[BeoMedia]

How to use “Virtual Speakers”?

I have activated the function of Virtual Speakers in my otherwise 5.1.2 setup. As per below copy-paste from the Technical Sound Guide and tonmeister.ca, these “virtual speakers” are actually produced from the left and right front-firing speakers go the Theatre. However, when I active these “virtual speakers” while in 5.1.2 these left and right from-firing speakers of the Theatre still appear to be turned off when I go into the settings.

1. Am I meant to manually turn these these left and right front-firing speakers on in order to use “Virtual Speakers” function and if so what role do I designate to them?
2. Or, once I assign use of the “Virtual Speakers” is that all and do the left and right front-firing speaker create this virtual feature despite the settings show they are turned off?

 

“Beosound Theatre gives you the option to choose Virtual Loudspeakers that appear to be located in four different positions: Left and Right Wide, and Left and Right Elevated. These signals are actually produced using the Left and Right front-firing outputs of the device using this combination of binaural processing and crosstalk cancellation in the Dolby Atmos processing system.”

Source: https://www.tonmeister.ca/wordpress/2022/11/28/beosound-theatre-virtual-loudspeakers/

[BeoMedia]

Sandyb wrote:

Willie (of the podcast fame) went through an interesting Theatre Speaker Setup – Best Practices document. Its not super long – 15 slides, but if anyone missed it, its worth going through I think.

 

Interesting – where do I find this please?

[BeoMedia]

It might just be me late to discover this.

But, when I for the first time added Beolab Receiver 1’s to my Theatre I was given the option to choose which speakers were connected to these.
At the time I added the above my Theatre was running v3.4.1 (but afterwards updated to v3.4.2).

I recall other users requesting the option to being able to specify which speakers they had connected to their Beolab Receiver 1’s hence I post my findings.

[BeoMedia]

Thank you for reposting. I don’t think dealers can order parts anymore as repairs are no longer done by them. So, how can one purchase a new firmware? I am comfortable making the upgrade myself but lack the upgraded firmware.
im looking for 2.21a for a Beosound 9000 mkii type 256x please.

[BeoMedia]

Hi Pindsen, did you find a belt in the end?

If so could you share the source please as I’m in the same boat looking for a new belt. Suspect many owners will be eventually and I don’t know where one can order new parts from B&O.
Thanks

[BeoMedia]

this is correct behaviour. Allows the BM3500 to distribute the sound toothed rooms if you are running a link system.
If you press STOP you will achieve what you are describing.

[BeoMedia]

Thanks, MM. from what I recall (I actually disconnected my NL/ML Converter as I didn’t think it added much anymore when I replaced my BV11 with a Theatre setup) I could also start a source and then “join” from the Theatre. Can’t remember if it was sufficient to start from the ML stereo or I had to start the stereo from the NL/ML Converter. Will try later today.
I have also responded to B&O support to ask them to clarify what adding a Core would achieve. Upon reading their response again it is rather unclear and vague. Will report back here if I learn something.
The Theatre is a great product but it would have been even better if it could integrate with previous products better. If ASE products could do that I can’t help but wonder if the Mozart platform was a step backwards but perhaps it has other advantages I am not aware about.

[BeoMedia]

Thank you MM, my mistake I thought the BV8 was a NL product.

I have a ML stereo, the NL/ML converter and a Theatre. Reason I look for an ASE product is that B&O support explained to me in response to my request to activate an audio source from my Theatre that the Theatre which runs on Mozart is backwards compatible with previous generation so that if I had a Core (they specifically used Core as an example but I would think any ASE product would work?)  the Theatre could activate the sources available on the Core.
So, I would be hoping that if my ML sources (via the NL/ML converter) would show on the Core then my Theatre could activate these ML sources from the living room. I was told that my NL/ML converter alone would not be enough.

I think to recollect you have mentioned you have a Beosound Essence, if mk2 it would be ASE. Can you activate ML sources available on the Essence directly from your Theatre?

[BeoMedia]

Would a Beovision 8 also be an ASE product? The link you provided only shows specifically audio products.
Thanks in advance

[BeoMedia]

Correct, connected with powerlink.

[BeoMedia]

Both the app and the Theatre is dependant on their own network connection. Are you sure the smartphone and the Theatre has a good network connection?

[BeoMedia]

Thanks guys, that helps a lot.

My setup in addition to the Theatre is

1x Beolab 2

2x Beolab 1

4x Beolab 4000

Two of the lab 4000’s are near the ceiling playing over listening position and the two other lab 4000’s are in the back.

I just noticed the the Theatre calibration had made the two lab 4000’s in the back as “left back” and “right back” while the two lab 4000’s in the ceiling were “left surround” and “right surround”. This is all correct and a standard 7.1 setup. However, my aim was rather to make it into an Atmos system as 5.1.2

So, I have now changed it to so the two lab 4000’s in the rear of the room are now “left surround” and “right surround” while the two lab 4000’s in the ceiling above the listening position are “left front height” and “right front height”.

I will give this a go and see if more sound is coming from the rear of the room. I suspect it will. Then I will try to adjust the dB levels of the speakers if need be.

Though I haven’t yet, I intend to study the technical sound guide so I can make the most out of this system.

[BeoMedia]

When you go to the cinema the sound from their rear speakers is louder than at home with my Theatre and connected speakers (relative to the other speakers in the system).

Do you also find that is the case? In the cinema the rear speakers are more dominant with effects where at home they are much more subtle to the extent the effects from the rear are only really obvious with loud effects. I have run the Theatre calibration and trusted these settings but do you find the Theatre calibration is too conservative when it comes to allowing the rear speakers to contribute to the overall sound experience?

Do you make your own adjustments after the Theatre calibration or do you use it it as is?

[BeoMedia]

Worked as you described – thanks for sharing. This way the Theatre is contributing with its bass drivers even when playing in stereo with connected speakers.

[BeoMedia]

So this is basically a Hall Audio WiFi Streamer for £216 except that Hall Audio doesn’t show up in the B&O app and can’t be controlled via a BeoRemote One. But, for people who look to connect B&O speakers to a tv with HDMI ARC and to play music from a connected analogue source like a record player with RIAA or stream music via airplay or Spotify connect it actually does the same job.
I am not affiliated with Hall Audio in anyway. I merely have their product and it works a charm.
https://hallaudio.com/en/produkter/traadloes-streaming/hall-wifi-streamer/

[BeoMedia]

Is it advised to recalibrate all speakers following a software update or is that not necessary?
Has anyone had this confirmed with B&O? Just wondering as the details of these (very-far-between) software updates always entail some adjustments to sound in one shape or form.

[BeoMedia]

This new sw version which is topic of discussion is it a beta or official release (I’m not at home so can’t check my Theatre).

[BeoMedia]

Thank you much appreciated @Millemissen.

[BeoMedia]

@Millemissen

Am I correct in thinking that a Beosound Core is an ASE product? (what does the acronym ASE stand for anyway?)

[BeoMedia]

It just feels silly, also not to be able to use and “join” sources from the Theatre anywhere else so how can you make much out of its inbuilt internet radio or if you connect sources via its USB-C connector…

Don’t get me wrong it is a great product with great sound capability but seems a shame to abandon the historic B&O link function.

[Author]

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