Too be able to use the Penta with its amplifier one need to understand how that works, and it is not strait forward. There is two transformers in the amp, one for st. by, and the other is to power the amp itself, keep that in mind, you need to turn on the amps power transformer. One way is by using the PowerLink and set the selector switch to "Link" then the amp will turn on and off when the PowerLink signals it to do so. Next way is with the selector switch set to "Auto", then there is a few ways to turn the thing on, one is a audio signal on the line input (do not always work that great) another way is to connect an other amplifiers output to the "Speaker" input, it is important that it is a low impedance output that you connect to the speaker input because the Penta amp sense the low impedance and will only turn on if a low impedance is present on the speaker input, but this function had be redesigned a few times and it works better or worse depending on the model you got and there is to my knowledge no way to determinate what version of this input sense circuit you got with open the thing and check it up against the schematics. It is also worth to remember that you can only use one input in auto mode at the time, do not connect anything to the other input at all when using line/speaker input. There have been many problems with these line/speaker inputs, unwanted noise, strange turn on/off with any reason and a lot of customers that simply do not understand how to use it because it is not as easy as B&O claims.
@chrisbaker12192415 күн бұрын
@@K2teknik. I agree. I rarely have good success with line input. It kinda works but it’s not as good!
@oldmasterjds11 ай бұрын
I think the Video/Audio selector switch needs to be correctly set for the display to work - so Audio is obvious but set it to video if your source is a Beovision TV. My source is a Beovision 11 and I only get working displays on the Pentas when the switch is set to video.
@chrisbaker12192411 ай бұрын
That’s odd? I always assumed it was to shut the displays off to stop them being distracting when using it in a cinema setup.
@yurianhuizing235210 ай бұрын
Thats true. Video is for a tv, audio is for a audio system.
@jeffwolf80183 ай бұрын
I have an issue going on with getting my Penta speakers to show the display. Before they didn't work at all I used to have to crank the volume up very loud then cut it back sometimes teasing it a second and third time but then once the receiver seemed to work out for maybe the amplifiers did themselves it worked fine. Is that a receiver issue a pin cable issue or speaker issue? How do I get to the bottom of this? The best they sound for me is through the four or eight pin connections. That also turns the displays on and the speakers on and off now the speaker's run all the time with the speaker inputs on them.
@portofriese Жыл бұрын
Great tutorial, Chris! Thank you. I found myself a Penta MK1. Did replace the foam rings - good video from you there too! But now I want to connect. Very confused by the amp level grip connectors in the MK1. Them being an active speaker I’m still somewhat reluctant to connect to my regular amp even with power setting on min. Did BO kind of produce a 2in1 active/passive speaker with this Penta MK1??
@chrisbaker121924 Жыл бұрын
Pentas are a weird speaker and although they’re called a beolab, they’re not actually active, they’re a passive speaker with a normal amplifier on the bottom. It’s a very weird setup and actually goes against everything anyone knows but yes it is amplifying the signal twice. (Once in your head unit and once in the base of the speaker) The amp level connectors are designed to go from speaker connectors. At least to the best of my knowledge. This works the same way if you have the 4 pin connector or two pin. (The extra two pins only send data signals for the displays and signals to power off the amps) without them data signals the amps will stay on till they time out due to no input detected. The selector switch on the penta is there to account for the power range of your amp. So the lowest amplification is for powerful amps such as a Beomaster 5000. And the lowest setting is for less powerful amps such as a beocenter 9000. To be on the absolute safest side start with your speaker on the most powerful amp setting (so it’s amplifying the least) and turn your Beomaster/amp up slowly… starting on the minimum setting. The only one you shouldn’t plug from an amp is into the line level. That’s designed for something low level/headphone kinda level. They’re great speakers though and you’ll deffo enjoy them!
@enriquealvarez31576 ай бұрын
One question... I want to eliminate the amplifier and I'm seeing that on the bottom part of the speakers it says 150 watts and on the part of the amplifier it says 300 watts....
@K2teknik.17 күн бұрын
The 150 watt is the DIN norm output effect, the 300 watt is the so-called music effect.
@geraldmosley2195 Жыл бұрын
Hello my Penta's amp died☹️ can I by pass the amp and us a external amp, do they have a cross over inside separate from the amp?
