Using Bluetooth to play from PC via B2

[Bruce Robinson]

I am a new B2 user and still trying to work things out. I have just linked my B2 and Windows PC for the first time using Bluetooth. My aim was to play Spotify and other music from my PC through my speakers and amp (I haven't been able to connect the B2 directly to the speakers yet) using the B2 as an intermediary.

Is this possible? If so, what do I need to do other than setting up the Bluetooth connection?

Thanks.

Bruce Robinson

[Graham Smout]

You can send signals from a PC, tablet or smartphone to play via  the B2  via bluetooth - but in my epxperience the bluetooth  connectivity is very flaky and limited to about 20ft if there are no obstacles. Even a peice of paper can interupt the transmission so I don't bother with it. 

There is a way to send Spotify to the B2 using Librespot  - but I  won't  use spotify due ot the poor royalty payemetns paid to artists  - I am not sure how this works but I don't think you need to link it to a computer .(In any case , why would you want to as Bluetoorth is a very inferior audio quality stream - in my personal opinion. )

(You can't - as far as I know -  can play/  send  files from the B2 to a PC using a  bluetooth connection. There is no bluetooth out signal from the B2)

You can  to access the B2's  files on a PC/ Mac / Tablet or smartphone over NAS via Ethernet LAN and play them with either Windows media player, VLC, or some other media players. However you cannot  control what comes over the LAN from the B2 via the Web UI using an app on a smartphoen tablet or the Web UI.

Hope this helps

Graham

[PMB]

Hi Brucer,

Please let us know more about how you have your B2 setup - I am intrigued by your statement that you couldn't connect your B2 directly to speakers yet?

Paul

Brennan Support.

[Bruce Robinson]

Thanks, Graham. It sounds like the problem I was having was with Bluetooth reception rather than the B2 as the B2 is in a separate room from the PC I was using. I may experiment with some of the other things you mention later.

Bruce

On Tuesday, March 16, 2021 at 4:10:59 PM UTC gps...@gmail.com wrote:

[Bruce Robinson]

Hi Paul,

The explanation is simple - an absence of banana plugs. At the moment the speakers are connected to a Cambridge Audio amp by the wires being clamped into the back of the amp. I can't do that with the B2 so (at least) for the time being have connected the B2  via line out to a spare input slot of the amp. 

I keep forgetting to buy banana plugs. Thanks for reminding me. ;)

Bruce

[Daniel Taylor]

Hi Bruce,

My personal opinion is that you will be happier with the B2 connected to the amp than with the B2 driving speakers directly.  Better yet would be if you can use the digital optical mini-Toslink output to your amp (if the amp has a digital input).

[Bruce Robinson]

Hi Daniel,

I was planning to try and test using the amp against just the B2 once the (now ordered) banana plugs arrive. The amp is old (retrieved from a charity shop but functioning well) so doesn't have a digital input. I don't have the most acute ears so wonder how much difference I'll recognise anyhow but I will certainly experiment.

Bruce

[Tony Hetherington]

Re Grahams comment ... 'there is no bluetooth out signal from the B2'

There most certainly is as I use it to drive my bluetooth headphones, once I sorted the volume control problem

Tony H

[Graham Smout]

Apologies for introducing confusion! I don't use Bluetooth that much as it is so unreliable!

[Bruce Robinson]

Yes, I did puzzle over that a bit. ;}

On Wednesday, March 17, 2021 at 1:35:13 PM UTC Tony Hetherington wrote:

[Daniel Taylor]

Bruce,

Certainly let your ears decide.  I don't consider myself to be much of an audiophile, but when I connected speakers directly to my B2, I was quite disappointed in the lack of bass.  I knew those speakers could do better in that regard because I had just had them connected to an old 22W receiver.  The difference between B2-to-speakers and B2-to-receiver-to-speakers was not subtle.

[jeff...@googlemail.com]

I play straight to speakers, but, I have the equaliser enabled, with a bit more top and bottom added! I find it really makes quite a difference to the sound, for the better. Can't do a screenshot as the new web UI doesn't show the equaliser.

[jeff...@googlemail.com]

[Bruce Robinson]

I did eventually solve my initial problem of playing from PC to B2 using Bluetooth. I'm not quite sure why it suddenly started working. I was messing about in my Windows Bluetooth settings at the time.  The first day it worked perfectly from my office to the B2 in my sitting room.  The second day it kept cutting out.  So Graham is right about the unreliability.  I moved the computer closer to the B2 and it again worked perfectly.  So definitely transmission problems.

Thanks to everybody for your help.  Jeff's tip gives me some more things that I will experiment with.

Bruce