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
elephant:Could you write us all a considered review of the Essence ? what you have found that is good what you discovered about its usage that surprised you (some times our toys change us !) what were the short comings (if any)
Hello B&O users,
I will try to explain you here what I think of my brand new BS Essence.
First of all, I have to say I used to use a BS Ouverture for 20 years, and I also recently tried a BS 5 Encore for a few days, so these are what I will compare the Essence to.
All of these gears were connected to a pair of BL 8000 and recently a BL 11 too.
My equipment consist of a box (for accessing the internet, of course), a NAS, an Android tablet ( --> I will only talk about the Android version of Beomusic here). Everything is connected through Ethernet (but the tablet of course).
What's good:
Sound quality (addition of a modern piece of electronic + high quality music files + good set of speakers). Coming from the BS Ouverture, I re-discover some of my CDs details.
Remote control: difficult to make simpler! Nice to use and obvious.
The Beomusic app recognizes your equipment without doing anything, that's nice.
Fast to start (compared to the BS5E), no noise at all (no fan)
Spotify and TuneIn included.
The Essence box is very small (about twice a Playmaker size) and can be completely hidden.
What's surprising:
Main interface (your mobile device) isn't made by B&O... This is the most important "difficulty" when you already know "classic" B&O products.(In order to better understand the BS Essence philosophy, you'd learn about the DLNA architecture: DMR, DMS, DMP...)The BS Essence is a DMR only.By consequence, general ergonomics relies on your mobile device app and on your NAS interface.
The B&O app is not the only one you can use. Any DLNA / UPnP player will work (i.e. you don't rely anymore on B&O products only)
The internet radio supplier is now TuneIn (not like for the BS5 for which it's in Denmark if I understood well)
No settings! (no equalizer...)
What's wrong:
Not programmable: this is a shame! You can't ask for you favorite radio to start at 7am and to stop at 8am for example. I looked for any Android app able to do that, but it's more complicated than it looks... This function should be integrated in the Beomusic app.
The Beomusic app is slow and doesn't always restarts correctly after a correct first launch.
Android app is made for smartphone, not tablet:CD's jackets are crappy.
[Edit end of 2015] the BeoMusic app is now far better than the first releases.
When you plug everything, you have to finish with the Essence, otherwise you will see odd things with your network.
No MOTS, unfortunately...
The supplied knob is the one for wall mounting. Optional "table plate" is in fact a complete (and identical) new remote control, plus a metallic plate (not sold separately): this should be the remote control supplied by default!
I don't really know what kind of information you're expecting from me, so please ask!I will edit this post as I find things to say... so come back here from time to time.
And please, forgive my english
BeoNut since '75
elephant:I wonder if a BeoTime would help here ?
No, Beotime works with infra red signals, "knob" with bluetooth. An adapter is suppose to be sold (soon ?) in order to recognize the Beo4 remote control. Then, the BeoTime may work too...
Given your B&O history I guess you were not interested in link room operations ?
You're right. But I wonder if buying multiple Playmaker and connecting them via Wi-Fi isn't today's solution?
The Essence comes with 1 "knob" with a wall support.
I bought the badly named "table support" too for 200€
In fact, it's not just a plate where you will plug the initial knob, it's a plate plus a new knob !
FYI, the 2 knobs are identical, and the first one can be plugged into the plate as well.
This will be placed in the "What's wrong" part of my initial post...
NB : I edited the initial post to integrate things I forgot at first.
Christophe: FYI, the 2 knobs are identical, and the first one can be plugged into the plate as well.
KMA
B&O product history since 1991: Ridiculously long to list in a signature.
@Christophe
An additionnal knob cost 150 euros !!
Your dealer is not fair !?
Christophe: You're right. But I wonder if buying multiple Playmaker and connecting them via Wi-Fi isn't today's solution?
That will just give you multiple standalone players! (because you can't synchronize them*).
The main thing about the 'link room operation' is, that you can have the same music in as many of your (link)rooms, as you wish - feed by the AudioMaster (or the VideoMaster in some cases).
What we need - from B&O - is a combination of both:
The opportunity to play what you want in whatever room you want to, or play different music in different rooms - including MasterLink sources (via BeoLink Converter).
Will the BS Moment realize this?
* unless you use iTunes on a Pc/Mac to AirPlay to them!!
