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
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Present: BL90, Core, BL6000, CD7000, Beogram 7000, Essence Remote.
Past: BL1, BL2, BL8000, BS9000, BL5, BC2, BS5, BV5, BV4-50, Beosystem 3, BL3, DVD1, Beoremote 4, Moment.
I suppose you haven't used it yourself yet, but you're just judging it by the video's you saw on youtube?
What's the use of giving negative feedback on a product you've never touched?
While thats.often a fair critique of quick judgements, in this case I'm not sure your riposte applies this time.
Judging looks by pictures, as you may be inferring, can often be misguided, and frequently people change their view once they have seen said object in real life.
But in the case of the Halo, however alluring its design (and yes I've seen and played with it), the scope of its specification is relatively limited. No amount of seeing or playing with it will change that.
Again, absent any broad guidance from B&O as to what direction they were going down, people will have let their expectations run ahead of what was likely. The leaked website a month or so ago showed its scope (limited), so everyone should have known what to expect (minor details aside).
Its not for me, so I'm not especially disappointed. The ability to control older BVs (not that old) may have given me some pause for thought.
But again, hinting at future development is all well and good, but the track record suggests slow slow progress.
I'll say again what I've said elsewhere. They have designed a physical object to alleviate the constant need for grabbing a phone/tablet. Yet in doing so the object they have designed is only a companion, and still needs the phone/tablet given its lack of browsing. In this case form has been given far too much priority over function. It looks like a designer has sketched out the outline, B&O have said yes, we can make that look very nice, but with such a small size compromised screen, then thought about what can be fitted elegantly onto it. Answer, not much.
No artwork, no browsing, no ability to do even the most basic of controls of 3rd party audio sources, no communication with Beolabs (only a Core).....its a starter for predefined music (leaving radio aside). They cant of course cater for everything, but its not as if Tidal / Qobuz are that niche....other high end brands integrate them.
All told, I'm not really sure what they've really achieved here. Even if I was a Deezer user, it look short of usefulness absent and browsing / artwork etc. You cant even scroll through whatever queue you have triggered, nor jump around within it.
I do hope they flesh it out further.
RichardIII: I suppose you haven't used it yourself yet, but you're just judging it by the video's you saw on youtube? What's the use of giving negative feedback on a product you've never touched?
Agreed - even if I was a Deezer user, its functionality needs expanding.
It's certainly a pleasure to look at, but underwhelming to use.
Of course, if more and more people are habituated to just pressing a button to start some music and getting on with something else, then the Halo as it is will be sufficient for some.
Bit it wont win them new customers.....they'll sell some to those who have existing B&O speakers, but at this stage they needed to be a bit more ambitious in its scope.
seethroughyou:Because its functionality or lack of is listed. You’re not going to discover new functionality like an Egyptian mummy’s tomb by buying it, seeing the videos or seeing it being demonstrated at a dealer is sufficient.
RichardIII: I suppose you haven't used it yourself yet, but you're just judging it by the video's you saw on youtube?
I own one. I'd probably agree with what he's saying!
Not being negative, but for £700 the Halo really ought to do more. You can pick up an iPad for that.
seethroughyou:Sadly I’ve wasted a lot of money on B&O stuff that doesn’t deliver for different reasons or fails to deliver as B&O lose interest. I’ve also experienced phenomenal products that ‘blow me away’. Once bitten, twice shy....I was waiting for that killer remote!
I feel the same way and normally dont comment on new products until the froth has subsided. Some thoughts about B&O.
BL90 (& 50) not supported by any B&O gear commensurate with quality level.
still no way to control except ipad/app etc. Essense and BR1 very clunky.
if the app can control, why cant the Halo?
Why exclude the Balance? No Halo support,
why no Balance with bypass controls to be a Beolab? It would have been a money spinner. I would have purchased 2 like that.
Why build and market a remote that is generally more expensive than the gear it’s driving? I mean, a £700 remote for an M3 or BS1 control?
BS Edge...B&O sold about 2, so it is an expensive way to control an A9 and that is about it
Essense is long in the tooth.
