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
It's real... And I must say that I'm not a fan of the design...
diisign.com
Mid-july, 379€, Airplay+DLNA
No mention if they will release an app to make all Playmakers pay in synch. (and ultimately, a way to play in synch with a playmaker and BS5/BS5e)
http://www.bang-olufsen.com/en/sound/sound-systems/playmaker
looks good - interesting - might have to sell my BeoLink Wireless 1s .... REAL SOON !! But wait, it does not connect to the ML ... ah well
Interesting, it is NOT on the BeoPlay site !!
And I am not sure why there is an implication that it only works with a Beo6 .....
BeoNut since '75
Their website is down :-(
Beoworld app with direct photo upload and emoticons.
Welcome playmaker :) I hope it is wall mountable also.
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 :)
Oh dear, it's a bit ugly isn't it. The top looks like the bottom of a product - maybe it is and its a trick photo. AND if it's a BeoPlay, why does it say BANG&OLUFSEN and just B&O?
The new Apple Airport is definitely a nicer design!
Interestingly, there seems to be a little mistake on the Beoplay support page for the V1, see Page 2 at
http://bogo.custhelp.com/app/answers/list/p/8,722
now enlisting some Q&A regarding the - wait for it - Playmaker... so for those who are interested...
So it would perhaps be possible to use this Playmaker to connect to my BeoSound 1 (that so far have been unused)? Does anyone know if the Playmaker has a line-out, or do I need a RJ45 to Mini-jack balun?
By the way, does the Beo6 use DLNA to communicate/control to the Playmaker, or is the Beo6 only to adjust volume?
That's no BANG&OLUFSEN, all plastic, not a single bit of aluminium in sight! DAMN!!!
Makes the B&O PLAY range a better bet! Really disappointed with this piece of plastic! So many opportunities for great design and BANG&OLUFSEN stick their name on a piece of... plastic!!! Just nasty this one!
elephant:And I am not sure why there is an implication that it only works with a Beo6 .....
I was wrong .. buried behind the glossy pictures was this detail
Even though every single Bang & Olufsen product, from our speakers to our TVs, is born from complex, hi-tech ideas our ultimate goal always remains the same: pure simplicity of usage and design. Simplicity gives freedom. Which is why we give you complete control over power, track changes and volume adjustment, direct from your Bang & Olufsen remote. Beo4 or Beo6
Even though every single Bang & Olufsen product, from our speakers to our TVs, is born from complex, hi-tech ideas our ultimate goal always remains the same: pure simplicity of usage and design.
Simplicity gives freedom. Which is why we give you complete control over power, track changes and volume adjustment, direct from your Bang & Olufsen remote.
Beo4 or Beo6
jonasrosen: So it would perhaps be possible to use this Playmaker to connect to my BeoSound 1 (that so far have been unused)? Does anyone know if the Playmaker has a line-out, or do I need a RJ45 to Mini-jack balun? By the way, does the Beo6 use DLNA to communicate/control to the Playmaker, or is the Beo6 only to adjust volume?
Picture from the User Guide (http://www.bang-olufsen.com//~/media/Files/User%20Guides/playmaker/UG-Playmaker_Global_Web%20pdf%20pdf.pdf)
Paul W: That's no BANG&OLUFSEN, all plastic, not a single bit of aluminium in sight! DAMN!!! Makes the B&O PLAY range a better bet! Really disappointed with this piece of plastic! So many opportunities for great design and BANG&OLUFSEN stick their name on a piece of... plastic!!! Just nasty this one!
But Paul ... it's white
But more seriously, can't just be plastic, it appears to have some form of touch sensitive volume control !
Let us suspend judgement until we can get our paws on one !
Beosound Stage, Beovision 8-40, Beolit 20, Beosound Explore.
Chris,
I don't think you will hide it away because it has the touch sensitive volume control on it
PS. See that BS8 is being given away with the BV10 now!
