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Why? It's officially launched, stores have stock and that's a B&O store selling on eBay?
None of my local stores have any advertising, let alone prices etc. Way of the world I guess.
Well, it's available worldwide, online and from the stores I spoke with - Ealing have it, so do Carlisle.
Agreed - I saw it yesterday, and it looks very nice and alluring.
But it would be close to useless in my setup.
The ambition is far too narrow (but I expected that tbh) - not that I could conceive of them doing a universal remote, this is towards the other end of the spectrum. So not universal in any sense, it actually excludes products that their own app can control - go figure.
And thats before you get to content management / browsing, or lack thereof.
They seemed to have designed something physical to interact with, perhaps in response for those who dont always be wanting t reach for a phone / tablet.
Yet the device they have designed still requires using a phone / tablet - this is (as John @ Manchester describes) a companion to the phone / tablet app.
So I'm not sure if this has achieved a great deal, beyond a nice looking object with a bit of functionality.
If they build out functionality, that'll be great, and I'm sure they will - but that'll be slow. Home automation triggering ? - perhaps in 9-12 months.
Anyway, I was expecting limited functionality, and so it has proved.
Wow (but in a bad way) - I find that pretty underwhelming. A remote control that isn't hand held with a 340 pixel display that only controls some of their stuff! Ah, but it has a rotating ring volume control you say, - so does a Samsung smartwatch (and probably more smarts too)!
Surely there's much more of a requirement/interest for a real handheld dedicated remote that controls/manages both system and content.
’And thats before you get to content management / browsing, or lack thereof.’
Maybe it is just a sign that this device manager (!) was not developed for you (nor me).
Most people are happy with starting/stopping a playlist (= automated playback) just to have music in the house or a certain radio station, that they usually listen to.
For this.....it’s a perfect and beautyful (see the pictures that beojeff posts) device, a gem on the table or wall.
For me however, a bit useless - not even concidering that there is no support for most of the products in my setup.
MM
You're right MM (btw, what's your actual name?).
The Halo is designed for a particular customer -- like myself. There are those who like having their phones always at hand. For me, however, my phone and tablet are a source of stress as being TOO connected to the world: text messages, work emails, work voicemails, deadline reminders all always popping up. When I'm home, I want to disconnect and just enjoy my music. The Halo -- like the Essence Remote and the Moment interface -- is perfect for this. It's elegant and simple. It's not for everyone, but it is for me.
The Halo is designed for a particular customer -- like myself.
I can see some genuine use having it wall-mounted and being able to quickly alter the volume. Or even at my office desk. My BeoSound 2 in the office is none GVA, so sometimes is a pain to quickly alter without a remote.
I've ordered a Halo in brass. Even managed to get 20% off 🙏🏼
Indeed, and i understand that its not for me, something i stated before its release.But I don’t feel the need to celebrate a nice looking starter / stopper of predefined content.If you trigger a playlist, you cant even view the contents! Yes you skip track by track through it - but they should add the horizontal scroll through the list so you can jump to a different point. At the moment you my button trigger a playlist but then have to reach for your phone to view the queue/ jump to a different point. And when it comes to predefined content, its radio and Deezer. Nothing for Apple Music, Tidal, Qobuzz, DLNA users. No to tidy up the volume control issues for those with BEOLABS and non-Core inputs. They should have put the full app (imperfect though it is) on a bigger circular screen within the Halo ring. To have a fraction of the app is very limiting, in my humble.’ And thats before you get to content management / browsing, or lack thereof.’ Maybe it is just a sign that this device manager (!) was not developed for you (nor me). Most people are happy with starting/stopping a playlist (= automated playback) just to have music in the house or a certain radio station, that they usually listen to. For this.....it’s a perfect and beautyful (see the pictures that beojeff posts) device, a gem on the table or wall. For me however, a bit useless - not even concidering that there is no support for most of the products in my setup. MM There is a tv - and there is a BV.
’ And thats before you get to content management / browsing, or lack thereof.’
Maybe it is just a sign that this device manager (!) was not developed for you (nor me).
Most people are happy with starting/stopping a playlist (= automated playback) just to have music in the house or a certain radio station, that they usually listen to.
For this.....it’s a perfect and beautyful (see the pictures that beojeff posts) device, a gem on the table or wall.
For me however, a bit useless - not even concidering that there is no support for most of the products in my setup.
