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
Mikipedia on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Mikipedia
Mikipedi4 on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/mikipedi4
Mikipedia on Intagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikipedi4/
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.
Reply for my question on Software Update enabling NL BeoLink Multiroom:
"As the brand new BeoSound Balance does not have the respective older ASE (Audio Stream Engine), I am afraid that this is not technically possible through a pure software update."
BV14, BV10, BeoGram 3000, 4500, BS 9000, Moment, Core, Ouverture, Essence, Beo6, BROneBT, BeoTime, ML/NL, BLGW, BeoLab 2, 11, 18, CX100, BeoPlay A6, M3, E8/H3/H8
alex_112:Reply for my question on Software Update enabling NL BeoLink Multiroom: "As the brand new BeoSound Balance does not have the respective older ASE (Audio Stream Engine), I am afraid that this is not technically possible through a pure software update." BV14, BV10, BeoGram 3000, 4500, BS 9000, Moment, Core, Ouverture, Essence, Beo6, BROneBT, BeoTime, ML/NL, BLGW, BeoLab 2, 11, 18, CX100, BeoPlay A6, M3, E8/H3/H8
Several things there;
For one, those, who carry their phone everywhere anyway - even in the bathroom.
Why should they want NL/Join.
And then those, who wants to get rid of it - the more the better - at home...
.....we are for maintaining NL and joining and remote controlling (BROne/Essence Remote).
But also don’t forget, that many just start the music in the whole house - and let it play.
Some use voice commands via GA. (or Siri).....no need for a mobile phone there and certainly not for the NL/Join function or ‘fancy’ (expensive) remotes there.
That is how a lot of people ‘use’ music nowadays!
We should also consider, that the less integrated services (like TuneIn, Deezer, DLNA and halfways Spotify Connect) there are, the less the need for NL...
....there is simply nothing that can be distributed over B&O multiroom anymore.
Combining AP over NL and using AP2 for music distribution is not a good mixture - and people with one or maybe more non-B&O AP2 devices certainly won’t let go of AP2.
So - maybe - when in the current and coming devices there will be no more integrated services - apart from QPlay ;-( - there will be nothing to distribute over NL, thus nothing to join!!!
Personalky I like NL and the ease of use. For me and my fellow NL-devotes, the only way forward (hmmmm!) will be to get hold of the M5’s the A9 MK2, the Core’s with Beolabs/the Shape, the Essence MK2‘s and maybe even prevent them from being updated.
Not a nice thought - seeing that the new devices from B&O are getting better and better.....soundwise.
Or should we just give in.....and run around with our phones all day long everywhere or maybe start talking to our devices ;-(((
MM
There is a tv - and there is a BV
steve1977: alex_112: Reply for my question on Software Update enabling NL BeoLink Multiroom: "As the brand new BeoSound Balance does not have the respective older ASE (Audio Stream Engine), I am afraid that this is not technically possible through a pure software update." BV14, BV10, BeoGram 3000, 4500, BS 9000, Moment, Core, Ouverture, Essence, Beo6, BROneBT, BeoTime, ML/NL, BLGW, BeoLab 2, 11, 18, CX100, BeoPlay A6, M3, E8/H3/H8 This implies the balance has the new ASE, which we heard rumors about. Now, the very big question is what the new remote will be to steer this new “ASE”. My big hope is that b&o somehow brings the “join feature” back. For example, fully integrating it with AP/CC to allow B&O devices to join/unjoin by tap would actually turn a loss into a gain...
alex_112: Reply for my question on Software Update enabling NL BeoLink Multiroom: "As the brand new BeoSound Balance does not have the respective older ASE (Audio Stream Engine), I am afraid that this is not technically possible through a pure software update." BV14, BV10, BeoGram 3000, 4500, BS 9000, Moment, Core, Ouverture, Essence, Beo6, BROneBT, BeoTime, ML/NL, BLGW, BeoLab 2, 11, 18, CX100, BeoPlay A6, M3, E8/H3/H8
This implies the balance has the new ASE, which we heard rumors about. Now, the very big question is what the new remote will be to steer this new “ASE”.
My big hope is that b&o somehow brings the “join feature” back. For example, fully integrating it with AP/CC to allow B&O devices to join/unjoin by tap would actually turn a loss into a gain...
