, the music will abruptly stop playing. The song will be visible in the app but won’t play through the B&O app. The same goes for my iTunes library. I can connect to it within the B&O app but none of the songs are playable. The whole thing just feels broken and unintuitive.
Lastly, the LED light near the play button comes on sometimes but I can’t figure out what the colours are supposed to signify. Right now, for example, it’s amber/orange which according to the website means there’s no network connection, and yet I’m playing music through ApplePlay. Sometimes when I start playing a song the volume will be very low and can’t be adjusted so I’ll have to power off the Level and turn it back on to fix this. In general it feels like I either have a faulty product, or the Level itself is just a bit buggy and problematic.
Do I regret buying it? Not really. I do enjoy it overall and it fits my space and design aesthetics. I do think it could be better designed considering the price. It does feel premium, but also poorly-considered in a few important aspects.
Correction: I just checked and it defaulted to Bluetooth, so there is a problem connecting to wifi, as indicated by the amber/orange LED.
Update: I did a factory reset and it’s connected to wifi again. There was also an update of the B&O app which corrects the problem of the music stopping when the app opens.
Update 2: The Level will no longer charge through the magnetic charger. I have to remove the rubber gasket thing and plug the usb charger directly into unit. This is after approximately a month of light use.
@@ericfan9149 try to clean the charging pins on the magnetic charger. Its common for these sort of pins connection to lose charging connection when its even slightly dirty
In the last 9 months using a pair of B&O Level I have had to remove the battery and reset them up twice. If taking one of the pairs out of the room with the wireless lan router in it the pairing stops and will not re-establish - full reset after batteries removed. For no apparent reason Google Assistant will respond to a silent room. It will beep/buzz perhaps reconnecting to wi-fi or Bluetooth every now and again. Volume will sometimes dip and fix itself a minute or two later. They don't function correctly as speakers to computer or television due to the lag.
That oak unit is beautiful! The portability is a big deal to me, as I already walk around my apartment with a JBL Charge. But I would certainly keep the Level mainly in the kitchen. Great review, as always!
Hey Andrew, after watching this vid? I gave the Level a shot. ( gold/oak). It’s in my bedroom and it does a really nice job. I had a software issue but B&o was quick to fix the problem and said that one more issue? They would rush another out to me. Great service. It’s because of your review i decided to give it a try, so thank you again. Tom C.
Hi! Thanks for the experience sharing. I am looking for a portable speaker for very low volumes to use in hotel rooms. I am considering B&O Beosound Level or Dali Katch G2. I usually get uncomfortable with the portable speakers due to the wooomf sound which is I think caused by the bass distortion ar the fake (imitaded) bass. Almost all have this problem. Would you recommend the Level for very low volumes? Or should I get a smaller one like Dali Katch G2? But the sound of Dali Katch G2 is a bit thin and brittle. I am not sure... Thanks.
A lot of haters in the comments. I thoroughly enjoyed the review and the wood finish looked so amazing, thank you for focusing on design as well as sound. Love hearing your conversation at the end as always.
@@KristiWright thats gonna be in my head all day now Kristi!
I had a B&O wake up call. At the time, late 70s, my system was a 1m tall rack of Sansui 19inch, equipment, and a pair of
Cerwin Vega 185 litre 15inch speakers, but I was shocked at a party to listen to a small B&O stereo that blowed the hat
of my equipment, and was powerful enough to vibrate a speaker to fall of a shelf and hit one party guest in the potato
I'd argue that the level is an excellent addition to any audiophile's collection rather than choosing one over another. I love my stereo for the 3d image I get, I love my headphones for all the micro details and the level would be excellent when you're doing other stuf like working or generally for background music. I've been looking for a good portable(-ish) that doesn't sound crap (a lot of em do not sound that great). So I'm definitely gonna check out the level (and the design is a big plus) :)
So did they include a bubble level on the Level?
I think Kristi's comments seal the deal on this lovely speaker. I'd have one.
Andrew, are your Sony headphones cans or buds?
I use these: amzn.to/3j9zAvT
I sooooo loved this review.
I am still not sold on the speaker, and it's sound mainly just because I have not heard it yet buuuuut I really love the video and appreciate what you said.
Kristi's comments at the end really hit the spot for me. The use of a speaker like this as I work is a real use case for me.
I have 2 of the B&O A1 gen 2, and I have them hung up on a bookshelf and use them as a stereo pair. WOW, a lovely sound.
I have 2 of the Bang and Olufsen P6 on that same shelf and two together as a pair - WOW - what a wonderful sound.
I also have an old Bose Sounddock Portable, a lovely speaker, and I connect that to my PC and WOW, what a sound.
All of these work wonderfully as the speaker connected to my PC, and the need here is different to the need for a main speaker system.
I don't have space or real time or even patience or money to be a system collector - I really just want to hear the music and spend the little leisure time Iahve enjoying as much of the music as I can. I WANT the best system which will drag out every single iota of music I can get. However - I find that I am listening to a lot of Spotify on BlueTooth, and that means that even if I had a much better system, I might not get the very best from it - also I may not be moving soon, so my acoustically challenged attic would take away from the sound quality which that
The price is probably the most prohibitive thing.
