Hello everyone :) As the subject says I am wondering how I enable speaker 2 on the Beomaster 5500 with the MCP? Any help is appreciated :D

Hello Henrik thanks for your reply,

On my beomaster 5500 all I can hear is speaker 1 output, both the left and right channels on speaker 1 sound fine, speaker 2 however does not output any audio at all.

I'm sorry this seems so complicated to me, these are my first Bang & Olufsen receivers I have owned and the whole concept of how everything operates with the master control panel and receiver is all new to me.

Would there be something wrong with my receiver?

jeremy112:

Hello Henrik thanks for your reply,

On my beomaster 5500 all I can hear is speaker 1 output, both the left and right channels on speaker 1 sound fine, speaker 2 however does not output any audio at all.

I'm sorry this seems so complicated to me, these are my first Bang & Olufsen receivers I have owned and the whole concept of how everything operates with the master control panel and receiver is all new to me.

Would there be something wrong with my receiver?

How have you got the second set of speakers attached ?

In general B&O's design is not for just a second set of speakers but rather a series of link rooms.

Look here for some background data: http://www.beoworld.org/beotech/mclconn1.htm

hello elephant,

I have the beomaster 5500 hooked up to 4 jamo J-103 speakers, both pair are connected directly into the receivers Speaker 1 and Speaker 2 left & right outputs. Only speaker one works on the left and right channel.

I do have a second Beomaster 5500 and both speaker 1 and Speaker 2 work just fine with the same 4 speakers hooked up to the speaker 1 and speaker 2 outputs.

 So I have no idea what the deal is :\

jeremy112:

I do have a second Beomaster 5500 and both speaker 1 and Speaker 2 work just fine with the same 4 speakers hooked up to the speaker 1 and speaker 2 outputs.

That is a puzzle.

Did you use the same wiring for testing both BM 5500?  Because I thought there had to be an extra signal to activate the Speaker 2 ports ... and that signal usually comes from the MCL box ... but I could be wrong.

I have an older BM 5000 and its older MCL-82 connections which seem to work that way.

Do you have tools that can test the electrical signals that are on the Speaker 2 plugs ... both at the BM 5500s and at the ends of the speaker cables ?

In a 5500, there is nothing between the amplifier outputs and the #2 sockets. #1 outputs go through the muting relay, and they can be switched on & off.

So it can't be a configuration or usage issue if the same speakers with the same cables and same plugs work in the same sockets in another Beomaster. There must be something physically wrong with the #2 sockets - possibly solderings broken off due to somebody yanking on the cables in the past. Or somebody has used rusty 2" nails or coat hangers to hook up the speakers, and the sockets won't make contact with proper plugs any more.

I think that maybe the OP has simply confused the speaker 1/2 sockets and it is infact the speaker 1 sockets that are not working?

OP try excersising mute a few times and disconnect the active speakers to see if anything can be heard. If not maybe a new relay is in order?

Hello everyone,

Sorry for the delay in my response. I am pretty sure I had it hooked up correctly, but then again the way the print is on the BM5500 for the outputs and inputs can get confusing.

Speaker 1 is the top speaker outputs with speaker 2 being the bottom right?

I have tried the mute function as suggested, with all 4 hooked up, it did not make a difference. I am technically able, but I wanted to make sure it was not something I was doing before I have to start working on it. Seeing as I can fully operate the other beomaster 5500 without issue I am tending to beleive that this one has an issue.

I will check later today and see if the solder contacts have become damaged, as well as the connections themselves. I can see how some people will jam anything into the outputs to save themselves a buck.

Thank you all for your help so far :) Great to know theres a place to go for these receivers. Neat little units that have nice sound quality.

One other thing, I also have a Beomaster 6500 that has a fried ouput channel. I am wondering if the power output rating of the beomaster 6500 is 110 watts per channel vs 50 watts per channel for the Beomaster 5500? I am going by what I have seen searching google, but I would expect people on this forum to know a bit better than a search engine

Jeremy :)

jeremy112:

Speaker 1 is the top speaker outputs with speaker 2 being the bottom right?