I am afraid that will never happen due to ’technical problems’ that are out of the hands of B&O.
By the way, ditching NL will make the life of the dealers - especially those who aren’t B&O dealers in the old way - much easier.
There will not be much to explain there.
Also handy when you intend to sell more and more online.
Indeed, though it was news to me (according to some replies above) that with the Harmony (Eclipse?) / Stage, TV sound cannot be distributed via NL multi-room.
If true, a sad outcome.
And much as I said that NL would not last long, that was not out of any desire, just a reading fo what was highly likely.
Anyway, I'll have a char with my dealer about the removal of TV audio from mutliroom, just to confirm.
Millemissen: By the way, ditching NL will make the life of the dealers - especially those who aren’t B&O dealers in the old way - much easier. There will not be much to explain there. Also handy when you intend to sell more and more online. MM
The B&O that I knew and loved sounds like it will no longer exist. It's funny that every time I've looked at the HomePod in the Apple Store, I remind myself that it's not compatible with B&O's multiroom and walk away. With the new B&O direction, that won't be true anymore. I might as well buy a HomePod in the future instead of a new B&O speaker. That's a sale lost to B&O. B&O, are you listening??
Millemissen: But also don’t forget, that many just start the music in the whole house - and let it play. Some use voice commands via GA. (or Siri).....no need for a mobile phone there and certainly not for the NL/Join function or ‘fancy’ (expensive) remotes there. That is how a lot of people ‘use’ music nowadays!
I do exactly that sometimes: Tell google to play in "whole house". That is no problem.
But if I´m in the kitchen and tell google to "play Paradise Radio in the kitchen" and then walk upstairs to the library, and tell Google "to play Paradise Radio in the library" they do not play in sync and I need to go to each individual speaker to adjust volume in the google app (or B&O app).
Livingroom: BL3, BL11, BV11-46 Kitchen: Beosound 1 GVA, Beocom 2 Bathroom: M3 Homeoffice: M3, Beocom 2 Library: Beosound Emerge, Beocom 6000 Bedroom: M5, Essence remote Travel: Beoplay E8 2.0, Beoplay EQ, Beoplay Earset
I can multiroom the audio from my Harmony around no problem, just fyi.
PaulGiles:AirPlay and cast will just make them a lot more attractive to people but unsure why the Beolink to the older products has been stopped.
It doesn't seem like they will stop BeoLink for existing products (and why/how could they?), "only" for products here on out..
Response from B&O: "As for now, I have no information that BeoLink Multiroom with be discontinued entirely. So you will, of course, be able to use Multiroom with your existing units."
Yes exactly - and that was the point many have made here over the last couple of years as doubts have grown.
But as risk of reiterating your point, still having a big design advantage at times (not the Balance, which is nice but hardly a classic of elegance in design) may be largely all they have left. Yes the speakers sound very good, but so do others. And when it comes to the non-BeoLabs, like the M series, BS's 1and 2, and the Balance, 2 grand is a huge premium. The Naim Muso is a good deal less and much more fully featured, and no-one would really say it sounded anything other than very good.
OlivierC:I can only notice that the B&O differentiating features from the competitors are reducing over time. Then we are getting to a point that a Beosound will be a more aesthetically pleasing Apple/Google speaker, at a much higher price. Let’s see what happens next. Olivier
Then we are getting to a point that a Beosound will be a more aesthetically pleasing Apple/Google speaker, at a much higher price.
Let’s see what happens next.
Olivier
PaulGiles:Tap to join function is already part of the SONOS range so I fail to see why B&O cannot keep this feature. It is a relatively new addition to SONOS, simply press and hold and it joins the rest.
steve1977:PaulGiles:Tap to join function is already part of the SONOS range so I fail to see why B&O cannot keep this feature. It is a relatively new addition to SONOS, simply press and hold and it joins the rest.How does sonos do this when using AP?
StKong: Stream to one Sonos speaker over Airplay 2. Hold play on any other Sonos speaker (also older, non-Airplay versions) and you have sound.
Stream to one Sonos speaker over Airplay 2. Hold play on any other Sonos speaker (also older, non-Airplay versions) and you have sound.
You’d wonder whether their have been any board level discussions between B&O and Sonos. Adopting the Sonos platform in order to cover the upper end of the speaker market could have made sense just as the IKEA cooperation for the lower end. In theory the BLI could have integrated the Sonos protocol too.
