[Sandyb]

There is a Theatre software update today.

Just installed my update, was pretty quick

in case anyone hadn’t seen the release

[Sandyb]

Following up, I also added a new Panasonic 820 UHD blu-ray player, connected to the Theatre. This evening I tried to play some of my current (and 1080P) discs with DTS as their main track (obviously these are not object based DTS)

I wanted to see what results I would get, given the Theatre does not list DTS as a compatible format.

For reference, the Panasonic 820 allows you, in its settings, to send Dolby as Bitstream, and DTS as PCM (i.e no need to switch back and forth)

My findings were a bit odd.

With the player set to Bitstream DTS to the Theatre, when I played a movie, the Theatre had both picture and sound. The B&O app showed the Input Signal as PCM 7.1, even though the layer was set to Bitstream (??)

Changing the player to send DTS as PCM – again, and more understandably, the app showed Input Signal as PCM 7.1.

So it seems as if whatever my player is set to send to the Theatre, the Theatre app is showing PCM 7.1.

More importantly though – caveat being I only did this test with 4 or 5 discs – is that while the Theatre is playing a (seemingly PCM’d) DTS track, the sound was not great. Most noticeably, the vocals were pretty restrained and not easy to hear. But this weak performance was not just confined to vocals.

Using one of my BR discs with a main Dolby track – the sound was much better, and vocals were prominent and not issue.

Anyway, I will keep tinkering, but it’s not clear thus far that playing my existing DTS discs will work with the Theatre.

Would be interested if others have tried and had any observations.

 

 

[Sandyb]

Evening all – I had my Theatre installed yesterday, wall mounted and a separate lately wall mounted 77 LG G2. Looks pretty neat and tidy. The rest of the setup comprises my BL50s (as front L/R) and newly added BL17s are surround/rears.

Generally everything seems to be working fine, and starting from scratch it only really took me a few hours in the evening to get my head around the settings / app etc.

The only issues I am having are :

• if I mute the volume (using the BR1), the tv/theatre will often unmute itself within a few seconds.
• elsewhere, I can lose sound completely (picture remains) when bringing up and then removing the LG menus (or even using a webOS app, and then coming out of it). The sound is restored by pressing the source button again on the BR1. My dealer has the same issue in his store.
• the BR1 will, under the List button, show the active HDMI source – it shows this second in the List list, underneath Theatre. However, the BR1 is showing the wrong name as the active HDMI source at times (the associated PUC functions are correct to the active HDMI source).

Elsewhere, most seems all good.

Not sure if anyone else has similar (albeit these are small) issues.

 

[Sandyb]

What source is showing as 5.1 Atmos? (showing in the app under Signal Info – Input signal).

I’m assuming that this is where you are seeing the source showing as “5.1 Atmos”

[Sandyb]

I wouldn’t count on any of the Mozart devices as being able to act like a hub.

Your Apple TV (being pretty recent I think?) though will act as a hub for Matter enabled B&O devices.

 

[Sandyb]

Yes, then it does sound like you will have a chance of simple triggering via the Theatre/BR1 of lights. None of this sounds imminent, so I suspect more will become clearer to all of us on the next few months. Like you my automation requirements are minimal (in fact I have nothing right now), but I do have in mind some powered blinds, so it would be nice to trigger those without one or more additional hubs.

[Sandyb]

Having done some more reading into Matter, it seems that alot is still unknown

What we do seem to know broadly, is that one will need

(a) Matter enabled devices (be they speakers, lights, blinds etc)

(b) A Matter controller – this sets up instructions/ automations, and can be purely software (app)

(c) A Thread border router – this is hardware, already exists in many routers, but also some devices like recent Apple TV 4K models, Amazon and Google blobs.

Can one avoid having a physical hub, given the above. It seems it is possible, emphasis on possible. The Thread border routing capability can be built into small smart home devices, of the manufacture does so (ie not just restricted to more bulky boxes like the ATV etc)

Of the 5 B&O devices that will gain Matter capability – according to the flatpanels article – I dont see any having Thread border capability, except perhaps the Theatre, with its network switch built in? But if even the Theatre doesn’t have that capability, then people will need some hardware that does (Apple TV’s may solve that issue).

What we dont know (although Emilios quote from Christian gives some thoughts on) is whether, if you have set up automation scenarios within, lets say, Apple HomeKit as a Matter controller, the Halo / BR1 can access or trigger those. He is perhaps hinting that simple commands can be passed through though.

 

 

[Sandyb]

My understanding is this that if you have a bunch of Matter enabled devices at home, you will still one device that can act as a Matter hub. The difference in this world being you only need one hub device, not the current situation where some use cases / devices combinations require >1 hub.

