ARCHIVED FORUM -- March 2012 to February 2022READ ONLY FORUM
This is the second Archived Forum which was active between 1st March 2012 and 23rd February 2022
Hi everyone,
I own a couple of S3 speakers for about 11 months right now and I absolutely love them both. However, I have recently made the mistake of upgrading their firmware software to the latest version using the windows utility available on the B&O website. FYI, I upgraded the firmware on both units.. Unfortunately I have had nothing but problems ever since. I have listed the many problems I have been experiencing since below.
Problems:
01 - Daisy-Chain Sequence: The hardware key sequence for putting the two speakers in daisy-chain mode (holding down the B&O button until the lights turns into blinking Amber) will only function 2 times out of 6 attempts. you can hear the speaker been three times which should mean you are in the daisy-chain mode but the blinking light will only blink white as opposed to amber. This was not the case before the firmware upgrade.
02 - Daisy-Chain Pairing Light Sequence: Once you finally get both speakers into the pairing mode (blinking amber light) pressing the B&O hardware button on the master speaker (Speaker 01) will stop the blinking amber light on the master speaker but the one on the slave speaker turns white, before double beeping and the speakers get to be online. Originally, the blinking amber light on both speakers turned into solid Amber light for a while before beeping twice signaling the successful daisy-chaining
03 - Slave Speaker Volume Drop After Pause: The most annoying of all the problems which have been showing themselves after the new firmware by far is a massive volume drop on the slave speaker after a short silent pause (5 to 10 seconds). The volume is alright for as long as there is a constant source of audio from the computer but as soon as you want to skip the track in the time it takes the next one to play the massive and supper annoying volume drop happens on the second, slave speaker. This was also not the case prior to the firmware upgrade.
So, what I would like to know is that if anyone else has been experiencing similar problems or not. Also more importantly, is there a way to revert back to the original firmware these two magnificent speakers came with!?
P.S.
This is how I have set them up:
Physical Setup:
Speaker 01:
Connected to my Windows 7 Desktop via a gold plated USB Micro-B cable.
Connected to Speaker 02 via a gold plated 3.5 mm to 3.5 mm cable - From Line-Out Mini-jack port
Speaker 02 :
Connected to Speaker 01 via a gold plated 3.5 mm to 3.5 mm cable - From Line-in Mini-jack port
Speaker Configuration:
I have set up my two speakers in the Daisy-chain mode where my speaker 01 with the USB connection is the master, left channel and the Speaker 02 is the slave, right channel.
I just bought a pair from Amazon Prime Day (less than 200€ the pair). I am really impressed with the sound quality, it's really amazing. But as a very old comment here mentioned, it's a shame that the great sound quality is a bit overshadowed by the technical problems.
In reference to the last comment, I also noticed the slave speaker is always a bit less loud than the master speaker.
I wanted to use them connected with a cable to remove the lag so I can use them for TV. But using a cable, the master speakers is louder than the slave, no matter if I swap them. This doesn't happen when using true wireless, but the lag is a bit distracting.
In my case, that is all I can complain about. I contacted customer support and they said they couldn't reproduce my issue. But maybe they don't notice the volume difference? It's subtle, but enough to annoy me. Such a shame, I hope I get a fix somehow soon...
salvadormf: I hope I get a fix somehow soon...
I hope I get a fix somehow soon...
You are right, it should not be so!
As a workaround - depending on the tv used, it might be possible to compensate for the difference in the volume using the sound settings there.
MM
There is a tv - and there is a BV
Well that would be a total different thread, but in my case, my TV doesn't even allow me to control the volume of bluetooth speakers which is really annoying :( But that has nothing to do with the speakers.
I wish the Beoplay App would allow to compensate the balance of the speakers though...
The Audio source has nothing to do with it, it is the speakers weird and often times wrong implementation of master vs. slave configuration that causes it.
Besides, your ears will pick up an over compensation of one channel by the source as it did its under performance so even if your TV could actually do it, it would be pointless.
I wanted to ask you a couple of questions though:
1. when did you buy yours exactly?
2. have you also updated the firmware?
3. did the same issues exist before the firmware update? (That is if you did infarct updated the firmware)
I answered in the other thread but maybe it's better to continue this here, so I copy paste it:
I bought it last monday, on the prime day. They were already updated, so no firmware available to update (I tried). I can't compare then...
