BLC + BS9000 + BS5

[Stan]

I have a BS9000 + BS5 that I’d like to integrate with my NL system (BS2, BS1, Essence, Eclipse).  I currently have a Google Chrome audio connected to the BS9000 (which is the master to the BS5) but the Google Home multi-room capabilities have never worked very well for me.  I’ve been on the lookout for a used core or essence mk2 to replace the Chrome audio, but they’ve all been priced too high (IMHO).  It also bothered me to spend so much on a B&O streamer to replace a $40 device just to get multi-room (and not use it’s audio output capabilities except to drive a BS).

The thread about integrating a BS3000 with a core via a BLC caught my attention for a potential upgrade to my system.  Instead of hijacking that thread, I am starting my own.

I owned a BLC years back when B&O was selling them, but a lightning strike killed it, and I went a different direction (more NL, less ML) since I could no longer buy one new.  Prior to its untimely demise, I didn’t have much NL so I was focused on bringing my ML to the NL side.  Now, I’m more weighted toward NL so I’m intrigued by the possibilities created by going in the other direction – bringing the NL to the ML side.  I never really considered this in the past, but have a few questions:

1. Can I push Spotify to the ML side?  This would be my main use-case.  I sort of recall Spotify not being distributable, but also sort of remember there being a loophole that allowed this for the BLC.  If not, what about Deezer?
2. Once the audio is pushed to ML, is it available to all ML devices?  I have a BL3500 connected to ML and I’d like the NL audio to go there.  I realize I’ll probably need to use a Beo4 to control the BL3500.  This is my 2nd more important use case.
3. Is it correct that I can control the BS9000 to some degree with a Beoremote 1?  Like turning it on to play NL sources (like Spotify)?
4. I don’t care so much about sending ML audio to NL, but it would be nice to have.
5. I sort of recall there being special stuff required for the BS5… that having a BS5 in the ML network limited some of the capabilities of the BLC, but the details are hazy.  Is there something to this, or am I mis-remembering?
6. I do not have a ML TV.  I realize this isn’t a question, but I recall this was a key point to the BLC configuration.

Thanks in advance,

Stan

 

[Stan]

Also, is there a software version I need to look out for?  I see an eBay listing saying they are no longer user upgradable.

[Carolpa]

Can I push Spotify to the ML side? This would be my main use-case. I sort of recall Spotify not being distributable, but also sort of remember there being a loophole that allowed this for the BLC. If not, what about Deezer?

I have little experience with Spotify (maybe somebody else can elaborate, I do expert it will work though: Deezer should work)

Once the audio is pushed to ML, is it available to all ML devices? I have a BL3500 connected to ML and I’d like the NL audio to go there. I realize I’ll probably need to use a Beo4 to control the BL3500. This is my 2nd more important use case.

Once a source is available to the Audio Master on the ML-side it should be available to the others also,

Is it correct that I can control the BS9000 to some degree with a Beoremote 1? Like turning it on to play NL sources (like Spotify)?

You can control the BS9000 completely with a BR1

I don’t care so much about sending ML audio to NL, but it would be nice to have.

This could become tricky. The ML side does need “sources” but the command CD can only be given to one source. The same for N.Music. If you for example program Deezer as N.Music source for the ML side, you can’t use it again. So Music from the BS5 should be reprogrammed….. but then you could end with conflicts with your BS9000.

I sort of recall there being special stuff required for the BS5… that having a BS5 in the ML network limited some of the capabilities of the BLC, but the details are hazy. Is there something to this, or am I mis-remembering?

I do not have knowledge about special requirements. But the special settings of the BS5 could be the spoiler in a system NL devices-BLC- BS9000 + BL3500 + BS5 (see previous remark). Note: you could add a second BLC to your NL setup. One for the BS5 one for the BS9000.

I do not have a ML TV. I realize this isn’t a question, but I recall this was a key point to the BLC configuration.

