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
Severed_Hand_of_Skywalker:Can literally ANYONE explain to me why it is better to get this thing vs:
Because it looks better than any alternative.
I like the Halo as its simple and my wife likes it as well. Can anybody let me know if 1.1.2824 is the latest firmware? Also if any of you can store more than one Deezer playlist as I somehow cannot whereas I can for TuneIn stations...
Regards,
Norwin
Beosound Halo, Beosound Core 2x, Beosound 1, Beosound M3 3x, Beolab 18, 19, 12-1, 4000, Beoplay H7, A1, Almando Multiplay Surround Switch
Norwin:I like the Halo as its simple and my wife likes it as well. Can anybody let me know if 1.1.2824 is the latest firmware? Also if any of you can store more than one Deezer playlist as I somehow cannot whereas I can for TuneIn stations... Regards, Norwin Beosound Halo, Beosound Core 2x, Beosound 1, Beosound M3 3x, Beolab 18, 19, 12-1, 4000, Beoplay H7, A1, Almando Multiplay Surround Switch
BeoVision Haermony 65"...BeoLab 28 Anthracite....BeoLab 17 as REAR....BV10-32....BC6-26....Beosound 9000....Beosound 1 New York edt....Beogram 4002....Beoplay Emerge....Beoplay M5....Beoplay M3....Beoremote Halo....BeoRemote One BT....Beo6....Beo4....Beo4 Cinema....BeoLink 7000....Serene....H95 Black LTD....H9i Rimowa....6 x H6....Form 1....U70...
Thanks, updated now. Still I can only have one Deezer playlist as favorite stored and not more. Am I the only one or are there more out there with same issue (might be by design though but not sure)
That is the same logic I used. An iPhone SE also gets you the wireless charging at half the price. With the iPad Pro you can pretty much get a dock that makes it look like a Beosound Moment and yeah, it would still be cheaper than the Halo. I wish B&O had made the Halo the price of the old Essence Remote.
B&O in my life 😊:
There *is* a significant difference, even if you feel the iOS device (whichever one you choose) is just as sleek & beautiful-looking as any Beo remote: The iOS device has a start-up time, and start-up update dialogs and etc. *Lots* and lots of etc. Even in the case where you lock it single-app, the &@#* Apple update notices must be cleared. And to avoid start-up delay, & pressing buttons just to wake it, you must dock it 100% of the time so it's always-on, and be running a version of iOS that allows you to never let the screen sleep when on power-adapter. This was a big complaint when Sonos bricked all their CR100 controllers and said, "just use the iDevice." Their CR100s turned on instantly when you picked them up, and had battery life to sit out on the tabletop for weeks at a time. Yes, $800 is stupid money for a limited-function remote control, but so is $9000 for Beolab 18s, or most any other B&O product except maybe the Stage (which lacks the sculptural quality of the Halo), some portable speakers & some headphones. iOS devices pay for their versatility with "unwanted" (depending upon who you are and how you look at it) complexity.
If you turn notifications off you won’t get any messages at all. When I was using my iPhone X as the remote it had tap to open - so no pressing buttons etc. If anything with Hey Siri and Siri Shortcuts it is probably easier to use (for many) than a Halo, both my young daughter and wife have no problems using it for controlling music. In any case, my point is that the Halo is beautiful and I want it, but the cost is high. It’s the same reason why I didn’t upgrade my BeoLab 8002 with BeoLab 18s and instead added a Core and other streaming speakers around the house. But to each his own. I am sure with software updates the Halo will be great and worth it. At that point I’ll get it. 😊
Reading this thread I have to find out, that I am not the customer B&O is supporting / looking for. A B&O customer has to use Deezer and should not expect that local MP3 files are easy assessable. For everybody else the advantages of B&O ecosystem (easy content access, displaying meta information, album cover) is not available.When you have a local MP3 file library and using like me Tidal you have to stream via Airplay to your B&O loudspeaker e.g. Beosound 3500. The B&O ecosystem / NL is not supporting this scenario. And readying this thread, it does not sound that the remote Halo will support a wider range of customer scenarios either. Only you are already happy to own a remote for just changing volume, then the Halo is the device to go for.
HH1971:When you have a local MP3 file library and using like me Tidal you have to stream via Airplay to your B&O loudspeaker
You are correct that the Halo would not be any improvement for this. But maybe the DLNA method might help you to play your local files.
AnalogPlanet: Severed_Hand_of_Skywalker:Can literally ANYONE explain to me why it is better to get this thing vs: Because it looks better than any alternative.
Thats a very relative answer. To me it looks like a Sharper Image lunchbox, but to each their own.
And I totally get the dedicated device and "looks cool". But the more I looked at it it makes no sense for me. I was also considering a Moment but that is possibly the worst product B&O has ever released both in reliability, features and price.
