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
New: Beovision Harmony, Beolab 50's, Beolab 28's, Beolab 18's, Beolab 17's, Beosound Stage & LG, Beosound 2, Beoplay M3, Beoplay A1, Beoplay Portal, Beoplay H4 gen 2, Beoplay E8 3.0
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Old: Beosound 9000 mk3, Beolab 3's, Beovision Eclipse, Beolab 1's, Beolab 2, Beovision 10-46, Overture 2300, beolab 8000's, Beolab 4000's, Beovision avant 32" etc. etc.
Hiort:It is a "multiroom speaker" as long as you use Chromecast or Airplay. Or put two in each room and switch it on manually This is not how it should be marketed, its a shame imo. But bigger things to worry about. Keep healthy everybody! Livingroom: BL3, BL11, BV11-46 Kitchen : Beosound 1 GVA, Beocom 2 Bathroom : M3 Library : A6, Beocom 6000 Bedroom : M5 Office : Beocom 2 Travel : Beoplay E8 2.0, Beoplay P2
BV Harmony 65 / Eclipse 55 / BL 50 / 19 / 18 / BS 2 all brass
BV Horizon 48 / V1 40 / BL 17 / Beoplay S3 all black
V1 / BL 3 / BS Essence MKII / Beoplay A3 all white
BS Moment / BS 3000 / BS 3200 / BL 400 all silver
Headphones / bluetooth speakers / BLC NL-ML / BLGateway
I know…B&O virus has grown on me !
Hiort:It is a "multiroom speaker" as long as you use Chromecast or Airplay. Or put two speakers in each room and select it manually it is not multiroom as it should be. Still a b.. shame imo. But bigger things to worry about these days. Keep healthy everybody! Livingroom: BL3, BL11, BV11-46 Kitchen : Beosound 1 GVA, Beocom 2 Bathroom : M3 Library : A6, Beocom 6000 Bedroom : M5 Office : Beocom 2 Travel : Beoplay E8 2.0, Beoplay P2
w5bno123:As a rule of thumb we decided to only stock the GVA variants in our Ealing showroom and order the non GVA version when requested. FYI we have stock of the Balance which is now very limited or not available until the end of April. Regards Stuart B&O Ealing
Regards
Stuart
B&O Ealing
Good idea, considering you can just turn the mic off if you don't want it to pick up on your voice and then you can still use it to multiroom (not the beolink / network link multiroom).
Aussie Michael: Good idea, considering you can just turn the mic off if you don't want it to pick up on your voice and then you can still use it to multiroom (not the beolink / network link multiroom).
I can confirm that it works.
http://bogo.custhelp.com/app/answers/answer_view/a_id/1059308/~/is-it-possible-to-mute-or-disable-the-microphones-on-beosound-balance%3F-
Steve at Sounds Heavenly: Hi MM, Yes, that is a good point, I will be doing some further tests very soon to confirm the best for use with a non-B&O TV via optical. I'm just waiting for a call back from B&O Technical regarding minimum latency settings. For stereo pairing, B&O have told me prior to the launch that you can cable into one speaker (analogue audio or optical) and then wirelessly link the second speaker. In this case, the speakers would be placed either side of the TV. Using a single speaker directly in front/below the TV would be interesting, as this appears to have the capability to give some measure of stereo spread from a single point.....again, further tests to follow asap. Kind regards, Steve.
Hi MM,
Yes, that is a good point, I will be doing some further tests very soon to confirm the best for use with a non-B&O TV via optical. I'm just waiting for a call back from B&O Technical regarding minimum latency settings.
For stereo pairing, B&O have told me prior to the launch that you can cable into one speaker (analogue audio or optical) and then wirelessly link the second speaker. In this case, the speakers would be placed either side of the TV.
Using a single speaker directly in front/below the TV would be interesting, as this appears to have the capability to give some measure of stereo spread from a single point.....again, further tests to follow asap.
Kind regards, Steve.