However, while the level would simply not be able to compete on soundstage and depth, they don't have the portability that the level offers.
I think I need to get out to a B&O shop (while they still exist) and listen to this speaker and see if I am about to do the same 180 that you did.
Thank you so much for making the video.
What a wonderful way to spend a few moments, and what wonderful people you two are for putting in the work to provide it. Thanks again.
If I was not subbed already - I would be doing so now.
Good morning! How is everyone's week going so far?
Good evening here in germany. The intro and Video is very great ❤
@@chrischy Hey thanks for tuning in! This one was a lot of fun to document. I wish all of our videos could be done this way.
Better, now! I hope you two had a great vacation. That house was gorgeous!😍
@@VintageVic93 I did not want to leave! Thank you so much for watching.
Good morning Kristi 🌞 Going well and attempting to stay cool. Great review as always. I look at the B&O like a Ducati Motorcycle. Beautiful design and appealing to the eye. You could say almost sexy. To experience either of them you put up with the technical complexity to enjoy the performance.
As always Andrew & Kristy ; Wonderful this episode & the A9 & Beolab 28, gorgeous & eye opening reviews by you both so engaging; Magical. !!!!!
I bought a pair of Sony XB-43 and I must say "WOW" when you put them in stereo pair I can see Bluetooth speakers eventually taking over even home use for a lot of people as their main go to stereo ... I pair them with the TV outside projectorakes a hell of a portable audio system
That house at the start! Now that's OMG right there! Totally in love with mid-century modern... and maybe you too, especially as you have an Eames lounger (me too, but um, a modern replica, which is still incredibly stylish and comfortable). I'm going with a black and light oak look in my lounge so I've got the KEF LS50 Meta in carbon black and black leather Eames 😊
Awesome B-Rolls and detailed explanation.... Can't get much better⚡
Thanks Phoenix!
Thank you Andrew, exactly my thoughts on the Beosound Level too but better worded! Great video once again!
@@andrewrobinsonreviews I had the grey one for review for a looong time. Had to recently give it back as I am starting trip over all the B&O gear I have here lol. I absolutely love the level, another fun fact, the level looks exactly like one of the wings on the Beovision Harmony. Just too bad when I got mine the oak wasn't available yet to match to my Harmony. But now you can order the plain silver one with the oak cover from your nearest dealer!
The app was weird for 3 weeks out of the last 6 weeks or so, they've basically fixed it all now. My Stage and others have no issues and the connection is pretty much instant.
This is the first review I have watched of Andrew's. I must say, I was very pleasantly surprised, not that it was a good review by Andrew, but that it was a different kind of interview for a frequently nerdy subject. For reference, I am one of those guys who have a super nerdy job (network engineer) and have an obsession with devices that produce high-quality sound. It's almost embarrassing to say, but I have in excess of 15 portable speakers, some Bluetooth, some wifi, some Apple Airplay, among other wireless technologies. I have everything from a B&W Zepplin or Sonos Move, all the way to a JawBone jam box that actually still works. I have a pair of B&O H95s which are simply amazing and now, based on this review and those headphones, I am going to purchase the Level. I do not subscribe often, but I did subscribe to your channel and plan to watch some of your other videos. I plan to level another comment once I have received the Level and had a chance to live with it for a couple of weeks.
What is your opinion on the Level?
Hi! Thanks for the experience sharing. I am looking for a portable speaker for very low volumes to use in hotel rooms. I am considering B&O Beosound Level or Dali Katch G2. I usually get uncomfortable with the portable speakers due to the wooomf sound which is I think caused by the bass distortion ar the fake (imitaded) bass. Almost all have this problem. Would you recommend the Level for very low volumes? Or should I get a smaller one like Dali Katch G2? But the sound of Dali Katch G2 is a bit thin and brittle. I am not sure... Thanks.
Thanks for the elaborate review on the Level. Just bought one and truely experience what you were saying. Very satisfactory. Two thumbs up. As you said, it’s just at a different level.
I mentioned this here before - after spending an arm and a leg on HiFi, I am now happy to listen to a sub 50 dollar bluetooth thingy. No, the sound quality isn’t great by any standard, but just the ease of use, portability, and hassle free enjoyment wherever and whenever is awesome.
Pretty much like me...... Sold everything and went the streaming route with my iPad Pro and Denon 250. Absolutely brilliant sound and ease of use, may go for the KEF lsx if they make a mkii version
This video really convince me to get the level. You guys did a great job on the video.
I agree with Kristi. I think style should be considered a lot more in the hi-fi industry. I’m looking at most of the integrated amplifiers (selfishly lol)
Haha love seeing andrews shots from my “neighborhood”. I live about 20 miles from Palm Springs. I love taking a trip down there to enjoy the mid century modern vibe. If you’re an enthusiast check out mid modern week. It’s a great time to get nostalgic.
That's cool! Would love to head back for Modernism week some time. Since our trip, we've even looked at buying a house there but the high temps and (likely) future water shortages give us pause.
@@andrewrobinsonreviews the water shortage is a huge issue out here. Sharing between so cal, Vegas, and Arizona is putting a monumental strain on the Colorado River. Escaping the heat is tough but you could look at Joshua tree, yucca valley or 29 palms. There are some mid moderns there and the higher elevation really helps cool summer days by about 15 degrees.
