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,
Our setup at home is that we have BeoSound/Beomaster 5 as 'master' and 7 rooms with BeoLink active/passive.
Since the demise of the last option to use spotify on the beomaster, this nice system turned out to be the biggest disappointment in my life and now basically is just a very expensive internet radio streaming device. So I complained to my original dealer and he told me to come in to talk about the BeoSound Core.
Now, I don't understand if adding one BeoSound Core will revive my entire system or that i'm supposed to add a BeoSound core to each of the existing 'touchpoints' ?
Does anybody have any experience with that?
I suggest you just get an Amazon Dot and connect it to the Aux input on the Beomaster. Not only the cheapest, but also the best variant, in my opinion. I know there was someone out there offering a software fix to get spotify working again, but your milage may vary.
Duels:Or you could get a ChromeCast audio device. Steve at sounds heavenly can supply the appropriate cable and converter.
It really depends on what you want. If you want to stream your music, get the chrome cast. If you want a separate device playing the music without you having to touch your phone, get the Amazon.
jhamers: Hi, Our setup at home is that we have BeoSound/Beomaster 5 as 'master' and 7 rooms with BeoLink active/passive. Since the demise of the last option to use spotify on the beomaster, this nice system turned out to be the biggest disappointment in my life and now basically is just a very expensive internet radio streaming device. So I complained to my original dealer and he told me to come in to talk about the BeoSound Core. Now, I don't understand if adding one BeoSound Core will revive my entire system or that i'm supposed to add a BeoSound core to each of the existing 'touchpoints' ? Does anybody have any experience with that?
I am quite sure that the suggestion from your dealer would be to add to (not to replace) the BM5.
Replacing would mean requiring a ML/NL Connverter, which is EOL, but can easily be bought second hand.
A BS Core in that setup would give you new possibilities - and would be relatively easy to use.
This would IMO be the best solution with all your ML gear.
Adding would mean - as others have mentioned - connecting the Core to the Aux input of the BM5.
You could do this with the Core or with the other mentioned devices - depending on your preferences and money.
However, sometimes with ML link devises you run into a sw problem.....depending on the version of the Active/Passive they might not accept rhe Aux command, that you need for the BM to open the Aux port and disribute to the ML chain.
You can add a Core (or any other player) only to the Active Link devices and turn on the input port there with the command PC (from the Beo4), the controlling of the device would have be done via an app. Note: you will only be able to use that device in that one room, where it is connected.
Apart from the fact that the Passives are ‘unreachable’, it would be a rather expensive solution.
If you want the best solution (with the Converter), you should have an experienced installer to do the setup for you.
IMO it would be a shame not to keep on using your excisting setup....supposed that you are happy with it.
Feel free to ask, if this is not clear (enough) to you.
MM
There is a tv - and there is a BV
Thanks,
That helps. I have an appointment tomorrow with them. But i'm still on the fence. We have spent the equivalent of a small family car on this system and here we are 6 years later with a completely outdated system.
We later added two Beo4 remotes and one Beo6 (at the price of an iPhone). The Beo4s already went in for servicing twice (out of warranty of course) and now again both have lines broken on the LCD and the Beo6 just stopped working after 3 years. I threw that deep into a cupboard in a rage.
I'm still considering to replace all the active/passive stuff with sonos:amps and hook our BeoLab 9 up to a sonos connect. I somehow trust that brand more to keep their stuff up to date.
jhamers: Thanks, That helps. I have an appointment tomorrow with them. But i'm still on the fence. We have spent the equivalent of a small family car on this system and here we are 6 years later with a completely outdated system. I'm still considering to replace all the active/passive stuff with sonos:amps and hook our BeoLab 9 up to a sonos connect. I somehow trust that brand more to keep their stuff up to date.
Sure you have spend a lot on the system - that is the reason for my suggestion!
Don’t forget, that MasterLink and ML- based products are ‘old’ multiroom - you might however have been one of the latest buyers.