I had confirmation from my dealer that the line-in on the Balance is for audio sources only and cannot be used to use the Balance as a TV speaker, I have tried it with a toslink to digital audio cable and it doesn't work
Hi,
The product spec. sheet on B&O's website (page 2 of the PDF) confirms that the Balance has a combined analogue audio and optical input via the 3.5mm jack:-
https://assets.ctfassets.net/8cd2csgvqd3m/fUerNPQEbfvLwY0eGmAnV/d4d2edd5c269e26a6df0d9abe59d1f93/PS_BeosoundBalance_All_EN.pdf
It may be worth checking the optical signal format that you are sending to the Balance if you aren't able to get this to work.
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
Steve at Sounds Heavenly: Hi, The product spec. sheet on B&O's website (page 2 of the PDF) confirms that the Balance has a combined analogue audio and optical input via the 3.5mm jack:- https://assets.ctfassets.net/8cd2csgvqd3m/fUerNPQEbfvLwY0eGmAnV/d4d2edd5c269e26a6df0d9abe59d1f93/PS_BeosoundBalance_All_EN.pdf It may be worth checking the optical signal format that you are sending to the Balance if you aren't able to get this to work. Kind regards, Steve.
Hi Steve,
Thanks for the update and information, what should the optical signal format to the Balance be do you know and how do I check or adjust this?
I assume it has to be done from the TV?
Stay safe all.
suneetjulka: Hi Steve, Thanks for the update and information, what should the optical signal format to the Balance be do you know and how do I check or adjust this? I assume it has to be done from the TV? Stay safe all.
PCM up to 2 channels.
The speaker will not be able to decode (and play) any Dolby Digital format.
Set the output to PCM, not to Auto.
MM
There is a tv - and there is a BV
Millemissen: suneetjulka: Hi Steve, Thanks for the update and information, what should the optical signal format to the Balance be do you know and how do I check or adjust this? I assume it has to be done from the TV? Stay safe all. PCM up to 2 channels. The speaker will not be able to decode (and play) any Dolby Digital format. Set the output to PCM, not to Auto. MM
Hi...
Thanks for the advice.
I set it to PCM and it still doesn't work for me.
I hope this can be fixed by a software update or something?
Kind regards,
Suneet
suneetjulka: I already have an optical audio cable from my old speaker system (which has the D shaped ends but also has connectors/adapters that would allow it to go into a 3.5mm port such as on the balance), is this all I need?
I already have an optical audio cable from my old speaker system (which has the D shaped ends but also has connectors/adapters that would allow it to go into a 3.5mm port such as on the balance), is this all I need?
I would definitely test whether the cable is still ok. Optical cables can be sensitive ... if they are bent unnoticed, they may no longer work. One of the connections could also be damaged or dirty. I would try it out with a new cable.
For me it worked flawlessly at the first try. Definitely not a software issue.
Ulrike: suneetjulka: I already have an optical audio cable from my old speaker system (which has the D shaped ends but also has connectors/adapters that would allow it to go into a 3.5mm port such as on the balance), is this all I need? Hi, I would definitely test whether the cable is still ok. Optical cables can be sensitive ... if they are bent unnoticed, they may no longer work. One of the connections could also be damaged or dirty. I would try it out with a new cable. For me it worked flawlessly at the first try. Definitely not a software issue.
Or just like that :)
See if the toslink mini jack lights up red when the TV is switched on.
If not, either the cable, its connection, or the TV's connection is damaged.
TOSLINK (2ch) should work via the jack- Line-In input section. It's a similar layout to any other Multiroom Product in Flex category. The TOSLINK is also volume regulated, meaning that you can control the volume from balance, even if the TV sends full scale signal (as most TVs tend to).
It would best to check with another device just for a sanity check, that the sound comes out from the optical as expected. Hope that helps :)
mbolo01: Ulrike: Bang & Olufsen always found a way to ensure that a product in the customer's home is preserved and functions for a long time Not true for the BS Moment unfortunately
Ulrike: Bang & Olufsen always found a way to ensure that a product in the customer's home is preserved and functions for a long time
Bang & Olufsen always found a way to ensure that a product in the customer's home is preserved and functions for a long time
Not true for the BS Moment unfortunately
I guess that's why they called it the Moment.
andy_js:I guess that's why they called it the Moment.
Duels:
Somewhere in this thread I believe I read that the Balance project was conceived 2 years ago. This is consistent with my supposition when I first read about about the balance: it's a response to Apple's HomePod.
