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
The Shape fascinates me, probably more than any other current B&O speaker/system. It's been a couple of years, I think, since its introduction; time enough for evaluations to mature.
Those of you who have purchased: what do you think of your system now? What do you think of the sound quality? Do you miss the 2-channels, 2-speakers sound of traditional stereo? Would you purchase the Shape again?
BeoFrederic:what do you think of your system now?
BeoFrederic:What do you think of the sound quality?
BeoFrederic:Do you miss the 2-channels, 2-speakers sound of traditional stereo?
BeoFrederic:Would you purchase the Shape again?
Thanks for the response! May I ask: did you do your own design and installation? Or did you contract with a professional installer?
own design
did the installation myself
Carolpa: own design did the installation myself
How taxing was the installation? My dealer suggested that a bottle of good bourbon helps with the installation.
beojeff: Carolpa:own design did the installation myselfHow taxing was the installation? My dealer suggested that a bottle of good bourbon helps with the installation.
Carolpa:own design did the installation myself
The Beosound Shape installation film says it all.
Design, tone quality and technique of the Beosound Shape are perfect, I really love my. I use my Beosound Shape as rear speaker in my living room (1 amp and 4 speaker). It is an eye catcher corresponding with the modern art paintings on the other walls. The Shape makes a very high quality impression and is also technically very thoughtful with great attention to detail. Technically, I give the product / hardware full 5 stars.
Unfortunately, there is a downside and that's the Bang & Olufsen app, which makes a very amateurish impression, just the opposite of the speakers. The app works, but apparently the money ran out and B&O had to save money and could not afford professional software developers. The app makes a quick and dirty impression, it seems that the essential features were poorly engineered put together in one app. And now for months / years with low budget it is further developed but unfortunately loveless and planloss.
Aussie Michael:Hi HH With it operating as rear speakers can you assign the rear 4 speakers as right and left and right and left bass AND you only need one amplifier ?
With it operating as rear speakers can you assign the rear 4 speakers as right and left and right and left bass AND you only need one amplifier ?
Hi Michael, you only have 2 channels in, so you can assign left and right. The bass-management is taken care of by the Shape amp.
christiank:Hi Michael, you only have 2 channels in, so you can assign left and right. The bass-management is taken care of by the Shape amp.
I had the shape installed last week (still in the middle of renovation but priorities and all that!)
I've had a few issues and getting the slave amp replaced so will wait until then to give it a full review, I have 6 speakers but the system isn't recognising my shape design and so I believe I am not hearing it to it's true potential as yet.
Look wise, wow love it and it will fit perfectly with the art I will have in the room and it's already a talking point.
SteveCuz: Look wise, wow love it and it will fit perfectly with the art I will have in the room and it's already a talking point.
Looks great, Steve. Let us know what you think of the sound experience when you have the bugs shaken out of your installation.
Looking at your design triggered a thought: I assume that, if using the Shape in a 'traditional' stereo l/r sound stage configuration, you'd get a better experience by spreading the design horizontally, as you've done. I don't know this to be true, just guessing. Maybe someone reading this can confirm.
Also, I wonder if the 'band on the wall' configuration is also sensitive to a horizontal v. more clustered configuration?
Aussie Michael:Sure the B&O app has gone through a lot of change and feel that the presentation in the latest version is top notch.Did you mean the presentation of the UI or the usability ? Just curious.
I use my Beosound Shape analog. That means, I have it connected via Powerlink to my Beovision. That works really perfect. But the Beosound Core and the B&O app is a strong disappointment. I used the Beosound Core to set up the Beosound Shape, but since then I do not need it anymore. Bang & Olufsen offers good analog technology, but it did not arrive in the digital century and that is slowly killing the company!
There are some people in the Forum, that think the Beosound Core is working fine. Yes it works without errors, but looking at the price tage of 750,00 Euros, my expectation was totally different. The main disappoint is the B&O app, probably the technology of Beosound Core is not bad, but for 750,00 Euro a professional steering software (B&O app) should be included. And the B&O app is really really crap. Every low price Chinese loudspeaker manufacturers is able to offer higher quality software than Bang & Olufsen does.