MM
There is a tv - and there is a BV
I do hope that the BS Moment will indeed provide the multi-room capabilities you provide (preferably also supporting Hi-Res formats). True multi-room capabilities are missing today in B&O's portfolio
J.
BeoBoy68:Your dealer is not fair !?
For sure... I think I also paid too much for the Essence
Christophe:For sure... I think I also paid to much for the Essence top Beosound Ouverture à vendre / for sale (Paris, Lyon, Orange, Cannes)
I tried the multiroom via Airplay : Apple TV in the living / Essence in the bedroom... And it's not totally synchronized.
On the B&O website, they state that you can play synchronized, only via Airplay. But in that case, I think that you can't have different Airplay devices like I tried.
One interesting thing is that the Essence works way better with my Synology in Airplay than in DLNA :The Synology (DSM 5.0) can directly output Airplay from its integrated media player. That's very good because your iPad/iPhone is not streaming (not draining the battery, and your "musicalized" websites will not interrupt your playlist...), but also because you can actually do what B&O says it is impossible to do : use only the Essence knob to continue to play a song that was playing the day before, at the exact position where you stopped. And thanks to Synology live transcoding, this works with my entire DLNA library!
diisign.com
@mbee
The Synology/DSM5 surely has some possibilities there.
Out of interest - to which format is the Syno transcoding your (FLAC) files?
@Millemissen : you can ask the Synology to transcode any file to any format...
In the case above (Airplay protocol), you cannot ask for transcoding, it's automatic : the Airplay protocol has to be lossless AAC. And my library is 90% Flac. And everything works without any kind of "wrong file format" error, or without any complicated parameter. That's the power of DSM ;-)
Just in case you were wondering... It's really not empty in this small box :
- serious power supply- the thing that turns the Essence a bit hot seems to be the all-integrated audio/wifi core : https://wikidevi.com/wiki/Standard_Microsystems_CX870-3B- the 3 black "dominos" are the wifi antennas, correctly placed- I will not go further to reveal the other side of the board as I don't have the correct sized torx screwdriver available (I should have it, but I can't put my hand on it!!)
On the cover of the box, there is this original heat sink (original as it's a white thing, doesn't look metallic), the "sugar" thing is a block of thermal-conductive paste (I wonder if its structure will age correctly and not flow over time.
Millemissen:* unless you use iTunes on a Pc/Mac to AirPlay to them!!
I was going to say the exact same thing until i read the rest of the post :-)
mbee: Just in case you were wondering... It's really not empty in this small box : - serious power supply- the thing that turns the Essence a bit hot seems to be the all-integrated audio/wifi core : https://wikidevi.com/wiki/Standard_Microsystems_CX870-3B
- serious power supply- the thing that turns the Essence a bit hot seems to be the all-integrated audio/wifi core : https://wikidevi.com/wiki/Standard_Microsystems_CX870-3B
Interesting, thanks for the pics
I wonder if B&O is using the JukeBlox platform on that core or something they cooked up themselves.
--mika
StUrrock:I hear a rumour that the Essence may be on special offer or included in a bundle soon. So if you are after one it may pay to wait.
So if you are after one it may pay to wait.
It took me only a moment to think what that bundle might be . . . . . .
Well if it is anything like the last bundle of PM and 2 x BL3's we won't get it.
Man that packaging bundle looked so good overseas
BeoBoy68:They are 2 bundles. BeoSound Essence is free if you buy 2x BeoLabs 17 or 2x BeoLabs 3.
BeoSound Essence is free if you buy 2x BeoLabs 17 or 2x BeoLabs 3.
Perhaps you missed my pun ... I was hoping the bundle was going to be added to the Moment when it gets announced.
Which would be a good thing to hope for .... that the Essence is integrated with the new sound player .... if that is what the Moment is !
BeoBoy68:shame that the hide box looks so plastic. For the price, B&O should use metal parts for this box.
Plastic is good for wifi reception inside the box ... metal less so.
I like the plastic. Some ABS Plastics can be as much as metal anyway. Plus it's hideaway.
Its like people saying "i want a leather couch" when in fact many fabrics cost way in excess of leather. i don't have a leather couch.
Bring on the moment, for the moment.
Very informative inside pictures of the Essence., and a great review, good feedback. Everyone benefits from what we member users report with our findings, so this is exactly the kind of information what I’m looking for in a forum.