Be well, Andrew and Kristi. Thanks for visiting. And thank you for your work.
Bang & Olufsen's design should be the rule and not exception. Everything they make I want to get it. What a great looking speaker. I love the conversation at the end. I think the dialogue really gets to the heart of, "The only person who has to like the sound of your system is you." We chase and chase but it's the products that engage us and get us engaged in the music that really matter at any price point. 200k is going to be insane. Can't wait.
Great video. Do you have a video on your main music listening sources, for example streaming, vinyl etc?
Great Review! And what a sweet house in the intro!
why i like your channel: you make it entertaining ,you keep it simple ,i suspect your partner in crime is not really onboard with a whole lot of gear; hence your massive audio cabinet
keep up the good work
The massive audio cabinet is around to help store all of the equipment we need to have on hand at any given time. It's also stylish and fits our living room and way of life and work load since our home doubles as a film set. That said, it's not always in use and I quite like the simple bench that you see in the background of the A-camera of this video. As far as whether or not I'm "really onboard with a whole lot of gear" - it really depends on the gear. I don't mind having it around but I'd much rather look at something with a little bit of style than a half dozen uninspired black boxes. More often I find myself asking if all the gear is really necessary. There are a ton of options to chose from when it comes to hearing good sound. No longer does one HAVE to have a lot of gear to achieve that mark and I think that's a good thing.
@@KristiWright What do you think of Beolab 28's or Bolab 50's, Kristi? I am really wondering what your opinion is on those :D
@@Mikipedia You and me both! We were all set to get a pair of the 28s but shipping issues may put a long term wrench into those plans. We've asked for the 50s but no word yet on if we'll get them.
@@KristiWright You're welcome to stay at my place (in Europe) now that borders are open and use my pair of 50's :p In all seriousness though, my local dealer also has 28's I am sure I could borrow for a bit. Another dealer close by (european close by, meaning ~25 minutes away) has 90's too. But my 50's/18's/17's/3's etc. are yours to use if you're ever in the area.
@@KristiWright hey , thx Kristi.....must be a busy place...send us a wave
After watching the review, I have bought the LEVEL speaker. I tried it at a B&O showroom and I am very pleased with its style and sound quality. It is the best portable bluetooth B&O speaker. I own a Beolit 17, A1 2nd gen, A2 active and P6. The main difference of sound of Level and my collection is the bass. Level bass is very controlled and refined. Workmanship and finish of LEVEL is the best among all B&O portable speaker.
Thanks for the experience sharing. I am looking for a portable speaker for very low volumes to use in hotel rooms. I am considering B&O Beosound Level or Dali Katch G2. I usually get uncomfortable with the portable speakers due to the wooomf sound which is I think caused by the bass distortion ar the fake (imitaded) bass. Almost all have this problem. Would you recommend the Level for very low volumes? Or should I get a smaller one like Dali Katch G2? But the sound of Dali Katch G2 is a bit thin and brittle. I am not sure... Thanks.
@@gatila76 B&O Level uses five-driver setup and so the bass is not over emphasized at all. Other B&O Bluetooth speaker such as Beolit 20 is different in the sense that the bass is imitated. For some people bass of Level may be lacking but I like the clarity and definition of the bass.
@@pctricom Thanks. What about very low volume listening? Level or a smaller speaker such as Dali Katch G2?
I use two B&O s3 with my Mac mini m1 and love the sound , I would love to have the level , I use the Bose micro as my shower speaker . Love the channel and wish my hearing was as good as it once was , many years reading stereo review and now read sound and vision on my iPad , no longer have a two channel stereo setup , and use a sound bar for tv and not 5.1 anymore , had the first zvox sound bar , keep going strong and see you no the next video
Love these Bang & Olufsen reviews. Please review more of their products. What do you think of the A9 speaker?
I totally agree with paring my room down and reclaiming the space in my home and am seeking a new and more elegant audiophile solution. Case in point: Two months ago I gave my brother about $20,000.00 worth of audio equipment and now must give this B&O speaker a listen. Thanks guys!
What did you give away, I'm curious.
@@andrewrobinsonreviewsMy brother is now in possession of an NAD M25 amp, NAD T175 HD Processor, a pair of Vandersteen 2Cs, a B&W CMT center channel speaker, a pair of B&W 804 Nautilus, a Mirage and a Paradigm sub, plus a pair of B&W surrounds (the model of which I no longer recall); plus Monster Silver core speaker cables and a Rega RP 1 turntable and an NAD turntable presmp.
@@paulmasella1616 have a look at Beolab 50's or Beolab 90's or even beolab 28's, you'll get amazing sound and no amps and cable nonsense to connect it all.
Love it. B&Os sound signature always has been one of the best, quality and materials of course too.
I'm interested how it compare to Beolit 20.
when you said it was expensive, i was thinking $400 maybe $500. it's freaking almost $2k !!!!!!!!!!! nuts
No it’s $1,000
I have a B&O level and an Edge. I love the Level but I hardly use it. That’s something you need to ask yourself before purchasing these things, do I need really it? Else you’d have a great speaker that is under-utilised
Hi! Thanks for the experience sharing. I am looking for a portable speaker for very low volumes to use in hotel rooms. I am considering B&O Beosound Level or Dali Katch G2. I usually get uncomfortable with the portable speakers due to the wooomf sound which is I think caused by the bass distortion ar the fake (imitaded) bass. Almost all have this problem. Would you recommend the Level for very low volumes? Or should I get a smaller one like Dali Katch G2? But the sound of Dali Katch G2 is a bit thin and brittle. I am not sure... Thanks.
Love B&O and it's nice they are coming back to there old (Beosound) new approach.
Thx a lot for doing a review of another danish audio product. Growing up 10miles from the B&o headquarter and factory in Struer Denmark it fills me with pride and Hope for the future of the relativly small yet very innovative company. I also think the gold/oak combination is super beatiful and the product does have a clear reference to the old Beolit 700 I think. Personally I have 2 pairs of B&o Play H6 headphones that are also very well craftet and non fatiguing. Try them.
Oh and next time you talk about European speakers, you might not omit Denmark.. B&o, Buchardt, Dynaudio and All the other great brands here. Anyway, great review 👌
What I learned from this review. 1) Andrew is a fashionable person who moves his speakers around the house in a non-gimmicky way. 2) He brings hifi equipment on holidays 😁 Seriously though, I'd buy this. It looks great and if it sounds as good or better than the Muso 2 (my kitchen speaker) then it's a great product. Also, style is important. While my number 1 priority is sound, there's something neat about a product that's visually beautiful too. For examples devialet amps & Sonus Faber speakers. Stuff you don't feel you have to apologise for having in your home 😉
I just reached out to Devialet yesterday because I'm pretty curious about how they sound now. Hopefully they respond. Thanks for tuning in!
@@KristiWright no problem. Your channel is great. Hopefully Devialet will send you 2 an amp. I've only heard the Expert Pro 220 but it was an interesting experience. It sounds great out of the box but the speaker calibration takes it to another level. There's also phono stage calibration. Their calibration & configuration system is memory card based which seems a bit weird in 2021. Some of their DSP tech is similar to the Technics reference amp you demoed so I'd be interested to hear a comparison. Devialet amps tend to have lots of power (220 is 220 WPC) so you could drive even very demanding B&W speakers, and then there's the Devialet remote control which is unique.
@sdemosi We reviewed the Devialet Dione today. You can watch it here: ruclips.net/video/Qn3RyPxpuOI/видео.html
@@andrewrobinsonreviews thanks. Yes I watched the review. It seems Devialet have produced a soundbar that can trigger an earthquake and turn Natalie Merchant into a walrus. 😁
I suppose this is a bit of the Devialet problem that exists with their speakers and not the amps. Although the house sound is punchy in the amps too. They're not aiming for neutrality.
The Phantom 1 is a great speaker so long as you don't actually order it in its most powerful form (the 108dB model). The 103 is more than enough and maybe the 98dB smaller version is fine for most. Devialet clearly have a market niche for those who want floor pounding bass and a stereo Phantom 108db setup makes sense in a concert hall rather than a living room. Seems they applied the same thinking to the Dione. More power, more bass etc. They know a lot about moving huge volumes of air from modest cabinets but maybe took it a bit too far. I don't really see the need for 8 long throw woofers in a soundbar. But they'll probably sell these. There's a market for room shaking bass in a stylish package.
Great review as always! But 1600 Cad! I'd be afraid to move it around in fear of breaking it. Way to steep for me.
I am glad you guys are reviewing stuff like this. “Indoctrinated” is exactly the right word. I have been an audiophile and a recovering audiophile and now I don’t care hat I am. I just want to enjoy listening to music. The simpler life can be, the better I like it. I just want something that sounds good that I don’t have to fool with a lot. And if it looks good that’s a bonus. I wish stereo pairing these was easy. We used ot have a pair of original Homepods in our bedroom as a stereo pair and that didn’t last long because they would frequently lose their pairing. Now they are just (semi) smart speakers in different rooms that I ask about the weather occasionally. Of course I already know the answer here in Texas. I don’t really need portability but I wouldn’t mind it either. I might try a pair of these. The app needs to be rock solid though or it will just piss me off.
Excellent review: honest, detailed, and your house deserves another review!
B&O has some fantastic engineers
Love this review! Can totally relate to the dragging your speaker around habit; I bought a Beolit 20 (to travel, take to the park, etc.) and now find myself bringing it everywhere with me, even at home. I have a Beosound A9 that I’m using less frequently now because I’m enjoying the portability so much. Definitely considering getting a Level thanks to your review 🤩
I've always been curious about the A9. I love the look of it.
Quite concise, and still keeps me intrigued with this particular speaker! And yes, I’d spring for the gold/wood look as well!! Great review, hope you both had fun in Palm Springs/CA.
Interesting conversation about the aesthetics of gear. I tend to agree, however I recently bought the Cambridge Audio AXA35, but ended up trading it in for the UGLY Rega io (yes, it's a black box). I really wanted to like the Cambridge amp because it looks elegant, but ultimately the sound is the most important factor. The Rega is pretty much hidden away in my setup, but I am just wowed by the sound.
Thank you, thank you, thank you! There are so many speakers I can not even consider since they are ugly. And there are so few audio enthusiasts that understand why, with the comment that "you cant hear how it looks".
I honestly feel the same way about my JBL boombox it honestly pretty good. I love that thing. I take it around the house and it sounds just as good as some more expensive speakers I’ve heard. And it waterproof and portable
Very nice review! Love the photo/film job :) Awesome place you stayed at .
Thanks so much!
Some reviewers suggest the delay through the digital process means the Level and Emerge are not suitable to be hooked up to a television, even with the fibre optical input, and if so then from a computer watching video (film, RUclips etc) would be a problem. For some material the program, like VLC, includes a delay so you can get the synch closer but it changes for each film.
Interesting as Christie favors it as a her Desktop PC speaker, and she mentioned watching RUclips.
I wish we could look into this a bit more as I was thinking of using it as a PC speaker🤔
@@NekoSmash Someone has suggested using Apple Airplay.
I have a pair of Beosound Level speakers. At only 4.5 litres they have a surprising good bass. They can replace full size speakers in a hi-fi stereo set up.
There is no hope that a future update would enable them to be used in a surround sound system or as a pair of computer speakers. The problem being the long delay when watching video possibly due to the DSP processing in them. Other manufacturers including many at a lower price point have been able to use their speakers with both computers and television with acceptable lip sync.
They are marketed as a life style speaker. They are for stereo audio only.
Audio over wifi (no compression) is clearly better than it is over Bluetooth. It will work using Windows Music Player but with limited audio only codecs. Watching RUclips over Bluetooth has a 300ms delay. The Chrome browser extension to cast does not adjust the delay - at least I have not got it to work. Using VLC has some control but not easy to adjust and when seeming okay at the start of the film drifts out soon after. I don't have a television to cast to using Apple TV 4K or Chromecast TV.
The B&O Level has the potential to work everywhere and keep the costs, even at this price, lower because of that flexibility. You could go to a stereo pair, use the app to separate them and take one speaker out into the garden or garage. Returning it back to it's position and pairing up with the other Level. You could bring in a Emerge or Level from other rooms to enjoy surround sound with 5 speakers (if the app were to allow it) over wi-fi, Bluetooth, fibre optic or 3.5mm analogue but for the issue of lip sync. It could replace portable radios, boomboxes, computer speakers, stereo hi-fi systems and surround sound set ups. Unlike the equipment we might have doing those tasks these are portable, wireless just needing plugging into a wall socket and setting up on the app. They already work perfectly in multi-room set up so why not in surround? The lag from video sources and set up is software. The lip sync not a hardware limit when other Bluetooth and wifi speakers can achieve that at a lower price point. I know that issues with Wi-fi was the reason for WiSA to use a different wireless protocol. Perhaps they should use WiSA electronics and not Wireless lan.
I wrote to B&O support and this is the response:-
"Connection to Windows computer:
· Only able to playback via wireless through Chromecast but only works for single speaker option.
· If you would like to play from stored files from PC to your Beosound Level, it can only be done via Bluetooth and Lip sync issue will be present as this speaker is intended for music source.
Connection for surround setup:
· These speakers are not designed for surround setup."
Alternatives, yes, but with other limitations or issues : Any speakers with WiSA but Beolab 28 are 18litres and cost many times as much. KEF LSX II (6.7litres) and LX 50 (19litres) wireless as stereo to computer and television work. Still don't upscale to 5.1. Devialet Phantoms originally had poor lip sync but an operating system update eventually reduced that to an acceptable level. No user upscale to 5.1 (5.5, possible and some owners have added components to achieve that). B&W Formation Flex can be used as rear speakers to the B&W Bar and Bass for surround (not the Formation Duo due to lag) but possibly need the box Formation Audio.
I was able to see Emerge and Level speakers used with Apple Airplay. My daughter has an iPhone. Selected Airplay a list of devices appears, the two pairs of speakers. Select a RUclips video and a film clip and no lip sync problems at all. No Bluetooth as the iPhone has that switched off.
From both PC and Windows laptop Windows media player and Chrome browser can cast to the speakers but have a 330ms latency. Adjustments do not make a difference.
I can't move to a Apple MAC OS and iOS as some of my hardware would not work and there are not equivalent software packages. Besides that move would cost more than the B&O speakers.
I have no idea what Airplay is doing that is not available in some form for a Windows based computer to do. I can't test out if an Airplay system could transmit surround sound to two pairs of speakers.
For Windows PC users the program TuneBlade provides Airplay features. It immediately finds the speakers and everything played on the PC is sent to the Beosound Level and Emerge. Google casting works from Chrome browser and Windows Media player but I have yet to get synchronization with video and the speakers keep disappearing as options to cast. TuneBlade has an adjustment for buffering, anything below 300ms breaks up the sound. Leave at 2 seconds. It also has a slider for system latency but does not appear to get closer to lip sync. Using the audio track synchronization of VLC set at 2.000 seconds works. It is reset at the end of every film. I have the feeling that TuneBlade/Airplay is not as good as DNLA using the same source (audio file) or over Google Chrome casting.
In March 2024 the update to the software enables the selection of low latency in the 3.5 mm analogue input. Selecting this means the speakers can't be used in multi-room or even wirelessly paired. It only works for a single speaker. The Beosound Level is a stereo speaker (as is the A9) although with limited sound stage compared to a pair of speakers.