NL as a new digital based BeoLink protocol was introduced from B&O about 7 years ago (BeoVision 11 in 2012).
For a relatively long time B&O offered the NL/ML Converter as a bridge between the old ML and the new NL products....I claim, no other company would do such things for their ‘old’ costumers.
A lot - just like you - would like to maintain their old installations and benefit from the new sources offered for multiroom.
At least do discuss this solution with your dealer!
The Sonos solution that you describe, is an alternative, yes - however if you will be happy with that, only you will know.
In the end a decision that only you can make depending on your need for sound in the house today.
You are right, and to be clear, we bought this house which had a beolink connection in each room and speakers in ceilings etc, but without heart. So plugging in this beosound/beomaster made everything working. And the way it worked is fine with me as I don't want to have different sources in different rooms.
However, after my experience, I feel B&O is a company in (financial?) trouble. They launched an XP based system at the time where support for XP already ended. Having an actual pc as the heart of your system should have opened the door for integration with a nice app, Airplay, spotify,... But no, the only integration we were sold was a Beo6 which looked very nice on the coffee table but was slow and utterly useless.
Some of my friends bought a Sonos system at the same point and while obviously the sound quality of the speakers themselves is no match, they never stopped getting regular updates (to the system and apps) and support for new streaming services.
I'm just afraid of showering them in money again and than in 3 months some new streaming service comes out which every brand will add support for and B&O will go silent again.
Thanks Duels,
Yes, you need a USB adapter to link the Chromecast to the Beomaster 5 - please mention that you would like a free cable for the Chromecast Audio and I will be pleased to include this:-
https://soundsheavenly.com/music-input/17-beomaster-5-beosound-5-aux-usb-input-converter-also-works-as-pcmac-sound-card.html
Kind regards, Steve.
Steve.
www.soundsheavenly.com
Founder of Sounds Heavenly Cables and Brand Ambassador for Bang & Olufsen
Sounds Heavenly are proud to sponsor BeoWorld!
Please check out my YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/soundsheavenlycables
So I have visited my dealer and their proposal is basically to remove the beosound 5 (at most keep it for DLNA access to the music library on it) and add a beosound core to every beosound passive and replace all our beosound actives with beosound cores as well. In fact retiring our complete ML setup.
I didn't get a price yet, but obviously this will not be cheap. After some pushing they did tell me they went through a very dark period because of the beosound 5 'debacle'.
I have kind of the same setup with a masterlink network across my appartement distributing music in 10 different rooms, some have actives, some passives, 2 beolab 3500 and a beolab 2000.
I added in the network a beolink converter 1611 that i got on ebay for 15€, and plugged in it a Chromecast audio for an other 35€.
Just hit TV on your beo4 or roll the volume wheel on a beosound essence remote (i have 4 in the setup) and you can stream spotify and tunein.
I have the beosound/beomaster 5 as a master, when i want to listen to a cd or the radio.
i tried to make a multiroom system with an almando masterlink but listening to different music in different rooms just makes no sens to me.
you can also plug a smart tv to the converter and use it to stream or listen to a tv show in every room
That might indeed be a good solution.
Replacing all with Core’s is expensive and a bit over the top - unless you really want the opportunity of listening to different music/radio in each room at the same time.
Of course this won’t please your dealer, but it seems to be something that you can do yourself - it let’s your existing setup pretty much untouched.
None the less, I would prefer the option with a NL/ML Converter and one BS Core - it would give you a more refined, elegant controlling of the system.
lechatsurletoit: Hi, I have kind of the same setup with a masterlink network across my appartement distributing music in 10 different rooms, some have actives, some passives, 2 beolab 3500 and a beolab 2000. I added in the network a beolink converter 1611 that i got on ebay for 15€, and plugged in it a Chromecast audio for an other 35€. Just hit TV on your beo4 or roll the volume wheel on a beosound essence remote (i have 4 in the setup) and you can stream spotify and tunein. I have the beosound/beomaster 5 as a master, when i want to listen to a cd or the radio. i tried to make a multiroom system with an almando masterlink but listening to different music in different rooms just makes no sens to me. you can also plug a smart tv to the converter and use it to stream or listen to a tv show in every room
Beautiful and easy solution to the problem. I highly recommend this solution as you keep within the ecosystem and remain remote functionality.