Newer Apple TVs are the obvious example where many will already have a Matter enabled hub device at home already

 

[Sandyb]

I’d second and echo Mr.10Percent’s comments and reasoning.

very similar thinking, though my equipment is slightly different. My BL50s are fed by a Linn streamer / DAC, and I have a Roon Nucleus server. The Roon is not strictly necessary, but I have quite a lot of ripped Cd’s stored on it, some of which are not on streaming services. And additionally I wanted to use the Roon UI for my music browsing / listening. The Roon Nucleus server feeds my Linn DAC/streamer, but it also sends music to my other B&O single speakers in other rooms via Airplay (Beosound 2 and A9).

Having 50’s, using the B&O app for music and Deezer within it all seems like an unsatisfactory experience, especially given the 50s cost. The Linn player (I have one of their upgraded DAC options), with Roon (I use Qobuzz within it) and the excellent Roon UI all add up to a much better experience. It also has a phono stage, so my turntable also goes through the Linn to the 50s. First class experiment for fist class speakers.

In addition, as alluded to above, and I wouldn’t underestimate this, the Linn player I have is modular, can be changed or upgraded, and offered me not only the above superior music experience but also a B&O independent path, if I was to cut out Beovisions (i.e a B&O brain). My Linn DAC can be fitted with a surround sound module, for example.

Anyway, from my reading here over recent years, it seems some 50/90s owners are perfectly happy with a Core/Deezer Hifi, some use a Roon Nucleus into their 50/90s, some use just a 3rd party streamer(or +DAC), and then there are odd bods like myself who use Roon Nucleus+3rd party streamer.

 

[Sandyb]

Sounds like we are on the same page, especially as our setups for music listening (direct to 50s/90s) are broadly similar. I’m pretty sure we benefit from the external 3rd party DAC doing its stuff, and as you infer, taking out the BV pass through process.

Unless I’m missing any nuances, if he has indeed noticed something similar,. and prefers music when the 28s operate on their own (i.e fetch the stream themselves, and are blind to the Theatre), then why not continue that way, especially if it sounds better?

 

 

[Sandyb]

do you have the option of connecting the 9000 to the BL28s directly?

 

[Sandyb]

isn’t the main difference amongst your 3 scenarios that the first includes the Auralic DAC?

Similarly here, my direct to 50s path involves my Linn DAC (pulling from my Roon Nucleus), and is much nicer sound wise than if I bypass the Linn DAC, and pass the same source stream through the Beosystem 4 and powerlink to the 50s.

Seems to me that some (assumed) high q DACs are a good option for speakers like 50/90s (and perhaps 28s too)

 

[Sandyb]

Similar to my experience with my Beosystem 4 and BL50s.

Directly feeding the 50s, and bypassing the BS4, was a good deal more preferable sound quality wise.

Theatre sing installed in 8 days time, nothing will change re my music listening – I’ll continue to bypass the Theatre.

[Sandyb]

doubt anyone here has…in the end B&O customers are very unlikely to have auditioned the LS50’s.

For the record though, I suspect KEF have done plenty of things well with the LS50s, given how successful they’ve been.

 

[Sandyb]

not sure what sound capacity precisely means, but they surely cant add up and side firing speakers to the existing Harmony design.

I can see the Harmony perhaps being updated to process Atmos etc, and perhaps Mozart. But I wouldn’t expect anything more than that.

Just my opinion though.

[Sandyb]

The 17s were 2600 GBP at launch.

But as you say, the price rose to a point that when I bought my 18s in 2015, the 17s were only a bit cheaper….so I went with 18s quiet happily.

That said, now that I have 50s up front (18s now gone), I am changing my rear 3s in my living room for rear 17s…..and am quite looking forwards to it!

 

[Sandyb]

Thanks, and yes I agree, it shouldn’t be beyond the realms for the Picture mute to be implemented.

Not something that is relevant to my music use case, but I can definitely see the need for it.

[Sandyb]

What player is that by the way?

just asking out of interest…

[Sandyb]

wow thanks, I was indeed missing something, so that was useful.

Doing a small amount of digging online, it seems that a player decoding into LPCM is limited to multi-channel (2.0, 5.1 or 7.1) but not the object based data.

I’ll go and have a scan though my discs now to see what the mix of formats I have (although thus far my discs are blu-ray not UHD blu rays, so no object based channels).

 

[Sandyb]

well put indeed – and until now, and prompted by MM, I didnt realised that a player outputting LPCM is limited to multi channel and will downmix any object based audio. So I’m completely onboard with your sentiment. Whether anything actually changes on the Theatre w.r.to DTS-X, I doubt unfortunately.

It does worry me a little (and I’ve thought this since its launch) that the Theatre+LG is made / designed more for standalone use with streaming services, than the previous Beosystem focussed products. No matrix support, fewer PUC ports etc etc all add to this impression. Anyway, forgive the digression.

 

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