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 all,
With the new A9 having been updated, I was wondering if anyone had heard whether some of the software features of the MKII will arrive on the MK1 - like Deezer - since this is not hardware related. I'm particularly keen to see if they've done anything to the WIFI controller.
Any news of a Firmware release. Mine is currently running 2987 dated October 2013.
I had to end up cabling mine via ethernet as the wireless controller software is shockingly poor. In some respects, I believe B&O should provide us with free upgrades to whatever upgraded board they have put inside the new model as the MK1 was never fit for purpose. Love the sound, but wireless - even up to 1M from the router - it is not...
It is a 2nd Generation.
I would say, that it is a new device in the shape of the first A9.
I'd even call it a BeoSound.
And it will be NL-enabled.
P.S. the wifi has 2.4 and 5 GHz support.
MM
There is a tv - and there is a BV
Millemissen:P.S. the wifi has 2.4 and 5 GHz support.
It should really have had that in the first version. The standard 802.11B inside doesn't work properly from any distance. I already took one back already that I first purchased in July and I'm thinking I might even ask to switch this one out as I've got this Ethernet cable running across the room which is not aesthetically pleasing. Literally its got an Apple 802.11AC router 2 meters directly above it with nothing between and the Signal shows up as Poor. That can't be acceptable can it?
mawheele:It should really have had that in the first version. The standard 802.11B inside doesn't work properly from any distance. I already took one back already that I first purchased in July and I'm thinking I might even ask to switch this one out as I've got this Ethernet cable running across the room which is not aesthetically pleasing. Literally its got an Apple 802.11AC router 2 meters directly above it with nothing between and the Signal shows up as Poor. That can't be acceptable can it?
Beosound Stage, Beovision 8-40, Beolit 20, Beosound Explore.
As stated elsewhere on the forum this isn't B&O's fault for the 2.4 only integration. Apple mandates that everyone use the same chip. If you are having problems with signal I would download a Wifi sniffer app and check to see how many other networks are in your area and what channels they are on. Sometimes it's as easy as telling your router to not auto channel select and stay on a fixed channel that very few other people are using.
Ah, you know... A little B&O here, a little there
Please don't blame it on B&O - they have built in, what was licenced by Apple at that time.
I'm not sure this is entirely true. The Apple MFi Program specifically dictates the software API and utilisation to be certified. I've never seen any details specifying the actual Apple supplied chipset that requires implementation to be certified. Indeed, for more than a year now in the MFI, 802.11AC has been an option, yet does the new A9 feature this?
As I understand it, B&O selected their chipset, which likely came with code they are using from the supplying vendor.
So, I'm not sure Apple is really to blame either.
Sorry - just to correct some of what I was saying. You also have to have the MFI supported element in the Wifi components - BUT there are multiple vendors of these parts including Broadcom and others.
I did find some time back a wiki that explained that, it was a chipset issue that for third party airplay vendors there is simply no chip available.
The one apple is using in airport express and tv wasnt available in the market for third party vendors.
are there any third party devices that support 5GHz? I dont think so.
Solution can be to just but an airport express and connect the A9 to that so that it gets with 5ghz onto the network.
I did that with my playmaker.
Or buy the 2nd generation A9
This is not quite true. I've been Airplaying from my MacBook to my iPhone for HD surfing videos and AirPlaying from my MacBook and iPhone everyday to my Apple TV box since 2012 and I've never ever had an issue BUT my A8 drops constantly in the very few times that I decide to use it hence it's been placed in the guests bedroom as a pretty iPhone charger :( It's very embarrassing when my friends laugh at it because they think it's useless.
I think most modern router can run 2.4 and 5 in parallel. It may ght be that your apple stuff is running on 5 without you noticing.
Could also be that the chipset used is generally crappy or some other compatibility issue.
I avoided the essence for that reason and playmaker is connected via cable to my macbook or hooked up via the airport express.
Using th airport express to hook up thr playmaker to my 5ghz network was a cheap workaround and I still have the beo 4 functions, powerlink for my beolabs and a good DA converter
I have exchanged my internet provider router(s) with 2.4 only at home with Apple's Airport Extreme and Airport Express - and ever since signal stability has improved dramatically.
I am right now setting thing up in a way to broadcast on 5 only, that much of a signal consistency improvement I see. I live in a high rise, so that only adds up to a problem of interference on 2.4 and to the qualitative step-up when you switch to 5. I am really recommending it to everyone from the first hand experience. Streaming Deezer via AirPlay to Airport Express connected to Beocenter 8500 and it plays with zero hiccups for hours.
The Beoplay A9 Mk1 is a 2.4Ghz 802.11B product only. As you all say, for the most part Apple product to Apple product works perfect. Its simply that B&O chose to integrate a chipset and software that are clearly less performant and reliable. Sometimes it can be fixed by software, but since no firmware updates have been forthcoming for 18 months now, I'm guessing they've given up.
I've had the A9 since it first came out and here are my experience with the A9.
For the first year or so I used my Iphone5 to Airplay Spotify through a high-end Netgear router. Using this setup I had a lot of playback issues, mainly consisting of dropouts. Sometimes the A9 even disappeared from the Airplay list. Did what I could to use a less congested network band.