1990:You’d wonder whether their have been any board level discussions between B&O and Sonos. Adopting the Sonos platform in order to cover the upper end of the speaker market could have made sense just as the IKEA cooperation for the lower end. In theory the BLI could have integrated the Sonos protocol too.
Millemissen:I am afraid that will never happen due to ’technical problems’ that are out of the hands of B&O. MM There is a tv - and there is a BV.
StKong:Good question, yet it does so seamlessly without the slightest delay. Even on the cheapest speaker from IKEA. Stream to one Sonos speaker over Airplay 2. Hold play on any other Sonos speaker (also older, non-Airplay versions) and you have sound.
I doubt it.
As I've said numerous times, this decision (to switch to AP and CC as primary control) was made around 2 years ago from what I was told.
The lack of recent development of the B&O app would underline that this decision has started to take effect a while ago.
The app (for products going forward) will only be for setup / registration and a few settings.
For experience control, you'll have to use third party apps.
1990: StKong: Stream to one Sonos speaker over Airplay 2. Hold play on any other Sonos speaker (also older, non-Airplay versions) and you have sound. You’d wonder whether their have been any board level discussions between B&O and Sonos. Adopting the Sonos platform in order to cover the upper end of the speaker market could have made sense just as the IKEA cooperation for the lower end. In theory the BLI could have integrated the Sonos protocol too.
Oh I agree that we’re long past the stage that such a cooperation would be feasible. Then again there was an interim generation of non-Multiroom products a while back (A8/A9/Essence Mk1).
Mikipidia: I can multiroom the audio from my Harmony around no problem, just fyi.
Using Google Assistant and adding one room after the other?
If I cast over a pre-configured group it plays in sync in those rooms.
If I play in one room and go into another room and ask Google to play there also its not in synch. I guess that are two separate casts.
Sandyb: As I've said numerous times, this decision (to switch to AP and CC as primary control) was made around 2 years ago from what I was told.
A decision made under a CEO, who disappeared . A complete wrong one in my opinion.
Why skip a technology you own and replace it by third parties versions? Why making yourself dependable on those. What happens when these parties come with restrictions? I remember well when Spotify put on hold on all the apps that were installed on different brand media players, tv and so on.
AP2 works well, but when you leave the room, the music stops. How about the others members who are left in the room? I think B&O is the past years concentrating to much towards one-person householdings. Looks nice on the media pictures, but in real life not always convenient.
Multiroom should be implemented next to AP2 and CC. It's an selling point's feature. There are probably just a smaller percentage of customers that may use it, but how many of you bought a new (i)phone with the latest possible features, but at the end only the common features are used?
Personally I feel a bit neglected, left in the cold to say. Own several NL products (about 7 I think) and use hardly my phone. To much of a hassle sometimes. Every time unlocking your screen, going into the audiosettings of the playing third party app, to cast or airplay to control or send the music to the desired speaker. Not an easy use we were used to have (remember B&O's selling point about all the functions in 1 remote and easy to control). What's next, ditching the PUC control as B&O leans more towards the software provided by LG? Costs for modifying and/or adding software for PUC control will be replaced by (the much slower and unreliable) hdmi-cec.
The past years B&O has invested by releasing speakers with impressive sound production. Small and big, but all are impressive. Now the technology comes down from the BL90 and BL50 to the Balance, I feel I miss the opportunity to join the same (sound)experience as I'm not able to control the Balance when added to the rest of the NL speakers/essences I have.
I'm sensing that the most who are using AP2 only have just 1 or have few NL based speakers. So, I'm leaning towards the expression " Unknown makes unloved " or however that expression goes. Take a table version of the essence-remote, put it on the kitching/diner table and experience how easy it is to turn the volume up or down for hearing that conversation or song which plays. No phone or tablet needed, so liberating..
Even my daughters are discovering and getting used of this easy way of controlling. During the sunday morning breakfast their favorite music plays loud through to room, then one of them leaves for taking a shower and hits the join button in the bathroom, turns up the volume by turning the wheel. It's a luxury having that. I'm convinced that they will remember that in future.
So, to go short ;-) . I like the Balance, the sound of it, but it's still a no go as I'm not able to implement it in my existing setup.
