Essence mk1 vs Essence mk2

[Fisp]

What are the differences between Beosound Essence mk1 and Essence mk2?

(I`m streaming music from my iPhone to a couple of Beolab 9, and the Essence will be replacing my present Beomaster5/Beosound5 system)

[matador]

As far as I know…

Essence MK1 is today, more or less, no more than a Playmaker without IR, that is an Airport Express with additional auto sense line-in along. I can’t comment on DAC as I’ve not experiment any audio improvement myself.

Essence MK2 will be more like a Beosound Core ancestor,  that is a box with it’s own sources like tune-in and NL.

There is a lot of literature on BW2 about pushing Essence MK1 to its limits but I doubt it would be  a reliable solution in time. And the price tag between MK1 and MK2 is still important.

Being an Airplay user, I would buy an Essence MK1 only as a Playmaker alternative and only if cost is similar to a deprecated Airport Express box, that is around 40-50 €/$/£.

In your case, either a Playmaker, a MK1 or even an Apple AE would suit your needs, given that as I do you can’t sense the difference in DAC if there is any.

[Fisp]

Thanks a lot.

[Fisp]

I am currently streaming music from my iPhone to BM5, using Airport Express and a Behringer U-Control UCA222 USB, and this works fine.

However, I am planning to discard my BM5 altogether and stream directly to my Beolab 9.

If I understand you correctly the easiest and cheapest way is to stream via. Playmaker or Essence mk1. Is that correct?

Thank you.

[Millemissen]

The biggest difference between the two is the missing support for NL/Beolink Multiroom with the MK1.

I would be nice, it someone with daily use of the MK1 could state, whether it still supports TuneIn (I assume it does, but it needs to be verified).
It will surely not be updated to B&O Radio.

Also the support for Spotify Connect could be important (at least for some users).
Whether it supports AP2, I do not know.

For a simple standalone use regular AP in the MK1 or the Playmaker will be ok – in case someone relies on AP2 for multiroom, the AirPort Express would be the better choice.
If you are looking towards integrating with further newer B&O devices the MK2 should be your choice.

I am pretty sure that there is no CC support anymore on the MK1 – (this also seems to be the case with the MK2).

 

It will be easier to connect the BL9’s with the MK1/2 than with the APE. Also the Playmaker is better for this.

If you need remote controlling/Beo4, the Playmaker works out of the box.
The MK1/2 both need an attached ir-eye for this – alternatively you can use the Essence Remote.
With the APE you in any case will have to rely on the volume control of the app/the device from where you are airplaying.
This can imo be a bit fiddly – it is not very sensitive/precise for a set of BL9’s.

There is (kind of) support in the B&O app for the Playmaker – I’d guess for the MK1 too (?).
Full support for the MK2.

Would be nice if someone else could chime in here with the actual features of the MK1 as of today.

In case the MK1 still support TuneIn, if one needs that and likewise Spotify Connect, the MK1 – with an ir-eye/Beo4 or the Essence Remote – could be fine choice for a standalone setup with the BL9’s.

 

MM

[Fisp]

I seems to me then that the Playmaker is the obvious choice for me. I will only be listening to Apple Music from now on and the ability to control Playmaker from the Beo4 is just an extra bonus.

What strikes me is that the Playmaker seems to be a simple and effective solution that I have never heard of or seen before.

I have no idea of pricing and availability but I will start looking for second-hand one.

Thanks a lot.

[Millemissen]

The Playmaker is imo an overlooked device!

However, if you are able to….please run that with a wired ethernet connection to your router.

They should be cheap – but maybe hard to find…..depending on your location.

MM

[Fisp]

It will be hardwired – like my BM5.

I am m in Copenhagen and have just requested information about a second-hand Playmaker with 6 months  guarantee. The price is 950DK.

Do you know if I can use my existing BL9 cables or do I need new ones.

[Fisp]

(Had to do a bit of editing above, as the text editor is not happy about apostrophies.)

[Millemissen]

Det eneste du skal bruge er en adapter fra RJ45 til hun-DIN Powerlink, hvor du så sætter dine eksisterende kabler i.

You will need a RJ45/PL to 8pin DIN/PL adapter.

MM

[BeoMatthew]

Not all AirPlay boxes are created equal. Your BeoLab 9s are certainly nice enough to register the difference between products with various DACs on board. There’s a difference, for example, between the Essence MKII and the Core that I can easily notice on my BeoLab 9s.

Also consider the multi-room advantages of AirPlay 2 and whether they’d benefit you.

[Fisp]

Tak for det.

I will get the required cable.

Thanks.

[Fisp]

I certainly want to get the best quality out of my BL9, which I have been enjoying with my BM5 for many years.

However, the Core is pricey and I might want to try out Playmaker first and maybe upgrade later.

Thanks.

[Fisp]

Update:

I have now set up my Beolab9s with the Playmaker and it works just fine. Very nice that I can also use my Beoremote4 with the PM out of the box. The Beomaster5/Beosystem5 is now in storage, but to be frank I already miss the beauty and functionality of it even though it is now an outdated system.  However, if the PM keeps up its promises there is no doubt that this is the way for me to go and further down the road I may get an upgrade.

This could be a B&O Core but maybe this is overkill as I do not need the multiroom function.

So for future refence: Which audiostreamer will in terms of music, deliver the best quality for my Beolab9s?

[Author]

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