B2 Freezing using Sonos. Won't even play one track

[John Cockaday]

A few days ago I bought a refurbished B2 (1TB) from what appears to be a reputable online supplier of refurbed Brennans (£430 inc p&p).  I was told that the latest software had been uploaded:
'AudioTech are the Brennan authorised repair and service centre.
All of our secondhand units are serviced, given the latest software update and tested and repackaged for sale.
This listing is for one secondhand black fronted switchless version B2 1000GB model and comes with, PSU, mains cable, remote control, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth dongles, 8GB SD card and quick start guide. A three month parts and labour guarantee is included with each unit.'

I have been able to rip a few CDs, but when I try to play them back, the unit freezes and becomes unresponsive after a few seconds.  I am using a Sonos speaker - the B2's compatibility with Sonos was the main reason for my purchase.

The seller has suggested changing the wifi channel.  I tried that and it didn't make any difference. I have tried with unit sitting within 3m of a BT disc repeater, that didn't help either.

Messages on this forum have suggested fitting a wifi dongle with an aerial, but the seller told me that only the supplied dongle works with the B2.

Is there some other fix that I have overlooked? or is the unit faulty and should be returned?  I am reluctant to use an Ethernet connexion and lose the flexibility of where the unit can be positioned.  I pay a lot of money for a 100Mbps BT connexion and expect wifi devices to work!

Grateful for your advice.

John

[fred.w....@gmail.com]

Hi John,

Welcome to the forum.

To  help us help you could you please tell us which version of the Software the B2 is running ... Press the cog icon on the web ui or press the info button on the remote twice and look at the front display.

Second you say you are using Sonos, if this is your only speaker then could you try plugging a set of headphones eg ones for phones, into the line out socket at the back of the B2 and tell us if, when using these, the unit freezes.

Also please understand that while getting a fancy new BT internet/router and disk mesh, may provide good connections to the internet (WAN) from your house, with Sonos and a B2 you are setting up a Local Area Network (LAN) which is different. The connections between the BT Router and the disks are not simple or indeed may not be by default configured to support a LAN, (networking is a bit of a black art). So you may have to do some configuring to the system to get it to work as you want.

Fred

[John Cockaday]

Software Version B2B Oct 22 2021 12:29:15

I have not been able to hear anything through headphones plugged into the line output.

I can't get either the web base UI or the app to control the B2.  There is one album that I first tried to play and I can't get rid of it from the app and the UI.  I had assumed that just clicking on a track or 'play album' would play that track or album.  Isn't it as simple as that?

It's very frustrating to be unable to get the device to do even the most basic of functions.

Thanks.

[John Cockaday]

Hi.  Looking back to December last year, there was a lot of advice given to  Chris, who seemed to be having the same problem as me with a new B2.  After trying many things with his network, computers and settings, the answer seems to have been a faulty wifi dongle.  Is it worth buying another one, this time with an RT5370 chipset?  Or getting the supplier to provide me with another?

[Daniel Taylor]

First you might want to check your WiFi Signal Strength (Settings > Maintenance > WiFi Strength).

[Daniel Taylor]

John replied to me privately:

----------------------------------------------

"Thanks.  I tried the unit within 3m of the BT disc repeater (didn't make a difference). The signal strength was then -35dB"

----------------------------------------------

-35 is a good level.

Now that you remind me that you have a BT repeater, I think you should concentrate your efforts on your router, as advised by Fred.

[fred.w....@gmail.com]

The BT disk repeater worries me a bit.

Please continue to try the headphones but use the front panel or the remote to get something playing, not the web ui.

We need to understand if the unit can actually play music as a start point.

Then if it can, logically eliminate things on a step by step basis.

Fred

[PMB]

Hi John,

We will do our best to help but as you bought the B2 from AudioTech, it is really their responsibility to get the unit working for you. Having said that, they can repair and update but technical help comes from us at Brennan.

I would remove the WiFi dongle (power down first), power on and try the headphones in Line Out (you'll need to turn the volume to 50 or more to get a decent level) and press NEXT (this starts a random track playing).

Let us know if the B2 plays.

Paul

Brennan Support.

[John Cockaday]

Hi.  I have bought another wifi dongle with the appropriate chipset and a small antenna.  In the position where I have mainly been testing the B2, the wifi signal was 57dB with the old dongle, improving to 49dB with the new.  thi seemed to make some improvement, with the B2 now playing two or three tracks before freezing.  I moved the B2 to nearby the main wifi router and the signal strength improved to 27dB.  But it still freezes after a couple of tracks.

I'll try the headphones ...

[Peter Lowham]

Hi John,

If the wifi signal was previously weak and was dropping in and out of connection with the B2, then the microSD card may have become corrupted, thus causing this problem. 

I would suggest that either you obtain a replacement microSD card or alternatively you can reflash the existing card using the instructions on the Brennan website on the link shown below.  This process recreates the card totally.  Go to the 'New SD Card' section.  If you would like to try this, we can provide additional supporting documentation to do this.  

https://www.brennan.co.uk/itemcontent.php/content/Techy

Regards,

Peter.

[PMB]

Hi John,

If you contact AudioTech and tell them that the 'Forum' has suggested you need a new SD Card, they should send you one.

