BeoSound 5c – Open source revival of B&O’s BeoSound 5

[beosthlm]

I’ve always loved the BeoSound 5 interface, but the software felt increasingly dated — with notably no relevant streaming support and limited integration with newer devices. I wanted to see if I could modernize it while keeping everything that made it special. I ended up replacing some of the BeoMaster 5 internals. The screen, wheel, laser pointer, buttons, and IR receiver all work with the new software. The interesting discovery: the daughterboard in the BeoMaster 5 is basically a modified Beolink PC2.

What it does now:
– Plays music through Spotify and Sonos, with album artwork on the BeoSound 5 screen
– Browse playlists with the original arc navigation and aluminum wheel
– Controls scenes and devices in Home Assistant — lights, cameras, door locks. The device can also run Home Assistant if you’re not already using it
– Shows camera feeds as overlays (e.g., doorbell rings → see who’s there, open the door from the screen)
– All B&O IR remotes work through the original hardware — tested with Beo4, BeoRemote One, Beolink 1000, BeoTime, and others
– BeoRemote One Bluetooth also supported. I really like this one. I now have a BeoRemote Bluetooth controlling my Samsung Frame TV

It’s a passion project, fairly tailored to my own setup with Sonos and Home Assistant, and definitely not plug-and-play. But I’ve documented the build, open-sourced the code, and put together a website with hardware instructions in case anyone wants to try something similar with theirs. Apart from parts you can source from your favourite store, it’s completely free to use.

Website: https://beosound5c.com

Would love to hear from others — there’s probably a lot I’ve missed. Happy to answer any questions or take feature requests here

 

• This topic was modified 2 weeks, 4 days ago by beosthlm.
• This topic was modified 2 weeks, 4 days ago by beosthlm.

Location: Stockholm

Favourite Product: BeoSound 9000

[Madskp]

Very impressive project, look very interesting.

If I understand it correctly the Beosound 5C will works as a controller for Sonos devices?  That could be very useful for me as I have Sonos devices in the house, but am missing an alternative to a phone/tablet for controlling the Sonos devices.

If it also works with the Beo4 remote control to play/pause, skip tracks and change volume for the Sonos devices that is even better 🙂

Is it correct to assume that this will also work with the Beoport if the display is powered separately and the IR is connected to the Beoports IR in port?

Location: Denmark

[beosthlm]

It can control Sonos, or something else as a player through Home Assistant (or other home control system of your liking). I have set it up so Sonos control goes through HA, but will add an option to control Sonos without HA also. This will both have one less requirement, and on the margin a little bit lower latency.

It does work perfectly with a Beo4 yes, and also with bluetooth remote if you prefer. With regards to Beoport; if your question is if you have all functionality without a BeoMaster 5, as long as you have a Beoport and a power supply for the BeoSound 5, then it is correct yes. You would then have the BeoSound5(c) working without IR, and you would have IR to the Beoport.

Location: Stockholm

Favourite Product: BeoSound 9000

[Madskp]

Thanks for the extra info. This just got on my todo list for when I have some of the other projects I am working on finished

Location: Denmark

[B3OHACK3R]

Congrats, really nice project! Well done!

[TK]

Very much looking forward to trying this out.  Any thoughts on the required pre-condition of the BM5?  For example, are you required to start with a known good HDD image, or is that no longer needed?

I don’t have any of the hardware at present. I recall some threads at an earlier date that there were some issues with some of the computer components used in the Beomaster 5. You mention that not all of the hardware in the original box is used, so I’ve not researched your project enough to see if some of the components that typically tended to fail is in the list of removed pieces.

 

[beosthlm]

It works without a BM5 too if you want actually. There’s three parts that makes sense reusing from the BM5, but it is flexible

• Power supply. Without this you need a stable 12V supply and set up the right cable to the BS5 (so it’s easier to just reuse it from the BM5)
• Daughtercard (that sits on top inside the BM5). Without this IR won’t work. I’m not using MasterLink myself, but that would be possible to make work
• The box. To keep it tidy

General failures on the BS5/BM5 has been, to the best of my knowledge the HDDs and the motherboard. None of which that are reused. So hopefully this can revive a few dead units.

Location: Stockholm

Favourite Product: BeoSound 9000

[Madskp]

B3OHACK3R wrote:

Congrats, really nice project! Well done!

