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
After acquiring a complete 5000 system I decided to redesign my entertainment system. Since we have over 3500 songs on iTunes I incorporated the computer into it this time. I am building a new cabinet/shelf setup for it and will send pictures of the setup when it’s done. This is the basic wiring sheet for the setup. I have two directions for the computer to go since I want outside music even if the Beomaster 5000 is off. It’s all hooked up now but it’s spread all over the floor and coffee table so it looks like a mad scientist lab.
Looks good! I have never dared draw a similar diagram for mine as I still wonder where some of the wires go. I am up to 33,000 songs.....
Peter
Great diagram.
Do you know how many iTunes songs we have? 0, zilch, zero. This despite having an iTunes account and various I's in pad and phone form. I'm so antiquated but still enjoy buying CD's, I bought three last weekend and none of us enjoy walking round with earphones attached to our heads. No doubt I'll be forced to change at some point but really do hope those days will mean that everything is wireless (and simple) and I won"t have to go through the frustration and cable hiding.
If you think nobody cares, try missing a couple of payments.
Great diagram - very clear and easy to understand what you have achieved.
BeoNut since '75
Stonk: Great diagram. Do you know how many iTunes songs we have? 0, zilch, zero. This despite having an iTunes account and various I's in pad and phone form. I'm so antiquated but still enjoy buying CD's, I bought three last weekend and none of us enjoy walking round with earphones attached to our heads. No doubt I'll be forced to change at some point but really do hope those days will mean that everything is wireless (and simple) and I won"t have to go through the frustration and cable hiding.
Had some 6000+ song on Itunes, got tired of lost songs, bad quality and the job keeping the library up to date, so as Stonk bac to CDs and also vinyl.
uncomplicated wireless is welcome
Collecting Vintage B&O is not a hobby, its a lifestyle.
Something went wrong here, the server was loading for ever and nothing happened.
Stonk:and I won"t have to go through the frustration and cable hidin
Once you loose your fear of plaserboard it gets easier. I could not live with cable trunking.
I have not used earphones since the walkmans days.
Very nice design, Rick. An elegant extension of modern connections and components to your existing BeoSystem 5000. It got me thinking about something I'd like to do if I could figure it out - can I create a similar setup in 5.1 if I could find a way to integrate a surround processor and an additional 3 amplifier channels as a substitute for your audio switch? The processor would accept the HDMI inputs, drive my projector, route the front left and right channels to the BeoMaster 5000, then send the center and surround channels to a nice three channel amplifier, driving my choice of passive speakers. The trick would be to have the new amp match the sound qualities of the BM 5000, and to work out the level matching when you need to adjust the volume so all channels stay in sync.
It would be fantastic if someone could design a bespoke three channel amplifier using the stacking system architecture - and maybe even the BM 5000 amplifier circuitry - perhaps using the extra available area on the pack panel for the needed heatsink. The same thing with the surround processor, would be idea to me (like a modified and updated AV7000), but if not, many current models from other companies should work just fine. I would prefer to have all of the components visually match my BeoSystem.
Dom
2x BeoSystem 3, BeoSystem 5000, BeoSystem 6500, 2x BeoMaster 7000, 2 pair of BeoLab Penta mk2, AV 7000, Beolab 4000, BeoSound 4000, Playmaker, BeoLab 2500, S-45, S-45.2, RL-140, CX-50, C-75, 3x CX-100, 3x MCL2 link rooms, 3x Beolab 2000, M3, P2, Earset, A8 earphones, A3, 2x 4001 relay, H3, H3 ANC, H6, 2014 Audi S5 with B&O sound, and ambio
What are you using for the Audio Switch to switch the 3 inputs to your receiver?
I enjoy using iTunes, as with the iPad app I can select music, build playlists, etc. from the comfort of my listening couch and not have to get off my lazy backside.
I have some serious issues with how iTunes organizes music though. It's not straightforward, due to the way it uses metadata. It has data in far more detail than I am interested in. For example, the album "Best of War" shows up under War and under the artists name, but doesn't show up as a single album in most views. I need/want simpler metadata, like only album title and group, I really could care less about who composed each song or filtering on that. I also am not interested in going thru the metadata by hand and cleaning it all up. This gets even worse on classical albums, are they cataloged by composer, orchestra, or conductor? There's not a lot of consistency either in how the metadata is setup for different albums.
But from what I can tell the Beosound 5 has the same issues, and no gapless play? Plus I have a lot of AAC iTunes songs bought off iTunes, DRM'd, that nothing else will play unless I convert them to wav and hand enter the metadata. Argh.
I am reworking the way I handle input switching and audio for the rest of the house. I'm not quite willing to pay what it costs to Beolink the house, going instead with an amp or two and in wall speakers and volume controls (autoformer based). Works OK, not as slick as Beolink, but a lot cheaper.
Jeff
I'm afraid I'm recovering from the BeoVirus.
