BL3 + PM

Hi everyone.

Ok, so I've done it. Purchased a pair of beolab 3s in white with the playmaker. I'm writing this post as I sit in my corner 1 and a half chair sip a lovely stefano lubiana primevera chardonnay and stream music from this iPad I'm posting on to the Play Maker. Every time I say the word playmaker I think of mentos the fresh maker. Anyway I digress.

I was supplied with:

- 2 white beolabs

- 1 playmaker

- 2 power link cords with Ethernet jacks

- 2 table rings

Lenny Kravitz Greatest Hits is playing and I forgot I even had purchased that cd from the store recently, so bonus.

Setup was pretty easy, and once I connected everything, I referred to the setup app on my iPad. There is an error in the app where it says you have to wait for the playmaker to show solid orange prior to connecting to the private playmaker network and syncing to your main network. The printed brochure mentions that you have to wait until it blinks orange in the same scenario.

Once I connected to my home network, I started the music app and started listening to some music to check it was all good. I'm on my second network, no drop outs.

My home network is driven by a time capsule and that signal gains from my cable modem via power over Ethernet.

The playmaker sits on my couch and I love it. I love the feeling of the playmaker and love that it has a volume slider and a mute button. I'm yet to see when I power it down that it will make the speakers turn off.

Please let me know if you want me to post any pictures in this thread or in the main show us your b&o thread.

The other half might have a coronary if I say that I'm going to get another tv - waiting on the announcement of the new beovision (yet I love all of my other Sony tvs) .

So for now the beolabs don't sound as great as the did in the store but I'm playing orotund with the settings in the music app to ensure I get my favourite setting. I have them hard set on free.

Regards

Michael.

Hi Michael.

Set up sounds great. Pictures would be appreciated.

Have you got your BS5E back yet?

Peter

mickhoog:

Hi everyone.

Ok, so I've done it. Purchased a pair of beolab 3s in white with the playmaker. I'm writing this post as I sit in my corner 1 and a half chair sip a lovely stefano lubiana primevera chardonnay and stream music from this iPad I'm posting on to the Play Maker. Every time I say the word playmaker I think of mentos the fresh maker. Anyway I digress.

I was supplied with:

- 2 white beolabs

- 1 playmaker

- 2 power link cords with Ethernet jacks

- 2 table rings

Lenny Kravitz Greatest Hits is playing and I forgot I even had purchased that cd from the store recently, so bonus.

Setup was pretty easy, and once I connected everything, I referred to the setup app on my iPad. There is an error in the app where it says you have to wait for the playmaker to show solid orange prior to connecting to the private playmaker network and syncing to your main network. The printed brochure mentions that you have to wait until it blinks orange in the same scenario.

Once I connected to my home network, I started the music app and started listening to some music to check it was all good. I'm on my second network, no drop outs.

My home network is driven by a time capsule and that signal gains from my cable modem via power over Ethernet.

The playmaker sits on my couch and I love it. I love the feeling of the playmaker and love that it has a volume slider and a mute button. I'm yet to see when I power it down that it will make the speakers turn off.

Please let me know if you want me to post any pictures in this thread or in the main show us your b&o thread.

The other half might have a coronary if I say that I'm going to get another tv - waiting on the announcement of the new beovision (yet I love all of my other Sony tvs) .

So for now the beolabs don't sound as great as the did in the store but I'm playing orotund with the settings in the music app to ensure I get my favourite setting. I have them hard set on free.

Regards

Michael.

How was the sound? Is it very light on bass? I am thinking if getting this bundle

Enjoy

Vince

The sound was heavy on the bass and light on the bass just not that rich yet. It's hard to describe, it's just not tuned to my ears just yet ;).

petermc:

Hi Michael.

Set up sounds great. Pictures would be appreciated.

Have you got your BS5E back yet?

Peter

Hi,

I haven't got my BS5e back yet, they say there's not an issue although there is. Anyway, I love the PM.

Congratulations Michael !

Pictures would be nice.

And you will find that when you stop the music and disconnect the App that the speakers will go to standby !

As far as I can tell there is no real "off" - except the power off on the bottom left of the Playmaker.

Congratulations Michael,

It's normal the BeoLab 3 just doesn't sound like in the shop.

It's because like all good speakers, they need a "run-in" period. It can be several weeks before they deliver all their potential, and can "free" their true sound !

And, yes, please, post pics !!

Steph:

It's because like all good speakers, they need a "run-in" period. It can be several weeks before they deliver all their potential, and can "free" their true sound !

Thanks.  This is what I was hoping.  Anyway, by about 10:30 and after many drinks they were the aural equivalent to beer goggles, and they sounded so bloody sexy :-)

Pics to come...

Steph:

It's because like all good speakers, they need a "run-in" period.

Agreed.

A "sexy looking" placement is not necessarily a "sexy sounding" one. 

Keep in mind, that positioning of the speakers as well as the setting of the position switch will
change the bass quite dramatically.