Halo is an expensive way to control near obsolete equipment, not their flagship gear and not their latest stuff. The marketing strategy looks seriously stuffed up to me
10
Long story short....it is not a device for you - just don’t buy it.
But please be/stay positive and come back in a year or or so to judge again.
@Sandy
You know I twnd to agree with you.
But aren’t we (and a couple of others) just a minority - for most users this will be sufficient.........and it is pretty ;-)
MM
There is a tv - and there is a BV
Millemissen: seethroughyou:Because its functionality or lack of is listed. You’re not going to discover new functionality like an Egyptian mummy’s tomb by buying it, seeing the videos or seeing it being demonstrated at a dealer is sufficient. Long story short....it is not a device for you - just don’t buy it. But please be/stay positive and come back in a year or or so to judge again. @Sandy You know I twnd to agree with you. But aren’t we (and a couple of others) just a minority - for most users this will be sufficient.........and it is pretty ;-) MM
I think that sums it up. Most people aren't going to delve into all the possibilities as the people on this forum will.
Its beautiful to look at and they can play their music instead of having to use a phone.
If you are style/decor conscious then the Halo is then perfect.
Another useless thread
BeoVision Haermony 65"...BeoLab 28 Anthracite....BeoLab 17 as REAR....BV10-32....BC6-26....Beosound 9000....Beosound 1 New York edt....Beogram 4002....Beoplay Emerge....Beoplay M5....Beoplay M3....Beoremote Halo....BeoRemote One BT....Beo6....Beo4....Beo4 Cinema....BeoLink 7000....Serene....H95 Black LTD....H9i Rimowa....6 x H6....Form 1....U70...
No, not instead of using a phone!
It will trigger stored playlists etc - but has no browsing, so it still needs a phone for closing / browsing.
As John of Manchester fame described - its a companion to the phone.
Again, thats an odd or slightly limiting choice to make on their part.
Why make a physical object you can interact with to alleviate having to reach for a phone all the time (there seems to be some desire for that), but then only to make a companion, which still requires picking up your phone alot of the time.
The Essence wheelies found an audience, but no-one looking at it oddly expect it to do much more than trigger / play / pause / volume.
Looking the the Halo, essentially its replacement, you'd expect a touchscreen device to facilitate more.
If they expand its functionality and include browsing / viewing the contents of a current playing queue and ability to jump around within it.....then fine, that'll make more sense and be more than just a starter / stopper of predefined music.
But its not logical to laud something on the basis of what it may become, history should have taught us that much at least.
BenSA: Millemissen: seethroughyou:Because its functionality or lack of is listed. You’re not going to discover new functionality like an Egyptian mummy’s tomb by buying it, seeing the videos or seeing it being demonstrated at a dealer is sufficient. Long story short....it is not a device for you - just don’t buy it. But please be/stay positive and come back in a year or or so to judge again. @Sandy You know I twnd to agree with you. But aren’t we (and a couple of others) just a minority - for most users this will be sufficient.........and it is pretty ;-) MM I think that sums it up. Most people aren't going to delve into all the possibilities as the people on this forum will. Its beautiful to look at and they can play their music instead of having to use a phone. If you are style/decor conscious then the Halo is then perfect.
Barry Santini:You can’t judge any B&O products by specifications or ultility. It’s all about the gestalt. B
It’s all about the gestalt.
B
The SS Gestalt ship sailed years ago.
Put a pic of every today product on one page and describe the overarching theme. Pull out a catalog from 10 years ago or older versus today and see how things have changed.
Today without utility the gestalt would be value of coherent design/implementation across the entire offering. That is missing for me.
The world has changed.
@Sandyb
’If they expand its functionality and include browsing / viewing the contents of a current playing queue and ability to jump around within it.....then fine, that'll make more sense and be more than just a starter / stopper of predefined music.’
in that case my complaint would be.....it is too small!
Lots of people are happy with a couple of predefined playlists and two preset radiostations - exactly what the 4 MyButtons give them (which definitely is more than the Essence Remote offers).
Well yes I agree.