@chrisbaker121924 Жыл бұрын
Yes indeed you can. The speaker tower and amp operate totally separately and B&O did indeed sell them separately as the beolab 150/200 and the beovox penta. A beolab pentas is a powered speaker but it is not an active speaker… they’re essentially normal passive speakers with a normal mono amplifier stuck to the bottom. To turn your beolab pentas into beovox pentas you have to lay it on its side on some sofa cushions or similar, remove the 5 nuts holding on the base, then remove the 5 nuts holding on the amp. Some might come off as nuts and some might remove the bar itself it doesn’t matter. Gently remove the amp, it will be attached by a 7 pin Din plug and two speaker wires. These are often spade terminals. Those two terminals are just like any other speaker terminals. Negative and positive is stamped into the plastic. Just add spade connectors to your speaker wire. You will need 5 pieces of shorter bar to run it without the amp installed to fit the feet back on… or keep the amp on it and feed a standard speaker wire out the back.
@user-ry8bw8ks2n7 ай бұрын
you help connections penta 1,2,3
@TTBoy2 Жыл бұрын
I have beocenter 9300. I am looking at buying some Penta's. I have noticed mk1s are cheaper but don't have powerlink connections. Would I be better to pay more for mk2 or mk3s for the powerlink connections or would it not make much difference with the beocenter 9300. Any advice would be appreciated.
@chrisbaker121924 Жыл бұрын
It is possible to connect speaker link to a beocenter 9300 I believe! Just the speakerlink cables are really hard to source.
@lillogalera5 ай бұрын
hi , only you can help me because you know the mk3s like the back of your hand, basically I sent the midrange panels to a specialized center to renew the suspensions, unfortunately when I removed them I didn't catalog the wires with the various colors, I was wondering if you could give me a hand. Greetings from Italy
@chrisbaker1219245 ай бұрын
The colours should be the same as mine. What I would say is the wires kind of have a memory so you’ll have limited options for where they can go. In terms of… where they’ll reach and where they naturally want to sit. The colours should be the same as my video on refoaming the midranges.
@lillogalera5 ай бұрын
thanks a lot I'll try
@user-ry8bw8ks2n7 ай бұрын
explain for me power link 1 power link 2 ,speaker link what doing ? for me clip video, i am from Vien nam
@enriquealvarez315711 ай бұрын
Hello, good evening, I was using one of my Penta speakers and it started to smell burning at the bottom... What could it be and if it could be fixed
@chrisbaker12192411 ай бұрын
Yes anything can be fixed… it could literally be anything though. Probably one of the transistors. I would recommend getting a shop to look inside and spot for any burnt components.
@enriquealvarez31576 ай бұрын
@@chrisbaker121924 I decided to eliminate the amplifier and connect them directly to a Sansui 4 Channel amplifier 100 watts per channel... although each Penta is 150 watts...
@K2teknik.17 күн бұрын
The amp part can be repaired, but it is not easy to open the thing and then put it together afterwards, it is very compact, many repair guys have scars and cuts on their hands after handling these during repair. No it is not "one of the transistors", the power transistors can go open and no smell there, if the go short then maybe smell for a short time and then the fuse will go open too. You really need to open it and take some measurement to determinate what is wrong. Btw, the panta is capable of delivering 180 watt with the right mains voltage supply, it have three sets of power transistors in parallel it can run 150 watt on just one set of power transistors but the thd will be bad, but it can do so.
@enriquealvarez3157 Жыл бұрын
What does it mean AMP LEVEL INPUT AND LINE INPUT?? this brings it to the bottom
@chrisbaker121924 Жыл бұрын
Amp level input is if you are connecting it from the output of an amplifier… like you would standard speakers. The settings on the front of the penta can be adjusted for different amplifier power settings (see video) this is a 4 pin Din connector though the standard 2 pin B&O speaker Din will fit and work for sound, just no data. Line input is a low level input… it’s not quite the same thing as a headphone level but practically very similar. You could plug a phone headphone output into two phono connectors in the line level inputs.
@enriquealvarez3157 Жыл бұрын
@@chrisbaker121924At the bottom where it says AMP LEVEL INPUT is to connect audio input but with two red and black cables, press the connector and insert the cable one on each side... and where does it say LINE INPUT is for connecting via an RCA cable. So in AMP LEVEL INPUT I can put an amplified audio signal without damaging the Penta??
@enriquealvarez3157 Жыл бұрын
And through the LINE INPUT input can I put a non-amplified audio signal through RCA??