Btw, which reminds me of ordering a new battery today for my iPhone, it lasts only a few hours..
Sandyb:I doubt it. As I've said numerous times, this decision (to switch to AP and CC as primary control) was made around 2 years ago from what I was told. The lack of recent development of the B&O app would underline that this decision has started to take effect a while ago. The app (for products going forward) will only be for setup / registration and a few settings. For experience control, you'll have to use third party apps.
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 !
Beobuddy:A decision made under a CEO, who disappeared . A complete wrong one in my opinion. Why skip a technology you own and replace it by third parties versions? Why making yourself dependable on those. What happens when these parties come with restrictions? I remember well when Spotify put on hold on all the apps that were installed on different brand media players, tv and so on. AP2 works well, but when you leave the room, the music stops. How about the others members who are left in the room? I think B&O is the past years concentrating to much towards one-person householdings. Looks nice on the media pictures, but in real life not always convenient. Multiroom should be implemented next to AP2 and CC. It's an selling point's feature. There are probably just a smaller percentage of customers that may use it, but how many of you bought a new (i)phone with the latest possible features, but at the end only the common features are used? Personally I feel a bit neglected, left in the cold to say. Own several NL products (about 7 I think) and use hardly my phone. To much of a hassle sometimes. Every time unlocking your screen, going into the audiosettings of the playing third party app, to cast or airplay to control or send the music to the desired speaker. Not an easy use we were used to have (remember B&O's selling point about all the functions in 1 remote and easy to control). What's next, ditching the PUC control as B&O leans more towards the software provided by LG? Costs for modifying and/or adding software for PUC control will be replaced by (the much slower and unreliable) hdmi-cec. The past years B&O has invested by releasing speakers with impressive sound production. Small and big, but all are impressive. Now the technology comes down from the BL90 and BL50 to the Balance, I feel I miss the opportunity to join the same (sound)experience as I'm not able to control the Balance when added to the rest of the NL speakers/essences I have. I'm sensing that the most who are using AP2 only have just 1 or have few NL based speakers. So, I'm leaning towards the expression " Unknown makes unloved " or however that expression goes. Take a table version of the essence-remote, put it on the kitching/diner table and experience how easy it is to turn the volume up or down for hearing that conversation or song which plays. No phone or tablet needed, so liberating.. Even my daughters are discovering and getting used of this easy way of controlling. During the sunday morning breakfast their favorite music plays loud through to room, then one of them leaves for taking a shower and hits the join button in the bathroom, turns up the volume by turning the wheel. It's a luxury having that. I'm convinced that they will remember that in future. So, to go short ;-) . I like the Balance, the sound of it, but it's still a no go as I'm not able to implement it in my existing setup. Btw, which reminds me of ordering a new battery today for my iPhone, it lasts only a few hours..
Hiort: Mikipidia: I can multiroom the audio from my Harmony around no problem, just fyi. Using Google Assistant and adding one room after the other? If I cast over a pre-configured group it plays in sync in those rooms. If I play in one room and go into another room and ask Google to play there also its not in synch. I guess that are two separate casts.
No I just use the B&O app. it's further away so the sync could be out a little but when you can't see the screen anyway it doesn't much matter to me
beobuddy, does your AP2 stop when you walk out the room or out of the network? if it's the first you may have an issue with your network
I understand all that has been said above and i want to thank all the people wo tried to explain me in details the benefits of NL.
I've been reading and thinking and I still believe its more about habits and daily uses, than about needs and possibilities.
I'd like to make myself understand, I'm not judging any technology over the other or granting any decision to remove NL. Only speaking to try to understand.
People who use Multiroom, often stream from a standing device (Smart TV, dedicated phone or tablet, computer, network streamer…).If they stream from they phone, they often have maybe two speakers, because if they have one, they more likely use BT instead.
I'm an Airplay user and as it so far the only thing I cannot do as NL users, is to stream the sound of the TV and analog sources over Airplay.And trust me, I REALLY miss this feature.
The other downside may be ("may" because its not really to me), that, yes, the streaming computer is on all day long. But i listen to music all day long and its is programmed to go to sleep after sometime and is waken up by network when needed. The Airplay bases are also connected "all year long" but they're also needed to broadcast wifi all over the house because dry walls with metallic stud prevent an useable spread of the signal. They also aren't the most power consuming "useless" device around :-).
