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
"review" because at this stage I can't report important technical data ... like "how long do the A3 batteries last", "how long does it take to recharge", "what happens when power runs out" et cetera
except when I came home Sue did say that she noticed the iPad was down to 70% so she figured she needed to connected it to the power point ... and no, she did not notice the red/orange/green light on the side ! The positive side was that she obviously had used it a lot
So first, some initial sound impressions, it seemed "boomy" and had a reverberations -- so I turned the volume down and "learnt" how to not set the volume too high. At this stage I have not done any A/B tests on the effect of the tone speaker settings - this might have to wait until the weekend !
So the best way to "review" the A3 is to show its utility ...
AccuRadio for Sunday breakfast ...
but Monday breakfast was a less relaxed working breakfast - here we are at 6:45am waiting for the news ...
but back to Sunday, time for some gardening duties ... to music !
setting the A3 to be an alarm clock ... appropriately the BeoPlayer App !
and finally ... as a remote ... using LinkPlayer (version 1 sadly, I don't have the version 2 App)
eagle eyed observers might notice the Jensen elephant standing in front of a BeoWorld postcard
I did try the A3 in our wet room (shower) however it was gentle suggested that it might be too wet, and that Beoworlders might not find my ablutions that too interesting
BeoNut since '75
For this Tuesday morning I got EyeTV working so we could catch the Sunrise program's news at ~7:30am ... found that reception is very sensitive to the strength of the WiFi signal - you can carry the A3 around listening to music (or "radio" news) but for video it needs to be placed in a "good" spot
The other downside of TV is of course the adverts
shinobi52:Great review Éléphant ! I have one question : Is the iPad+a3 not too big when you use it to read or surf on internet?
I have one question : Is the iPad+a3 not too big when you use it to read or surf on internet?
Thanks
So, not really - you can read & surf either by using it in different ways:
elephant: shinobi52:Great review Éléphant ! I have one question : Is the iPad+a3 not too big when you use it to read or surf on internet? Thanks So, not really - you can read & surf either by using it in different ways: nestle the A3 in your lap in landscape mode - good for reading lay it down on the table in landscape or portrait mode - good for reading or surfing stand it up on the table in portrait or landscape mode - good for reading it weighs more of course, so it is quite difficult to hold with one hand - but it is not inconvenient to cradle it in your lap
it weighs more of course, so it is quite difficult to hold with one hand - but it is not inconvenient to cradle it in your lap
I should add that one disappointment that was not evident in the dealer's was how easy it is to tilt the A3 when using the touchscreen or home button.
I will take pictures at the weekend - but this is especially a problem in portrait mode, which is how we use it in the kitchen for recipes ....
elephant: I should add that one disappointment that was not evident in the dealer's was how easy it is to tilt the A3 when using the touchscreen or home button.
I was testing the A3, with iPad, at my dealer's last week. When I placed the A3 in portrait mode, I found it to be quite unstable. In fact, I knocked the top of the A3 and went went over, with a bit of a crash. The other people in the store looked over and I did worry that I might have damaged the iPad! I did make a remark to the dealer that it was very easy to knock over when standing upright.
moxxey: elephant: I should add that one disappointment that was not evident in the dealer's was how easy it is to tilt the A3 when using the touchscreen or home button. I was testing the A3, with iPad, at my dealer's last week. When I placed the A3 in portrait mode, I found it to be quite unstable. In fact, I knocked the top of the A3 and went went over, with a bit of a crash. The other people in the store looked over and I did worry that I might have damaged the iPad! I did make a remark to the dealer that it was very easy to knock over when standing upright.
exactly our worry - but not enough to send it back
what still puzzles me is why I did not think to try your simple test although the store has an iPad 2 and we have an iPad 1 and that weight and thickness may be enough to change some of the dynamics
elephant: what still puzzles me is why I did not think to try your simple test although the store has an iPad 2 and we have an iPad 1 and that weight and thickness may be enough to change some of the dynamics
Me knocking it over was an accident. I gently brushed the top of the A3, in portrait mode, and it went over quickly, easily and with a crash on to the wooden desk. Made quite a bang - everyone turned around. Luckily the iPad wasn't damaged (was more worried about that than the A3 ;), but I was concerned how easily it went over. I barely even touched the top. It was a slight brush and it went straight over!
Reviving this thread for several reasons; one is I really feel for Chris and his problems with the BeoLit 12 - we almost got the BeoLit (and I some times get mini-lectures on that but this time I have $s as my defence ) and now I am pleased we didn't ... all the troubles I had with our BeoLink Wireless seem to be plaguing Chris.
The big advantage (and I understand Moxxey's point that Chris' problem being the network not the device) an A3 seems to have over the BeoLit is that I am "only" reliant on the iPad for its networking capabilities - this gives me some level of assurance that my system is basically from one supplier end-to-end for both video and audio. I am using B&O for what it is good for: speakers.
The other piece of information I wanted to provide as an update is that after basically a month of use, the initial high activity because of novelty has died down, but the combination of the A3 and its iPad recieves daily use from both of us.