@chrisbaker121924 Жыл бұрын
@@enriquealvarez3157 yep. Such as the output from a phone or a line output from a CD player or whatever you have. Just don’t plug an amplifier level output into the line input!
@user-qz8ho5lv7r Жыл бұрын
Bang & Olufsen Penta. How to connect it to other systems? I bought pent3 and I don't know how to connect to marants pm-15s1. since I don't understand English, you can write to me, and then I will translate through translet
@chrisbaker121924 Жыл бұрын
It is possible, if it were me I would not use the beolab amplifiers and connect the amp directly to the speaker itself. If you remove the amplifier from the penta (and store somewhere else) you can refit the base onto the tower to make “beovox” pentas. Under the amp you will find a 8 pin Din connection that is used to drive the displays which is not possible to get working with the marantz. You’ll also see two spade connectors which are just standard speaker terminals. They are labelled + and -. connect to these just like a normal speaker, you may need to add spade connectors to your speaker wire to make a suitable connection. This is the best way to connect to another powerful amplifier.
@enriquealvarez3157 Жыл бұрын
@@chrisbaker121924Can it be connected directly via RCA cable to another amplifier?
@chrisbaker121924 Жыл бұрын
@@enriquealvarez3157 so long as it is a line level out and not an amp level out. Because the beolab150/200 at the bottom of the penta itself is the amplifier. If you want to use it with a normal amp you can remove the grey amplifiers and you’ll find two spade connections labelled + and -, these are normal speaker terminals like found on any speaker
@enriquealvarez3157 Жыл бұрын
@@chrisbaker121924 Ok I understand, and what do you recommend I remove the lower amplifiers or connect them to a line with RCA??... how will they sound better??
@chrisbaker121924 Жыл бұрын
@@enriquealvarez3157 it depends, what system are you running? If you’re running a receiver with an amplifier in there then you don’t want to amplify it again. What’s your system?
@BorisBidjanSaberi11 Жыл бұрын
I bought a penta system + beocenter 9000 for $100
@chrisbaker121924 Жыл бұрын
If it’s all working you got an unbelievable deal. Practically stole it !
@overblood6813 Жыл бұрын
hello, I have penta 1s and have been looking for a long time for the operating manual for the speakers and for 2 pairs of 4-pin plugs to connect them to the beomaster 6500, soundHeavenly no longer fails them, I despair, especially since I don't no more display on one of the speakers, do you have any leads? Thank you Best regards.
@chrisbaker121924 Жыл бұрын
The manual I can help with. It’s available here. beomanuals.com/manuals/Beolab/Beolab%20Penta%201/ select owner manual. I’m afraid I don’t have a pair, I’ve never ever seen one in my life, they must be rare but, try the beoworld forum? Join there and make a post? Another place I’d try is on Facebook, “Ultimate Bang & Olufsen” group. People have all sorts sitting in their draws. Until that time finding speaker link cables… and if Steve no longer does them (last I heard he did but he must have trouble getting the connectors too). Then your only bet is to run them from a 2 pin Din from the Beomaster into the bare wire terminals. Unfortunately you won’t be able to run your displays like this of course. Another option with a bit more soldering would be to modify and hard wire a power link connector onto the bottom of your pentas. I think this would be possible. Although of course proceed with caution, I wouldn’t want you damaging your penta on my advice! Pin 6 and pin 7 on the power link socket would be the data to go onto pin 3 and 4 on the speaker link terminals for the display to run. Then 2 and 3 for left speaker for minus and plus audio signals (the spade and pin 1 on the din) and 2 and 5 for right speaker. That would in theory work, you’d just have a power link socket dangling or coming from the bottom of the speaker. They wouldn’t be fully wired like that so you couldn’t daisy chain them of course. Have to be separate left and right from the amp.
@overblood6813 Жыл бұрын
@@chrisbaker121924 thank you very much, really, but I'm going to have to get into it because I'm only a computer scientist, it's true that 4 pin din pins are very, very rare, I can't find any. Thanks again for the info.
@chrisbaker121924 Жыл бұрын
@@overblood6813 if you’re a computer scientist you’ll have a logical enough brain to be able to work something out :)! Good luck!
@overblood6813 Жыл бұрын
@@chrisbaker121924 no no, for the respect of my English interlocutors I use a translator, google in this case and when I wrote (informaticien), he translated by computer scientist but no, sorry for the misunderstanding, anyway is it always that I am going to tackle this stain, thank you again the documents are precious.