HomePod took technology from the BL 90 and packaged it into a small, free-standing cylinder-shaped multi-room loudspeaker. It features 7 tweeters in beam-forming array, each with its own amplifier. An internal microphone measures room response and the speaker corrects the bass. It can be voice controlled. Buy two and you can configure a stereo system. Etc.
No one's going to argue that the HomePod is the equal of the BL 90, (as no one would anyone argue that the BS Balance is its equal). But HomePod, given the technology deployed and Apple's market presence, could only have delivered an unpleasant wake-up call in Struer.
The HomePod premiered at ~ $500 / speaker, less expensive now that there are rumors of an imminent 2nd edition. The Balance is $2250 / speaker.
To be clear: I love the brand; I hope the Balance can help carry them through this rough patch.
No, the HomePod premiered at $349/speaker. Reduced to $299 in April 2019. As of the Balance's release date, it was on sale at retailer Best Buy for $199. Today, Apple employees can buy one to work-at-home for $149.50.
HomePods are not nearly as residentially pretty as the Balance, nor do they have as natural-sounding bass, nor line-in. Their location-awareness is forced automatic and not direct-able like the Balance. Their singular misfeature is that you *must* create an Apple Home account and verify yourself via phone for mandatory 2-factor authentication, even if all you want to do is use them as AirPlay(2) speakers. But at less than 1/10 the price of the Balance, they aren't too shabby-looking or -sounding! (Versus, e.g., the Sonos speakers which are rather plain.)
I too hope that Balance sells well, but I will be buying 2 HomePods and a Beosound Stage instead. (Well, unless B&O raises its price, which they keep doing like clockwork despite every other electronics item decreasing in price over the past decade.) I like the way Balance looks but just cannot escape my drive for value.
Beosound Stage, Beovision 8-40, Beolit 20, Beosound Explore.
it's a very big difference honestly, the sound is way fuller and a lot more powerful. But in the end if a BS2 is loud enough and your room is not too large, then it's more down to style imo. A BsB is much closer to an A9 than a BS2 is and can fill a much larger room/go way louder.
Thank you
if bass is the issue, the balance is probably better on balance
It has a more controlled bass and will probably also tune itself better to the space. With the BS2 the bass is simpler, it sort of it what it is and you have a basic EQ. It works, don't get me wrong and I love mine, but if the style matters less than musical performance than the BsB wins every time.
trackbeo: No, the HomePod premiered at $349/speaker. Reduced to $299 in April 2019. As of the Balance's release date, it was on sale at retailer Best Buy for $199. Today, Apple employees can buy one to work-at-home for $149.50.
Thanks, trackbeo, you're correct of course. I relied on memory; at my age, I should know better.
trackbeo: I too hope that Balance sells well, but I will be buying 2 HomePods and a Beosound Stage instead.
I too hope that Balance sells well, but I will be buying 2 HomePods and a Beosound Stage instead.
Interesting. Will the HomePods be used in combination with the Stage, and if so, how?
A final, kinda wild speculation on the (reputed) eve of the launch of the HomePod next gen. Isn't it odd that Apple went out of its way include Dolby Atmos processing in the most recent ATV, but doesn't offer speaker system that could handle even 5.1? B&O has most or all of the pieces to have a complete home theater system...but let's not imagine that Apple couldn't do the same.
BeoFrederic:Interesting. Will the HomePods be used in combination with the Stage, and if so, how?
Hi All,
My Balance with GVA doesn't automatically switch to the line-in when I switch source, I have to manually unplug and reconnect the optical audio cable that goes into my TV each time I want to use the Balance as a TV speaker... is this the same for everyone or should the Balance be switching automatically?
Also, how are people using the favourite buttons? I need some ideas other than setting radio stations as the favourites.
Finally, is it possible to stereo pair a Balance with another speaker such as BeoSound 1 or Beoplay M3?
If not, do we think B&O will make this possible as it would be a brilliant feature.
Regards,
No, only a Balance will stereo pair with another Balance.
Same for the others - it only works with the same product.
I cant see how it makes sense to stereo pair mismatched speakers, each with their own different sonic characteristics.