Hey great to see you here on Beoworld again 🙂 try to take a look at TK’s threads about datalink, maybe something there you can chime in on.

beosthlm wrote:

General failures on the BS5/BM5 has been, to the best of my knowledge the HDDs and the motherboard. None of which that are reused. So hopefully this can revive a few dead units.

Motherboards indeed. On my BM5 there was no life in the motherboard whenI aquired it, so I replaced it with another of the same type. The issue is probably due to bad capacitors on the VIA Epia EX motherbaord. I have yet to try to recap the original board to see if that will bring it to life again.

Location: Denmark

[beosthlm]

I have an extra motherboard for the BM5 that you can have for free if it’s of help to you. Email me through the website

Location: Stockholm

Favourite Product: BeoSound 9000

[B3OHACK3R]

Madskp wrote:

Hey great to see you here on Beoworld again 🙂 try to take a look at TK’s threads about datalink, maybe something there you can chime in on.

🙂
Yes, I have seen the DL thread as well. Not much to comment on there as I’m more into ML.

Regarding this thread. Not that I have been thinking myself about a modern BM5 replacement. 😅
I just think that in the end there is too little demand for a commercial product. So highly appreciate the authors dedication to this topic.

BS5 is a timeless design and as it’s technically just a DVI screen with integrated “USB mouse” it’s easy to repurpose it for a lot of things.

[ruwi]

Hello!

This is what I have always dreamed off for the Beo 5! Thank you for your effort.

The design and the mechanics of the unit are ,imho, the peak of the B&O craftsmanship.

Is the alteration affected by the motherboard i.e. the type, year of the MB?

Does the master link option still work with the new setup?

Does the CD player/ripper still work? ripper not essential.

Can I add other URL, like personalised, paid for , stations?

Best regards Ruedi

from Switzerland

 

 

My B&O Icons:

[beosthlm]

Hi Ruedi,

Thank you. The alteration works with all version of the BS/BM5, apart from the Encore. B&O built in the ”master” into the BeoSound 5 Encore, and hence it is significantly more difficult to replace only the ”master”-part of the system.

Funny you should ask 🙂 I do have a version that supports the ripper also, but it isn’t released yet. I’m intending this more to be able to play CDs lossless in a nice way, rather than ripping them in on a drive though.

MasterLink is probably quite possible to make work, only in software, but I haven’t gotten to that yet as I don’t have a need to connect any of my BS5c to ML. However, I may add a section to over the network control NL. I have a BeoSound 9000 that could be cool to control that way, and maybe of interest to somebody else as well.

Yes, it’s quite possible to customize with what you like, e.g., a new section ”Radio” where you can select your streaming channels. Having said so, in it’s current form there is no user friendly configuration do so something like that. Instead, it would require a bit of software development.

Can you describe more about your setup, and how you ideally would want it to work and I can maybe help you further?

Location: Stockholm

Favourite Product: BeoSound 9000

[ruwi]

Hi Markus

thank you for the reply! After I have studied your approach closer, it is different to my wishfull thinking.

My setup is: BS5+ BM5 ( 1TB, latest MB), 2 Beolab 9 and 4 ML BS 3500. The BM is updated with a SSD and contents the music library. I use MOT often. CD playback I do use, but not the ripping function. Spoify is not a solution for my as opera and classical music enthusiast.  I dont have any cameras or light modes.

 

The system works well at the moment, but it is slow in changing radio stations and sometimes it needs several attemps to restart.

My dream is to have all the functions retained, but with a modern software and less issues.

An other benefit would be not to be fixed to the radio stations that B&O provides, but free URL setting.

Hopoe this answers your question about the setup.

Regards Ruedi

 

 

 

 

My B&O Icons:

[beosthlm]

Ruedi,

I have added experimental support for the SSD / HD and so also for CD. Both of those features are bit buggy to say the least and the former is primarily as a proof of concept, but I’m planning to add support for this. I’m not really using master link myself, so uncertain on the amount of work to support that. I’m a bit curious to test it and may hook my BeoSound 9000 to one of the BS5c and have a look, but it’s for a later day. So, in essence it’s multiroom only with Sonos and Bluesound at the moment and quite tailored to my setup (BS5 – Sonos, primarily Spotify as source, and BeoLab 5s). I’ll keep you posted.

Location: Stockholm

Favourite Product: BeoSound 9000

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