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With that Test Mode outcome I would be tempted to disassemble, clean what you can (and manually ‘exercise’ the CD mechanism). Check traces, components (bulging capacitors?), check that ribbon connectors are correctly inserted. Then re-assemble and run the test modes again.
Location: Warwickshire, UKMy B&O Icons:
I can’t remember whether you have the service manual – available on site for Silver and Gold members!
If you do have the manual, page 5-8 has details of the CD Test Mode – with information that is more comprehensive than most service manuals and may give a good indication of the fault. It will also allow you to switch on the laser without CD fitted so that you can observe the light output, if present (view through smartphone camera for safety).
It looks to be in great cosmetic condition, so well worth repairing!
Location: Warwickshire, UKMy B&O Icons:
It’s not simply muted is it? As far as I know, the MUTE button just mutes the PL outputs and not the headphone socket, which has separate volume control when PL is muted.
Otherwise, any results from repeatedly pressing mute whilst speakers are connected? (and headphones disconnected)
One further suggestion: In case the headphone socket has any muting function, try repeated insertion/removal of headphone plug (and possibly clean internal headphone contacts).
Location: Warwickshire, UKMy B&O Icons:
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).
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.
Location: Warwickshire, UKMy B&O Icons:
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?
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:
Location: Warwickshire, UKMy B&O Icons:
I 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.
Location: Warwickshire, UKMy B&O Icons:
If 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.
Location: Warwickshire, UKMy B&O Icons:
I do have a round IR eye going spare, but I would need a different cable for it – if anyone has a wiring diagram for connecting that type of cable, that would be really helpful.
Connections are shown on the attached document.
The diagram shows the connections for one of the newer IR eyes, with the JOIN button (rather than the TIMER button).
However, I have been trying to get one of the older eyes (with Timer button) to work, just connecting the +5V, Gnd and IR data wires. I have not got this to work with my Essence, but it will work when connected to my NL/ML Converter. Perhaps my Essence is faulty?
Location: Warwickshire, UKMy B&O Icons:
An Essence Ms2 just came up on eBay for £129 including delivery, so I snapped it up. I’ll get an RJ45 to RCA cable to connect it to the Aux In of my Beosound 4, and see how I feel about controlling it on my phone with the app, but I think I will also get an NL/ML converter when I see one at a good price. There’s a few on eBay now for £250+, but I know I’ll be able to get one for £100, if I’m patient.
Hopefully you will get your Essence Mk2 soon and have a chance to experiment with settings especially Spotify and app control. I will hold off on trying out any setups with my Essence and NL/ML Converter unless there are specific questions once you have had a play. I’ll be particularly interested if you manage to control the Essence directly by IR – assuming you try connecting a hockey puck type sensor (either older ‘Timer’ or newer ‘Join’ version).
Location: Warwickshire, UKMy B&O Icons:
I used my moderator powers to slightly amend your thread title, so hopefully others will respond.
Location: Warwickshire, UKMy B&O Icons:
Yes it plays normal CD’s like those you would buy in any store but i’m not sure i really understood you’re second question. But the lens move on a straight line path. The CD’s i uses for doing my compilation aren’t harm or sum and they are played well on other devices like my computer or a Sony s-master digital amplifier.
The question about the CD path was just to check if it’s one of the newer CD mechanisms, which it is! There is a good chance that these were never able to play mp3s on CD-R or CD-RW. I will have a search and see if I can find out, or perhaps another Ouverture owner on Beoworld can test and comment.
Location: Warwickshire, UKMy B&O Icons:
Hi and welcome to Beoworld!
Does the Ouverture play normal music CDs?
Does the CD laser track across the disc in a straight line, or a curved-path?
Location: Warwickshire, UKMy B&O Icons:
I read on a FB group that a 7DIN cable won’t work for stereo so I got a 5DIN and same result…
Both 7-pin and 5-pin DIN cables should work as long as the audio signal (L&R) is routed to pins 3 and 5 of the PIN plug, which they usually are (pin 2 is signal ground – pins 6 and 7 used for data). You could check with a multimeter.
Picture shows solder side of plug, or looking into socket:
If you are confident of the cables, it is time to look for a fault internally – the service manuals are available on Beoworld for Gold/Silver Members.
Location: Warwickshire, UKMy B&O Icons:
You could also visit your local B&O dealer and take a remote with you. Hopefully they will have something in stock that it IR controlled, hence you could test a remote (or try transmitting through their front window, for fun!).
By the way, do you know where to find new reasonably priced plastic “surrounds” for the displays? And maybe displays too since some have dead pixels?
The plastic surround part comes with new LCD screens – fitting guide here: https://archivedforum2.beoworld.org/forums/p/21827/180454.aspx
It is quite easy to move the plastic surrounds individually between screens.
And I usually buy new screens from AVA Services, here: https://www.avaservices.co.uk/
All of those displays look faulty apart from the one on the far right.
Location: Warwickshire, UKMy B&O Icons:
They look like standard Beo4 remotes to me!
SW4.4 was a standard SW issue, introduced when the DVD (rather than AV) button was added to Beo4.
Location: Warwickshire, UKMy B&O Icons:
Hi and welcome to Beoworld!
A couple of simple things to check (apologies f you have already done so!)
- Have you checked the Airport Express with another amplifier/headphones to see if the fault is there? (perhaps a faulty 3.5mm socket?)
- Have you checked the balance setting in the iPhone from which you are AirPlaying? (Go to Settings > Accessibility > Audio & Visual and adjust the balance on the slider at the bottom)
- Have you tried another device connected to the BM4500 input? Perhaps connect the phone directly and experiment with the balance setting as above.
Location: Warwickshire, UKMy B&O Icons:
@Guy, do you have your Essence connected to any other B&O audio or video equipment? If so, how you do you select Spotify as a source?
It’s not connected to anything at the moment – I bought it and the NL/ML converter for use in a future set up once I have moved house! (I’ve been saying similar for three years now … 😀)
When I did my experiments I didn’t actually try Spotify, but I am happy to reconnect and have a play, probably not until next week though. I will try Spotify with just Essence, and then with Essence and NL/ML converter (I’ll rig up a quick ML network to experiment).
I was hoping to be able to control the Essence directly with IR, but couldn’t get that to work sadly. See here: https://forum.beoworld.org/forums/topic/connect-essence-mkii-with-old-ir-eye/
I can’t comment on the BS Moment – never used one.
Location: Warwickshire, UKMy B&O Icons:
Hi Dan and welcome to Beoworld!
The BL1000 remote should be fine to operate the basic functions of the BM7000. (Non B&O replacements are unlikely to work because B&O use a different IR frequency to most).
You can check if a remote is working by viewing the transmitting end with an iPhone selfie camera – you should be able to see the IR emitters glowing when a function is pressed.
If/when the remote is working, there is still a chance that the Beomaster is set to A.OPT 0, where it will not respond to IR commands. To resolve this, with the Beomaster at stand-by, press SOUND then 1 then STORE on the BL1000 remote. The Beomaster should then receive and respond to IR commands.
So in summary, fix or replace a BL1000 remote and then take it from there …
The system you have is well worth fixing, so come back and ask if you have further questions 😀
Location: Warwickshire, UKMy B&O Icons:
