TripEnglish wrote:

My guess is that it would be "better" for two reasons. One that there might be the possibility that it could turn the device on and alter the volume as opposed to simply selecting tracks. The other is (and I'm making an assumption here) that you wouldn't have to use the abismal DAC in the Airport Express, but rather the very good and expensive one that you've presumably paid for if you're using a BeoSound 5.

That being said, it would be less useful unless your Active & Passive Kits also had AirPlay. 

Trip, Does this mean that a lot of your customers are asking for Airplay?  Do they walk out when you say Airplay is not supported.  Is there a big demand for Apple's hobby, Apple TV to be built into Beovision TVs?  I buy Apple products knowing they will be obsolete in less than 3 to 5 years.  I expect to have my Bang & Olufsen purchases somewhat longer.

Paul Winn wrote:

I agree with Raeuber. Im convinced BS8 mkII will have airplay. All the other manufacturers are starting to offer it on their seperate systems.  Oh B&O you are boring, I hate play safe people!!!

I use Airplay several times a week.  It's a big "that's cool, so what", in my opinion; certainly not worth all the angst.  If B&O really were "play it safe people", don't you think they would actually pay the bounty to have a product whose performance you would not accept unless it said Apple?  Sonos CEO said Airplay "doesn't work very well" just his week.  Bose doesn't harp Airplay.  So it's not really all the other manufacturers.  There are at least a couple who don't mind being hated by you.

linder wrote:

TripEnglish wrote:

My guess is that it would be "better" for two reasons. One that there might be the possibility that it could turn the device on and alter the volume as opposed to simply selecting tracks. The other is (and I'm making an assumption here) that you wouldn't have to use the abismal DAC in the Airport Express, but rather the very good and expensive one that you've presumably paid for if you're using a BeoSound 5.

That being said, it would be less useful unless your Active & Passive Kits also had AirPlay. 

Trip, Does this mean that a lot of your customers are asking for Airplay?  Do they walk out when you say Airplay is not supported.  Is there a big demand for Apple's hobby, Apple TV to be built into Beovision TVs?  I buy Apple products knowing they will be obsolete in less than 3 to 5 years.  I expect to have my Bang & Olufsen purchases somewhat longer.

 

No, the majority of my customers don't know what AirPlay is. The few who do seem content that either a) an AirPort Express can be connected or b) you don't need it since your entire collection will be on there anyways. 

The thing that does cause people some angst is the lack of browsability in other rooms and the fact that it's still a very top-heavy solution. Sonos has gained some traction, at least conceptually, in the states and people like the idea of a multi-room system, but the BeoSound 5 is still limping toward perfection on that front and I do believe that it is hindering sales.

I think the high cost of the front end could be justified if it had an unbeatable architecture for sharing throughout the house, but it doesn't so the price tag on the BeoSound 5 seems very unrealistic. 

Otherwise I've never had an issue with the system not having AirPlay, or Pandora, or Spotify, or any other service or feature. There's vastly less interest than an internet forum of enthusiasts would lead you to beleive!

The BeoSound 5 shows the Covers on the screen?

Razlaw wrote:

Why would it be better?

As you have to buy a UCA-222 U-CONTROL - BEHRINGER ? 

Connecting an Airport Express is easy. We had this conversation previously. My dealer showed me that USB conversion kit (which isn't small btw) and that's not the solution I'm seeking. I don't want yet another box hanging off my BS5. This isn't the solution for a £2500 device.

Razlaw wrote:

And if AirPlay were built in, what happens when the inevitable Apple changes/updates/improvements occur and the built in AirPlay is obsolete?

That's irrelevant Razlaw. AirPlay is just a new name for the previous AirTunes! If you supported AirTunes (which has been around for years), then AirPlay will be supported, too. Besides, the Beosound 5 can update it's own software, so it's a moot point.

So you are guaranteeing me that Apple will stagnate, and stick with something that has been around for years and never come out with something new? All I am saying is I am unable to predict the future, perhaps you are. But, I do not think any of us truly know what technology will be around in the future that may make Airplay obsolete. And that new technology may require new hardware.

With all the complaints around here about how B and O never changes, never progresses, and stays with old technology, I am glad to know that 10 years from now you will still be thrilled with your 10 year old AirPlay technology and praising Apple for not having come up with anything new, except some software updates.

Do you really believe that the Apple engineers have decided that they have reached the apex of technology with AirPlay and have stopped trying to develop new hardware and new technologies?

Not to argue Moxxey's position too forcefully (it feels so dirty!), but the value proposition (or at least one of them) of the BeoSound 5 was that it could change with the times. A BeoSound 9000 was never going to be able to play a 7th disc, for example, but as new features and services came into the market place, the BeoSound 5 could adopt them and keep the customer's big investment more current. 

I have yet to fully understand what's needed to bring AirPlay to a product beyond WiFi capability, but if it's simply software that can run in some sort of OS, then I believe the BeoSound 5 should have it. I may never ever think it's that useful and Apple may replace it with a direct mind linkup a few years from now, but I know that in the tech world you can't just keep saying it's not for us. Clients are doing crazier and crazier things to get music and movies and we need to be closer to the edge than we currently are. 

I have every reason to believe we'll be there soon enough and some of the recent updates point firmly in that direction, but when Moxxey and others lament the lack of AirPlay it's really not an unreasonable expectation for such an expensive piece of equipment. 

I've lived with Apple TVs as my only digital music solution ever since the original ATV came out. Now I have ATV2 as well. Both ATVs support AirPlay now, though ATV1 is hacked in order to do so. I actually use AirPlay a fair bit. iPads, iPhones, and iPod touches all support AirPlay through my ATVS and into my Avant and BV8. The sound is distributed via ML to all ML nodes.

AirPlay IMHO is NOT a very robust system. I can't imagine most members of my family having the patience for AirPlay. For the most part, typical users demand something that just works. While I am a fan of Apple, and find a lot of their stuff just works, that's not always the case with AirPlay because it is so dependent on the vagaries of wifi.

For those of you who might be tempted to blame my wifi set up, I have a very strong system, in a relatively confined space, in a not very densely populated neighborhood.

So I'm just not sure why having AirPlay on a BS5/BS5e is such a big deal.

I would prefer to see a really interesting IPad remote control app, so that when BS5e is multi room it can be easily controlled from any room in the house. I would also like to see a video out to a TV screen so that I could see album art and navigation on the screen.

I'll withhold judgement on the Beo6 2-way navigation, but it seems like a lot of development investment for what you're likely to get.

TripEnglish wrote:

I have every reason to believe we'll be there soon enough and some of the recent updates point firmly in that direction, but when Moxxey and others lament the lack of AirPlay it's really not an unreasonable expectation for such an expensive piece of equipment. 

I'm still considering an Encore, Trip. I'm weighing up the pros and cons! I need to buy another device for my kitchen since getting rid of the Beocenter 2 a couple of years ago (no idea why I did that). It's either going to be a new Encore or a pre-loved BC2/BS4, which I'll have to connect to an Airport Express. I want to make that decision sooner rather than later.

One important thing about AirPlay that Razlaw and others may be overlooking - we're not talking about this feature being any primary feature. We're not talking about the Encore only being able to connect to an AirPlay setup. It would simply be another supported network. The Encore would enable you to support NAS, UPnP, AirPlay networks etc. It would simply recognise that network exists and offer to connect to a device. That's the simiplicity - we wouldn't have to do a thing, connect a thing, worry about cables, nothing. The Encore would recognise a NAS and/or AirPlay device and connect! Why wouldn't you want this feature added to the existing specification?