Hello everyone.I have a pair of Beolab 17s. (My collection is slowly growing 🙂)I would like to know how/if I can connect them to my non-B&O television.My television (Panasonic Plasma TH-42PZ800A) has optical out and monitor-out (RCA) connections. It seems to allow me to specify that it will output PCM rather than Dolby over the optical out and also the output level to some extent (0 to -12dB), at least in DVB mode. I'm not sure how that would change if I was watching a disc or AppleTV program through the TV...The 17s have been supplied with an Essence mark 1 so that could also be used as part of the solution if it was required.I saw in a previous post by Geoff Martin that the speakers can decode stereo PCM on the optical input. That post which I now can't find seemed to allude to some problems or dangers, though, and I certainly don't want to damage anything.Thanks for your thoughts on my question.CheersScott
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Beolab 17 and non-BO TV
7 replies
Hello Scott,
You should pick up a B&O Connection Hub (part number 1625026, MSRP $249, comes included with the BeoPlay S8 speaker package, but has many more uses than just that). You can use optical out of Panasonic plasma to the optical input of the connection hub, so your TV remote will control the volume of the BeoLab 17s. Then use PowerLink Cat-7 to go into your speakers (daisy chained or with a PowerLink splitter). The Connection hub also has a line input that you can connect your BeoSound Essence to for audio streaming.
Ryan
Thank you Ryan. I have seen the connection hub come up in discussions like this one and I am curious about it. However, if the BL 17s have an optical input why would I need to add the connection hub? I understand it would give me more sources to send to the speakers, but if I only want sound from the TV through these speakers is it necessary?And, if I must add something in between the TV and the speakers, could I not just add the Essence using the Audio L-R inputs? (This would probably be the place to insert a discussion about the relative quality of digital vs analog L-R connections.)Regarding your point about using the remote control to adjust the speakers' volume—do you mean the speakers will not get louder when I turn the TV up, if I don't have the connection hub?Oh, so much to learn...ThanksScottHello Scott, You should pick up a B&O Connection Hub (part number 1625026, MSRP $249, comes included with the BeoPlay S8 speaker package, but has many more uses than just that). You can use optical out of Panasonic plasma to the optical input of the connection hub, so your TV remote will control the volume of the BeoLab 17s. Then use PowerLink Cat-7 to go into your speakers (daisy chained or with a PowerLink splitter). The Connection hub also has a line input that you can connect your BeoSound Essence to for audio streaming. Ryan
Hi Scott,
Beolab 17s do have an optical input, however this isn't particularly useful. Why? Because I've never yet found a TV that has a volume-controlled optical output. The Beolab 17s don't have a volume control either, meaning that your TV sound will immediately blast out at FULL VOLUME when you connect the speakers, with no way to turn it down before the speaker drivers fall apart......
A few audio devices (eg. Sonos Connect) have a volume controlled optical output, so you could link the headphone socket of your TV to a Sonos Connect if you want an optical connection to the speakers. Otherwise, the S8 Connection Hub is a less expensive solution (optical cable from the TV to the Hub, then RJ45 Powerlink cables from the Hub to the speakers).
I have all the cables you need available for any of these options and I'm always happy to help if you have any questions.
Kind regards, Steve.
Location: The cable workshop, England
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Hi Steve, thanks for your reply.
Beolab 17s do have an optical input, however this isn't particularly useful. Why? Because I've never yet found a TV that has a volume-controlled optical output. The Beolab 17s don't have a volume control either, meaning that your TV sound will immediately blast out at FULL VOLUME when you connect the speakers, with no way to turn it down before the speaker drivers fall apart......
I’ve been doing a bit of web-reading, including your own website and I’ve come to understand that! So, if I wanted to be able to control their volume, I could use a minijack to RCA cable to connect my speakers directly to the TV’s headphone output but that’s lowish quality and unsightly (the headphone plug is on the front of the TV).
That said, however, I currently have (passive, non-B&O) speakers connected to my TV through an AV receiver (Integra). All the reading I’ve been doing has educated me and made me look at the back of my receiver (it’s been a while since I had to do that) and now I realise that it has “Pre” outputs for 7.1 channel sound. So for now, I think that all I have to do is connect my speakers using an RCA cable to the appropriate plug on the back of the receiver and set the speaker to Line. At least I think so…anyone?
A few audio devices (eg. Sonos Connect) have a volume controlled optical output, so you could link the headphone socket of your TV to a Sonos Connect if you want an optical connection to the speakers. Otherwise, the S8 Connection Hub is a less expensive solution (optical cable from the TV to the Hub, then RJ45 Powerlink cables from the Hub to the speakers).About the connection hub—my reading seems to indicate that an optical cable can transmit several different types of signal. For example I found a post, I think by Geoff Martin, that seemed to say that if you passed a signal other than stereo PCM bitstream via optical to a Beolab it wouldn’t be able to decode it and there would be silence. What signals is the Connection Hub able to decode for it’s connected speakers?Thanks again for helpingScott
Hi Scott,
Sorry, I didn't realise that you also have a receiver connected to the TV. Using the pre-out sockets of the receiver is the ideal way to connect Beolab speakers to the non-B&O system. This way, you get full surround sound and volume control from the receiver remote.
You just need this cable to connect a pair of Beolab 17 speakers to the pre-out sockets of the Integra receiver using the RCA line inputs on the speakers:-
Location: The cable workshop, England
My B&O Icons:
Cables, friendly advice and great ideas for connecting Bang & Olufsen! Ask any questions at https://soundsheavenly.com to get the best from your B&O! Please visit my B&O YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/soundsheavenlycables
Thank you for the advice, Steve.Don't be sorry—I didn't know that the receiver could help me because I didn't know what Pre outputs were!CheersScottHi Scott, Sorry, I didn't realise that you also have a receiver connected to the TV. Using the pre-out sockets of the receiver is the ideal way to connect Beolab speakers to the non-B&O system. This way, you get full surround sound and volume control from the receiver remote. You just need this cable to connect a pair of Beolab 17 speakers to the pre-out sockets of the Integra receiver using the RCA line inputs on the speakers:- http://soundsheavenly.com/line-in-connection/6-av-processor-pre-amp-sonos-to-beolab-rca-line-in.html The Connection Hub can only decode stereo PCM as far as I am aware, which is the signal that most non-B&O TV will output, at a fixed volume level. Kind regards, Steve. Steve. www.soundsheavenly.com Sounds Heavenly are proud to sponsor the BeoWorld forums!
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