MM
There is a tv - and there is a BV.
Indeed, and i understand that its not for me, something i stated before its release.
But I don’t feel the need to celebrate a nice looking starter / stopper of predefined content.
If you trigger a playlist, you cant even view the contents! Yes you skip track by track through it - but they should add the horizontal scroll through the list so you can jump to a different point. At the moment you my button trigger a playlist but then have to reach for your phone to view the queue/ jump to a different point.
And when it comes to predefined content, its radio and Deezer. Nothing for Apple Music, Tidal, Qobuzz, DLNA users. No to tidy up the volume control issues for those with BEOLABS and non-Core inputs.
They should have put the full app (imperfect though it is) on a bigger circular screen within the Halo ring.
To have a fraction of the app is very limiting, in my humble.
I must disagree with you there. The full app as an interface would have lost the elegant simplicity. You should live with the Halo a bit before being so critical.
@beojeff
’I must disagree with you there. The full app as an interface would have lost the elegant simplicity. You should live with the Halo a bit before being so critical.’
I am not sure, that this would convince Sandyb (or me for that matter)
Maybe we should just stop thinking about what the Halo CAN’t do and focus on what it CAN.
Afterwards it is up to the actual user/person interested to decide, if that is a device for him/her.
Year of experience with B&O has tought me, that you should never expect that B&O deliivers what you want.them to/expect from them.
They have always (still do) gone their own ways.
Sometimes I was/am amazed and can use the stuff/buy into it - sometimes I just don’t..
That is part of their DNA - and actually we should be glad that B&O is a company that takes chances and do not just follow the mainstreamed path.
Time will tell, wherther the Halo will be well received by the costumers or not.
MM
Location: Flensborg————Danmark
First up, I'm glad that you are keeping us on our toes, keep it coming! 1 bug in a released product is 1 bug too many. If I must defend us a bit (and I must), some things are just not found until the products are in the hands of many users. What we try to do is to react as fast as possible and get the fixes on the street. 1 day after launch I think is OK in terms of speed, I can never be faster than you guys though. You seem to have it the day the boxes arrive in the store 🙂
That said we should definitely be better at testing with end-users before launch to prevent as many bugs as possible to be let out into the world. It is hard and resource heavy, but we have a group looking at it.
Happy testing, and as I said, keep it coming good or bad.
Best regards
Thomas, Bang & Olufsen
That said we should definitely be better at testing with end-users before launch to prevent as many bugs as possible to be let out into the world. It is hard and resource heavy, but we have a group looking at it.
Great news!
Count me in if you need a volunteer to test anything related to UX, UI and inter product communication issues, I have a gift for that and I would be pleased to participate!
Location: Brittany - France
My B&O Icons:
First up, I'm glad that you are keeping us on our toes, keep it coming! 1 bug in a released product is 1 bug too many. If I must defend us a bit (and I must), some things are just not found until the products are in the hands of many users. What we try to do is to react as fast as possible and get the fixes on the street. 1 day after launch I think is OK in terms of speed, I can never be faster than you guys though. You seem to have it the day the boxes arrive in the store 🙂
That said we should definitely be better at testing with end-users before launch to prevent as many bugs as possible to be let out into the world. It is hard and resource heavy, but we have a group looking at it.
Happy testing, and as I said, keep it coming good or bad.
Best regards
Thomas, Bang & Olufsen
It strengthens my faith in B&O's commitment to customers to see that you're paying attention to the forum. I REALLY hope you plan to include in the Halo NL/ML Converter support in the future. There are so many amazing iconic B&O products that are nice to include in the NL network. Speaking of which, I want to alert you to a couple of bugs with regard to the NL/ML Converter when added into a device's local list as linked sourced. For NL/ML Converter sources added to an NL product by way of the NL/ML Converter being a Primary Linked device, the MasterLink N.RADIO source will not appear as an available source. For NL/ML Converter sources added to an NL product by way of the NL/ML Converter being a Secondary Linked device, the MaserLink CD source will not appear as an available source. I hope this might be an easy fix.
I didn’t mean literally the app, but more the breadth of its functions could have been included on the Halo presented in an elegant way. After all, there are those saying don’t judge this work in progress yet, as some of the mismatch between this and the app will narrow over time Can’t have it both waysI must disagree with you there. The full app as an interface would have lost the elegant simplicity. You should live with the Halo a bit before being so critical.
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