I own both, a traditional setup (Audio Research GS, Wilson Puppy) in my weekend home, and Beolab 5's with BeoCenter 2 in my DC apartment. I must say, there's just no comparison ... in an unexpected way.
If the traditional setup is like a Mercedes Benz AMG S65, then the B&O's are an Audi R8. They each offer a great yet completely different ownership, listening and 'wow your guests' experience.
IMHO, the B&O's easily keep up with their counterpart in every way.
The biggest difference is in their qualitative sound properties. The traditional setup I describe as "warmer and fulfilling". The B&O's as "accurate and dynamic" and they both have similar presence and staging (Despite the 'acoustic lens', I still position the B&O's in a traditional manner).
If the traditional setup is like a Mercedes Benz AMG S65, then the B&O's are an Audi R8. They each offer a great yet completely different ownership, listening and 'wow your guests' experience.
IMHO, the B&O's easily keep up with their counterpart in every way.
The biggest difference is in their qualitative sound properties. The traditional setup I describe as "warmer and fulfilling". The B&O's as "accurate and dynamic" and they both have similar presence and staging (Despite the 'acoustic lens', I still position the B&O's in a traditional manner).