The way I have it set up is I have a tiny Yamaha amp with pre-outs stashed away in the cabinet. I connect all my devices to it including my B&O speakers and turntable. I also have another similar setup in the bedroom.
With this setup I can:
Use ANY iOS or even android device to tell the amp to play any source from any internet source, USB, local server etc. Anything.
These amps also support airplay and Yamaha's version called MusicCast so the same music is played on all sources in the house.
I have more than one iPad, in this photo I have this one usually sitting in this stand when I am not interacting with it. From it I can easily walk up to it swipe up to have it unlock and from there I can either use the Yamaha app (which is better than B&O's) or just have it play music to any one of the speakers in the house.
There are zero disadvantages to this vs the B&O method. In fact it works MUCH better and for a fraction of the cost. I only have to charge the iPad maybe twice a week TOPS.
Not to mention I can use the iPad (which costs the same as this Halo) do to millions of things with other than changing the volume and changing the music source. I can pick it up and carry it around the house like the moment to change tracks, or I can just use it to do other things like surf or email while at the same time controlling my music.
And in my opinion the iPad looks a lot better (and useful) than the Halo as it actually shows you lyrics or more controls. If I had the halo lunch bucket sitting here for the same use I would lose tons of features for no advantage other than skipping a Lock Screen?
--
BeoLab 18's. Beolab 3's. A8. A9. A2. H7.
Severed_Hand_of_Skywalker:I have more than one iPad, in this photo I have this one usually sitting in this stand
I LOVE this look! Reminded me of the bar in "A Clockwork Orange" in 2020. Brilliant!
Ha thanks. That app on the iPad at the moment was Apple Music and it plays through airplay to the Yamaha/B&O speakers.
This is the Yamaha amp if anyone is interested. Works perfectly all the time. Cheap too.
Couple other points.
Rather than looking for the Halo Lunchbox in whatever room you left it in, everyone usually has their phone in their pocket which you can use to control the music. In addition to that there is also a Mac Toolbar app so I can always control all my speakers from my iMac all over the house. And I also use Hue lIghts to dynamically change the lighting for time of day :)
From my usage there is ZERO advantages by taking the B&O ecosystem route. I love their speakers, hate their software.
You prefer iPad on IKEA, I don't.
AnalogPlanet: You prefer iPad on IKEA, I don't.
Thats cool. Can I see your setup?
Severed_Hand_of_Skywalker:Works perfectly all the time. Cheap too.
AnalogPlanet:You prefer iPad on IKEA, I don't.
trackbeo: Severed_Hand_of_Skywalker:Works perfectly all the time. Cheap too.That WXC-50 looks like a suitable alternative to the Sonos Port, *IF*... Did they update your software to support AirPlay2? Or did they cheap out and use the free Linux AirPlay (1) software? Otherwise you have to use two apps to get multi-room. Not a complaint, just wondering. AnalogPlanet:You prefer iPad on IKEA, I don't. Wait, is *any* of that Ikea? I like the "giraffe" lamp (Oohh, lamps!) -- reminds me of the 1970s when there were audio-industry-made turntable cueing lamps. I would be very surprised if either of those lamps or the lockers (or a silver swordfish or white ceramic rhino!) were available for my blue&yellow cart...
Thanks. Actually just the cabinet is ikea. But you know someone had to give punchy feedback ;)
Severed_Hand_of_Skywalker:Thats cool. Can I see your setup?
Totally off subject, I would really like to know which lamp this "giraffe" is. It looks great!
RichardIII: Totally off subject, I would really like to know which lamp this "giraffe" is. It looks great!
This one:
http://pablo.pablodesigns.com/product/giraffa#overview
Martin
Sadly no to airplay 2, apparently airplay 2 needs dual Band WIFI which this does not have. I use ethernet anyway.
But even with airplay 2 you still have to stream your content OFF an iOS device rather than just having the receiver play it internally. So in my case since I listen to internet radio 90% of the time I just have it play off the Yamaha and tell it to musiccast to 3 compatible receivers in the condo.
I have a mothballed RX-S601D in the eaves cupboard with four years of dust resting on its lid, the awfulness of Yamaha's AV Controller and MusicCast Controller apps part of the reason I gave up.
At the time I chucked it into the cupboard it all felt too half-baked and proprietary for my liking, and looking at the two app stores today I'm really not sure much has changed. The Yamaha duo remain some of the worst rated big name apps you can download: the former last updated pre-virus and the latter having the cobwebs blown from it when iOS 14 appeared in the summer.
I have to confess that from investigating and tinkering with the competition they ALL fall strangely way short of what I would consider ideal. Strange because the accompanying hardware is so expensive. You can't help but wonder if owners really are more interested in look rather than feel.