It should also work without a TV

BLC latest sw version: 1.4.3.19864

 

[Tignum]

Hello Stan,

I think it is a cool thing of B&O to make the various generations of BeoLink networks  co-operate! I am not sure about the Spotify question (I don’t use that) but for the other questions:

2. yes, once passed onto ML, the NL audio sources can be listened to on all the ML devices, for the BL3500 you best use a (Beo4) remote control, though the button on the 3500 will work as a ‘join’ button or will activate the last chosen source. Still you will need a remote for volume control.

3. When the BS9000 is in the correct option, it will react to BeoRemote One (when it is used in IR mode if it is a BlueTooth BT model). You will be able to select NL sources that are passed through by the BLC

4. you can

5. there is indeed a specific mentioning in the manual, saying “The Source Center role can only be used if no BeoMaster 5 is installed on Master Link as Audio Master or Source Center (AudioMaster = No).” but as you have no ML TV in the ML network, I think there is no problem at all with using BM5/BS5

6. that means you can set the BLC as V Master

B&O is not updating software anymore afaik. I will see to send you a pdf copy of the BLC manual (I think it is not available on the manuals section of BeoWorld). Have a look into that, it might seem complicated but I trust that with a bit of help here you can join the products and enjoy them even more!

Regards, Johan

EDIT – I just saw Carolpa answering too! He has helped me to get my two BLCs working (thanks again!) and is very knowledgeable. Indeed I have bought two BLCs to overcome some command conflicts. I use one to purely pass CD onto NL (and avoid I have two devices reacting to PHONO = N.RADIO commands)

[Stan]

Thanks everyone.

I did some reading in the archived forum, and it seems that Spotify can’t be streamed to the BLC as it is not a SpotifyConnect device (oddly enough, I found this gem in a post I wrote in 2016).  The workaround/loophole is that one can connect a Chromecast Audio to an Aux-in somewhere and then distributed that (or send Spotify as Bluetooth from a phone to a NL device and distribute that).  Of course, Deezer works, too… without the gymnastics… except my family uses Spotify…

The problems I was running into last time with the BS5 and the BLC were because I also had a BV8 and BS9000 so all the ML “slots” were used up (A.Master, V.Master and Source Master).  I no longer have the BV8 connected to the ML network so I can set the BLC to V.master and all the V.master sources will be available for integration, correct?

So far so good.  To continue down the Spotify path, I already own a Chromecast Audio, but now the question is about how Aux-in is handled and the delay.

If I were to route the Aux-in from the BS9000 to a NL device, I believe there will be a delay on the NL side, but no delay on the ML side.  Therefore, if I had both devices playing at the same time, there’d be an “echo”.  This is the scenario that the “NL/ML delay box” handles, correct?  To delay the analog side (ML) to match the delay imposed by the digital side (NL)?  Therefore, if I want synchronized audio from line-in input across all devices, I need to use line-in on the NL side (or find a delay box, but I don’t believe this box will delay the output between the BS9000 line-in and speakers connected to the BS9000, only to other ML connected devices).

Therefore (assuming I’m correct in my thinking so far), I can, for example, connect a Chromecast to the Line-In on the BLC, and continue with a turntable connected to the Line-in on my (pre-GVA) BS2, and then map these to A.Video sources (like TV or DTV) in the BLC.  Then, I press TV or DTV on the Beo4 while standing in front of my BS9000 or BL3500 and off we go on the ML devices.

On the NL devices, how do you specify the BLC’s line-in as a source?  I don’t recall whether the BLC shows up as a NL device in the BeoApp.  If so, I’d start playing the Chromecast via the Spotify App which the BLC will sense and turn on, and then I can “touch to join” on NL devices (or app) to hear the audio?

One more question on a slightly different topic, if I want to play CDs from the BS9000 on my BL3500 and have this simultaneously playing on a NL device, I would need a delay box, correct?

