B&O

[Steve - Ros Cornford]

We are thinking of buying a B2 to load all of our cd's onto, to free up space.

Does anyone know if it would connect to hard wired active B&O speakers (Beolab 8000) or to a Beosound 3000 CD / Radio player via Auxiliary equipment?

Thanks for any advice.

[David Wheeler]

Hi - you will need a DAC of some sort, as the loudspeaker output of B2 will be too much for active speaker inputs.  I run my B2 via the optical output into a DAC, which then feeds line level signals to B&O Beolab 1s, a Beolab 2 sub and a couple of B&O 6000s at the rear for watching DVDs.  The DAC I use is a Teufel Decoderstation, which sadly is no longer available.  You will have some difficulty finding a 5.1 DAC with line level outputs (apart from some really expensive many £k ones), as everybody seems to want to sell a big box with 7 power outputs to drive dumb loudspeakers.  I have been looking for some time for a replacement for the Teufel, preparing for its potential demise one day - perhaps someone on the Forum knows better?  If you don't need 5.1 conversion, the Cambridge Audio DACMagic might do the trick.

If you do, a 2nd hand Teufel could be worth looking for, with multiple analogue and digital inputs and outputs, optical, coax included.

Good hunting!

[Daniel Taylor]

The B2 does have a line levell analog auxiliary output for just the purposes that you mentioned.  It takes an analog cable with a stereo mini-plug on the B2 end and whatever kind of connector on the other end that your B&O equipent requires.

[fred.w....@gmail.com]

Note also that the same socket that Daniel mentions is also an Optical/Digital output. You can attach a DAC to that and the DAC can then drive the output/connections that your B&Os may need. I find that this Optical output is superior to the analogue.

Fred

[Daniel Taylor]

David is right that the speaker outputs should not be used with the powered speakers.  And although an external DAC is a good idea, it is not required.  You can use the analog connection.

[David Wheeler]

Oh yes, Daniel, I had forgotten that the optical output is dual purpose, with analog electrical as well!  So Steve could just use a cable that splits the 3.5mm stereo into L&R signals to feed the active loudspeakers.  But, as Fred says, the optical output via DAC is better!