Speaking of such, the B&O app does feel like the B&O team are at least trying to keep things on the boil, whereas the Yamaha apps are terribly rated (both are 2-star with exasperated reviews) and something of a disincentive for anyone thinking about what to buy in the sales!
Beovision Horizon 48, Beolab 17, Beolab 19, Core, Beosound Stage w/ Sony, BeoSystem 4, Beoplay M3
Norwin: Thanks, updated now. Still I can only have one Deezer playlist as favorite stored and not more. Am I the only one or are there more out there with same issue (might be by design though but not sure)
Same issue here - hope it's not 'by-design' but something they can address in the next update. Love my wall-mounted Halo so far (connected to a Shape)!
65535:Speaking of such, the B&O app does feel like the B&O team are at least trying to keep things on the boil, whereas the Yamaha apps are terribly rated (both are 2-star with exasperated reviews) and something of a disincentive for anyone thinking about what to buy in the sales!
Damn that's too bad. The hardware for the WXC-50 gets great reviews. The software is also A LOT easier to use than the terrible B&O apps. I'm a UX designer for apps for 20 years now and the Yamaha software is better than B&O's in every way other than its not as pretty.
The Yamaha app which accompanies their digital pianos is also 2-star bad.
Ditto Roland, Casio et al who for whatever reason just don't know how to polish their software either.
In addition to stereo gear have also had a number of Yamaha motorcycles in my time so it's not as though my brand allegiance is in question
I realize the software of halo is not yet finished and hardware might be capable of more.
Does anybody know if a microphone is included in the halo?
Would be cool if in future software release voice control (through Google voice assistant) would be included like in beosound1/2 and level/balance.
driehoek: I realize the software of halo is not yet finished and hardware might be capable of more. Does anybody know if a microphone is included in the halo? Would be cool if in future software release voice control (through Google voice assistant) would be included like in beosound1/2 and level/balance.
The FCC diagrams indicate a microphone. However, this initial Halo definitely does not have one. There is an area where the microphone would be that has a different texture of plastic -- which makes one wonder if this might be a "placeholder" for where a microphone could be in future generations.
beojeff:The FCC diagrams indicate a microphone. However, this initial Halo definitely does not have one. There is an area where the microphone would be that has a different texture of plastic -- which makes one wonder if this might be a "placeholder" for where a microphone could be in future generations.
Beolab 50, Beolab 8000 x 2, Beolab 4000 x 2, BeoSound Core, BeoSound 9000, BeoSound Century, BeoLit 15, BeoPlay A1, BeoPlay P2, BeoPlay H9 3rd Gen, BeoPlay H6, EarSet 3i, BeoVision Eclipse Gen 2 55", BeoPlay V1-40, BeoCom 6000 and so much else :)
Hi All, I woke up this morning to my three Halos telling me they had a software update to 1.2.3547. Does anyone know what if any additional functionality this update provides?
--Beovision Harmony 77, Beovision Harmony 65 x2, Beovision Contour 48, LG GX 65/Beosound Stage/STB StandBeolab 50s, Beolab 28s, Beolab 18s x3, Beolab 19, Beoplay A9, Beosound Edge, Beosound 2 x2, Beosound 1 x2, Beosound Level x2, Beosound Core x2, Beoplay M3, Beosound 9000, Beogram TX2, Beogram 6500 White Edition, 4000c (on order), Beoremote One x8, Beoremote Halo x3, BLC NL/MLBeoplay H95 x3, Beoplay EQ x2, Beoplay E8, Beoplay E8 Sport, Beosound A1 x2
I read from a user on a Danish website that it now works with Beosound Balance and Beosound Level as well. I cannot confirm this, as I have none of these products.
Current: Beovision Eclipse 65" v1 - Beolab 50 - Beolab 28 - 2 x BS2 (GVA) - 1 x BS1 (GVA) - Beoremote Halo - H9i
Past:
Beovision MX4000 - Beovision 3-32 - Beovision 7-55
Beosound 9000 - Beosound 5 / Beomaster 5
Beolab 6000 - Beolab 8000 - Beolab 5 - Beolab 3 - Beolab 17
Beolab 28s Beolab 9s Beolab 12-3s Beolab 1s Beolab 6000s 2 pairs Beolab 4000s Beovision 7-55 Beovision 10-40 Beoplay V1 32 inch Beovision Avant 32 inch Beosound 1 (CD player) Beosound 3000 Beosound 5 Core Essence MKII Beoplay M5
Mine updated last night, and I see no way to control my Level. Perhaps it also needs a beta version of the upcoming product software which will add Beolink Multiroom support to those products.