That said, I can Join or Leave each room by just turning on or off the local device: go to the restroom? I turn on the A2. Take a shower? I turn on the A1.Want to leave the main room? Turn off the ouverture, and so on. Each one has his local volume control, or i can globally lower it with the remote app controlling the mac.
If I was to buy a BSB tomorrow, it will work the same way: enter the room, tap it to join, control volume locally.
Again, I'm not saying it's the same (not to mention audio quality in case of using AE and not standalone airplay speakers).But I'm trying to say that maybe the new target of B&O is people who never heard about NL and first ask if the device is AP/CC compatible.
Then the choice of scrapping specific devellopment costs for what it is now commonly admitted as a standard (of course keeping in mind what "standard" means in terms of dependance and duration, even more in the case of Apple…) could be understandable.
People who rely and have invested money, time and tech into a solution feel neglected. Thats true and its never a nice feeling. But this has happen many times in the past (Often with Apple…): the floppy disk, the dock connector, the end of development of many softwares, I dont know well but even maybe the changing in protocols like MCL/ML/NL etc…
To summarize, I think that most of the B&O equipment being certainly airplay compatible, anyone can with a little work setup a solution which will keep great part of the ease of use. If not, a cheap second hand AE base or a more expensive Airplay DAC will be the solution.
If B&O doesn't step back in his choice, it would be wiser to adapt the to fight.
Tap it to join? (re your BSB example).....tap what exactly?
The physical tap to join is gone - something many NL users take advantage of.
And you're not entirely correct in saying users stream from a phone or similar - with internal sources, you could just tap the product to start the radio or music.
And surely you cans see the knock on implications for the Beoremote, which has been able to do this too, and like wont be able to act as an AP2 / CC controller. Whatever rumoured new physical remote they are working on may (may?) be able to do this, but we'll have to wait and see, and until then its a question of using your phone.
I take your point that maybe its not near a majority of B&O customers that use NL, and I guess they have the data on this.
But as others have said, their decision implies they are falling in line with the habits of the younger generation, and removing some of the ease of use cases that existing customers use. And in so doing, they risk becoming a "me too" brand, where the distinguishing feature is primarily aesthetics.
But make no mistake, I'm disappointed by this development but not shocked or surprised, as this was flagged to me 18m ago.
As for sharing the sound from your TV - it seems that this "Sound from Video Sources" option seen in the Beosystem 4 menu has gone from the newer BV TV platform, so has been gone for a short while (though its not clear to me whether this still somehow works with Eclipse / Harmony etc). either way, its a big use case for me - so another example of a loss of functionality.
These things matter (to me) - I'm not willing to pay huge premia just for design alone across a whole B&O infrastructure. Yes, I'm happy to for BeoLabs. But when the rest of what made the experience unique is being degraded, and the music playing experience via the app is so-so at best, I cant see myself buying much more.
There are plenty of high end streamers (or streamer DAC combos) which have AP2, are Roon ready, and have much better software UI's, and can do multi-room (using Roon or their own software).
Ill give another short example of implications.