After some time I switched to an Apple Airport Extreme router and tweaked my network settings a bit. This actually had a big impact on playback stability. But it didn't solve it all. At this point I had accepted the fact that dropouts would sometimes occur.
Then the firmware update allowed for Spotify Connect and I've used that ever since. I have virtually no dropouts and it just works. I use my A9 as my primary audio source for several hours each day, and have no complaints at all after switching to Spotify Connect.
What baffles me is the big difference in playback stability. The only difference here is that the A9 now streams the music on it's own instead of the iPhone streaming to it. So basically the only difference is whether the music is pushed to the A9 or not. The strain on the network is of course cut in half, as the iPhone isn't streaming to the router, but Airplaying an audio source shouldn't cripple a network like that.
So my experience is that Spotify Connect is far superior to Airplay, and I would recommend anyone with an A9 to switch to Spotify solely for the Connect ability.
Beovision Eclipse gen2 (GX) w/ floorstand, Beolab 14.2, 4 speaker Shape and ATV4/Chromecast.
Beoplay A9mk4 GVA, Beosound 1 GVA, H2, H3, H8, E6, Beoplay EQ
Unfortunately that only goes for Spotify - other services must still be airplayed.
Paul W:This is not quite true. I've been Airplaying from my MacBook to my iPhone for HD surfing videos and AirPlaying from my MacBook and iPhone everyday to my Apple TV box since 2012 and I've never ever had an issue BUT my A8 drops constantly in the very few times that I decide to use it hence it's been placed in the guests bedroom as a pretty iPhone charger :( It's very embarrassing when my friends laugh at it because they think it's useless.
mawheele:The Beoplay A9 Mk1 is a 2.4Ghz 802.11B product only. As you all say, for the most part Apple product to Apple product works perfect. Its simply that B&O chose to integrate a chipset and software that are clearly less performant and reliable. Sometimes it can be fixed by software, but since no firmware updates have been forthcoming for 18 months now, I'm guessing they've given up.
BeoMegaMan:Not sure why the hardline approach still that B&O somehow decided to bring out a product that doesn't perform perfect on wifi on their own cognition. By concept it is a streaming device. It's pretty amazing that I hear the exact same problems that people have with BeoPlay products happened with their Zeppelin and others. Not sure why everyone thinks their network is perfect all the time, especially when a bulk load of people are using provider hardware only. Can't tell you how many people that I talk to say that their wifi can't reach the other side of their house let alone achieve the speeds they are paying for. If people would take a second to learn how to properly setup things on a network vs. looking for a miracle Apple streamer that is limited by themselves to 3rd parties there would be a lot less swapping and hopping between all companies. Ah, you know... A little B&O here, a little there
Chris Townsend:My network is perfectly stable when streaming Airplay to an Apple TV that costs £90, I expect it to be as stable when streaming to exactly the same content to a device costing £1,700. Beovision 7-55 Mk2, Beovision 8-32, Avant RF 28, Beolab 8000, Beolit 12, Beocom 2, Beotime, H6, Form 2.
Barry Santini:Thank your BeoMegaman for all your contributions here. Can you point us to an FAQ or tutorial on exactly what we need to know about setting up a simple but robust home network?
I consider it unfair to blame Apple for the Airplay issues of B&O devices. For Airplay to function properly you need a stable network connection. And that is what is lacking here. That has nothing to do with the Airplay protocol itself. Might be inferior home networks, in a lot of cases, but from my point of view the B&O wifi implementation is the main reason causing the issues. Not the Airplay protocol.
BeoVision 11-55, BeoLab 8000, BeoRemote One BT, AppleTV 4, 2x BeoPlay A2, BeoPlay A1
Up till now noone blamed Apple or the AirPlay protocol - as far as I have understood the posts.
There is an issue with the older chips (built in to the A9 due to certain licencing) and some of the wifi networks (or the configuration of these), that some A9's are in.
I wonder how big the problem is in general?
Of all the A9's out there, Is really no A9 working properly on wifi
@BeoMegaMan,
I have no other WIFI networks within range having performed full scans, or on shared frequencies.
I am running the latest WIFI and Router equipment from Apple which uses the current Broadcom chipsets.
Every other device on my network is either 802.11AC or connected via Ethernet. Every other device in my network - 21 of them - works perfect.
The A9 is 2m precisely from the main Router. All other devices within proximity are running on 5GHz. Therefore the A9 is getting its own set of very clear radio waves.
All the iPhones in my house are 6's and therefore are using AC on 5GHz.
Any suggestions???
Thanks.
We bought this when gave up on AirPlay with our Beolit 12 http://store.apple.com/uk/product/HG0S2ZM/A/mophie-premium-flat-lightning-to-usb-cable-3M
£30 but you know it'll work!
Beo Century ,Beoplay V1, Beocenter 6, Ex-Beolit 12, Beotime , A8. Beolit 15 , Form 2i , Beolab 2000, Beoplay A3.Beosound 1
I would think the 2nd generation A9 it for the most part the same internally aside from the control board and the addition of the bluetooth button on the back.
would it be that difficult to swap the control board?