Paul

Brennan Support.

[John Cockaday]

Hi.  I posted a reply yesterday but it seems to have bounced.

On Saturday, I thought that the B2 was working ok (although I wasn't sure why).  I could rip cds and play them.  Occasionally the message Warning! HDD read only appeared and a few times the unit froze, but these problems were cured by turning off and on again.  However, the next day (yesterday), without me changing anything, it was back to freezing when playing one track.  Wifi strength was about -41dBm - i.e. the same or better than the day before.

Following Paul's advice I asked AudioTech for a replacement SD.  However, they are apparently not working until 4March. 

My (refurbished) B2 has a slot in the side, but I can't see an SD card in there.  Is it likely that it is an old box with new innards?  So I could buy a microSD card from Brennan and fit that, rather than wait 2+ weeks for AudioTech to respond?

Many thanks.

[fred.w....@gmail.com]

I think you are correct they must have used the later version of the Pi board. BUT take the back off (top two screws only) and slide the board out a little way just until you can see the micros SD card to check.

If it is a micro SD Card, then a 16Gb replacement from a shop will be fine. However you will have to load the B2 operating software on to it using your PC/Mac which needs an SD Card reader to do this. There are 

instructions on how to do the load on the Brennan Web site.

Fred

[Peter Lowham]

Hi John,

You can tell which version of B2 you have if you look at the back panel.  The early SD card model has 3 USB ports 'A', 'B' and 'C'.  The later microSD card model has two USB ports, USB 'A' and 'C'.

It does sound like your refurbished B2 has late model innards put into an early model case.

If you are opening the B2 case, be careful not to open the case by any more than 40mm (about an inch and a half in old money), otherwise the CD drive cable can pull off and it is a bit of a devil to get it reconnected. 

Regards,

Peter.

[John Cockaday]

Thanks Peter for the advice.  Yes, my B2 does just have two USB ports and I've confirmed by opening the case that it has a microSD card.  Does the card brought from Brennan come loaded with the software?  Not sure if I have an SD reader and I probably can't download the software (using work laptop).

[Peter Lowham]

Hi John,

Yes, the Brennan supplied card comes with B2B software pre-loaded and is ready to use.  However, when you install it into the B2, you should run 'Settings' --> 'Web Upgrade' first because the card may have been sitting in stock for a couple of months, so the Web Upgrade will take it up to date.  That only takes a minute or so to run.

Regards,

Peter.

[John Cockaday]

I have received a replacement microSD card from Brennan but it doesn't work at all - no menu access, no wifi message, just the HDD source message.  I replaced the original MicroSD and it works as least as well as it did before (I haven't run it for long), showing wifi connected and playing tracks.  However I am now getting a message to the effect that there is no CD player present.  

I think the time has come to return it to AudioTech (I hope they are back now) and get them to sort it out.

[fred.w....@gmail.com]

Your lack if CD player is because, when removing the back to replace the card, you have pulled the back out a wee bit too far and pulled the plug off the CD.

If you look in the back again you will see it hanging on some wires. It will re-plug in ok but it is a bit fiddly.

Fred

[PMB]

Hi john...,

Please email us on -  thebrennanb2  @  gmail  .  com  - no spaces, with a brief description of the problem and we will get back to you.

Paul

Brennan Support.

[John Cockaday]

Hi.  I haven't tried to use the B2 for a few days as I have been busy with other things.  But the situation is still as I mentioned in my last post: the replacement microSD card that Brennan sent me is completely non-functional.  When I swap it into the unit and turn on, after a period of red and green flashing, the green light goes out and the display flashes b2 1000G Source: Hard Disk.  Pressing the play button or sometimes the knob produces a flash of the green light, but otherwise nothing.  Is it possible that the microSD Brennan sent is in fact unprogrammed?

With the original microSD card in I have been able to upload the March 10 update but the operation of the b2 is still very erratic and it will not reliably play one track, let alone an album. 

[Peter Lowham]

Hi John,

The replacement microSD card boot up looks completely normal.  Also, the green light flashing when you press 'Play' is also normal.  You were able to rip some CDs so it looks to me that the B2 unit possibly has a hardware fault.

Audiotech provides a warranty on these refurbished units so I would be inclined to contact them for further advice.

Regards,

Peter.

[PMB]

Hi John,

I suggest you contact AudioTech about getting a replacement.

Paul

Brennan Support.

[John Cockaday]

Thanks to everyone who gave me advice and help on this problem.  I did what I probably should have done straight away and returned the B2 to Audio Tech, who sold it to me.  They got it sorted out quite quickly and returned it, as far as I can tell so far (touches wood), working perfectly.  They haven't told me what the problem was though.  

Next task is to find the main box of old CDs for ripping.  In the cellar I think.  And to work out how to transfer vinyl to the B2.  What works best?  I have a couple of decks with USB outputs, although I've never used them, and an old Denon system.

best wishes

John

[PMB]

Hi John,

Glad to hear AudioTech sorted the B2 for you.

Concerning the Vinyl, as the record function on the B2 is fairly basic, most owners say they copy to their computers where they can separate the Tracks, add names, etc and compress before transferring to the B2. Search the Forum for Vinyl.

Paul

Brennan Support.