I don't know exactly what are you refering to with the standby issue, I don't think I have that? Also, I didn't notice the issue with the volume the way you explained, like being normal for minutes and then the volume going down. Is not that it didn't happen to me, but I find it difficult to know it so precisely. I just noticed a random behaviour, but at the end, the volume on the slave speaker is not as loud. So I reset and try again... and same thing, but it's true I think I got it working, then it changed... so maybe it is what you explained, that it works for some minutes before dropping volume.
I leave the speakers turned on all the time, just like that, is this bad?
The Standby Issue:
The Volume Drop Issue:
I personally think that it is all very much related to the aggressive power management worked into the logic of these magnificent little speakers. I wish they would totally eliminate the damn power saving feature, I have no issues with the power bill and it will not destroy the earth so let me enjoy my music please!.
Also, another thing you might want to try are the individual volume buttons on each, in particular the right channel that drops in volume. To my experience, when the pairing has been done correctly, increasing or decreasing the volume on either one of the speakers will change the volume on both, but when the right one drops, it no longer responds to the volume change done on the master speaker. At such times it will only respond to its own speaker volume buttons.
They will essentially turn themselves to standby in no time so don't worry about leaving them on all the time, that is what I do too.
Customer service replied:
"All volume control between speakers are handled via Bluetooth - also when wired via mini-jack, so perhaps other 2,4 GHz connection are interfering with your setup?"
How can the volume be handled by bluetooth, if you are using it/them wired/via minijack only???
I've been using the speakers for a couple of days now:
Am I the only one with many interferences, short audio cuts... in the secondary speaker? The main speaker I have connected to my phone via Bluetooth sounds pretty solid, but the secondary speaker linked via true wireless... is always having these small mutes and it's quite annoying.
I can be listening music perfectly for 2 hours and then 5 mins of constant cuts, and then all perfect again for a couple of hours and so on...
Is not a huge deal, but it's annoying. I don't know what is causing this, and I wish there was something I could do to improve the situation.
My speakers are only 1 meter away from each other, on the sides of the TV. In the TV table I also have my router and game consoles (quite standard...) in case that is causing the problems...
I wish I could just use a cable and put an end to the interferences, but with the volume issue, that is not a possibility :(
Hi from Portugal.
I bought mine from amazon prime for 224€, excelent speakers.
I have them wired connect to a sony android tv but when i turn off my tv, the main speaker after a while turns on and starts making a humming sound, what can i do?
I tried connecting them only by bluetooth, but for some reason my dumb tv doesn´t recognize them.
Sorry for my english, i´m a bit rusty.
I hope it's ok that I reply to quite an old thread.
I've been having what you call The Standby Issue, but only when I'm using the 3.5mm line cable. I've contacted B&O Play about it and they've been very helpful so far. This morning I received notice that the R&D team is working on an update which will include an option to turn off automatic standby mode.
I hope that we'll get to see the new update soon and it will resolve problems with the S3 a lot of people here seem to share with me.
Any news with firmware update?
I haven't heard anything since they informed me they were working on an update. I've actually returned my speakers today, but if I hear anything from B&O, I'll post about it here.
Looks like I need to do the same, because this waiting is killing me...
Btw, did you have any problems to return the speakers?
because they complaining now how is already more then 30 days from purchase...
I created support ticket at 6.december 2017 and we still didn't fix the problem.
This is my second B&O product, the "cheapest one" but probably the last one. Hate such stuff, when I have to contact support service for xx times and later listening stories about refund...
Just got a pair today and have tested them briefly at work — every function (BT pairing, wireless stereo over BT or USB, daisy-chained multi-speaker) has worked fine for me, tried all the different connection methods (USB+wireless, BT+wireless, USB+wired, and 100% wired) and noticed some weird things as mentioned before.
I really wish they worked as intended on the USB/BT wired/wireless modes, but my intentions where to use them with a HiFiBerry DAC+ setup for Airplay, so I hope that will work fine for my use at home.
Beoplay A2Beoplay EarsetBeoplay H6 (Gen 2)Beoplay S3 (pair)Beoplay S8Beovox CX50 (2 pairs)Beovox RL 6000
Cool review!
Very cool to see. Thank you very much
Sound is pretty good too!