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

[beosthlm]

Thanks for the kind words. Masterlink is supported in the latest version that I published a few weeks ago. It is supported both as a N MUSIC provider to your existing link system, and as an audio master. It is experimental, and I have only tested it in a limited setup with a BeoLab 2000 as I don’t have a masterlink system set up anymore.

My favorite feature is though that the system now automatically streams music videos based on the song played. Works regardless if you’re playing the song from the built in HDD/SSD, from Spotify, from Tidal or somewhere else. And regardless if you then play the music on PowerLink speakers connected, Sonos or BluOS.

Your milage may vary, and just ping me in GitHub if you decide to try it out and if you run into any trouble – https://beosound5c.com/

Location: Stockholm

Favourite Product: BeoSound 9000

[sanjay.singh thakran]

WOW ! This is amazing – Would the same be possible on a Beosound 5 Encore , I have one that is not working ( It powers up goes to Power Save On/Off ) and upon selecting Country goes Back to the Power Save Loop . I would love to do this if you could guide me .

[Jan]

It’s a fantastic project. That’s why I bought a Beosound 5 and Beomaster 5 in non-working condition, intending to convert them into a 5C. So far, I’ve managed to get the Beomaster 5 up and running. But now that I see these new developments, I think I’ll definitely go ahead and convert it into a Beosound 5C.

[beosthlm]

BeoSound 5 Encore is actually another platform altogether. It would require some changes – most notably I imagine it would require converting the UI to a native app. The CPU and GPU on the Encore is not powerful enough to run the UI as it stands now.

Appreciate the interest. Just ping me on https://github.com/mkirsten/beosound5c/ in case you have issues where I could help

Location: Stockholm

Favourite Product: BeoSound 9000

[Tom Pegg]

What a wonderful project and reuse of the BeoSound 5!

I wondered if its possible to also start music streams from ASE products like a Core or Essence?  I think I understand this currently does similar, but to the Sonos/BluOS devices currently?

My B&O Icons:

[Siri]

This project is quite impressive and amazing to see get developed. Quite tempted to get a BS5 I saw for sale without the base station.

However, i am wondering. You mention it supports Plex, but do you know if Jellyfin would also work? Alternatively other Self hosted music streamers.

And if you don’t have the base station, is your only option wireless speakers or would it be possible to connect Powerlink speakers still?

[beosthlm]

Jellyfin is possibly quite easy to add. Let me know if you have will do a BS5 build and I’ll try to add it for you.

Two options if you don’t have the BeoMaster. Either use a network streamer for the audio output. Or do audio out from the Pi to RCA and then to a pair of BeoLabs that has RCA in. Technically, there’s a third option if you have a pair of BeoLab 5s as you can do digital audio in to them.

Without the BeoMaster you will not get IR control out of the box, and you will need to power the BS5 screen with a separate power supply. Checkout the GitHub issues for this as a few other users are doing just that, and ping me if you run into any issues.

Location: Stockholm

Favourite Product: BeoSound 9000

[beosthlm]

PowerLink issues above are now sorted out, and there’s a few users running MasterLink systems now. There are still things not fully implemented for MasterLink, so feel free to put up an issue on https://github.com/mkirsten/beosound5c/issues if you experience any bugs.

Location: Stockholm

Favourite Product: BeoSound 9000

[CharlieWednesday]

I would love to give this a try, although I’m a bit scared I’ll damage mine trying to upgrade it to a 5c!  I might look out for another Beomaster 5 on eBay so I can experiment with a second one.  I’d love to be able to stream from the likes of Spotify on my BS5, and with remote control too – brilliant.

I use my Beosound 5 in Audio Slave mode with a Beosound 9000 as the Audio Master in my setup – does the 5c support that?

Location: Liverpool

My B&O Icons:

[beosthlm]

Some users have reported success in their setup both as master and N RADIO/MUSIC provider but I don’t remember if I have heard somebody using it as a ML Slave. The only tests with links I’ve done myself is with the BS5c as master. So it’s “supported” based on what I have found documented about it, and from my various ML tests. But I’m not sure it has been tested fully

Just start running the pi completely outside the BM5. Then you can’t really break anything, and you still get to try everything apart from IR and ML. If you think it’s something for you, me or somebody else can help you fix the USB connector to the daughtercard. That’s the only step really that can be fiddly.

Location: Stockholm

Favourite Product: BeoSound 9000

[Detlef Kayser]

Hi all — hoping to tap the collective knowledge here. I’m repurposing a
BeoSound 5 Encore (type 22264308) and have it partly apart.

What I’ve found so far:
– Controller/interface board: B&O 6143798 Ver C
– Platform (on-screen INFO page): Cyotec-1.0.0-b0-mpc5121-wr2.0.3-release
→ Freescale MPC5121e (PowerPC), Wind River Linux 2.0.3
– Open ports: 909 = Dropbear 0.49 SSH (root login enabled, password unknown),
9020 = TwonkyMedia UPnP, plus 8888 and 9999 (both silent)

Two things I’d love help with — either would unblock me:
1. The wheel/pointer controller’s USB + power pinout, so I can drive it from a
Raspberry Pi (like Beolyd5 / neomaster do on the standard BS5), OR
2. The root password, or the UART serial-console pinout on board 6143798.

Any schematic, pinout, or known credentials would be massively appreciated.
Happy to share photos of the internals. Thanks!

[beosthlm]

Hi, I played with the idea of repurposing an Encore as well. Actually thought I bought one, but when I got it – it turned out that the seller was mistaken and that it was a BeoSound + BeoMaster 5. So, never tried. However, what I had in mind was using the service update path where you can push new SW to it over the network.

If you’re lucky, it may turn out that the Encore happily accepts new SW that is not signed by B&O. If so, you could possibly tweak the OS+SW they ship to help you open up a shell to it, or replace it completely.

Let us know if you find anything

Location: Stockholm

Favourite Product: BeoSound 9000

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