I have an impression that the battery system is losing its efficacy -- so I performing a battery test today by playing AccuRadio -- currently at the 3 hour mark, and the A3 has gone from no light (fully charged or dead - weird symbology that), to green (reasonably charged), and now to orange (moderately charged).
I have not been doing a good job of keeping the A3 busy , but we did watch S1E1 of Newsroom (airplayed to the BV8-40) with pauses and two minor replays - a duration of say 90 minutes.
A3 indicator is now red, and I thought that its batteries were quiesced or empty as the iPad is now showing 96% i.e. the A3 can no longer keep the iPad charged ready for any undocking. But the A3 speakers are still playing so the power management behaviour is not as I had understood it
Well after 2 hours of music the A3's light has gone from red to no existent, and the iPad's internal speaker(s) are now the one(s) playing - and so I expect the iPad's battery will start dropping from 96%
It took 40 minutes to recharge the iPad to 100% (from 93%) and turn the A3's light back on as red.
Thought I'd resurrect this thread having just picked-up my A3 at the B&O special offer price.
I agree with previous comments in this thread.
Just to add.... The A3 comes with a couple of gaskets. You need to insert a gasket to compensate for the thickness of your particular iPad model. This is not a problem, but it is an additional task to repeatedly perform if you also use your iPad in another device. The gasket is likely to be the first thing to wear out if you keep having to stretch it over the iPad edge to remove it or put it back on. I may order an extra gasket as a spare.
The gaskets do provide good edge protection if left on when using the iPad on its own.
Graham
why not use airplay and do it all wirelessly ?
Flappo: why not use airplay and do it all wirelessly ?
Good point. Actively thinking about airplay into the BS8.
moxxey: elephant: what still puzzles me is why I did not think to try your simple test although the store has an iPad 2 and we have an iPad 1 and that weight and thickness may be enough to change some of the dynamics Me knocking it over was an accident. I gently brushed the top of the A3, in portrait mode, and it went over quickly, easily and with a crash on to the wooden desk. Made quite a bang - everyone turned around. Luckily the iPad wasn't damaged (was more worried about that than the A3 ;), but I was concerned how easily it went over. I barely even touched the top. It was a slight brush and it went straight over!
After a bit of use I would say that the A3 is not too stable in landscape mode either! You have to be very careful to only stand it where it can't be knocked. It might have spoilt the aesthetics, but the A3 really needs a swing-out leg or prop at the thin end!
Having said that, it's a great way to improve the sound output of the iPad and is a bargain at the current offer price provided you don't upgrade your iPad every time a new model comes out.
Tipsy is an understatement! This thing will live on its back!
Love it though ... looks great, sounds great, simple as it gets!
Considering that B&O are hoping that the Play brand is going to bring their products more to the masses it's surprising just how little has been said about this device.
When I got mine I really didn't know where it was going to fit in my life. A few months on and after a day sick at home I thought I would add some of my own personal observations.
First of all, despite the added weight, I readily throw the whole think in my back-pack to take to work with me at the weekends. Nothing else I own, including Jambox, comes even close to the sound that this device makes. The inconvenience of it needing a separate mains charger rather than a more convenient USB recharge seems to be offset by the speed of recharging that you get. As a remote using the B&O app, it makes more sense to me than all the other B&O remote control products, so the iPad was always going to be closeto hand anyway.. The real joy continues to be the sound.
whilst recouperating on the sofa today I was reading through the online subscription to Evo magazine with the A3 resting on my chest. I almost fell off the chair when one of the videos started and the V12 rumble of the Aston Zagato trembled through me. OK, it was sat on my chest, but feeling bass from my Lab9's this clear would get me in trouble with the law.
I think it's fair to say that you shouldn't underestimate the A3, but B&O have got the price point wrong. At half the retail price, it would be reasonable. If your dealer offers you a free one with a speaker/TV purchase, I think you can accept expecting to be pleasantly surprised.
What do other A3 owners think?
shoutj74: What do other A3 owners think?
That it's "ok". I bought mine half price at Christmas, but have barely used it. Problem for me, I can't see where I'd use it. Watching breakfast TV on a morning? I'd just turn on the TV in the kitchen. Listen to radio? I'll switch on the BS3. Want to read a magazine on it? It's better just using the regular iPad (A3 is cumbersome). What to watch streamed video which you can't view on your TV? iPad doesn't natively support Flash, ruling out this an option - easier to watch on your laptop. I tried using it as an alarm clock, but I knocked it over at least twice, so went back to my regular alarm!
The only thing I can see it being useful for is when I took the iPad to work to watch the Olympics, when I didn't want to be distracted watching on my laptop. Worked well. However, I rarely ever do this, which is why the A3 is sat doing nothing at the moment.
It's not bad, it's ok, but it's not really proved as revolutionary as I expected.
I'm really happy with my A3. It has found a new use for my iPad 1, which was just sitting in a drawer unused.
I have a 4 week old daughter, and the A3 is her first B&O! It lives in her room with a few white noise apps, and it's handy to use as a distraction when feeding her (for the parent, not the baby!). The sound is great at really low levels, as well as turned up during awake time. It's also very handy if we put her to sleep in our room, as the A3 can follow very easily.