Sources: 2x Beosound Moment • 4x Beosound Essence Mk II Speakers: 3x Beolab 8000 • 2x Beolab 6000 • 2x Beolab 3 • 3x Beolab 2 Integrated: 1x Beosound 2 • 1x Beosound Level • 4x BeoPlay M5 • 1x BeoPlay A6 Control: 16x* Essence Remote • 1x Beoremote Halo
* Yes, really! 🤦♂️
Ok I am considering buying a Halo but one thing is holding me back.. the battery life.
Can anyone explain to my why the battery life is an abysmal 24 hours? What exactly is this device doing? Is it actually transmitting any music from the device itself?
My understanding is that it is just a remote control, like if you use an iPod touch and the B&O app to control music. If I used an iPod touch or even a phone for only this use the battery would last more than a week at the very least.
So this Halo has a lot of physical space in it either in the space under the screen or in the stand, it is MUCH larger space than any phone either. It also has a motion detector so the screen only comes on when you are right infront of it.
So why is a simple bluetooth command sent every once and a while drawing the battery so quickly?
What are the odds that a new rev 2 version will come out with a Mic for google/Alexia and a battery that doesn't need to be charged every day?
Have they added any functionality in the last year that its been out? Apparently statements were made about the Halo "being a centrepiece for home automation control". But from what I see they haven't added ANY new features, not even album artwork.
Severed_Hand_of_Skywalker:Ok I am considering buying a Halo but one thing is holding me back.. the battery life.Can anyone explain to my why the battery life is an abysmal 24 hours? What exactly is this device doing? Is it actually transmitting any music from the device itself?My understanding is that it is just a remote control, like if you use an iPod touch and the B&O app to control music. If I used an iPod touch or even a phone for only this use the battery would last more than a week at the very least.So this Halo has a lot of physical space in it either in the space under the screen or in the stand, it is MUCH larger space than any phone either. It also has a motion detector so the screen only comes on when you are right infront of it. So why is a simple bluetooth command sent every once and a while drawing the battery so quickly?What are the odds that a new rev 2 version will come out with a Mic for google/Alexia and a battery that doesn't need to be charged every day?--BeoLab 18's. Beolab 3's. A8. A9. A2. H7.
.
Present: BL90, Core, BL6000, CD7000, Beogram 7000, Essence Remote.
Past: BL1, BL2, BL8000, BS9000, BL5, BC2, BS5, BV5, BV4-50, Beosystem 3, BL3, DVD1, Beoremote 4, Moment.
For the insane price this thing is (More than the high end 13" iPad) you would think at the very least it could do 10% of what an old iPod touch for $200 could do.
I also don't get why they didn't use a retina OLED screen at this price point. I mean it would make the screen part of the device blend seamlessly with the bevel as well as be able to use always on screen when it is at least playing something.
But honestly the battery is the biggest disappointment for me. I mean a remote that doesn't stream ANYTHING and only lights up when in use just eats though the battery in 24 hours is just bad programming to me.
Severed_Hand_of_Skywalker: Ok I am considering buying a Halo but one thing is holding me back.. the battery life. Can anyone explain to my why the battery life is an abysmal 24 hours? What exactly is this device doing? Is it actually transmitting any music from the device itself? My understanding is that it is just a remote control, like if you use an iPod touch and the B&O app to control music. If I used an iPod touch or even a phone for only this use the battery would last more than a week at the very least. So this Halo has a lot of physical space in it either in the space under the screen or in the stand, it is MUCH larger space than any phone either. It also has a motion detector so the screen only comes on when you are right infront of it. So why is a simple bluetooth command sent every once and a while drawing the battery so quickly? What are the odds that a new rev 2 version will come out with a Mic for google/Alexia and a battery that doesn't need to be charged every day?
I have 4 Halos -- 3 table versions and 1 wall-mounted version. I never find myself moving the table version to find a need for a long battery. Mobility isn't really its purpose. It works great as a stationary control that you can easily read and can control with one handle -- really with just one finger. It's not intended to be a replacement for the Moment and likely will never have that type of functionality -- such as searching for music in Deezer. You DO, however, have the ability to select your radio station. Think of it more like an Essence control with far better control and feedback. You can select your source without the need to blindly toggle through sources as you would with the Essence remote. In the past year, the feature was added to be able to select WHICH device to JOIN via a list of devices that are currently playing. I believe that all NL beovisions and the BeoSystem 4 are now supported. The support is still missing for the NL/ML Converter -- which would greatly broaden its support to legacy ML products.
I find that I use it naturally in every day use. Here is an example. I have a bronze Halo on the countertop in my kitchen. It looks great with all of the copper in my kitchen. If I have music playing on the BeoSystem 4 in the living room or the Essence in the dining room, I can see what artist and track is playing, and move through the playlist. If I want, I can join that source with the BeoSound 1 that's in the kitchen. When I'm cooking and my hands are either full or dirty, I can use the back of my hand or my wrist to adjust the volume on the halo wheel. It's become so natural to me that I can't imagine being without it.