Home › Forums › Product Discussion & Questions › BeoLink › Masterlink and Network Link – some help needed
- This topic has 35 replies, 6 voices, and was last updated 6 hours, 43 minutes ago by Guy.
-
AuthorPosts
-
18 December 2024 at 12:51 #61699
I’ve had a look at the wiring diagram for connecting a network cable to the IR eye, in place of its existing DIN cable. I know nothing of how these are usually wired, but when I’ve cut a network cable in half and taken a look inside, the colours are correct for the first diagram in the attachment from you @Guy, but each of the coloured wires (green, blue, brown, yellow) is in a twisted pair with a white wire, so there are a total of 4 white wires! Do I connect all 4!?
18 December 2024 at 14:09 #61700If you have simply cut a network cable in half then the wire colours are likely to match those in the diagram picture top right – the wires that you are calling ‘white’ probably have a feint stripe of a secondary colour – this was the case for me as you can see in the photo below: (I taped off the unconnected wires)
And I have only connected +5V, Gnd and IR Data because that is all that I would expect to need with the older (TIMER) IR eye. The other two connections are ‘expecting’ the JOIN version.
But to be honest I don’t trust the cable colours and would always check end to end with a mulitmeter – to make sure that +5V, Gnd and IR data map across to RJ45 pins 1, 4 and 7.
- This reply was modified 3 days, 13 hours ago by Guy.
18 December 2024 at 14:31 #61702It doesn’t help that I’m colourblind! Yes I did just cut a network cable in half but I’ll try what you suggest with a multimeter and see what’s what.
The Essence has arrived now and I have managed to get it connected and software updated. It appears to be working but of course I can’t hear anything yet as the PL to RCA cable I also ordered hasn’t arrive yet. The app shows that it is playing however, when I start playing Spotify (which will be my primary use for the Essence). I didn’t have any luck playing radio from the B&O app, but that doesn’t really matter as I only ever really listen to BBC radio. I’ll just cast that from the BBC Sounds app.
I’ll let you know how I get on with the IR eye.
18 December 2024 at 15:21 #61703I connected it now after testing for pins 1, 4 and 7 with a multimeter (you were right, the colours were no help!) but I don’t seem to be getting anything from it. If I use N.Music or N.Radio on my Beo4 nothing happens, when looking at the app.
@Guy, when you connected yours to your Beolink Converter, did either of the 2 LEDs on your IR Eye light up, so you knew at least that it was getting power?
Not the end of the world, but it would be nice to get it working.
Also, the Essence has RCA IN plugs but I can see no details in the manual or in the app on how to switch that as a source – does anyone know?
18 December 2024 at 15:45 #61704I connected it now after testing for pins 1, 4 and 7 with a multimeter (you were right, the colours were no help!) but I don’t seem to be getting anything from it. If I use N.Music or N.Radio on my Beo4 nothing happens, when looking at the app.
So it seems to behave exactly as mine! I have just reconnected mine to the Aux input of a Beosound 1 so that I could update the SW to the latest version 2.6.56515.214534219. My IR still doesn’t work.
@Guy, when you connected yours to your Beolink Converter, did either of the 2 LEDs on your IR Eye light up, so you knew at least that it was getting power?
I can’t remember, but I will reconnect later and check.
Also, the Essence has RCA IN plugs but I can see no details in the manual or in the app on how to switch that as a source – does anyone know?
That input should ‘auto-sense’ and self select – but I have never checked mine. There are some sensitivity and level settings in the Sound then Line-IN menu. I think that if we could get the IR control to work then A.AUX would select this input.
By the way, my B&O Radio (BBC etc) works fine. You may have to tick the ‘B&O Radio’ box in Your Content, Sources, In Local List.
18 December 2024 at 15:58 #61705Thanks – I intend to connect mine to my Beosound 4 (one the cable arrives) which only has one Aux input, so I would need to use the Aux input of the Essence for my turntable. I hope it will auto-sense (much like my old WIIM Pro did).
As for radio, I don’t see any ‘Your Content’ section in the app; perhaps I’m missing something or perhaps it’s because I’m using Android and you’re using iPhone?
I’m pretty much decided now anyway that I will get an NL/ML Converter, so hopefully that will allow me to control my Essence without the need for an IR Eye anyway, once it’s connected into my ML Network (which has a Beosound 4, Beovision 7, Beolab 3500 and Beolab 2000 in the network right now).
18 December 2024 at 16:07 #61706As for radio, I don’t see any ‘Your Content’ section in the app; perhaps I’m missing something or perhaps it’s because I’m using Android and you’re using iPhone?
Sorry, I am actually using my desktop to adjust the Essence settings – I simply looked for the Essence IP address on my network and opened that in Chrome.
On the B&O app on my iPhone I can get the same menu by going to Settings and then Configure – I then get this:
18 December 2024 at 16:52 #61707I’m pretty much decided now anyway that I will get an NL/ML Converter, so hopefully that will allow me to control my Essence without the need for an IR Eye anyway, once it’s connected into my ML Network (which has a Beosound 4, Beovision 7, Beolab 3500 and Beolab 2000 in the network right now).