Which is why it wont happen.
suneetjulka: Hi All, My Balance with GVA doesn't automatically switch to the line-in when I switch source, I have to manually unplug and reconnect the optical audio cable that goes into my TV each time I want to use the Balance as a TV speaker... is this the same for everyone or should the Balance be switching automatically? Also, how are people using the favourite buttons? I need some ideas other than setting radio stations as the favourites. Finally, is it possible to stereo pair a Balance with another speaker such as BeoSound 1 or Beoplay M3? If not, do we think B&O will make this possible as it would be a brilliant feature. Stay safe all. Regards, Suneet
suneetjulka: Finally, is it possible to stereo pair a Balance with another speaker such as BeoSound 1 or Beoplay M3?
For the NL-speakers you can make fixed "groups" of NL-speakers (no stereo pairing but mono pairing where a slave always follows a master) through the BLI Intelligence. But that can't be used as Balance isn't integrated (yet) into the BLI.
1990: suneetjulka: Finally, is it possible to stereo pair a Balance with another speaker such as BeoSound 1 or Beoplay M3? For the NL-speakers you can make fixed "groups" of NL-speakers (no stereo pairing but mono pairing where a slave always follows a master) through the BLI Intelligence. But that can't be used as Balance isn't integrated (yet) into the BLI.
Thanks for this... what are NL-speakers and what is BLI? Excuse my lack of knowledge.
I'm sorry Suneet!
The NL-speakers are the speakers that work on the "Networklink" Multiroom. So the M3/M5, A9, Core, Essence etc. All modern speakers. Except the Balance, which has launched on a new platform.
The BeoLiving Intelligence (BLI) is a home automator which integrates control of lights/shades/cameras with the B&O AV products. If you use BLI, you can use a separate app to control your music, lights, cameras etc.
Hello to all,
I need advice. I read this review and I am little confused. Can you tell me please what is difference between Beosound Balance and Beosound Balance with the Google Assistant.
Waiting for your reply.
The version with GVA has a microphone built in to give voice commands to Google (just like you would do on a Google Home-speaker). Furthermore you'll have four short cuts on the top plate you can configure to send some often-used commands to the Google Assistant (like play playlist X, play radio Y or more general Google questions like if there is any traffic on your commute.
The non-GVA version doesn't have a microphone, but you still can use Chromecast and the Google Home app on your device to control the BS Balance. Just no voice assistant built in.
In future, the GVA-version will software update to also include the Amazon Alexa voice assistant.
suneetjulka: Hi All, My Balance with GVA doesn't automatically switch to the line-in when I switch source, I have to manually unplug and reconnect the optical audio cable that goes into my TV each time I want to use the Balance as a TV speaker...
My Balance with GVA doesn't automatically switch to the line-in when I switch source, I have to manually unplug and reconnect the optical audio cable that goes into my TV each time I want to use the Balance as a TV speaker...
Hi Suneet,
Do you have any news on this issue? Can you fix the volume for the line in? I’m thinking about getting a Balance too but want to connect it to an older Masterlink product via line-in.
Hi 1990,
If you use a Powerlink output from the older product to the Balance, you can use the volume control of the older system to adjust the speaker level.
A cable like this is all you need from a Powerlink socket to the Balance: https://soundsheavenly.com/music-output/177-2544-powerlink-to-beosound-balance-stage-core-edge-and-shape-cable-link-your-legacy-bo-audio-system-to-your-new-bo-speaker.html#/2-length-1m
Thanks Steve! Do you have any info on the auto sense?
No sorry, I am not able to get to a B&O store to test this at the moment due to lockdown in the UK. B&O haven't responded to any of my questions about this.
Are any Balance owners able to comment on whether the speaker can auto sense for a signal on the line input please?
Steve at Sounds Heavenly: Are any Balance owners able to comment on whether the speaker can auto sense for a signal on the line input please?
I’ve asked my dealer too, let’s see. BTW, could you add a Balance as a speaker to an NL/ML converter? Is an RJ45<>3,5mm possible @Steve?
I haven't tried using the speaker directly with an NL/ML Converter, so I wouldn't recommend this.