Sony Speaker - Interference / Volume Discrepancy

[Mike Rawson]

Hi, 

My first post on here, so please bear with me as a Brennan newbie.

I got my B2 in early December and have been happily ripping my old CDs.  I have a pair of Sony wireless/Bluetooth speakers.  I spent ages trying to work out if I could connect the B2 to both in any wireless way (a la Sonos), but this seems impossible.

So, I went back to basics, and plugged one in to the aux line out which was fine.  The other would then connect via Bluetooth, but with the inevitable lag, so only practical when listening in different rooms.

Then, listening to one on Bluetooth, the connection was very weak (cutting out if you walked across the room), so after initially ordering a short USB extension cable to take the Bluetooth transmitter further away from the B2, I decided to give in and go fully back to cables, and to buy a set of the Brennan speakers.  These arrived today, and I connected them up, plus the aux cable to the line out to play the Sony speaker in the other room.  The volume through the Brennan speakers is fine, but the volume at the Sony speaker at the end of an 8m aux cable is pathetic, even at full volume.  On top of this, there is hum on the Sony (presumably due to being at max volume), and interference noise coming out of the Brennans.

I'm rapidly reaching the end of my tether with this, so if anyone reading this has any useful, similar experience that might point me to a solution, that might help me to preserve my sanity, I would be massively grateful!

Put simply, I want to listen to music through both the Brennans and the cable-connected Sony speaker at the same time, at a similar volume and without interference.

Yours hopefully!

Mike

[arw...@gmail.com]

If i were you, and you wish to connect two pairs of speakers in this way, I would use a speaker switch, connected to the speaker contacts on your B2. Something like this: https://www.qed.co.uk/switching-units.html. I imagine using the line out would not provide enough oomph to drive loudspeakers, unless they were powered.

Andrew

[Daniel Taylor]

The speakers are connected to the B2's internal amplifier, which is rated as 15 watts.  The Line Output is variable but tops out at a typical line level signal intended for input to an external receiver or amplifier, where it is expected that the external amp will provide volume boost and control.  By being variable, the B2's Line Output can double as a headphone amp.  When not driving headphones, it's expected to be turned up to about 60.

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

Hi Mike,

I assume your Sony speaker in the other room has an internal amplifier - in which case the "hum" you are experiencing is probably mains hum. 

I would go optical - plug a DAC into your Aux Output/Headphone socket and take the speaker feed off the DAC.

Fred

[PMB]

Hi Mike,

The Line Out from the B2 is affected by the volume setting, which when adjusted to a suitable level through the Brennan speakers, is not providing much level for the Sony speaker.

A way around this would be to use an external DAC - this would connect to the B2's optical out (same connector as Line Out - mini TOSLink) and will provide a fixed level signal (not affected by the B2's volume setting) to drive the Sony.

DAC prices start around a tenner. I bought one with a built-in headphones amplifier (with a separate volume control).

Paul

Brennan Support.

[arw...@gmail.com]

I absolutely agree that using a DAC connected to the optical out of the B2 and then to a decent amplifier gives by far the best results, but the OP still has the problem of connecting two sets of speakers. Speaker switches, such as QED’s, are designed to do just that in the absence of twinned speaker terminals on the amp, and have the advantage that they will work with the B2’s speaker terminals, too.

Andrew

[PMB]

Hi Andrew,

Concerning speaker switches - the amplifiers in the B2 are a bridged design which effectively means there is an amplifier connected to the red and black terminals. These amplifiers work in push-pull to increase the available output power.

Some speaker switchers join the common (black terminals) and only switch the positive signal (red terminals). These switchers cannot be used with the B2.

The Monocor SPS20S appears to switch both red and black terminals separately and also has the advantage of allowing both sets of speakers to be used at the same time. The SPS20S switches the speakers in 'series' in 'both' mode so as not present a low impedance load to the amplifier.

Paul

Brennan Support.

[arw...@gmail.com]

Good to know, thanks, Paul. I use my QED switch after my amp, as it were. Other than it just works, I know nothing of their internals!

[PMB]

Hi arwvet,

Please let us know the model number of the QED, if it works OK with the B2, as I get asked quite often for recommends.

Paul

Brennan Support.

[arw...@gmail.com]

It’s a QED SS21, which connects the speakers in parallel. It’s connected to my Roksan K2 amp. I don’t think I’ve tried it direct to the B2, but if it’s rated for 8Ω impedance, they say this model is fine. More in their FAQs, of course.

Hope this helps

Andrew

[John AK]

I have successfully had two sets of speakers connected to my B2. One set adjacent to the B2 are passive speakers connected to the amplifier outlets of the B2. Initially I tried as you did using the line-out for the second set but as reported the volume of the line-out is affected by the B2 volume setting. I now connect the second set via a bluetooth dongle connected to my B2 by a long USB cable enabling the dongle to be positioned in the room immediately above where the second set of speakers are. This has been done recognizing the limited range of Bluetooth. As my 2nd set of speakers, whilst powered, do not have Bluetooth build in I have added an Esinkin Bluetooth receiver - as your Sony speakers have Bluetooth built in then the Esinkin or equivalent will not be required. So where is this thread going. To get this set-up to work then using the Cog wheel for setting on the UI on computer, to the top right of the Bennnan logo, this opening a setting & status window which at the bottom has a Bluetooth box. This opens a further window which allows the B2 to search for Bluetooth devices which have been made discoverable. Having found and paired the Bluetooth Sony speakers then the further - oft missed item - is to check the box enabling 'Bluetooth and Wired Speakers Together'. Having done this then the B2 volume controls the passive speakers and an adequate fixed volume is sent via the Bluetooth to the Sony or Esinkin which allows using the volume control on these powered speakers independent of the B2 setting.

[Mike Rawson]

Afternoon All,

Thanks for all the many and varied suggestions.  I ordered a DAC which arrived yesterday, went to set it up, then realised I needed an adaptor as it only had the standard Toslink end, so that arrived today, and I have connected it all up and it seems to be doing the job, hallelujah!

So I now have my Brennan speakers playing in the dining room/conservatory, and the larger of my two Sony speakers in the lounge playing via the DAC and 3.5mm aux cable connected to the headphone output on the DAC - this has a volume control, and I am now getting a "proper" volume level from the Sony speaker.  The smaller Sony one is connectable by Bluetooth if I want to listen in other rooms.  

No obvious sound of interference or hum, so I think I am all sorted.

Thanks ever so much, I was really beginning to think that my £650+ investment was going to turn out wasted.

Just another 6 or 7 hundred CDs to rip, now, that'll keep me amused during lockdown!

Kind regards,

Mike

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

Glad you are now sorted Mike, thanks for keeping us informed.
Fred

[PMB]

Hi Mike,

Glad to hear the suggestions worked for you.

Make sure you do a backup (Export to C) at some point - the first one takes a long time, subsequent ones are incremental so will be quicker.

Paul

Brennan Support.