It may be worth having a read of these two threads, discussing the use of Spotify with the NL/ML Converter (i.e trying to distribute Spotify digitally) – I must admit that I hadn’t realised this limitation when I bought mine!
https://archivedforum2.beoworld.org/forums/t/36650.aspx
https://archivedforum2.beoworld.org/forums/t/15899.aspx
By the way, I have just fired up my NL/ML converter and connected the same (Timer) IR eye. It works to select/control the Essence B&O RADIO and also to select the Essence Aux-Input. I cannot select or control Spotify (but see above). There are no lights showing on the IR sensor, even when receiving an IR signal.
I will leave the Essence and NL/ML Converter set up for a few days in case there are other things you wish me to try.
18 December 2024 at 17:25 #61709Ah yes, found it, thanks. B&O Radio was enabled so I disabled it, then reenabled it, and now it’s working thanks. I’ve also found how you can manually select Line In as the source on the app, so that might be useful too, in case the Auto Sense doesn’t work (although I think it should work).
I hadn’t thought of accessing it via my browser using the IP address, so I’ve just done that. It’d be nice if you could actually control if from a browser rather than just change and view settings, but that’s still very bloody useful, so thanks for the tip.
18 December 2024 at 17:36 #61710Sorry, I posted without having read your more recent post. So, no proper Spotify control with my Beo4 eh? Shame that, but not the end of the world. I’ll still get an NL/ML converter if I see one for a good price as it will prove useful if only for connecting stuff together from different generations (along with the 1611 converter I already have too).
And, if I can connect my new Essence via an NL/ML converter, it will free up the Aux In input on my BS4.
- This reply was modified 3 days, 9 hours ago by CharlieWednesday.
21 December 2024 at 12:14 #61817RJ45 to RCA cable arrived so I have connected the Essence to the Aux input of my BS4. It’s all working fine – I also have connected my BG9500 (via a phono stage) into the Aux input of the Essence, and the ‘auto-sense’ appears to be working just fine.
I’ve also set the Essence at the default music speaker for my Google Home display, which means I can use voice control to play anything on Spotify – nice!
I also saw an NL/ML converter come up today at a good price on eBay so I bought it. When that arrives, I’ll try to connect it to my ML network via that, and see how I get on with being able to control the Essence with my Beo4. I’ll update this post with the results.
21 December 2024 at 13:13 #61822All sounds good – I might try the auto-sense with my Essence later today. I also want to check that the PL output will trigger a Passive connected to some non-B&O speakers.
Good news about the NL/ML Converter – looking forward to hearing how you get on, especially with IR control.
21 December 2024 at 14:08 #61824I also want to check that the PL output will trigger a Passive connected to some non-B&O speakers.
On a very off topic note. If that works it could be interesting to ind out if the passive can also drive a MCL link room, for example:
Essence – Powerlink – Passive – MCL cable – MCL2A or MCL2AV or Beolab 3500
I tried it at one point with the playmaker which did not have that functionality.
21 December 2024 at 14:27 #61827On a very off topic note. If that works it could be interesting to find out if the passive can also drive a MCL link room, for example: Essence – Powerlink – Passive – MCL cable – MCL2A or MCL2AV or Beolab 3500
Now you’re just trying to get me to re-open more packing boxes … 😀
21 December 2024 at 14:29 #61828On a very off topic note. If that works it could be interesting to find out if the passive can also drive a MCL link room, for example: Essence – Powerlink – Passive – MCL cable – MCL2A or MCL2AV or Beolab 3500
Now you’re just trying to get me to re-open more packing boxes … 😀
you know you want to 😉
21 December 2024 at 20:34 #61836So I did a few tests with the Essence:
Connecting the Essence PL output to a Beolink Passive worked fine – I used a fully wired PL RJ45 to 8-pin din which is required for the Passive. The Passive switches on/off as expected. I did have a frighteningly loud moment when I forgot to untick the Essence’s Line-Out selection box where it states: ‘Use Power Link socket for connection to an audio system instead’. Result was a very high line-level audio output straight into the Passive and hence to my speakers. I think it may have caused one of the Passive’s channels to go into some sort of overload protection mode because it went very quiet for a while.(Edit: According to the Passive circuit diagram there is overload protection, so hopefully no damage done)
I also tried the Essence line-in auto-sense which worked fine. I tested it with the line-level output of my Beosound 1 (CD/FM radio), taking the audio from pins 1&4 of the BS1’s AUX socket. One thing to note is that the default setting for the Essence is to put a delay on the line-in audio – this delay can be turned off in the settings but then the line-in audio cannot be distributed. I suppose that this could be a consideration if you wanted to connect a non-B&O TV’s audio output to the Essence Line-In to automatically turn on Beolab speakers – you would have to turn off the delay to avoid lip-sync issues..
I also tested connecting my desktop computer to the Essence by Bluetooth – this works fine for audio but again there is an audio delay so it is not suitable for watching videos. You cannot switch off the Bluetooth delay. (My desktop’s audio is usually provided by Bluetooth to an A2 Active that sits on the desk, thus allowing me to pick it up and wander around when listening to radio, for example. There is no such delay on the A2 Active).
Anyway that’s it for now. The MCL2 link-room test will have to wait a while as I really don’t have a clue where to find my 3-pin MCL2 speaker connection cables!
- This reply was modified 6 hours, 31 minutes ago by Guy.
-
AuthorPosts
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.