The BSB, lacking internal sources, will not have alarms / timers to wake you up with music/radio. Thats as very easy to do for most with the B&O app. Now it will have to be done via the Apple Home app, and is a massive fiddle even for me (pretty good technically)
matador43: I understand all that has been said above and i want to thank all the people wo tried to explain me in details the benefits of NL. I've been reading and thinking and I still believe its more about habits and daily uses, than about needs and possibilities. I'd like to make myself understand, I'm not judging any technology over the other or granting any decision to remove NL. Only speaking to try to understand. People who use Multiroom, often stream from a standing device (Smart TV, dedicated phone or tablet, computer, network streamer…).If they stream from they phone, they often have maybe two speakers, because if they have one, they more likely use BT instead. I'm an Airplay user and as it so far the only thing I cannot do as NL users, is to stream the sound of the TV and analog sources over Airplay.And trust me, I REALLY miss this feature. The other downside may be ("may" because its not really to me), that, yes, the streaming computer is on all day long. But i listen to music all day long and its is programmed to go to sleep after sometime and is waken up by network when needed. The Airplay bases are also connected "all year long" but they're also needed to broadcast wifi all over the house because dry walls with metallic stud prevent an useable spread of the signal. They also aren't the most power consuming "useless" device around :-). That said, I can Join or Leave each room by just turning on or off the local device: go to the restroom? I turn on the A2. Take a shower? I turn on the A1.Want to leave the main room? Turn off the ouverture, and so on. Each one has his local volume control, or i can globally lower it with the remote app controlling the mac. If I was to buy a BSB tomorrow, it will work the same way: enter the room, tap it to join, control volume locally. Again, I'm not saying it's the same (not to mention audio quality in case of using AE and not standalone airplay speakers).But I'm trying to say that maybe the new target of B&O is people who never heard about NL and first ask if the device is AP/CC compatible. Then the choice of scrapping specific devellopment costs for what it is now commonly admitted as a standard (of course keeping in mind what "standard" means in terms of dependance and duration, even more in the case of Apple…) could be understandable. People who rely and have invested money, time and tech into a solution feel neglected. Thats true and its never a nice feeling. But this has happen many times in the past (Often with Apple…): the floppy disk, the dock connector, the end of development of many softwares, I dont know well but even maybe the changing in protocols like MCL/ML/NL etc… To summarize, I think that most of the B&O equipment being certainly airplay compatible, anyone can with a little work setup a solution which will keep great part of the ease of use. If not, a cheap second hand AE base or a more expensive Airplay DAC will be the solution. If B&O doesn't step back in his choice, it would be wiser to adapt the to fight.
Mikipidia: beobuddy, does your AP2 stop when you walk out the room or out of the network? if it's the first you may have an issue with your network
My network is just fine, thank you
It did a test by starting music and then shutting off the phone. Same as you leave the house, I assume.
matador43: If B&O doesn't step back in his choice, it would be wiser to adapt the to fight.
This is not a matter of fighting against or to adapt.
B&O was one of the first companies (if not the first non-Apple) to integrate AP2 in their devices.
And ChromeCast has been a part of the devices for long.
Nothing new there.
I guess many of those who prefer NL for multiroom also use AP and or CC from time to time.
I certainly do....if not that often.
This is much more a matter of limiting the devices, taking features away, that many still use (they have different setups than the one you have).
What bothers us is this limitation.
Let those who want to built on AP2 or on CC do so....no problems there.
But please don’t force those who prefer NL for their everyday use not to buy a device, that otherweise seems to be excellent....that would be sad.
I guess most of the NL-users will hesitate to rebuilt their setup in order to buy and use a BS Balance.
Thank to you both Fansastic and Sandy for your replies and clarifications on what I missed.
I also understand your points and agree with them.
One question thought, I understood that a BR1 can start the radio. but can you navigate a local library or even a provider library with from the remote?Or do you start the source and then need to go to an app to choose say this album?
So I am not sure if I get this right and I am really confused now... does this move mean you can not use the Beoremoe One anymore to start music anymore? Tap on a M5 to join? So you need always a smart device or us Google voice Assist (which is a no go for us to have the spy in the house...) to start?
If this is true, I will not buy any new product from B&O, just moved from ML to NL and now have 2x Core, 1 M5 and 1 Stage and 3 BeoRemote One to fill the house with music.
kawo: So I am not sure if I get this right and I am really confused now... does this move mean you can not use the Beoremoe One anymore to start music anymore? Tap on a M5 to join? So you need always a smart device or us Google voice Assist (which is a no go for us to have the spy in the house...) to start?
Off course only for new (updated?) products that are released after BeoSound Balance. As soon as you add a Balance to your setup you’ll need to think hard about how you’re going to use multiroom. It’s going to be a hassle if you have an existing NL setup. If you want to keep the NL, you’ll have to stick with the current products or add a Core via Linein on the next generation products such as BS Balance.
matador43:Thank to you both Fansastic and Sandy for your replies and clarifications on what I missed. I also understand your points and agree with them. One question thought, I understood that a BR1 can start the radio. but can you navigate a local library or even a provider library with from the remote? Or do you start the source and then need to go to an app to choose say this album?
kawo:So I am not sure if I get this right and I am really confused now... does this move mean you can not use the Beoremoe One anymore to start music anymore? Tap on a M5 to join? So you need always a smart device or us Google voice Assist (which is a no go for us to have the spy in the house...) to start? If this is true, I will not buy any new product from B&O, just moved from ML to NL and now have 2x Core, 1 M5 and 1 Stage and 3 BeoRemote One to fill the house with music.