I, too, have been disappointed with how the BeoSound 5 lost so much of its functionality. It was indeed very expensive when new. I think that if you want a similar experience with an interface on the sound system, you would like the addition of a BeoSound Moment. Add an NL/ML Converter and you still have full access from all of your ML rooms. Also, you could continue to use your BeoSound 5. However, I have found that I now only use my BeoSound 5 (or rather really the BeoMaster 5) as my DLNA source for my 2x BeoSound Moments.
Thanks all, this does look very promising. However we are quickly approaching the outer bands of my comfort zone.
Let's see if I get this right: this converts piece will trick the setup thinking there is a tv feeding in audio? I hope so far i'm still ok :-)
So, if you use the remote in one of the link rooms to select 'TV', the beosound will spring to life and take in the feed coming from that converter?
Does it require a lot of configuration. Currently (as expected) nothing happens when I press 'tv' on the remotes.
The Beolink converter 1611 automatically configures (I know, magic). If you do not have a TV in your setup, it automatically assumes that role. Now you just need a cable (ask Steve at Sounds Heavenly) to connect the Chromecast/Amazon Dot to the Blink converter and you should be good to go.
i’m not a tech savy and managed to make it work. What you need is to add a masterlink plug to your system if you don’t have one free. Thats the difficult part. You can get one installed by a technicien or find a masterlink multiplug and add a new cable with plugs on both sides, or split a cable yourself and do the wiring with a junction box.
Then you add to this plug the converter, and power it up. It will autoconfigure itself and see your beomaster as a master. You will plug the chromecast or sonos or wathever you want as a secondary source in the converter aux in. The converter can also act a master but you need to change the option on the beomaster 5 to slave, in this case when you press on play on an ir eye what is played on the converter will be played through your system directly.
All you need to do is press tv on the beo4 instead of radio or cd so pretty integrated and pilot your music through your chromecast via phone or tablet, you can change the volume through the phone. So 2 steps instead of one but still acceptable.
works 99,99% of the time for me depending on my wifi.
easy solution and cheap, wished my b&o technicien would have proposed this from start would have avoid to buy a beomaster 5, but little regrets as i do love it to listen to CDs and looks good in my living room.
i have an android tv plugged in also the converter, plays spotify or can play video clips via youtube or tv channel works with voice through google home or phone. Unfortunetly my other android tvs (sony) are not linked and can’t play video clips in multiroom but maybe google will offer this functionality one day.
location isn’t so important as all this works through wifi or masterlink network so 0 cables going around all integrated in the walls.
one room was not linked to the network so i’m using a beolink wireless, works in the setup but system itself isn’t super reliable only works 75% of the time, will get this room cabled asap.
bottom line, nothing is better than cabling for sound quality and reliability, and when wifi is down you can still listen to a cd.
sonos is cheap but love the looks of my bang speakers, ir eyes and essence remote, don’t need to walk around with a remote as i can turn the music on in any room independently.
PS it just works and you don’t have to worry about it
You can upload your bs5 tracks to the cloud for free (50K tracks max)and access via Google play music, using the chromecast audio suggested earlier.
Ban boring signatures!
lechatsurletoit: What you need is to add a masterlink plug to your system if you don’t have one free. Thats the difficult part.
That's actually the easy part for me, This house has a master link plug coming out in every room, the previous owners were massive fans...
I'll try to hunt down such a converter box tomorrow on the internet and I have a spare apple tv which i suppose will work too.
Beosince98: Beautiful and easy solution to the problem. I highly recommend this solution as you keep within the ecosystem and remain remote functionality.