Using a 3.5 to 3.5 mm stereo cable to a single Beosound Level speaker on a number of talking head videos and movies the lip synch is okay. However the channels are swapped over (solved by using a cross over cable). I feel the sound quality is not up to the room correcting optimum that I am more used to but what ever it is the difference is not great.
Some films do seem a little off but still acceptable. I tested using a laptop so the 3.5 mm headphone socket has limited output. There is scope on the speaker to still get loud but you are having to adjust both the computer and the speaker separately.
I wired up a 3.5 mm to two RCA phone sockets (Y cable) and used a cable with a 3.5 mm stereo with both channels wired to a single RCA plug. When plugged into the speakers (two Beosound Levels) they take a few seconds to switch over inputs and adjust to the volume level but are then in synch with each other. The low latency is low enough that they do work correctly as stereo in this dual mono mode. Being battery powered I now have hi-fi quality stereo without mains running from my Windows laptop. Apple owners don't have this issue as Airplay 2 handles the lag.
The low latency of Mozart now means that you can wire up Beosound Emerge, Levels, Balance, A5 and A9 for use in a surround sound set up. Once set in the app or balanced on the volume control of each speaker the source (e.g. desktop computer or televisions) will control volume on all the speakers together. This is not seamless and a bit of hassle but it works and works very well as these speakers are all very capable. With Emerge having risen from £604 to £899 (Oak, gold) in two years and expect further price rises in August 2024) even using Beosound Emerge (the least expensive of the Mozart speakers) as surround speakers is expensive. But now, at long last, they can be recommended for use with all desktop and laptop computers and not just for Apple owners. Airplay 2 is stereo but with the low latency analogue input these can now be used in 4.0 and other surround sounds set ups (yeah maybe still too much hassle as no single control app or computer to cover every need).
I'm gonna grab one of these in oak thanks to your review. I'm not really much of a speaker person though I'm a head-fi guy. This seems like it'll bridge the gap between not losing my entire living room and TV console while still having good sound in the apartment.
Stunning video! Excellent work, and the speaker looks super cool. I'm with you both, the grey/black is meh, but the gold...wow!
That said, I will stick with my old Bose Sounddock with a 30 pin Bluetooth adaptor, lol! I am way way too clumsy to be moving around with an $1800 (cdn) portable speaker!
HaHAA same here. It does seem exquisite, but my little pair of UE Boom 2s will have to continue serving me well though not stellar - they’re tough and waterproof and have survived life all over creation admirably so far.
I’d just like to say that I have hit pause 21 seconds into this video to comment that I appreciate how these videos are like a short film let alone a review. Very very good stuff!
Ok I’ll finish watching now. :)
That means a lot to me. Thank you.
@@andrewrobinsonreviews looking forward to review the b&o beosound balance
Loving these reviews with Christie, even though off-cam, is giving her opinions. Kinda giving the layman's point of view vs your, Andrew, expert opinions. A great review discussion of products. Keep it up...
I want to see a review of this versus a pair of Sony XB-43's as for the price I believe the pair Sony's XB-43's will blow this away I don't want some you could say it's not a fair comparison because of using a pair of but I'm just curious of the price difference vs. performance because the Sony XB-43's rock and I've been using them for about 8 months now especially when you eat you EQ them with neutron player and run hardwired at home meets a huge difference as well
B&O is more of a high priced "lifestyle" brand. They aren't typically considered high end audio, at least from the "audiophile" community…. B&O is typically recommended by an interior designer rather than a Audiophile.
That's what everyone says and I thought until testing it out for my self. Beoplay S8 and A2 has been a joy. Not highend ofcourse but much better sound than expected. Also bass-performance is top notch on all of them, except A2 when running higher voulmes.
@@joakimkn1 what’s your reference point?
@@Oneness100 are you bored?
@@duranarts I've been actually busy working, but It seems as though you're the bored one.
I used to eschew digital / active loudspeakers. That is until the beolab 90.
I bought one of these. Expensive, but really impressed. Perfect for my use case - small house with no dedicated listening room
Great to hear!
Hi! Thanks for the experience sharing. I am looking for a portable speaker for very low volumes to use in hotel rooms. I am considering B&O Beosound Level or Dali Katch G2. I usually get uncomfortable with the portable speakers due to the wooomf sound which is I think caused by the bass distortion ar the fake (imitaded) bass. Almost all have this problem. Would you recommend the Level for very low volumes? Or should I get a smaller one like Dali Katch G2? But the sound of Dali Katch G2 is a bit thin and brittle. I am not sure... Thanks.
@@gatila76 just replied to you on Reddit. Feel free to message me with any questions
I really love Kristi's honest opinion, thank you. I'm actually looking for a speaker for my pc system and her comment on how nicely it works (and looks :p) with her imac really help me making decision!
Nice piece , beautiful but expensive ,love the portability and the idea of other people sharing in the sound unlike headphones , but would not use it to replace a true stereo speaker system in my main listening area however I can see why many would .
