Using B1 with Airpods

[Robin]

I am really enjoying finally using my B1 wirelessly with the Bluetooth out feature. However is there any way of controlling volume when using AirPod Pros or AirPod second generation AirPods with my B1. The AirPods do not have volume adjustment on the phones themselves, relying on asking Siri or using the on board volume buttons on the iPhone/iPad when using those devices. As the volume control does not seem to have any effect when my B1 is connected to my AirPod Pro headphones, they are more or less unusable with my B1.
Would it be possible to make volume adjustment available on the B1 when connected to Bluetooth devices?

[PMB]

Hi Robin,

I have added it to the wishlist.

Paul

Brennan Support.

[Robin]

Thanks Paul 🙏

[Daniel Taylor]

I wonder what kind of response you'd get (if any) if you made the same request of Apple for the AirPods.

[Peter Lowham]

Hi Guys,

I think that is somewhat optimistic to believe that the volume issue can be addressed from the bluetooth end.  The problem is that bluetooth is a digital signal.  Volume controls are normally implemented on the analgue signal (the sound you hear in the earphones), after the blutooth digital signal has been converted to analogue, and this conversion is done within the earphones.

I'm happy to be corrected on this, but what I'm saying is 'don't hold your breath'.  

I have two sets of bluetooth earphones/ earbuds which do have volume controls.  These are working well on my B2 and BB1.  Apple has chosen (in its weirdness) to not incorporate physical volume controls.  Like some of its other Apple products (tablets and other devices with no USB ports, etc., so I steer clear of Apple products because of shortcomings like these.

Regards,

Peter.

[Robin]

Apple design their products to work with each other, which from my experience they do! If Brennan made headphones I am sure they would make them with the b2 and B1 in mind. Like it or not AirPods are among the best selling headphones in the world. So I can’t be the only AirPod owner that would like to use my headphones with my B1 as well as my iPhone

[Mark Fishman]

Yes, Apple designs their products to work with each other, i.e., it's intended to be a closed ecosystem.

Engineers who don't have to deal with marketing departments design their products to have standardized interfaces so that, e.g., ANY pair of headphones using a standard input will work with ANY source supplying a standard output. Amplifiers expect standard levels and polarities from preamps. And so on.

Apple wants you to buy Apple products. They really don't care if their products will work with someone else's products. There are a huge number of brands and models of headphones for sale in the world: AirPods might be among the best selling models, and still represent a tiny fraction of all units sold.

[Robin]

Hi I tried a pair of Cambridge Audio Melomania 1 earbuds with my B1 today. Amazing sound quality, but also flawed when using controls. Pause and play works, volume down works, volume up doesn’t, track forward works, track back doesn’t. It appears that the B1 cannot cope with the new type of Bluetooth earplugs that connect to each other. All of the controls, except volume works from the B1 itself. It’s such a shame that a superb device such as the B1 has such a flaky bluetooth feature.
I have yet to find Bluetooth earplugs that do not work perfectly with my iPhone or my friends Galaxy S10.

[PMB]

Hi Robin,

Thank you for the feedback.

Paul

Brennan Support.

[Rearwing]

Hi Robin, I think you need to rethink your comments; both Apple and Samsung spend millions on r&d and would really like to lock people into only buying their products (Apple a little more than Samsung). Brennan make two super mid range hifi products, in fact i had money left over to buy more CD's having bought them both in comparison to my purchase of a single iPhone. The bluetooth on either Brennan is not officially supported, but Paul and Martin work hard to satisfy the requests of users, but there are somethings that they can't do, and one of these is to influence Apple to open source their AirPods; as Daniel said "I wonder what kind of response you'd get (if any) if you made the same request of Apple for the AirPods."

So maybe you need to wind your neck in! and just be happy that you have a compact and flexible device

[Robin]

Than you for the rather patronising comment!. Having been into music and hifi for over 50 years and having purchased and enjoyed my 2 b2’s since they were first released. I am sure both Martin and Paul, would agree from my past communications with them that I have always supported Martins superb products and provided constructive feedback. With regard to the B1, I was one of the first purchasers, purely based on my trust in Martins ability to, not only sell great products, but also to update them in line with user requests whenever possible.
As the B1 is a portable device it would be nice to be able to fully use it with portable Bluetooth earphones, particularly the new True Wireless earphones of which there are numerous examples. I am not expecting Martin to immediately sort the issue, I simply asked if he could look at the possibility of making the onboard volume control available when using Bluetooth earphones. This would allow certain, Sony, Apple and Sennheiser etc earphones to work With the B1.
This forum is for people to share ideas, give opinions, help each other and potentially help develop the products, which was the reason for my post.