S8 + connection hub

I recently purchased S8 system and am very happy with the sound. However, I purchased sight unseen as my local B&O shop didn't have them on display and was told that they were discontinued, but they could source them from interstate (which they did). I discussed my setup and was told that everything would be great as do what i expected.

The reason I wanted the s8 was the connection hub looked like it would simplify my previous setup,  I use set top box (fetchTV) connected to my tv to watch all my tv, I am also a keen Apple TV user and wanted the great b&O sound for my television and also for my music/movie streaming.

When the rep arrived at my home to install the s8 he told me I got lucky as i was getting a 'third generation' S8 that now has 4.1 surround (which Im not really interested in anyway, just want great stereo) but they no longer have the connection hub. He then installed an attenuator to the rca output of my stb( to decrease the volume as the output was far to loud) and a dac to my apple tv, all plugged into a double adaptor type cord connected to the s8 sub.  It all works but looks a hell of a mess, which was what I was trying to avoid in the first place. My biggest issue is that I can not stream movies directly on my apple tv or from my collection on my mac streaming to my apple tv as there is no volume control.

question is, if i had the connection hub would i be getting volume control for my Apple TV?? I can get it for music streaming from iOS devices and also from my mac, just not for movies. after being put off by the rep over the phone a couple of times I'm starting to feel lied to and wonder if the discount he gave me was simply because he never intended on giving me the connection hub.  I can not find any reference to 'third generation' S8 on the internet and the current downloadable manual shows the same sub i have (with connection for front,center and rear speakers) along with a connection hub.  Any help or information about the volume control on connection hub would be appreciated.

Sounds like you have a 1st generation S8. They had the extra ports and no hub. You can buy the hub separately.

That seems to be a nasty story.

Not what you’d expect from a B&O store.

Discontinoued or not, you can easily get the S8 set and also the hub seperately in Denmark.

I have have also seen these on Amazon.de.

You did not, however write anything about your origin.

You should maybe talk to that dealer again with these informations and also show him, where you can purchase these/the hub.

The hub is esential for your usercase - reading your post, I can’t help thinking that he sold you something, that you did not order!

If you don’t want to deal with him anymore, you might buy it online.

P.S. there was never a S8 set in the 4.1 configuration - that was called BeoLab 14.4.1...

....these were never sold with the hub, but were intended for use with a B&O tv (the speaker there acting as the center channel/the 5).

Which colour is your sub?

 

By the way - welcome to Beoworld

MM

Thankyou for your reply.  I am in Australia.  Do you know how the volume of the connection hub works. i.e would it be able to quiten the signal from the set top box and will it be able to control volume for my apple tv (3rd gen).

from what I can tell, if I connect the set top box and apple tv to the connection hub those devices will basically just deliver a set level of signal and the connection hub will then be able to control the volume either up or down, is this how it functions? 

I can only see one youtube video showing set up, by a guy from b&o Manchester, and on that he connects a Samsung tv via toslink (which I'm guessing would supply a set signal) and he then can operate the volume.

I am sure that what ive got is s8, looks exactly like the pictures etc, so are you saying that there are no third generation and that the second generation has no extra speaker connections (rear and center).

 

Thank you once again.

Indeed there were different versions of the S8 - can’t say anything about version numbers.

The S8 was black - the BL14 versions were white and ere not sold with the hub as they were intented for use with a B&O tv.

Some (of the 8’s) had only the two input ports, some had more (for surround channels) - some of these active and some inactive.

Quite confusing, indeed.

You can - of course - use your version as is as you only need 2 channel/stereo.

But you would need the hub, too.

And you would have to connect the toslink output of the tv to the hub (and the hub to the S8).

All your sources must be connected to the tv in order to have all sound routed to the S8 set.

Now, you don’t mention the brand of your tv - I am not sure for which tv’s ‘the remote control learning feature’ of the hub works.

This is something that your dealer should (!) have been able to help with.

Maybe someone else in the forum know which brands are supported!

MM

 

In the USA, the original S8 came without a hub, and the current version comes with.  You can see the difference at (for example) amazon.com, enter ASIN numbers B00MOUNIZI (1st gen) & B01B8X14LG (2nd gen).   The product description for the 2nd gen says how the hub works.

thanks for your reply. On my invoice the product details are 1623922 beoplay s8 MC3 Black, any idea on what all that means?

Generally, look on your box for the white label, and the large numbers should match the model # on the invoice.  The USA versions were 1623722 for the original one, and 1624722 for the newer one with the hub.  So my NON-expert guess is that yours is a first version, and the 7 vs. 9 is US vs. AU power/plug?  Don't know about "MC3".

thanks for the info, yes i believe that i have a first generation as well,  However, have spoken to the dealer again today and he swears blind that they are a "third generation" and aren't supplied with a connection hub and now wants to charge me for one.  I pointed out that no one else in the world has heard of "third generation" s8 but he still believes that there are.

Hi there. I am also in Australia. I have an S8 Connection hub which I bought earlier this year for $355.

It takes audio from my (quite old, now) Panasonic plasma TV via the optical cable Toslink.

I have an Apple TV and a BluRay player connected to the TV via HDMI cables.

I have a pair of Beolab 17s connected via PowerLink cabling to the S8 Connection Hub.

When I connected everything there was a process to follow to teach the connection hub the IR commands from my remote for volume up and down and mute. I use a harmony remote for everything.

So, in my setup all audio comes from the TV to the hub. The hub responds to my remote to change volume. I used my 17s and did not buy the BeoPlay S8 speakers.

It all works really well and it sounds like it should for you, also.

Good luck

Scott M

Thank you for your info.  Does the range of volume control through the hub give a full range. e.g. zero up to earth shattering?

Petedub:

Thank you for your info.  Does the range of volume control through the hub give a full range. e.g. zero up to earth shattering?

I too have an S8 connection hub in use with a non-B&O TV and Beolab 9. Yes its volume control goes full range zero to ear splitting.

Yes. All the way down to nothing and up to “I’m scared to go further”.

My understanding is that the TV supplies a non-volume regulated audio signal to the hub and hub allows you to control the volume. 

Thinking back to when I was investigating the purchase...

I found settings in my TV and devices to choose what audio stream was output to the TV and to the hub. Wherever I found a setting, I chose stereo over surround. I don’t know if these measures were important, but I haven’t had a problem yet.

One other thing to think of is whether you want the internal TV speakers to function at all. If you have the hub learn the TV remote commands for volume then the TV will get louder as your S8 system gets louder. I got round this because the hub learnt the volume control signals that my harmony remote was sending to the AV Receiver I had previously. My Apple TV remote also works to control the speaker volume.

I have read that some TVs have an option to disable the internal speakers by telling it that you’re using external speakers.

Cheers

Scott M

good to know, thankyou

good to know, thankyou

Goof to know, thankyou

Thanks for the info,

I have just ordered the hub (at a cost!) and have no way of disabling my tv speakers.  I use an old ipod touch with an ir transmitter to control everything so will just put some other signal on the volume so that the tv volume wont react.  Good to know that you can get full range volume, as sometimes you just have to go loud.