Prefer 2 Floorstanders and a good stereo amp for proper listening to music
B&O Level speaker is the type of speaker be okay for in the Kitchen area, for when doing cooking or the washing up
This topic is interesting, and I'll try to remember to come back and watch it later. If y'all would do 5 minute TLDR versions of these longer videos, I would sneak those in constantly throughout the day.
@@KristiWright Don't get me wrong, I still watch a lot of the longer ones. And for things of less interest, I'll jump chapters. Y'all's production quality is leading in this space, which makes it easy to watch like a TV show though.
Thanks for this, I’ve been holding off as I felt the mids were too recessed, but following this going back to the b&o store tomorrow to reevaluate!
Thanks for the informative and aesthetic video (by the way, it can never be too aesthetic)! Perhaps you had the opportunity to compare the Beosound 2 with this device and could share your impressions?
Beautiful review, great shots, the Level has a very modern design that is just a pleasure to look at. Reminds me of the the other BDI stands that have the rows of wood.
Don’t have the funds to buy this but definitely added to the list. I need a really good portable speaker.
@Andrew Robinson great job & when you have time or on your next Video I need help on adding a sub to a powered speaker that doesn't have a sub out. the one I have is the Swans M5A Active Bookshelf Speaker. keep up the great job loving your work.
@@andrewrobinsonreviews no just the speaker Im still new to all this.
@@andrewrobinsonreviews let me know what kind of proamp that i would need & my tv is the LG if that helps! lol
@@andrewrobinsonreviews Wi-Fi, WLAN, Bluetooth, Coaxial, Line and XLR
Thanks Andrew for this review, really helps us to decide if we should get one. And we will because B&O sounds good and design is really great 👍🏼
In our kitchen we have two Alexa Dots sitting on top of each end of our kitchen cabinets totally out of view, inside the cabinet above the refrigerator is a Alexa subwoofer that makes it all a 2.1 mini sound system for just over $100 when everything was on sale. For the money it's a great hands free solution that offers decent mid quality fidelity and never has any booting issues except for the once or twice a year the Dots need a reboot because they get slow to react, never do they become out of sync with each other as far as left and right channels is concerned. Strange a premium product such as this B&O would have these glitches when a $20 x 2 product stays locked in. This speaker has definitely piqued my interest but at $1500 for what I would use it for a travel speaker would be a difficult purchase. I currently use a JBL Boombox for my travel needs and when I'm working in the garage or in the driveway washing our cars, what I really appreciate about the JBL is I do not have to play it loud to enjoy full range sound and that is a plus if your renting a condo for the week or in a hotel room. I'm certain the JBL does not have the fidelity of the B&O but Im also certain the JBL wouldn't embarrass itself next to it. Get the B&O down to say $800 and would love to take it with me on the road in my suitcase instead of the clunkier Boombox.
You need to probe the Beoplay H95 Headphones, oh wow! Tested!
Respekt to B&O, they always play with designs and form Faktors and always find a way to get nice sound output. Andrew i love your channel and would be happy if you would give the Minirig 3 (stereo bundle) a try. I know it’s sounds crazy, but sometimes I prefer the sound of the Minirig (stereo + woofer) over my KEF LS50. And I’m pretty sure it will blow you away as they did me.
The Minirig 3 plus subwoofer is so flexible. No worries about finding a spot in a garage by just using one Minirig 3 or a pair for a wider stage. Place on a desk for working with a computer you can also have one or two subwoofers. There is even a backpack for when you go for a picnic or need to carry the set up with you. Long battery life. But it is not "everything in one box" and not water proof to have near a pool.
@@geraldmcmullon2465 absolutely agree! And because they are so small and modular you can place them anywhere you wish, and in the process of positioning them I learned very much about room acoustics
Totally agree with your thoughts on design. Why give ugly products a pass? These are items we place in our homes.
Larger point, mind blown about the potential of this new audio approach. Buy one now to replace my Bose bluetooth office speaker, and possibly be a replacement with my living room system by adding a second when B&O cracks the code to room pairing? Yeah, I could envision that. Crazy.
How do they sound stereo paired? Do they rival a good pair bookshelves?
I wonder how this compares to the Sonos Move. It wasn't mentioned as a competitor, but it's a much cheaper product, yet still expensive for a portable speaker.
You can buy a set of Kef LSX AND a Sonos Move for the about the same cost as this one Bluetooth speaker. That's stiff competition at the same price point, even if the B&O comes equipped with gold paint and wood veneer.
Yeah I have KEF LSX as my desktop speaker and it has been great. Been looking for a portable bluetooth speaker for a while now, but aesthetically a lone I would love to get this, but sonos has been catching my eye lately. If money wasn't an issue I'd honestly get the level.
It's not just a "bluetooth speaker".
@@matteventu Right, it's an $1800 Bluetooth speaker
@@ericfallabel9201 it's, first of all, a Wi-Fi speaker. Yes it also has Bluetooth, but it's not supposed to be its first connection choice.
@@matteventu Sure, but there are plenty of other much cheaper speakers that also connect that way too. It's priced in competition with the most expensive powered 2.1 speaker setups, and even many basic 5.1 systems
Love this channel so much ! ❤️ One of the best !!!!! I have a question. Do you guys have any plans of reviewing Harman kardon citation series ( citation soundbar + citation sub + citation surrounds + citation towers as a 5.1 system)
We haven't really talked about that reviewing that one but I can ask for it.