Fansastic:Hope B&O rethink their strategy based on all negative feedback!
I’m afraid the chances are slim. The only hope I have is the new remote concept that has been rumoured for a long time. If B&O figure out a way to get the simplicity of control that existed in ML and NL, but now based on AP or CC, they have a winner. Certainly because then you’ll be free to add other speakers to e.g. a child’s room. Or maybe Khimo will come up with something related to the BLI. But you’d think launching the Balance with its new audio platform would be accompanied with an announcement or sneak preview of their new solution.
Just look at Kiran’s topic of his home and annex. Or Beojeff’s installation. How on earth is B&O going to sell new products to those clients without any solution to integrate?!
The app is dead in that sense.
Its for setting up products, fiddling with sound profiles occasionally.
You wonder why the development has seemingly stopped over the last year, bug fixes aside?
As yes, as you suggest the music listing experience is not first class using the remote / app, from browsing sense. But from a starting / stopping / skipping / joining viewpoint, the functionality has worked extremely easily.
Thats what is in question and at risk here - and that set of functionality was (if you excuse the phrase) idiot proof.
Not that AP2 is difficult from a phone, be it starting / adding speakers.
Additionally the ability to multi-room other sources (analog, DLNA, TV, audio from Youtube videos, etc etc) - these will be gone natively from a B&O architecture, and we'll have to use a range of 3rd party apps to replicate.
I appreciate that AP'ing to multiple rooms from a Mac works well, and has done for a while (I used to do it a lot), but its convenient only in some circumstances, and doesnt cover the situations described above.
But hey, go and get a equipment that hosts another native multi-room protocol (Songcast, BlueOS, Roon etc etc) and the risk becomes similar - that they abandon the space and ask everyone to use AP or CC.
Fansastic: matador43: Thank to you both Fansastic and Sandy for your replies and clarifications on what I missed. I also understand your points and agree with them. One question thought, I understood that a BR1 can start the radio. but can you navigate a local library or even a provider library with from the remote? Or do you start the source and then need to go to an app to choose say this album? A sort of the latter, you can skip to next songs with both touchpad or remote but for full control you need the app. Therefore in my case I use my Moment for playing songs/playlists amd then tap to join every other divece in the house. If not in the room with Moment I use the app for controling the Multiroom session. Hence why I really want the B&O app to thrive
matador43: Thank to you both Fansastic and Sandy for your replies and clarifications on what I missed. I also understand your points and agree with them. One question thought, I understood that a BR1 can start the radio. but can you navigate a local library or even a provider library with from the remote? Or do you start the source and then need to go to an app to choose say this album?
One question thought, I understood that a BR1 can start the radio. but can you navigate a local library or even a provider library with from the remote? Or do you start the source and then need to go to an app to choose say this album?
A sort of the latter, you can skip to next songs with both touchpad or remote but for full control you need the app. Therefore in my case I use my Moment for playing songs/playlists amd then tap to join every other divece in the house. If not in the room with Moment I use the app for controling the Multiroom session. Hence why I really want the B&O app to thrive
I think this is the right move for B&O.
B&O's recent pivots to utilising off the shelf LG OLED TVs with the Beovision Harmony and utilising common, well supported, multiroom streaming platforms with Airplay 2 and Chromecast shows a flexibility that consumers, especially new customers to B&O will appreciate.
I entered the B&O ecosystem a few years ago adding an A9 to my Apple Home system and have recently incorporated a pair of BeoLab 4000 with an Essence MK2. The idea of spending over £10,000 on a B&O TV always felt too expensive with the rapidly advancing technology so instead I bought Loewe 4K TVs, still premium but with a price more easy to stomach. Having the option to swap out the LG panel on the new Harmony is fantastic and it gives me security that I'll be able to keep up with advancing TV technology but not lose out on my investment in the design and sound that the Harmony provides.
Great design and sound is synonymous with B&O and hopefully these moves will give them the headroom and budget to focus on what they're renowned for and bring more customers to the brand.
Beoplay A9 MkII, BeoLab 4000, BeoSound Essence MkII