Mikipidia wrote:

beobuddy, does your AP2 stop when you walk out the room or out of the network? if it's the first you may have an issue with your network 

My network is just fine, thank you 😁

It did a test by starting music and then shutting off the phone. Same as you leave the house, I assume.

 

matador43 wrote:

If B&O doesn't step back in his choice, it would be wiser to adapt the to fight.

This is not a matter of fighting against or to adapt.

B&O was one of the first companies (if not the first non-Apple) to integrate AP2 in their devices.

And ChromeCast has been a part of the devices for long.

Nothing new there.

 

I guess many of those who prefer NL for multiroom also use AP and or CC from time to time.

I certainly do....if not that often.

 

This is much more a matter of limiting the devices, taking features away, that many still use (they have different setups than the one you have).

What bothers us is this limitation.

Let those who want to built on AP2 or on CC do so....no problems there.

But please don’t force those who prefer NL for their everyday use not to buy a device, that otherweise seems to be excellent....that would be sad.

I guess most of the NL-users will hesitate to rebuilt their setup in order to buy and use a BS Balance.

MM

 

MM

Thank to you both Fansastic and Sandy for your replies and clarifications on what I missed.

I also understand your points and agree with them.

One question thought, I understood that a BR1 can start the radio. but can you navigate a local library or even a provider library with from the remote?
Or do you start the source and then need to go to an app to choose say this album?

So I am not sure if I get this right and I am really confused now... does this move mean you can not use the Beoremoe One anymore to start music anymore? Tap on a M5 to join? So you need always a smart device or us Google voice Assist (which is a no go for us to have the spy in the house...) to start?

If this is true, I will not buy any new product from B&O, just moved from ML to NL and now have 2x Core, 1 M5 and 1 Stage and 3 BeoRemote One to fill the house with music.

kawo wrote:

So I am not sure if I get this right and I am really confused now... does this move mean you can not use the Beoremoe One anymore to start music anymore? Tap on a M5 to join? So you need always a smart device or us Google voice Assist (which is a no go for us to have the spy in the house...) to start?

Off course only for new (updated?) products that are released after BeoSound Balance. As soon as you add a Balance to your setup you’ll need to think hard about how you’re going to use multiroom. It’s going to be a hassle if you have an existing NL setup. If you want to keep the NL, you’ll have to stick with the current products or add a Core via Linein on the next generation products such as BS Balance.

matador43 wrote:

Thank to you both Fansastic and Sandy for your replies and clarifications on what I missed.

I also understand your points and agree with them.

One question thought, I understood that a BR1 can start the radio. but can you navigate a local library or even a provider library with from the remote? Or do you start the source and then need to go to an app to choose say this album?

A sort of the latter, you can skip to next songs with both touchpad or remote but for full control you need the app. Therefore in my case I use my Moment for playing songs/playlists amd then tap to join every other divece in the house. If not in the room with Moment I use the app for controling the Multiroom session. Hence why I really want the B&O app to thrive 🙂

kawo wrote:

So I am not sure if I get this right and I am really confused now... does this move mean you can not use the Beoremoe One anymore to start music anymore? Tap on a M5 to join? So you need always a smart device or us Google voice Assist (which is a no go for us to have the spy in the house...) to start?

If this is true, I will not buy any new product from B&O, just moved from ML to NL and now have 2x Core, 1 M5 and 1 Stage and 3 BeoRemote One to fill the house with music.

The Balance will be a stand alone device which can only be selected as a wifi speaker through a native app such as youtube, deezer, spotify and others. You can then select multiple speakers over AP or CC such as your M5 (I asume). But no more NL based multiroom where you are flexible to choose which source from where to where. A big step back, reminds me of the BeoLit 12 over airplay, such a nightmare. The steaming technique is good now for multiroom over AP / CC, but I only want to use Beolink and that is excluded from this Balance and onwards. Hope B&O rethink their strategy based on all negative feedback!

Fansastic wrote:

Hope B&O rethink their strategy based on all negative feedback!

I’m afraid the chances are slim. The only hope I have is the new remote concept that has been rumoured for a long time. If B&O figure out a way to get the simplicity of control that existed in ML and NL, but now based on AP or CC, they have a winner. Certainly because then you’ll be free to add other speakers to e.g. a child’s room. Or maybe Khimo will come up with something related to the BLI. But you’d think launching the Balance with its new audio platform would be accompanied with an announcement or sneak preview of their new solution.

Just look at Kiran’s topic of his home and annex. Or Beojeff’s installation. How on earth is B&O going to sell new products to those clients without any solution to integrate?!

The app is dead in that sense.

Its for setting up products, fiddling with sound profiles occasionally.

You wonder why the development has seemingly stopped over the last year, bug fixes aside?

As yes, as you suggest the music listing experience is not first class using the remote / app, from browsing sense. But from a starting / stopping / skipping / joining viewpoint, the functionality has worked extremely easily.

Thats what is in question and at risk here - and that set of functionality was (if you excuse the phrase) idiot proof.

Not that AP2 is difficult from a phone, be it starting / adding speakers.

Additionally the ability to multi-room other sources (analog, DLNA, TV, audio from Youtube videos, etc etc) - these will be gone natively from a B&O architecture, and we'll have to use a range of 3rd party apps to replicate.

I appreciate that AP'ing to multiple rooms from a Mac works well, and has done for a while (I used to do it a lot), but its convenient only in some circumstances, and doesnt cover the situations described above.

But hey, go and get a equipment that hosts another native multi-room protocol (Songcast, BlueOS, Roon etc etc) and the risk becomes similar - that they abandon the space and ask everyone to use AP or CC.

 

 

Fansastic wrote:

matador43 wrote:

 

Thank to you both Fansastic and Sandy for your replies and clarifications on what I missed.

 

I also understand your points and agree with them.

 

One question thought, I understood that a BR1 can start the radio. but can you navigate a local library or even a provider library with from the remote? Or do you start the source and then need to go to an app to choose say this album?

 

 

A sort of the latter, you can skip to next songs with both touchpad or remote but for full control you need the app. Therefore in my case I use my Moment for playing songs/playlists amd then tap to join every other divece in the house. If not in the room with Moment I use the app for controling the Multiroom session. Hence why I really want the B&O app to thrive 🙂

 

I think this is the right move for B&O.

B&O's recent pivots to utilising off the shelf LG OLED TVs with the Beovision Harmony and utilising common, well supported, multiroom streaming platforms with Airplay 2 and Chromecast shows a flexibility that consumers, especially new customers to B&O will appreciate.

I entered the B&O ecosystem a few years ago adding an A9 to my Apple Home system and have recently incorporated a pair of BeoLab 4000 with an Essence MK2. The idea of spending over £10,000 on a B&O TV always felt too expensive with the rapidly advancing technology so instead I bought Loewe 4K TVs, still premium but with a price more easy to stomach. Having the option to swap out the LG panel on the new Harmony is fantastic and it gives me security that I'll be able to keep up with advancing TV technology but not lose out on my investment in the design and sound that the Harmony provides.

Great design and sound is synonymous with B&O and hopefully these moves will give them the headroom and budget to focus on what they're renowned for and bring more customers to the brand.