Yes, they are confusing especially if you look from the above... looking at the drawing in the setup manual without a live specimen, I still can't say which ones are on the top! In any case, #1 are beside the grounding screw (and have 4 pin sockets), #2 beside the DIN socket for an external IR receiver or whatever it is for. #1 should follow the muting function, #2 stay on all the time.

jeremy112:

One other thing, I also have a Beomaster 6500 that has a fried ouput channel. I am wondering if the power output rating of the beomaster 6500 is 110 watts per channel vs 50 watts per channel for the Beomaster 5500? I am going by what I have seen searching google, but I would expect people on this forum to know a bit better than a search engine

The circuitry differs very little between them. I believe the higher output of the 6500 (and 7000) is all due to a different way of specifying the power or which line you look at in the spec sheet - actually, the 5500 is also specified as 2x110W/8Ω measured with the IEC norm (and 2x50W IHF, as you say). Here's more on that if you really want to confuse yourself:

http://huonlabs.com/audioacoustics/surroundsound/005/05_select_amps.htm

With the Beomaster 5500 I always look at the ariel inputs and use them as the basis for deceiphering the diagrams lol. Seems to work ok!

tournedos:

different way of specifying the power or which line you look at in the spec sheet

Modern times - yes the specs have ever been changed for the worse.

Best example is the "PMPO" - Wattage.

It's also called the "cardboard wattage" - because it's only printed on the cardboard package .

hemenex:

tournedos:

different way of specifying the power or which line you look at in the spec sheet

Modern times - yes the specs have ever been changed for the worse.

Best example is the "PMPO" - Wattage.

It's also called the "cardboard wattage" - because it's only printed on the cardboard package .

hehe I always called that the argos wattage - Argos being a catalogue / invisible shelf shop company in the UK.

Well ok sorry it took so long to get back to all of you :)

I am listening to the 5500 right now and I have tried every single fathemable way to get speaker 2 to work and I cannot hear any audio out of it at all. A real shame

Other than that, this receiver works fine, but I also cannot get this one to tune like I can my other 5500. I know how it works so I dont know what I'm doing wrong... is the step program supposed to be on a certain number?

See if the timer is activated. It might be the problem. You disable it by pressing the "step program" and "mute" in a few seconds.

Unfortunately that did not work :( Is there a reset for the receiver itself, to set it back to factory default? Otherwise I guess I am at a loss :\

Just had a look at the schematics - there is no way to stop speakers 2 from working

That'll backup Mika's findings...

So either someone has clipped off those speaker connector wires or the connectors itself are faulty.

Maybe even the wires have fallen off...

Don't know your skills but you might have a look inside...

EDIT: found this on your posts:

jeremy112:

Speaker 1 is the top speaker outputs with speaker 2 being the bottom right?

NOPE!

Speakers 2 are at the TOP (those with 3 pins). The lower ones are speaker 1 (with 4 pins). So that solves the mystery of not-working permanent attached speakers

So obviously your speakers 1 aren't working which makes much more sense... Now it's back to muting circuit or mute relay...

P.S. @ olly: BINGO!

hemenex:

So obviously your speakers 1 aren't working which makes much more sense... Now it's back to muting circuit or mute relay...

And another good way to permanently mute #1 outputs is to break a headphone plug in the socket...

The switch in the socket can get stuck, too, or oxidize and lose contact. I vaguely remember arriving to this diagnosis with somebody else a long time ago. If you don't find a broken plug in it, try inserting and removing one for several times, perhaps wiggling it a bit.

If you don't hear a relay click in the Beomaster when you operate MUTE normally from the remote control, this is a possible problem source.

tournedos:

And another good way to permanently mute #1 outputs is to break a headphone plug in the socket...

Good point!

Or probably leave one of those in it...

hemenex:

tournedos:

And another good way to permanently mute #1 outputs is to break a headphone plug in the socket...

Good point!

Or probably leave one of those in it...

LOL I think if you managed to force one of these into the socket you would have more to worry about than speaker 1 not working

Well ok, a new development!

I had not noticed this until today, but when I hit mute, there is no relay click... Man do I feel stupid!

So there is either something wrong with the relay or the muting circuit right?

Have you tried the trick Mika suggested?

jeremy112:

So there is either something wrong with the relay or the muting circuit right?

Yep. It is possible that the circuits controlling the relay or the relay winding itself might have a fault... but I've never heard it happen. It often oxidizes so that you won't get sound or the sound is distorted, but the relay will still click in that case.

I think the number 1 suspect at this point is the headphone socket. Give it some exercise with a headphone plug as I suggested earlier. I just realized my 6500 is the same way - if I pull the plug out just like that, 3 times out of 4 the switch won't operate and the speakers stay muted. I need to wiggle it a bit halfway out to get the speakers to turn on

EDIT: I'm too slow writing, Olly Also, the muting control via the headphone socket overrides the control signal coming from the processor of the Beomaster. If the switch is stuck, mute stays on.

I have tried the headphone jack trick and that does not work in this situation, unfortunately...

I am going to try something else quick...

BeoMaster 5500 could have bad solderings on the input PCB which could cause the problem. Also have a good look at the contacts of the speakersockets, sometimes they get bend and will not make contact with the speakerplug which results in no sound from your speakers.