Playmaker is the useful way to sell thousands of speakers... It looks ugly, but is like Airport express, with volume control, and a bit less ugly than a Sonos ZP90 (but Sonos still has a lot more flexibility)
I've just seen that Playmaker is FREE when you buy a set of BL3. Time to add a pair of BL3, isn't it??
"Playmaker is the perfect upgrade for any Bang & Olufsen speakers. And, for a limited period only, Playmaker is included when you buy a set of BeoLab 3 speakers. A great way to start enjoying your digital music with stunning Bang & Olufsen sound in a discrete setup.
The offer is valid from 09.07 - 31.12.2012 in participating stores. For prices visit your local Bang & Olufsen Store."
But didn't BANG&OLUFSEN once pride itself on beautiful design using the highest quality materials for a premium price?
At 379€ it is in fact CHEAPER than Sonos (but maybe it is priced like that because they are sur that they will never reach the features of Sonos)
Paul W: But didn't BANG&OLUFSEN once pride itself on beautiful design using the highest quality materials for a premium price?
Paul, did you ever see a wifi-device in a metal case?
Being new to the B&O connected world, I'm not quite sure as to what this device does that isn't already covered by an Apple Aiport Express in the market place.
However, I'm guessing that whilst losing the ability to wirelessly connect a printer, one gains a much better DAC (the one in the Apple Airport Express is supposedly pretty average - the best sound is reputedly gained by using the Toslink optical out)
That would also mean you can connect directly to B&O speakers via powerlink, rather than having to go through an optical to SPDIF convertor, OR using the inbuilt OK but not brilliant DAC of the airport express.
Either way it looks win-win in the context of the B&O world - but it could also serve in other systems where one wants to stream wirelessly to say an separates system, by virtue of the analogue line outs (powerlink via RJ145) via suitable adaptor cables, and provide much better sound quality than presently available from an AEX when using it's inbuilt DAC.
But that's just my guess - there may be other capabilities/uses that I've missed.
Kind Regards
John....
mbee: Playmaker is the useful way to sell thousands of speakers... It looks ugly, but is like Airport express, with volume control, and a bit less ugly than a Sonos ZP90 (but Sonos still has a lot more flexibility)
Right!
It is also the perfect bridge to connect beolabs to any existing music source, including a Sonos.
Looks ok to me. I'm not in love with the design or against it - to be fair, it's just a small device that connects to your system.
Look at the pros. The DAC is bound to be better than that in the Airport Express, so let's stay positive.
It only has 802.11B/G 2.4GHz! No 802.11N compability or 5GHz. That means that it is not going to work well where there is a distance between units and it will also suffer from lower bandwith. With several units on a network a 802.11G network is not preferable.
If it had 802.11n it could also have better antennas and compensate for the environment it is in. But I suppose it will work good anyway but strange that it doesnt have 802.11n..
is it compatible with apple lossless??????
Michael: It only has 802.11B/G 2.4GHz! No 802.11N compability or 5GHz.
It only has 802.11B/G 2.4GHz! No 802.11N compability or 5GHz.
That is strange. I spent some time a year ago making sure everything on my network worked with 802.11N, primarily to stop potential slowdown (it can happen when one device only works with 801.11B as the whole network can slow as a result).
Exactly, Paul! It seems that B&O took a great idea and put it in a horribly ugly container. Looking at the audio products lined up together on the B&O site, the Playmaster just looks grossly out of place. It seems B&O should have taken the extra effort to make it look nice and harmonious with the style of other B&O products. Perhaps something along the lines of the BeoCenter 2, with brushed aluminum and a similar volume control, but smaller.
Is it me or does it look just like a smoke detector ??? I hope it won t make the same sort of awful noise though.... B&O can t possibly have designed that , can they ???
I know.,. they must have asked some blind designers to come up with an idea.. and that won the price.... mind you, it can also be used as a dart board with that hole in the middle...
why did it post my entry twice ??? I know I tend to repeat myself and , y all know by now that i m totally cuckoo, but I can t possibly have contaminated my computer....
