Bang & Olufsen App - Beta version 5.x.x.

152 replies
...
Millemis
Millemis
Bronze
1330 posts
Posted September 19, 2023 at 01:30 GMT ? Edited November 9, 2023 at 10:01 GMT
#688022
Just received the new beta version 5.4.0. They have made a somewhat major change to the player section - see pictures. However, it was - at least to me - not obvious how to get rid of the multiroom side panel (if and when you don’t want it). In my opinion it makes the player cluttered….less sleek. (Previously it was a button at the bottom which opened a new page). But I did find out, that you can toggle that on/off with multiroom icon left of the volume slider = nice. Would have been helpfull to have had the instruction from the beta team at start ? All in all I like it. But….where are the access to the sources on the network? I haven’t found it! Probably something that will come later? So beware, if you have only one device with the app installed - it might cause problems. Of course you still can start playback via Spotify Connect/Tidal Connect. And the Netradio still has a button on the main page. But if you have linked sources and/or use the line-in of a device (for e.g. a turntable), there seems to be no way to access these. How is your experience? MM Source selection via the 3 small dots - example - in the regular version.

Location: Flensborg————Danmark

NQVHNWI
NQVHNWI
Bronze
1646 posts
Posted September 19, 2023 at 14:46 GMT ? Edited September 19, 2023 at 14:46 GMT
#704032
I have to be careful what I say because of any potential NDA issue. I have reviewed the operation of the new BeoApp 5.4.0 and gave comments back on its usability and other issues.    
MA
matteventu
Bronze
181 posts
Posted September 19, 2023 at 14:47 GMT ? Edited September 19, 2023 at 14:47 GMT
#704033
I came here as soon as I tried the new player. First I have to say that I work in software, so I know users are often against change for dumb reasons. However. B&O really needs to fix fundamental issues with the app before updating the playing screen in such a way that massively affects performances. B&O app has always been laggy in some menus, with horrible scrolling stuttering (for instance, the "add new product" screen). At least, on Android. The new queue system they've implemented with the new player has the same scrolling stuttering issues. I could accept it in the "add new product" page, as it's something you use once in a while. But for something as central as the queue tray, that's not okay. B&O should first rewrite the app and clear up the codebase before redesigning something like this. I see your screenshots of the iPad version. On the smartphone version the layout of the home page hasn't changed as much.   I personally don't dislike the new redesign, but it has some issues.
  • Source selection/standby button missing
  • Queue tray is extremely laggy and the "move" songs (drag & drop) action is completely bugged
  • Swiping on the cover art to change song previously was perfectly smooth, now this is laggy too (animation has extremely low frame rate)
  • The new volume bar is okay in terms of looks, but a regression on how easy it was to finely adjust the volume level previously (having the swipable area been reduced now to about 1/4 of what it was before)
  • When you're playing from Chromecast, it no longer shows the name of the source service / "Chromecast" at the top (in place of the Deezer/Spotify logos)
  • ...can't say whether it will show "Optical" or "Line-in" correctly, as the source button is missing at all so you can't switch source lol
  • Prev/play/pause/next buttons now don't offer visual feedback when tapped
  • When the song title is too long and it needs to scroll, the scrolling speed is too high and the frame rate is very low
  • When sources that don't support/show the seek-bar are active (i.e. Chromecast, B&O Radio, and I guess all external sources), the positioning of the cover art, titles and prev/play/next buttons feels quite unbalanced
  So, in a other words, the new player feels extremely cheap. Not very Ultra-High-Net-Worth-Individual worthy. I say "feels" (instead of "looks cheap") because it doesn't necessarily have to do with the look. Look is okay. Implementation/coding is instead very very poor. Again, I know this is a beta, but this is the kind of things I've always seen passing from beta to stable without any change, so I really doubt they'll fix everything before pushing to stable, or in the near future at all.  
MA
matteventu
Bronze
181 posts
Posted September 19, 2023 at 14:48 GMT
#704034
NQVHNWI
NQVHNWI
Bronze
1646 posts
Posted September 19, 2023 at 15:00 GMT
The biggest problem with the BeoApp (and this is in general and not 5.4.0) is that the whole interface is a mess. The Front page - as I see it is a place for listing your equipment and for the front door for product configuration. You can go into deeper settings but there is not direct product control. You have to access that black bar (which is uncharacteristic in terms of styling from the rest of the App). Unless you use the MyButtons, there is no why to control a Theatre. You cant CH+/CH- in live TV, you cant FFW/RWB on a streaming service or even control a PUC device. Further, you have to go to the most basic Player in any App in the history of all Apps. As stated above, the BeoApp/Mozart is full of bugs, inconsistencies and certainly not a Luxury control interface or a luxury interface. But this goes on and on and on...with no end or real improvement in sight. To me, it feels like the software developers are not in Denmark living and breathing with the products. More-over, its like they are in a Bombay call centre, trying to fix multiple and clashing software issues and the SW engineers only know that a "Bang" is the noise of an explosion and "Olufsen" sounds like an uncontrolled gas leak from somewhere untold? That may be unfair......but the outcome is the same....Products cannot be controlled in a pleasurable and intuitive way like they were with the BL7000, 5000, Beo4 (or even Beo5/6).      
SA
Sandyb
Bronze
2575 posts
Posted September 19, 2023 at 15:16 GMT
#704037
If you select a Theatre in the app to control, there is a drop down at the top of the black Now Playing screen. Looks like this drop down should contain all the sources (as the 3 dots have until now). But all it shows is Line In and USB. I barely use the app beyond settings, so none of this especially bothers me - but it would nice if the rollout was not regressive in some respects.
Millemis
Millemis
Bronze
1330 posts
Posted September 19, 2023 at 15:16 GMT
#704038
So, maybe Mr10% is a beta beta tester!   Yes, that is from an iPad. I am definitely not going to test that on any other of my devices.....it is far away from being finished - even for a beta version. It is interesting - and disturbing - that the Android version seems to be rather different from the Apple version. Can't say if it looks cheap - maybe just different. The previous version sure had/has some quirks, but it worked for my purposes. MM

Location: Flensborg————Danmark

carolpa
carolpa
Bronze
2504 posts
Posted September 19, 2023 at 15:42 GMT
#704039
No source selection??? Seems essential! It seems they only checked the iPhone to test the UI. With it faults, it looks okay on a phone, but imo for the moment it looks a mess on an iPad.
MA
matteventu
Bronze
181 posts
Posted September 20, 2023 at 03:48 GMT ? Edited September 20, 2023 at 03:48 GMT
#704042
AI
airmax_zh
Bronze
18 posts
Posted September 20, 2023 at 10:31 GMT
I know... lots of complaints here, and there's still a lot to be fixed. But I still want to say: I really like the new design, looks way more modern and user friendly to me! Let's see how they're going to integrate the missing functions...

My B&O Icons:

Beosound-Theatre-.png Beosound-Theatre-.png
Beosound-35.png Beosound-35.png
Beoremote-One.png Beoremote-One.png
Beoplay-M3.png Beoplay-M3.png
Beoplay-H8i.png Beoplay-H8i.png
...
or
BeoWorld Gold Membership card
Join BeoWorld

Register to access the forums, reference material, and exclusive member benefits — including our monthly prize draw.

Become a Member

December 2026 Prize Draw

Gold Members Only

As a Gold member you're automatically entered into our exclusive prize draw — your chance to win iconic Bang & Olufsen products. A unique benefit of BeoWorld Gold membership, every draw brings a new opportunity to win something special.

View Prize Go For Gold
BeoSound Level

1st Prize

BeoConnect Core

2nd Prize

BeoRemote Halo

3rd Prize