Now that I know that BnO integrated BridgeCo’s JukeBlox technology in their ‘Essence’ player, I presume that they will use BridgeCo’s JB platform to connect all audio systems to home networks and the Internet in their upcoming product designs.
Many well known brands are already using this advanced, powerful, robust and flexible connectivity platform, and it feels good to know that it has capabilities for multi-room use, what has been always one of the mean reasons to go the BnO way for me.
Thank you all for your findings. Looks like the keep swinging just got easier, n'est-ce pas?
"Believe nothing you read and only half of what you see, let your ears tell you the truth."
mbee:the Airplay protocol has to be lossless AAC
Hi,
Do you mean ALAC? If not, what is "lossless AAC"?
Cheers
-g
BridgeCo has become leading in this part of the market.
They made a deal with Apple a couple of years ago about integrating 'AirPlay' in their products.
Practically everyone is using BridgeCo technology in some way or another.
As for 'multi room' I think that it is more likely that B&O will use the extended functions of the WiSA technology - as I already noted in this thread: http://archivedforum2.beoworld.org/forums/t/11483.aspx
But - really - no one seems to know what is going on in the heads of the guys in Struer.
So we will have to be patient.
Could you tell us how the line-in works? Does it have line-sensing of some sort? Thanks.
L1NO:Could you tell us how the line-in works? Does it have line-sensing of some sort? Thanks.
I pluggeg my Ouverture to the line-in via its headphone output.
When the radio starts on the Ouverture, the Essence wakes up too
Is this what you want to know ?
Christophe:I pluggeg my Ouverture to the line-in via its headphone output. When the radio starts on the Ouverture, the Essence wake up too Is this what you want to know ? Beosound Ouverture à vendre / for sale (Paris, Lyon, Orange, Cannes)
elephant:And tell us all you know !
This is no more a "first impression" only, but no matter...
A simple male mini-jack to 2x male RCA cable is used.
I had to increase the sound level from 20 to 48 on the ouverture in order to get the same output level.
Now, when the Ouverture timer starts the radio, the Essence wakes up, and when the timer shuts down the Ouverture, the Essence shuts down one minute later (because of the lack of a signal).
An other interesting "discovery" (it's a discovery for me at least !)
A file server isn't compulsory...
I have a Time Capsule on my network, with all my music (in different file formats).
On my tablet, I launch "AllStream Cast+AirPlay+DLNA" to render the sound with the Essence.
Then I explore the content of the Time Capsule with a file manager (ES3), choose a music file and play the song with the app I want.
[Edit january 2015] now I only use "Neutron" to explore the TimeCapsule content and play the music.
I believe you can do the same with a Playmaker, so someone here has certainly "discovered" this already...
Another "discovery", I don't know what it may be useful for...
The knob can be configured to transmit on IR instead of Bluetooth. This way, it can replace a Beo4 (but then it will not work with the Essence).
It's one or the other, not both at the same time, and you'll have to open the knob to push a tiny button inside, so it's not something you will do all the time.
FWIW
Christophe:Another "discovery", I don't know what it may be useful for... The knob can be configured to transmit on IR instead of Bluetooth. This way, it can replace a Beo4 (but then it will not work with the Essence). It's one or the other, not both at the same time, and you'll have to open the knob to push a tiny button inside, so it's not something you will do all the time. FWIW Beosound Ouverture à vendre / for sale (Paris, Lyon, Orange, Cannes)
This would only work, IF the 'knob' can send the command A.AUX - which does not seem to be the case.
the informations inn the FAQ to this is absolutely unclear.
How to setup the 'knob' is not the problem, but what you can achieve with the different 'options' is not clear at all.
P.S. must I buy a 'knob' to test this??
Why can't an already-owner provide the information about which port are openet/which commands are send with the different modes/options (2,4 and 7)?
That the 'line-in port' of the Essence has autosense is nothing new.
That works exactly the same way as it does with the Playmaker.
I have had a Squeezebox (with a fixed line-output) connected to the line-in of my Playmaker since day one.
Starting a stream to the Squeezebox gives me immidiate sound from the PM ( except if AirPlay is still activated).
That will work the same for the Essence.
Note: there is now a description of the commands of a Beo4, when a ir-sensor is connected to the Essence-box, in the FAQ's on the B&O website.