If I forget about the BLC and just add a core to the line-in of the BS9000, and connect the line-out of the BS9000 to the line-in of the core, I’d have a similar delay problem when playing CDs, correct?  As the audio distributed via the line-in of the core is delayed a bit.

[Stan]

Thanks again.  This is most helpful.

“Strangely the BLC Line-in is not shown as source of the BLC in the app (BLC shows up in the app). The way around: setup the BLC as “primary connected” to the BS2. Then all (set up) sources of the BLC, including Line-in, are visible / reachable as “BS2 sources”.”

Yeah, this jogs some memories.  I also saw some notes of mine in the archive where there’s a difference between “LineIn” and “LINE IN”, with “LINE IN” being the BLC’s aux input.  Could one program a “my button” on a Beoremote One to automagically select this (I’ve only programmed “my buttons” for the TV)?

“Can’t command, no experience……. but I expect lots of strange behaviour; on the same time input and output…. how to handle?”

The idea is that the BS9000 can play whatever the Core is playing by selecting Aux on the BS9000, and the Core can broadcast whatever the BS9000 is playing by selecting Line-In on the Core.  The input/output on the same device would not be active at the same time.  That is, you wouldn’t select line-in (Core) and Aux (BS9000) at the same time.  However, this will clearly have the same delay issues with the NL devices.

Going to have to think about this some more…

[Carolpa]

 To continue down the Spotify path, I already own a Chromecast Audio, but now the question is about how Aux-in is handled and the delay. If I were to route the Aux-in from the BS9000 to a NL device, I believe there will be a delay on the NL side, but no delay on the ML side. Therefore, if I had both devices playing at the same time, there’d be an “echo”. This is the scenario that the “NL/ML delay box” handles, correct? To delay the analog side (ML) to match the delay imposed by the digital side (NL)?

Note, if you have speakers connected to the BS9000 and play a CD then there will be no way to delay the sound played on the connected speakers!

Therefore, if I want synchronized audio from line-in input across all devices, I need to use line-in on the NL side (or find a delay box, but I don’t believe this box will delay the output between the BS9000 line-in and speakers connected to the BS9000, only to other ML connected devices). Therefore (assuming I’m correct in my thinking so far), I can, for example, connect a Chromecast to the Line-In on the BLC, and continue with a turntable connected to the Line-in on my (pre-GVA) BS2, and then map these to A.Video sources (like TV or DTV) in the BLC. Then, I press TV or DTV on the Beo4 while standing in front of my BS9000 or BL3500 and off we go on the ML devices.

This principle will work.

On the NL devices, how do you specify the BLC’s line-in as a source? I don’t recall whether the BLC shows up as a NL device in the BeoApp.

Strangely the BLC Line-in is not shown as source of the BLC in the app (BLC shows up in the app). The way around: setup the BLC as “primary connected” to the BS2. Then all (set up) sources of the BLC, including Line-in, are visible / reachable as “BS2 sources”.

If so, I’d start playing the Chromecast via the Spotify App which the BLC will sense and turn on, and then I can “touch to join” on NL devices (or app) to hear the audio?

The auto-sense doesn’t work to satisfactory, so I stopped using it. In principle the right source selection on ML-side (as set in the BLC) should open the Line-in of the BLC. Otherwise start Line-in of the BLC on the BS2, the start the ML-side with the right command.

One more question on a slightly different topic, if I want to play CDs from the BS9000 on my BL3500 and have this simultaneously playing on a NL device, I would need a delay box, correct?

See my remark above.

If I forget about the BLC and just add a core to the line-in of the BS9000, and connect the line-out of the BS9000 to the line-in of the core, I’d have a similar delay problem when playing CDs, correct? As the audio distributed via the line-in of the core is delayed a bit.

Can’t command, no experience……. but I expect lots of strange behaviour; on the same time input and output…. how to handle?

[Tignum]

With BLCs you will have more control options and simpler operation of the linked products I reckon.

[Author]

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