Hence my posts earlier / elsewhere that the form factor should have been a little bigger, even if that meant only 10-20% bigger. That would have allowed a slightly bigger screen, and hence browsing may not have been so cramped.
Or why not a bigger circular screen within the same ring footprint? Again, more screen real estate, more browsing possibilities.
I'm not talking about a screen so big that it replicates the big screen browsing of a tablet. But this as it is is smaller than even old iPhone screen sizes.
Even leaving the Halo as it is, there is scope for adding a horizontally scrolling play queue - it's not brilliant does this way on the Moment, but its still ok and offers the ability to jump around to different points in the queue.
But yes, as you say, B&O must be assuming there are sufficient people for whom the predefined triggering is enough. Slightly escapes me though - with the streaming services offering a universe of music, a few set playlists is enough?
Sandyb: Or why not a bigger circular screen within the same ring footprint? Again, more screen real estate, more browsing possibilities.
As I said above, it's a BeoRemote One in a different design. It's easy to see from the design, LCD, functionality and implementation. Not sure this makes it wise, but they've taken the ageing remote and implemented in a different format. Most likely for consistency.
My first impression after using mine last night.
Yes, well indeed I can see that after a few days consideration too.
But this just highlights again the limited ambition of this.
Look at a regular remote form factor, be it the BR1 or otherwise, and you know there's only so much it will do (ironically, the Br 1 does more than a regular shaped remote does!). Look at something with a touch screen like the Halo, and one expects it do a bunch of things, but in fact it does less than you expect.
And surely the Halo has more processing capability than a BR1, which buffers the above point.
Anyway, it was what I expected (minus the lack of older BV controls), and was never for me. But that doesnt stop it from being a disappointing, especially considering it was probably the most looked forward to product of the year from B&O.
moxxey: Sandyb: Or why not a bigger circular screen within the same ring footprint? Again, more screen real estate, more browsing possibilities. As I said above, it's a BeoRemote One in a different design. It's easy to see from the design, LCD, functionality and implementation. Not sure this makes it wise, but they've taken the ageing remote and implemented in a different format. Most likely for consistency. My first impression after using mine last night.
Features and design wise.. Meh - ok.
Price? Is this a joke? I know B&O have a huge markup but $1000 for something to select a song or change volume?
I mean I can get an iPad Pro which is better in every way and just run the B&O app on it. I can even buy a fancy stand for the iPad and set the screen to never lock.
15 years ago this thing would have been cool but not today.
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BeoLab 18's. Beolab 3's. A8. A9. A2. H7.
The Verge appear very confused by the Halo.
https://www.theverge.com/platform/amp/2020/9/28/21492336/bang-olufson-beoremote-halo-expensive
New: Beovision Harmony, Beolab 50's, Beolab 28's, Beolab 18's, Beolab 17's, Beosound Stage & LG, Beosound 2, Beoplay M3, Beoplay A1, Beoplay Portal, Beoplay H4 gen 2, Beoplay E8 3.0
Mikipedia on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Mikipedia
Mikipedi4 on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/mikipedi4
Mikipedia on Intagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikipedi4/
Old: Beosound 9000 mk3, Beolab 3's, Beovision Eclipse, Beolab 1's, Beolab 2, Beovision 10-46, Overture 2300, beolab 8000's, Beolab 4000's, Beovision avant 32" etc. etc.
Mikipidia:Also sounds like he’s read about it and hasn’t actually tried one
Remember, it highly likely any reviewer won’t have anything to control with a Halo they are sent to (p)review.
Beolab 50, Beolab 8000 x 2, Beolab 4000 x 2, BeoSound Core, BeoSound 9000, BeoSound Century, BeoLit 15, BeoPlay A1, BeoPlay P2, BeoPlay H9 3rd Gen, BeoPlay H6, EarSet 3i, BeoVision Eclipse Gen 2 55", BeoPlay V1-40, BeoCom 6000 and so much else :)
Millemissen:Long story short....it is not a device for you - just don’t buy it.But please be/stay positive and come back in a year or or so to judge again.@SandyYou know I twnd to agree with you.But aren’t we (and a couple of others) just a minority - for most users this will be sufficient.........and it is pretty ;-)MMThere is a tv - and there is a BV.
jowus: Hi, By Year’s Time, It’ll be Discontinued! They’ve Done that to us before! Beo5, Beo6, Moment.... I Hope they Stay to their Core! What’s the Point of rushing this out, if they knew very well, it’s not Ready yet? This is not $1000 Remote, it’s more for $500! They should have Channel their Energy of Building a Better BeoSound System, which is much needed!