There are some people, that think, offering Airplay is already state of the art and there is no need of an additional B&O app. Yes could be, but then something similar to an Apple Airport Express would be totally sufficient. Apple known as a high price design company sold the Apple Airport Express for 99,00 Euro (not 750,00 Euro). And all necessary Apple apps like Music, Podcast, are really well designed Apps easy and enjoyable to use.
My expectation is to compare the Beosound Core with the Sonos Connect (339,00 Euro not 750,00 Euro) or the new Sonos Port (449,00 Euro not 750,00 Euro). But looking at the software Sonos is including in this price, the B&O app is more than crap. It is a joke!
When my friends, most of them are using Sonos, coming over to me, I am deeply ashamed showing them, that I have to use a raspberry + hifiberry + LMS + ipeng + Beosound Core or Beovision (a tinker solution) with my Bang & Olufsen loudspeakers to get state of the art technology. They get it out of the box from Sonos. I expect from a company like Bang & Olufsen placed in the high price segment a multiroom software that is able to manage my privat music collection AND different music streaming providers. The B&O app offers, a really bad copy of the Deezer app without useful functions like music flow. But no search integration with my privat collection. No integration of further music streaming providers like Tidal or Qobuz. No integration of podcasts. … Instead the B&O app offers to manage headphones, really great. I do not have any B&O headphone and after my Bang&Olufsen experience I will never buy one. Why do I have to integrate the steering of multiroom devices and stand-alone devices in one app? To make it maximum complex, great job!
It is unbelievable that B&O is offering such an app and is not withdrawing it from the app Store. This B&O app is really destroys the quality perception and brand of Bang & Olufsen! Look at the view ratings and mainly low ratings of the B&O app. Nobody seems to use the B&O app and the view that are using it are hating it. It seems I am not the only one mega disappointed.
When I purchased the Beosound Shape / Core my expectation was that I am able to catch up technology wise with my „Sonos“ friends with a working out of the box solution. What I got was a very good analog working loudspeaker set. But I am living in 2019 and not anymore in 1980 Bang & Olufsen!
Sounds like Sonos is more suitable for your needs.
Since you’ve already got things up and running, you can easily use the optical input on the Shape amplifier to connect a Sonos Connect. Make sure that variable volume on the optical output from Sonos is enabled. Voila, Sonos and digital sound AND B&O sound.
christiank:Sounds like Sonos is more suitable for your needs.
Thank you for this tip, already thought about it, because I love the design of the Beosound Shape but not the B&O app at all.
1) But why did I have to invest 750,00 Euro for the Beosound Core within the Beosound Shape? Really necessary was the Beosound Core for 10 minutes during installation process of the Beosound Shape. 2) More interesting would be, what are the unique selling points and the medium-term goals / visions of the B&O app? 3) And why are the ratings of the B&O App in the Apple App Store so bad and what strategy is there to improve?
I do like the app, but then again my use case it rather different from yours.
Maybe you expect the app too do something that it was not designed for?
I guess Christian is right - Sonos and the Sonos app is more your thing.
In fact my (B&O multiroom) setup would not be easy to manage without the app.
The Core is part of the concept Shape - if you use it differently (as a set of speakers) only tell me that that concept is rather flexible.
It should have been possible for you to ‘borrow’ the Core just for the installation from your dealer.
As for reviews on the app store....I never read these!
MM
There is a tv - and there is a BV
Millemissen:my use case it rather different from yours.
It would be interesting to understand your use case? Perhaps the problem is not the B&O app, it could be me, that I do not fully understand how to use it. Perhaps I have to change my processes and everything will be fine?
Millemissen:It should have been possible for you to ‘borrow’ the Core
My dealer did not tell me. I had to find out by myself, that I do not use the Beosound Core. Making additional 750,00 Euro more revenue, I can understand, that he did not offer it. And Bang&Olufsen is making it easy to get ripped, because there is not much information / detailed manuals available in the internet how to use / set-up the Beosound Shape.
Millemissen:As for reviews on the app store....I never read these!
As long as you are happy with the B&O app, there is no need to read it. But when you are not happy at all, you start to think if it is the app or you are using it in the wrong way. But when you see that the average rating was 1,8 (now 2,6 after setting back the counter) and you compare it with ratings of competitor apps at least you get the confirmation, that the majority of users are not very happy with the B&O App. As Bang & Olufsen I would get really nervous as customer I can go on to the next Brand as suggested in some threads.