Yes, and actually no!
All that happens, is that you (with the command TV) can open a port in the ML ecosystem in order to send any audio in there.
You highly rely on the ChromCast device (or any other choosen audio device) and on the apps, that you need for the playback.
Using a NL/ML converter in order to feed the sources of e.g. a BS Core is different.
You will be able to use the sources/possibilities, that a NL-based device brings to the mix in the ML chain as well as the sources of the ML chain/BS5 via the Core. Please also think future usecases.....you might get another NL device sooner or later. And you can ‘map’ these sources to different commands on the Beo4 for an easier access to e.g. a playlist or a netradio favourite list.
However, if what a ChromeCast device can add, is sufficient for you, do use the 1611 suggestion - it is relatively simple to do!
I just want you to know the possibilities, that you have....in order to make the right choices.
I'm in agreement with MM here. Adding an NL/ML Converter will give you the proper control. Also, just adding a cheaper device such as a BeoPlay M3 or BeoPlay M5 somewhere in the house will give you all of the sources from a Core at a lower cost (after factoring in the cost of the NL/ML Converter).
When the dealer was explaining all the options he mentioned this NL/ML converter and how unstable it was etc and that it had been taken out of sales?
It seems you guys don't think as it as unstable?
could you be a bit more specific on the extra functionalities the nl/ml converter would bring.
if you have speakers plugged in directly in the beomaster then the 1611 won’t fire them up, would the nl/ml do this?
Millemissen: Beosince98: Beautiful and easy solution to the problem. I highly recommend this solution as you keep within the ecosystem and remain remote functionality. Yes, and actually no! All that happens, is that you (with the command TV) can open a port in the ML ecosystem in order to send any audio in there. You highly rely on the ChromCast device (or any other choosen audio device) and on the apps, that you need for the playback. Using a NL/ML converter in order to feed the sources of e.g. a BS Core is different. You will be able to use the sources/possibilities, that a NL-based device brings to the mix in the ML chain as well as the sources of the ML chain/BS5 via the Core. Please also think future usecases.....you might get another NL device sooner or later. And you can ‘map’ these sources to different commands on the Beo4 for an easier access to e.g. a playlist or a netradio favourite list. However, if what a ChromeCast device can add, is sufficient for you, do use the 1611 suggestion - it is relatively simple to do! I just want you to know the possibilities, that you have....in order to make the right choices. MM
I totally agree that the Core and Converter NL/ML would be the "proper" way to do things. I actually own a NL/ML converter and am pretty happy, even though it is not that stable, which may be due to my network at home. However, I think adding the Core and NL/ML converter or Converter 1611 and chrome cast to the existing setup in this case both do exactly what was required by the person starting this thread. Keep in mind that the Core + NL/ML converter would be an investment north of 1000€ with little advantages over the much cheaper 1611 Converter and chrome cast combo. The real advantage of adding the Core would simply be adding more sources than only one and being a bit more future proof. If this was my setup, I would definitely go for the 1611 Converter.
jhamers: When the dealer was explaining all the options he mentioned this NL/ML converter and how unstable it was etc and that it had been taken out of sales? It seems you guys don't think as it as unstable?
I guess one may call that a bad excuse - maybe he has not enough experience with that converter.
It definitely was not taken out of sales because it was/is unstable.
It was EOL’ed because there wasn’t enough reasons to produce and sell this kind of device anymore.
At that time a lot of the older costumers already had merged their setup into pure NL-multiroom and there were enough preused converters on the market for those who still want and need it.
IMO it is still a good device for bridging old and new BeoLink.
I might add that the NL/ML converter was really nicer than it really NEEDED to be -- in terms of materials and aesthetics. It has this huge slab of beautiful brushed aluminum (it's the same casing as the BLGW) that feels like it should be showcased on the wall. Yet, most of us are likely to hide it away in a cabinet and never see the beauty of it. Perhaps a smaller, just plastic device could have been manufactured at a better price.