Hi,
By Year’s Time, It’ll be Discontinued! They’ve Done that to us before! Beo5, Beo6, Moment.... I Hope they Stay to their Core! What’s the Point of rushing this out, if they knew very well, it’s not Ready yet? This is not $1000 Remote, it’s more for $500!
They should have Channel their Energy of Building a Better BeoSound System, which is much needed!
Thanks for the look in your crystal bowl.
I guess we will have to come back on this in a years time....to see what has happened.
P.S. What kind of BeoSound system are you aiming at....a reaurrection of the oldies from yesteryear?
I'd suggest 3 months is optimistic.
What was the last time they addressed functionality missing via a software update so "quickly".
The Balance is still awaiting is NL (or whatever multi-room solution they implement), and already it seems October has become beginning of next year for that to be addressed.
So yes, while its a plus that they have delivered a product which works in its current incarnation and stated functionality (not a high hurdle to clear!), they remain very software constrained I would suggest.
As they say often on the Verge podcast - never buy a product on the basis of promised software fixes / missing functionality".
Anyway, while this sounds all pretty downbeat from me, for perspective its a very nice product and with a little fleshing out could and should do well (its not for me as a my setup is going hybrid when I integrate a 3rd party audio component for Roon / Tidal etc). But even whilst not being for me, they can add functionality to the Halo to make it more compelling for those with more fully all B&O integrated setups.
Mikipidia:I guess I am official B&O reviewer in that case since I did do a video on it on YT I still like it and am not confused about it, although like I said, it needs more. If nothing has changed in 3 months or so I’ll start thinking of joining the pitchfork brigade
I still like it and am not confused about it, although like I said, it needs more. If nothing has changed in 3 months or so I’ll start thinking of joining the pitchfork brigade
Sandyb: Anyway, while this sounds all pretty downbeat from me, for perspective its a very nice product and with a little fleshing out could and should do well (its not for me as a my setup is going hybrid when I integrate a 3rd party audio component for Roon / Tidal etc). But even whilst not being for me, they can add
Anyway, while this sounds all pretty downbeat from me, for perspective its a very nice product and with a little fleshing out could and should do well (its not for me as a my setup is going hybrid when I integrate a 3rd party audio component for Roon / Tidal etc). But even whilst not being for me, they can add
I agree! If it was a little cheaper - say £400 - I'd buy two. One for the office. Quick volume control is handy. Problem is, at £700, for effectively a good-looking volume controller, it's very pricey, especially at a time when I'm realising voice control is immense.
For example, I have a BeoSound 2 without GVA and with. I want rid of the one without GVA! It's a right pain to control. With one with the GVA I can shout from the other side of the room, turn it on off with my voice, change the volume, move to the next track, the lot.
I'm sure they do have some extra focus on the path for the Halo.
That said, I'd suggest their idea is to leave it out in the wild for a few months, collecting usage data/feedback etc, and then work on implementing any next phase of additional features, which will take a few months again to program and test. That (and their track record) is what leads me to believe it will be a good while before you see any meaningful change.
But if you have been told that updates are closer to being delivered than that, well that would be a welcome development.
Anyway, I've commented far too much on something that is little to no use in my case.
I must get a life!
@Mikipedia
And what is that, when you say....I am curious?