ALT increases the horizontal dispersion of high frequencies but reduces the dispersion in the
vertical axis - changing the tilt angle of the speaker (use an different fixation hole for the rubber ring)
might improve the dispersion of higher frequencies in the vertical plane ... 

Thanks Vienna

I tried to tilt upward but the cords get in the way of the rubber ring.  I'll try a few different positions.  I'm happy with them.

Thanks

Michael, thanks for the pictures. The BL3's look amazing in white! A very nice "simple" setup with superb B&O sound. Enjoy your new setup.

As Vienna mentioned, try different placements so you can get the best sound out of your speakers.

Thanks for sharing this with us.

Michael, i'm loving your sofa!!!

I'm sure that the BL3s are cool but im LOVING your BS8 with the yellow covers  That colour looks awesome!!!

Actually Michael, the BL3s in white do look AWESOME!!!  Very classy!  I've still not heard a pair of these! Some argue that these are the best speakers B&O have ever built!

Thanks Paul for your comments :)

I love the yellow colour too. It looks great against the blue walls in my dining room.

Some people love lots of white, I like lots of white and colour ;)

But back on the BS8 I think the green (which looks blue) looks the classiest

I'm very happy I purchased the bl3s in white they look good me to my sofa - which is 2.9 metres long lol. I'm glad I went for white instead of black or grey.

My bl4s are back connected to my computer on my super cool white metal desk ;)

I think I might get another playmaker for my bs8 hmmm

Beofan53:

Michael, thanks for the pictures. The BL3's look amazing in white! A very nice "simple" setup with superb B&O sound. Enjoy your new setup.

As Vienna mentioned, try different placements so you can get the best sound out of your speakers.

Thanks for sharing this with us.

Thanks beofan. I love that the setup is simple as well ;).

It's grand final day today (Aussie rules footy) so I am writing this on my dining room table with the beoplayer app playing 3aw (my boss thinks I'm an old codger) and enjoying my coffee.

Michael - they colour white is fabulous especially given your furniture and rooms.

BTW you asked what colour our new walls were, and the answer is "duck egg blue".

 

I am very pleased with the white cables too ! I want some of those :-)

And if it were economical I would change the black BL3s we have to having white surrounds and match it with an upgrade to the BL11 - I know B&O would recommend simply buying 3 new speakers

 

If I were you I would move the Playmaker to being beside one of the speakers - recognising that it would be like fighting for who has mastery of the remote, but where it is positioned I would worry about some sleepyhead dislodging it !

Beautiful set up great pics

Congrats on the purchase

Interestingly the PM is now known as playmaker1 according to my sources.......

Enjoy

Vince

vlohjr1:

Beautiful set up great pics

Congrats on the purchase

Interestingly the PM is now known as playmaker1 according to my sources.......

Enjoy

Vince

The plot thickens !!

(but then they had the Beolink Wireless 1 ... 1 ... 1 ... 1 ... *sigh*)

Thanks Ed for the note about the paint colour.  I'm a huge paint colour fan, that's why ii asked.  I thought it was duck egg, but wasn't sure entirely because sometimes its a bit green especially the dulux one.  The colour looks great with your red BL4's.  I've been thinking of getting the red covers for  my BL4s.

Point noted about the PM in the middle of the couch, but it won't be knocked.  I can't put it on the side just yet because both speaker cables are the same length which means the PM has to be in the middle.

On the other side of that room I have my TV, foxtel box, PS3 (x 2) and other gadgets.  I'm thinking of putting them either side of the TV, but I'll wait until I free up some power plugs.  I would like to mount the speakers one day, but that seems rather permanent for someone that changes their mind often.

I have been testing, and i'm in my bedroom where my sony desktop computer is and I was sending the music in to the lounge room via itunes (works a treat).  Time for some Sophie Ellis Bextor i think.

 

Michael:

Thanks Ed for the note about the paint colour.  I'm a huge paint colour fan, that's why ii asked.  I thought it was duck egg, but wasn't sure entirely because sometimes its a bit green especially the dulux one.  The colour looks great with your red BL4's.  I've been thinking of getting the red covers for  my BL4s.

It was Dulux - but the photo had an additional green cast to it as the sunlight comes from the garden at the front of the house

I think white Beolab 3s would look even better on the white mantlepiece ... tell you what I will swap my four red Beolab 4s for your two white Beolab 3s

 

 

I have been thinking about how to add a Beolab 11 to a Playmaker ... I tried using my usual powerlink Y cable, but it's two females, one male did not work as a splitter - I was however told you can run two speakers off of a single port on the Playmaker

But I think for the Beolab 11 to work properly, it needs to be first across both channels

So I probably should try this wiring ...

Playmaker ==== Beolab 11 ----< 2 x Beolab 4s

elephant:

But I think for the Beolab 11 to work properly, it needs to be first across both channels
So I probably should try this wiring ...
Playmaker ==== Beolab 11 ----< 2 x Beolab 4s

This wiring will work perfectly!

1 PowerLink cable RJ 45 <> DIN 8 from Playmaker out to BLb 11 in.
2 PowerLink cables DIN 8 <> DIN 8 from BLb 11 outs to the BLb 4s