Millemissen:I do like the app, but then again my use case it rather different from yours. Maybe you expect the app too do something that it was not designed for? I guess Christian is right - Sonos and the Sonos app is more your thing. In fact my (B&O multiroom) setup would not be easy to manage without the app. The Core is part of the concept Shape - if you use it differently (as a set of speakers) only tell me that that concept is rather flexible. It should have been possible for you to ‘borrow’ the Core just for the installation from your dealer. As for reviews on the app store....I never read these! MM There is a tv - and there is a BV.
HH1971:There are some people in the Forum, that think the Beosound Core is working fine. Yes it works without errors, but looking at the price tage of 750,00 Euros, my expectation was totally different. The main disappoint is the B&O app, probably the technology of Beosound Core is not bad, but for 750,00 Euro a professional steering software (B&O app) should be included.
You use the BS Shape as Beolab's for your TV set. I use the BS Shape as a separate music system. With the app I can control the system, quite easily. So my experience doesn't compares to yours. I mainly listen to my own DLNA collection and sometimes TuneIn. For both the app works just fine.
HH1971:that I have to use a raspberry + hifiberry + LMS + ipeng + Beosound Core or Beovision
HH1971:Instead the B&O app offers to manage headphones, really great. I do not have any B&O headphone and after my Bang&Olufsen experience I will never buy one. Why do I have to integrate the steering of multiroom devices and stand-alone devices in one app? To make it maximum complex, great job!
HH1971:When I purchased the Beosound Shape / Core my expectation was that I am able to catch up technology wise with my „Sonos“ friends with a working out of the box solution.
Note: still improvement to the app and/or the BS Shape are possible and would be appreciated.
I'm not sure if you are aware, but there was a recent software update which now allows you to use the core and connect the amplifier via powerlink. If you're playing music through the core, and the powerlink from the BV is activated, then the powerlink takes priority and the music from the core is paused.
riverstyx: I'm not sure if you are aware, but there was a recent software update which now allows you to use the core and connect the amplifier via powerlink. If you're playing music through the core, and the powerlink from the BV is activated, then the powerlink takes priority and the music from the core is paused.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/8b5h2aeuu25h8y2/BeoSound%20Shape%20TV%20speakers.pdf?dl=0
The link should still be active.
Careful now. Pretty sure this particular setup only works when the Core is involved, because the Core is transferring the filters to the amplfier each time the input on the amp is changed (via USB).
However, a Sonos could be connected to the optical input of the Core, and then you could lock the volume of the optical input on the Core, and still control the volume from the Sonos app.
christiank: Careful now. Pretty sure this particular setup only works when the Core is involved, because the Core is transferring the filters to the amplfier each time the input on the amp is changed (via USB).
riverstux wrote: ‘use the core and connect the amplifier via powerlink‘ and the PDF also shows that the BS Core must be involved.
So - actually - we were ‘carefull’ 😉
By the way, this is a very good solution....that surely - depending on your setup - can add more value to a Shape installation.
riverstyx:but there was a recent software update which now allows you to use the core and connect the amplifier via powerlink
Millemissen:For how to, see here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/8b5h2aeuu25h8y2/BeoSound%20Shape%20TV%20speakers.pdf?dl=0
Thank you very much for these really valuable information.
Can somebody point me in the right direction, where I can find on the Bang & Olufsen Internet pages a description / release notes what additional features are available with each software update / release change for the Beosound Core?
To keep me informed what additional features are available over time.
Millemissen:So - actually - we were ‘carefull’ 😉
Sorry, missed that :)
HH1971:Can somebody point me in the right direction, where I can find on the Bang & Olufsen Internet pages a description / release notes what additional features are available with each software update / release change for the Beosound Core?
Nobody who can help?
Aussie Michael:Did you mean the presentation of the UI or the usability ? Just curious.
From professional software developers / company I expect professional communication with its user / customers. Minimum would be an internet page with release notes. How should a Bang & Olufsen user find out that there are additional features available?
Or is it just me, who cannot find the relevant internet page(s)?
I just found out that there is a software update from 1.6.31769 to 1.6.34089 available.
Does anybody know, what changes are offered with the new update?Has anybody good experience with the update?