‘but with what seems to be minimal updates it can be a totally different and way more functional remote already’
Sandyb: Well yes I agree. Hence my posts earlier / elsewhere that the form factor should have been a little bigger, even if that meant only 10-20% bigger. That would have allowed a slightly bigger screen, and hence browsing may not have been so cramped. Or why not a bigger circular screen within the same ring footprint? Again, more screen real estate, more browsing possibilities. I'm not talking about a screen so big that it replicates the big screen browsing of a tablet. But this as it is is smaller than even old iPhone screen sizes. Even leaving the Halo as it is, there is scope for adding a horizontally scrolling play queue - it's not brilliant does this way on the Moment, but its still ok and offers the ability to jump around to different points in the queue. But yes, as you say, B&O must be assuming there are sufficient people for whom the predefined triggering is enough. Slightly escapes me though - with the streaming services offering a universe of music, a few set playlists is enough?
A bigger hand held puck with a decent screen could've been cool - looking like a google Nest, it could've kept the outer ring, been able to do all it does now but also browse and display artwork etc. and the display could've used a gyro so that it was always vertical regardless of how you pick up the device.
Not really a technical challenge!
Ban boring signatures!
I thought, the new remote would be something like: B&O app integrated in a "remote device". Maximum performance (because just "one app") and all the app possibilities, a cool form factor and no need for a pad or mobile any more.
I can*t see the added value
Exactly - and I'm not talking something much bigger (2x the size), I'm talking about something 20% or so bigger.
That would have facilitated a little more information and possibilities on screen, whilst remaining elegant enough.
And thats why it seems to me that form has been given too much priority over function.
The Verge report on the Halo, whilst definitely snippy and snarky, does summarise my point. The journalist suggests they cant work out what it is for or what it does. Now of course some of that would become clearer if they played around with it, but she is not that far off when she concedes its just a remote in a different shape. And where it chimes with my observations is that a device with a touchscreen like this these days leads to expectations that it can do a bunch of things. Even those here who have one or have welcomed it seem to say the same, albeit with a more constructive tone i.e it needs to do quite a bit more.
Anyway, as we've had time to ponder the possibilities both form and function wise during the near year long wait, some clearly were hoping for something inspired by the Beo 6 and its customisation flexibility. Surely what we got was nowhere near that?
Thats a rhetorical question for the record.
Puncher: Sandyb: Well yes I agree. Hence my posts earlier / elsewhere that the form factor should have been a little bigger, even if that meant only 10-20% bigger. That would have allowed a slightly bigger screen, and hence browsing may not have been so cramped. Or why not a bigger circular screen within the same ring footprint? Again, more screen real estate, more browsing possibilities. I'm not talking about a screen so big that it replicates the big screen browsing of a tablet. But this as it is is smaller than even old iPhone screen sizes. Even leaving the Halo as it is, there is scope for adding a horizontally scrolling play queue - it's not brilliant does this way on the Moment, but its still ok and offers the ability to jump around to different points in the queue. But yes, as you say, B&O must be assuming there are sufficient people for whom the predefined triggering is enough. Slightly escapes me though - with the streaming services offering a universe of music, a few set playlists is enough? A bigger hand held puck with a decent screen could've been cool - looking like a google Nest, it could've kept the outer ring, been able to do all it does now but also browse and display artwork etc. and the display could've used a gyro so that it was always vertical regardless of how you pick up the device. Not really a technical challenge!
Mikipidia:Yeah they’d pulling back more and more.... New: Beovision Harmony, Beolab 50's, Beolab 18's, Beolab 17's, Beolab 3's, Beosound 9000 mk3, Beosound Stage & LG, Beosound 2, Beoplay M3, Beoplay A1, Beoplay H4 gen 2, Beoplay E8 3.0 Mikipedia on YouTube (finally ) https://www.youtube.com/c/Mikipedia Old: Beovision Eclipse, Beolab 1's, Beolab 2, Beovision 10-46, Overture 2300, beolab 8000's, Beolab 4000's, Beovision avant 32" etc. etc.
Eclipse 65V1-32Beosound M5Essence MK2BLI
Millemissen:Thanks for the look in your crystal bowl.I guess we will have to come back on this in a years time....to see what has happened.P.S. What kind of BeoSound system are you aiming at....a reaurrection of the oldies from yesteryear?MMThere is a tv - and there is a BV.