The audio switching is a mechanical type that switches RCA type audio and video signal. Doesn't seem to distort the audio at all. It is low level signals so nothing fancy here. I think I paid someway around $30usd for it. The HDMI switch is an amplified electronics switch with remote. Also around $30usd. I like iTunes for the reason I can line up a days worth of music and let it play in the shop whilst I work. I have ripped a ton of my CD's and record to iTunes just so I can pick and choose song faster. Still love the vinyl though because it give a much better sound. I play the 8002 at least daily now. I'm getting ready to do a full cap replacement just to make sure I'm getting the best out of it I can. I have a couple of tube based amps and radios I also think sound better than cheap solid state stuff.
I'm thinking of going that route, a simple mechanical switch. But since I also use the tape outs of the BS9000 to drive the amp for the rest of the house I need some volume control ability. I'd love a simple switch that was remote controlable, from the Beo4 remote. I've seen one from a company called BEOCOMM I think, but not sure how to get one as the web site seems to not be setup for buying, no prices. I've seen their lighting modules for sale on ebay though. I need to dig out their address and email them. It's a three input switch that's controlled via the B&O remotes.
I've been using my table more lately, but still prefer the PC. Over the weekend, I used the Genius mixes to play a lot of tunes, stuff I hadn't heard in a while. Went thru about 3 of the 9 different mixes it generated on its own, and was pretty satisfied. I have all my CDs ripped, and a fair amount of stuff I've bought from iTunes, though I think in the future if I buy music online it'll be from Amazon, DRM free MP3s at high bit rate.
Dominic Macri: Very nice design, Rick. An elegant extension of modern connections and components to your existing BeoSystem 5000. It got me thinking about something I'd like to do if I could figure it out - can I create a similar setup in 5.1 if I could find a way to integrate a surround processor and an additional 3 amplifier channels as a substitute for your audio switch? The processor would accept the HDMI inputs, drive my projector, route the front left and right channels to the BeoMaster 5000, then send the center and surround channels to a nice three channel amplifier, driving my choice of passive speakers. The trick would be to have the new amp match the sound qualities of the BM 5000, and to work out the level matching when you need to adjust the volume so all channels stay in sync. It would be fantastic if someone could design a bespoke three channel amplifier using the stacking system architecture - and maybe even the BM 5000 amplifier circuitry - perhaps using the extra available area on the pack panel for the needed heatsink. The same thing with the surround processor, would be idea to me (like a modified and updated AV7000), but if not, many current models from other companies should work just fine. I would prefer to have all of the components visually match my BeoSystem.
With an Onkyo or Yamaha amp, or other brand, you can quit the Audio switch and the HDMI switch, run it all into the amp and get 5.1, 7.1 or 9.1 surround sound with BLs or Bvox speakers, these amps also has line outputs for 1 or 2 zone to connect other amps for outside or other location, it will also give the possibility to connect the BM 5000 to in out and source the BG sound to surround.
Finished all the wiring last night. The B&O amp certainly makes the iTunes sound better. Now of course the wife has asked it the 1962 Seeburg juke box we have can be played through this setup. Guess it never ends....
Rick: Finished all the wiring last night. The B&O amp certainly makes the iTunes sound better. Now of course the wife has asked it the 1962 Seeburg juke box we have can be played through this setup. Guess it never ends....
What would make it sound better yet is to not connect the PC directly to the audio in of the B&O, but run a digital output thru an outboard DAC. There are getting to be quite a few USB DACs that are reasonably priced. I paid about $250 USD for my Little Dot one, and there are a bunch of others. Sounds significantly better than the PC sound card output.
I had the digital out from my computer going to the Sony I had but the cost of a DAC for the B&O stopped me on that. I upgraded the PC audio to a high quality card and that helped alot though.
Kind of hard to believe the sound card was that much cheaper than a DAC, but the result is probably similar. It helps to get that process as far away from the switching noise in the PC as possible, but some cards have good shielding.
USB DACs have really proliferated as of late, due to the iTunes and MP3 popularity. I see a lot of little T-amps that have USB digital inputs, a built in DAC, and either a headphone amp or a more powerful T amp that can drive speakers. Makes a dandy desktop or headphone setup.
Well I did kind of get the card for a steal, ($60 instead of $190) but it also gave me the ability to add the 5.1 surround sound speakers to my PC. Is the switching noise you mention from the power supply switching? I have notices that on another older PC and it changes with HDD activity. Was wondering what caused that. I thought it might have been a bad AC ground but the PS would make more sense.
Yeah, noise from the power supply, from the motors and a lot from the chips themselves, most radiate quite a bit of RF. The FCC is mainly worried about what gets out of the box, inside it can get pretty nasty. Not surprising you had noise related to HD accessing, those can be noisy, even acoustically. I have to keep my music PC in cabiner, just the audible noise from the HD is horrible, like loud clicking and ball bearings rattling around. The ghost of Capt. Queeg on speed.
Good price on the sound card. List was about what a decent DAC costs, but 60 bucks is a lot cheaper, especially as it gave you multichannel output.