Beosound Essence replacing BeoLink Wireless?

I currently use the 3 BeoLink Wirelesses (1 tx + 2 rx) to drive BeoLab4s in my bedroom and a BeoLink Passive driving outdoor speakers.  They seem to be falling out of spec with age - more frequent dropouts, more frequent resets required to get them to work, etc.  Since more and more of my casual listening is from Spotify (either Spotify running on my BS5 or casting from an iPhone to an Airplay connected to my BS9000), I'm wondering if the Essence might be a suitable replacement as a source to drive my bedroom and outdoor speakers.

I have a few questions:

1)  Can each PL port be controlled separately - that is, I'd like to listen in my bedroom without turning on the outside speakers and vice versa (or both at the same time)?

2)  I'd like to have the Essence play music stored on my BS5.  Obviously, I'm losing MOTS.  I assume this can be done with DLNA (and setting the BS5 as a "music server").  However, does this require a cell phone to "feed" the Essence music, or can the Essence pull the music itself from the DLNA server?  I saw an entry in the B&O FAQ indicating that the Mk1 required the cell phone to "feed" it music - has this been changed in the Mk2?  I don't have great network coverage in my backyard so streaming music from the phone is doesn't work so well.  However, controlling an app is more feasible.

3)  I assume Steve at Heavenly Sounds has the cables I would need:  RJ PL to old fashioned PL to connec the BeoLab4 and use the BeoLink passive as a poweramp (use the PL connection, not the ML)?

4)  I have a big investment in hardwired ML products in my home (BS9000, BS5, BeoVision, BeoLink Active(s)).  What capabilities might a ML to NL converter add?  

Are there any non-B&O solutions that I might consider (Sonos, Chromecast audio)?  I must admit I haven't been playing much attention to "audio" the last few years - I like my systems, but my wife is frustrated with me always having to fiddle with the Wireless units to get them to work... so why not buy some more B&O :)

Thanks in advance,

Stan

Stan, I don't think it's going to be easy.

I know from personal use that the BeoLink wireless units are temperamental however in the very short term you should try to tune them my moving them by degrees to regain stability.

I am happy with my Essence, and I suggest you consider using one on the short term as an AUX-IN source.

I have limited experience with the Essence, having just recently purchased one and connected it to the Aux In of my Beosound 5.

Your first question, I have not seen anything in using my Essence that would lead me to believe that the two PL ports can be controlled separately.I am almost certain the answer to that question is no. 

Your second question, about the Essence pulling music from the Beosound 5, the answer is yes you can do it and I my understanding is that the cell phone is used only to control the music, that Essence pulls the music from the Beomaster 5. For example, if I want to listen to music stored on the Beosound 5/Beomaster 5 on my Masterlink system,but wish to use the app to select it, I select Aux In in the room I want to listen. I then use the App to select music on the Essence and select the Beomaster 5 as the source and then can select music stored on the Beomaster 5.  I can then also use the App to select my V1 and it will connect wirelessly to the Essence and turn on and join, using only the App. The only problem I have is that certain music stored on the Beomaster 5 will not play through the Essence. I am guessing it is a format problem but I have not yet been able to solve it.

Your third question I do not know the answer, and I have the same question as your fourth question.

 

 

2. You need 1 Essence and one BLC in Slave mode, each of them connected to different par of loadspeakers. Then I suppose that you also need an additional BLC to handle the Beosound 9000

4. My old ML system has got a new life when I updated it with an BLC and a Moment. It is an fantastic soulution.

lonfred:

2. You need 1 Essence and one BLC in Slave mode, each of them connected to different par of loadspeakers. Then I suppose that you also need an additional BLC to handle the Beosound 9000

I assume you're saying I need an Essence + BLC to drive both sets of speakers since the Essence can not individually control the 2 PowerLink sockets.  For example, the bedroom would use the Essence and the outdoor speakers would be connected to the BLC.

Isn't the BLC a hardwired product?  Doesn't it need a wired connection to the ML network since the only wireless option for ML are the devices I'm trying to get rid of... so, this isn't a solution since both my bedroom and outdoor speakers don't have wired ML access.  I guess if I want to give both sets of speakers full functionality with only wireless connectivity then I need 2 Essences?

What about listening to my BV audio output via the Essence assuming I have a BLC connected to the ML network?  Information about the BLC is hard to come by (currently press "TV" on the Beo4).  Can I do this with the Essence, and what about Analog-Digital-Analog conversion delay?  Would the sound be slightly out of sync with the picture?

Thanks in advance,

Stan

elephant:

Stan, I don't think it's going to be easy.

 

 

I know from personal use that the BeoLink wireless units are temperamental however in the very short term you should try to tune them my moving them by degrees to regain stability.

 

 

I am happy with my Essence, and I suggest you consider using one on the short term as an AUX-IN source.

Thanks - I've been down this path of moving the wireless units for a few years.  I do have one more idea on how I might get a better connection, but I'm losing faith, and thinking I might just want to bite the bullet and move forward with a different solution.

With respect to using the Essence via AUX-IN, I'm not sure what this would buy me - I already have a BS5 so I can use Spotify (mostly use this when I'm in the same room as the BS5 or outside), or use a Airport Express connected to Aux-in to run Spotify from an iPhone.  I tried to get Spotify Connect to run on the BS5, and I did get it to work, but not reliably.

Stan

Razlaw:

The only problem I have is that certain music stored on the Beomaster 5 will not play through the Essence. I am guessing it is a format problem but I have not yet been able to solve it.

Thanks - it's probably WMA-Lossless that doesn't play - this is pretty much the "native" format for the BS5, and, according to the B&O web site, the Essence doesn't support it.  This is another issue I'll run into because ~70% my music is in this format, but I guess I could bulk convert into FLAC.

Stan

My plan to possibly fix my BeoLink Wireless was to re-locate the transmitter, and this would require me to buy a longer ML cable.  Before I sink any more money into this failing infrastructure, I decided to test them in an "ideal" setting.  BL TX on one side of a room, BL RX on the other side.  About 15 feet apart with nothing in between.  I haven't been able to get this configuration to run more than 45 minutes.  It's really frustrating because it runs great for a while, and then starts cutting out, and then stops.  I'm thinking it might be some kind of thermal issue - things go wonky after the devices warm up - but this is no solution - I did open up one of them to make sure they're not full of dust (maybe vents are blocked), but no, it was pretty much dust free.  

I think I'm done with these...

Stan