Bernie: Is it me or does it look just like a smoke detector ???
Is it me or does it look just like a smoke detector ???
Well, when my dealer was trying to describe the design to me last week (he couldn't find the photo), he struggled, sketched something and then said..."well, it looks like a smoke detector".
beojeff: Paul W: But didn't BANG&OLUFSEN once pride itself on beautiful design using the highest quality materials for a premium price? Exactly, Paul! ... perhaps something along the lines of the BeoCenter 2, with brushed aluminum and a similar volume control, but smaller.
Exactly, Paul! ... perhaps something along the lines of the BeoCenter 2, with brushed aluminum and a similar volume control, but smaller.
LOL - A wireless device in a metal case for better shielding - isn't that a bit counter productive ...
It's hardly sexy design is it? Will the young Apple buyers be wanting this? Hardly! No design thought! They'd of been better approaching students at a design college to come up with some ideas rather than this piece of unsexy plastic.
Reminds me of a cheap freeview box crossed with a smoke detector - no excuse for bad design with so many great International designers out there!
beojeff: It seems B&O should have taken the extra effort to make it look nice and harmonious with the style of other B&O products. Perhaps something along the lines of the BeoCenter 2, with brushed aluminum and a similar volume control, but smaller.
Or, perhaps they just figured that since it has no user interface at all, most people would simply stuff it somewhere out of view...
Think about it - that thing has probably a 2" by 3" circuit board inside. It receives radio waves and electricity, and shoves out audio into a couple of wires. Why would you want it to occupy a corner of your room á lá BC2, making you scratch your head with what to do with the speaker & power cables?
EDIT: oops, sorry, it does have an UI. This thread moves faster than I can read
I imagine it's once again one of the devices that look a lot better in flesh than in the first promo pics...
--mika
Vienna: LOL - A wireless device in a metal case for better shielding - isn't that a bit counter productive ...
Well, Apple managed it for long enough with their metal iMacs, MBPs etc. They simply turned the casing in to an extension of the antena.
I’m a bit disappointed with how this looks too.
I was planning to connect this to my BeoVision5 (which also has a Beosound 3000 connected via ML – no additional speakers) – is this actually possible?
If so, how would you select it?
Even if it is, would I be gaining anything over having my AppleTV already connected to the BV5? (selected via V.Aux A and used to airplay things to the TV speakers)
Please chage the topic of this thread from:
The Playmaker is now official!
to
The Playmaker is officially ugly!
What a shame... looks like a light switch from the 80's ... Why not something in the design like for example the "Nest Heating control" ?
WOW!
Is that only half of it?
It looks like Paula Deen Nigella Lawson dropped her timer and the knob shot off into neverland!
moxxey: Well, Apple managed it for long enough with their metal iMacs, MBPs etc. They simply turned the casing in to an extension of the antena.
Not at similar products - Airport Express and Airport Extreme have a "Genuine Apple Plastic" case - for good reasons ...
Vienna: Not at similar products - Airport Express and Airport Extreme have a "Genuine Apple Plastic" case - for good reasons ...
They are plastic as they are.....£79. They aren't different products at all. Your iMac and Airport Express both send and receive wi-fi signals. Why is that any different? So does the metal B&O A8.
ultraviolent:What a shame... looks like a light switch from the 80's ... Why not something in the design like for example the "Nest Heating control" ?
When the Playmaker was only rumored as "circular music controller", I also had big hopes that it could be something like the Nest, with a circular screen showing cover art, and a big wheel to control everything like on the BS5.
Now it seems that the Playmaker is only a quick solution to finally give a kind of "Powerlink Airport Express" to customers that are already full digital.
The fact that it's only 802.11B/G seems to confirm that : there is totally no coherence between the choice of a 2,4GHz network for this product, and the fact that the BS5E is only compatible with a 5GHz network!!!