The A3 is discounted but isn't half price here in Australia. I was lucky enough to get mine at half price though because B&O accidently sent me the offer, then agreed to honour the deal. It's been worth every cent!
x:________________________
Jonathan: I'm really happy with my A3. It has found a new use for my iPad 1, which was just sitting in a drawer unused.
Jonathan, you're right about that and that's what I was trying to say above - much more useful if you have a spare iPad.
The best use for an A3 for me is watching breakfast TV on a morning or perhaps when you're preparing a meal on an evening. Good for radio too. If you can justify using a spare iPad for this, then it makes much more sense, yes.
I must say I bought the A3 as soon as it was on sale, and even before getting the Ipad!
When receiving both, I was happy to notice the quality of the packaging, the fact that nothing was optional, all Ipad adaptors, all power plug adaptors were provided, which makes the system usable all over the world without any problem.
I use it when I'm traveling, it is the most efficient and compact way to improve the Ipad sound, I previously had a Zeppelin Mini with my Ipod Classic connected, but the weight & dimensions made it less than ideal when on the move.At least the A3 can fit in my cabin luggage.
I found the sound lacking a bit of treble in the beginning, but it may simply be because the unit has such an impressive bass level!I tested it with a demo CD, and the 50 Hz frequency is clearly audible.
Since I bought it, I never took the Ipad out of the A3, except when I need to connect the Ipad to my Mac. To me, the rubber surround adaptors are the perfect bumper so I've never used the Ipad on its own.
My only regrets are that, indeed the system is quite unstable when standing in both modes, due to the asymmetry of the design, and that there's no built in headphone output, and also that the power input is not at the back of the unit, because having the A3 in portrait mode with this cable hanging on top is not very sexy..
The A3 iPad combo is my radio (via BeoPlayer) and newspaper at breakfast. Therefore I am looking forward to a BeoPlayer in landscape mode ...
After months and months of nonstop use ... The OEM skin is so stretched out -I can barely get the iPad to dock anymore.
I love my Otterbox, but you really need a simpler case to slip into when the iPad is not in the A3.
DUPE, of course.
ɓʋɾɑɳɫɘɮ: After months and months of nonstop use ... The OEM skin is so stretched out -I can barely get the iPad to dock anymore. I love my Otterbox, but you really need a simpler case to slip into when the iPad is not in the A3.
Mine is still OK but I tend to not remove the gasket when the iPad is out of the A3. (We have a second iPad bought specifically to be used on our A8 whilst they were still available with 30 pin connectors.)
When buying the A3 I was assured by my dealer that there should be no need to buy a spare gasket set because they had been stretching their skins/gaskets on and off hundreds of times. I was quoted a ridiculous price for a pair of spares (only sold in pairs) ... can't remember the exact figure but I think it was about £70 (!) at which point I decided to take a risk and not bother.
Maybe a set of spares would be a good investment after all!
vikinger: ɓʋɾɑɳɫɘɮ: After months and months of nonstop use ... The OEM skin is so stretched out -I can barely get the iPad to dock anymore. I love my Otterbox, but you really need a simpler case to slip into when the iPad is not in the A3. Mine is still OK but I tend to not remove the gasket when the iPad is out of the A3. (We have a second iPad bought specifically to be used on our A8 whilst they were still available with 30 pin connectors.)
Yeah, ummm, well, see, that is the problem! I may have removed the iPad once, maybe, if ever from the B&o skin.
It is not stretched out from installing/uninstalling but rather from just plain old use. Furthermore, what was once white is now sort of a putty grey.
As the provided iPad1 skin is unused and as new, I'd rather spend 150 on a used iPad1 than 125 on a pair of new skins and leave the stupid thing docked 24/7!
ɓʋɾɑɳɫɘɮ: Yeah, ummm, well, see, that is the problem! I may have removed the iPad once, maybe, if ever from the B&o skin. It is not stretched out from installing/uninstalling but rather from just plain old use. Furthermore, what was once white is now sort of a putty grey. As the provided iPad1 skin is unused and as new, I'd rather spend 150 on a used iPad1 than 125 on a pair of new skins and leave the stupid thing docked 24/7!
I get the picture!
Come to think of it, every time we re-dock the iPad into the A3 it seems that the slider that engages the 30 pin connector has to be pushed more and more firmly for the connection to be made, so this might be part of the same problem.
I haven't had this problem as yet, probably because my iPad has only been taken out of the A3 about 3 times. The rubber bumper hasn't been taken off my iPad since I bought the A3.....
Jonathan: I haven't had this problem as yet, probably because my iPad has only been taken out of the A3 about 3 times. The rubber bumper hasn't been taken off my iPad since I bought the A3.....
± ditto ±
The only time mine was out of its "cage" was when my sons borrowed it for their exhibitions ... now they have an adequate supply of their own iPads and so mine now lives permanently inside the A3
Truth be told -this is certainly my fault.
I am sure B&o did not intend what I call a "skin" to be used as such, but I was not going to pop the iPad in and out of my Otterbox every time it was not in the A3. I should have bought a simpler generic skin, but then I would have stretched the gasket due to the changeouts.
Oh well.