@beojeff
I waited a long time for such a device to come, before buying the pretty converter (preused).
Millemissen: @beojeff I waited a long time for such a device to come, before buying the pretty converter (preused). MM
Indeed. Same here. I'm always afraid of scratching the beautiful surface when placing it in a cabinet. Perhaps this device DESERVES to be wall-mounted to display the gorgeous brushed aluminum. Brushed aluminum. So very B&O.
This is quickly becoming the most useful series of answers I've ever gotten :-)
So one more questions. The 1611 Converter idea seems to get a lot of love, but why would it be better than hooking up that UFO external sound card directly to the beomaster and connect the chromecast device to that?
Would the sound quality be worse?
jhamers: This is quickly becoming the most useful series of answers I've ever gotten :-) So one more questions. The 1611 Converter idea seems to get a lot of love, but why would it be better than hooking up that UFO external sound card directly to the beomaster and connect the chromecast device to that? Would the sound quality be worse?
Some don’t like (the thought of having) the relatively cheap USB soundcard in the mix.
I would not mind - what I have heard is fine.
The biggest difference is that you need the command A.Aux to open up the port from your linkroom devices.
As I wrote earlier - it depends on the sw version of the Actives/Passives, whether they can manage this.
(This could be tested, but it is most likely that the Actives/Passives have an older sw version, if the installation ist old).
One benefit from using the Behringer is, that you could have an extra device connected there - it has a line in connection (depending on the version).
With the 1611-option you must use a video command to open the port (frrom the linkrooms) e.g. TV....which all versions can.
There is one user case, where the 1611 would be better - if you want to use the BS5 for e.g. radio listening, you could at the same time play through the 1611 to the linkrooms. This would not work with adding the Behringer USB to the BM5.
Hpoe this helps.
jhamers: This is quickly becoming the most useful series of answers I've ever gotten :-)
Don’t forget, many dealers don’t know much about these things - and of course the primarily want to sell the newer stuff.
On Beoworld there are many ‘old guys’, who have experienced the BeoLink evolution.....even in small details.
beojeff: I might add that the NL/ML converter was really nicer than it really NEEDED to be -- in terms of materials and aesthetics. It has this huge slab of beautiful brushed aluminum (it's the same casing as the BLGW) that feels like it should be showcased on the wall. Yet, most of us are likely to hide it away in a cabinet and never see the beauty of it. Perhaps a smaller, just plastic device could have been manufactured at a better price.
The large slab of aluminium has a technical as well as an aesthetic function, in that it is designed to act as a heatsink to some of the internal components. My understanding is that the enclosure was originally designed for an audio product that never made it to market, so the design was re-utilised for the NL/ML converter and BLGW - assuming this is true, this would explain the extravagant design for what are normally hidden away products.
Millemissen: The biggest difference is that you need the command A.Aux to open up the port from your linkroom devices. As I wrote earlier - it depends on the sw version of the Actives/Passives, whether they can manage this. (This could be tested, but it is most likely that the Actives/Passives have an older sw version, if the installation ist old).
That's probably correct, my previous attemt to get spotify working was to run the last supported XP client for spotify on the beomaster 5 for which I had to switch to A.AUX. This only worked directly from the beosound 5 after which i could activate the link rooms, but I could not switch to A.AUX directly from the link rooms.
So I finally got the quote from my dealer and let's say it's enough to make me consider other options.
I finally found a 1611 converter online, a 3.5mm to din cable, hooked everything up to the audio jack of my samsung, went into one of the link rooms, selected 'TV' and.... nothing
Any quick troubleshooting tips? :-)
are you sure sound is coming out of your tv? Did you try to put the volume on at max on the tv?
Did you plug the 1611 in the masterlink before plugging in the power?
cheers
Hi, Thanks for those pointers, I plugged everything in in the order described and then got indeed music coming through, but at quite a lower volume than all the other sources. I'll try today to hookup my chromecast audio and see how that goes.