Thanks so much for the review. Please review the ifi aurora as well, would love to watch it.
Hi Andrew! What do think about buying used Beolab 5?
I really do like the design, but are they still a good buy?
Thank you!
I can't make that decision for you, but full disclosure, I routinely stalk ebay for a 2nd hand pair of Beolab 5s as I WANT THEM SO BAD. I love that speaker so much and would buy a pair in a heartbeat if I could find a pair in good condition under say $8K.
Yes they are still a very good buy, providing you adhere to a few rules. not technically speaking there are mk1 mk2 and mk3's, the latter two are fine(post ~2004). The chassis' on those (they're the pcb boards) can still be fixed if needed. Make sure the serial numbers are relatively close together, over time several pairs got mixed and matched(not really an issue but for peace of mind). Check if the chassis' have been repaired before or not, they tend to last about 10-15 years depending on how they are used. the 15'' driver on the bottom kicks so hard that over time it can wiggle capacitors loose :p either of you can also email me for more info if you like. All the people I know that have 5's absolutely love them and don't want to let them go, they're iconic but also sound absolutely fabulous!
Another great thing about the Level is the replaceble streaming hardware module, that promise according B&O not be obssolete in a Big time
Fantastic review, and fantastically good looking. Very well done!
Love it 😍 super to move around and top sound
I tried it but didn’t fit my needs. It’s incredible with the right music. It was overwhelmed easily with bass content. And I’m not talking EDM. I prefer the Soundstage by far.
But wouldn’t want to carry one around.
I wish they would provided a USB player option.
Great review. I do agree that good product needs to have good sound and good looks. Are you planning to review the Band & Olufsen Emerge in the future?
No immediate plans to review the Emerge - though it looks sharp! TBH, the only other B&O products we are interested in reviewing right now are their 2 channel/home theater speakers.
Bang olufsen have a quite stereotypical “good sound” in that they always deliver clean highs and solid lows, many b and o fans utilise this by purchasing older products originally designed for b and o products like the beolab 7.2 sound bar originally designed for the beovision 7 tvs .
The 7.2 sound bar 0riginally retailed for about 3k plus but can now be picked up for about 300 /400 dollars purchase an external bluetooth adapter or wiring adaptors 50 dollars makes a very outstanding tv soundbar .
The reason they sound good is they pretty outstanding specs and tech that is not immediately apparent .
750 watts in built amplifier ,solid aluminium enclosure ,active cross overs ,2 small downward firing subs .
Thank you for your reviews. Love them. You mentioned the Klipsch The Three but I cannot find your review for it. I would love to buy the B&O but it’s not in the budget. Was considering the Klipsch or the Marshall Stanmore 2. Would like to see a budget Bluetooth speaker review like this.
beolab 7.2 sound bar second hand with a bluetooth adapter
Nice review, would love to hear your review on the B&O Beolit 20, perhaps in stereo mode 🙈.
Hey team, love the channel! Any chance you may look at in wall/ceiling speakers in the future? Cheers
Thanks, Bradley! In Wall and In Ceiling speakers are not likely to be a part of the channel any time soon b/c that would require permanent installs which don't quite work with our home/film set.
I use the P6 in the same way. Its for the beach, & traveling. When they get the software right. ABSOLUTELY
Im 60. I had an Apple2 in 1980; my schoolmates asked WHAT IS THAT? I’d use the level on my bedroom work table and the P6 in the bath. But in an obviously compromised great room, I turned on the BeoLab set the speaker to omni, queued keith don’t go. A compromised setting in a compromised room _ streaming from an iphone, not really knowing what to expect, and after the 1st lick, Iooked at it ~ looked at the iphone. A Nothing system, and setting compromised. If this is what a wireless Active System can do? We’re all good.
I’d been very much like you re portable Bluetooth boom boxes. That is, until I got my Beolit 17. OK so it’s not all that fabulous in a big room, but oh my, in a small one and on my trawler?! Marvelous. And exactly because of that indefinable B&O sound. The thing that gets me with it is that it always (appropriately placed) sounded very... vintage hifi to me. If this new Level is even more than that, I’m in! Frankly, I love all my B&O stuff, no matter what purists think. Thanks for a cool review!
Kristy's take was awesome. Sorry B&O, ain't getting that one back. Oopsy... Great review guys!
I've literally adjusted my sound system funds to different systems because of you! I can't make a decision 😅
Imagen that B&O made it possible to use the Level as rear speakers for the Beosound stage, like how Sonos arc and bluesound are doing. not only it would be a stylish surround sound, but a really good dolby atmos sounding system, but unfortunately i dont think its going to happen.
Pretty expensive surround speakers
Another interesting area to review. Great job on investigating the many uses for this Bluetooth speaker. In our family we have been using Logitech Ultimate Ears and the associated app for our Bluetooth speakers. More reviews on this subject would interest me.
You didn't mention how to get sound to the thing. Bluetooth yeah but does it do wifi wireless or do you have to hook an ethernet cable? spotify or airplay? what about Roon? And no mention of the the price. Love the reviews but many important things left out.
$1500 - $1700
How does it compare to the newish A5?