Hi,

I bought a pair of the BeoLab 3 speakers earlier today and am trying to hook them upto a 40 inch Samsung LCD (model # LNS-4041D) without much luck.

I got the appropriate connectors to connect each speaker (B&O DIN) to the regular audio out jacks of the TV.

The BeoLab 3 loudspeakers connect to the TV but I can't seem to control the volume of the speakers from the TV. I can neither increase nor decrease the volume, it remains really loud!

I have tried turning on the internal mute of the TV (for TV's built in speakers) but that does not seem to have any impact.

The TV's manual states "Set the TV's internal mute to on and control the volume via the Amplifier's Volume control" under the 'Connecting an Amplifier/DVD home theater' section.

 Please help, thanks.

 dharmesh

Thanks, knew there had to be an easy way out of this. The y-adapter to the headphone jack should work.

d

Well, the saga continues...

The headphone jack it on one side so asthetically it's not too bad.

The set up today is such - the speakers connect to an output on an audio selector with the TV & an iPod set up as inputs. All three connections use RCA cables. But there's another issue that's been bothering me and B&O sales folks have no real answer to this problem - every time I turn the TV or the ipod on or off there's a 'boom' sound from the speakers. Same 'boom' sound if I switch between the inputs via the audio selector.

The BO salesperson today confirmed that this is not good, he also mentioned about the sound coming out of the headphone being pre-amplified and the amplifier built into the speakers not being fully utilized.

My hypothesis is that if I turn the device (TV or iPod) first and then power on the speakers (a couple seconds later) this does not happen. Similarly the opposite sequence before turning the device off. I have manually tried this and it seems to fix the problem.

So the only (not too straightforward) option is to somehow integrate this programmatically using my IR/RF capable Logitech Harmony 890 remote. First, I'd have to buy wall jacks that are capable of being IR/RF controlled, have these installed and then set up the Harmony remote to control it if possible. Not a 100% certain that this will work.

Or the other option is to return the BO speakers before the 7 days run out...not too excited about that either.

I'd appreciate suggestions anyone can provide.

 Cheers,

d

I would check the set-up menu to see whether you can control the line-out level. The spec's say "sound monitor out" from the unit and you may be able to set that to variable instead of fixed.

There's also an optical out - if you have a stereo that takes optical signals, then you can connect your speakers to that and control the volume through the stereo.
 
Otherwise, you can get a variable attenuator.
Here's a sample attenuator I have used for something else, this is not stereo, though. Check with your dealer - this must have happened to some other B&O customer before, he'll be able to suggest one.
http://w2ihy.com/ibox.asp

Finally - you could buy an Eyetv box, connect that to your cable/satellite (there are different versions for different kinds of signals). It would need to be connected to a computer (Mac). That will let  you record programmes and control volume using the mac remote (or a mobile phone if you use Salling Clicker).
Make sure you get one that matches the signal (cable, satellite, terrestrial digital, etc) in your home. http://www.elgato.com/index.php?file=products_eyetv410
 

The TV's menu doesn't have any obvious way of setting the sound to variable instead of fixed. I'll look into the attenuator, will this work even if the volume cannot be controlled from the TV's audio out?

As for the BO dealer, they seem to have run out of ideas and have told me they are happy to accept the return.

Our small stereo with bookshelf speakers is not located anywhere close to the TV so that won' work. Our aesthetic is rather minimal (reason for buying these speakers) so getting another EyeTv box is out too. Thanks for the suggestions though.

d

Another option, although perhaps not ideal, is look for a used BeoSystem 2 for use as an audio processor only.  You could conect the audio output from your TV (or indeed individual equipment) in to it and use the BeoLab 3's via powerlink.  the BS2 will not have any influence over the picture on your screen but will give you the sound processing you require, you could also in the future add more B&O speakers for full surround sound.  With the arrival of BeoSystem 3 more and more BeoSystem 2's are showing up at reasonable prices.

Just a thought

The variable attenuator will allow you to set a general level for the audio out signal. The attenuator "dampens" the strength of the signal, without distorting it.
You'll probably spend a little time fiddling until you get a level you like, and then you won't have to get up and adjust it any more.

I'll see if I can find one that can help you.

Too bad, this. It's a great pair of speakers for a television, but I can understand your frustration. I have a similar problem with BL3s in iTunes. I can adjust the volume on music playback from files, but when I listen to internet radio stations I either get "wake the wild dogs loud" or have to go to mute (which still leaks sound through). Am looking into fixing this with software.

There's another option for you, which I thought would be excessive, but that really would make your BL3s come alive, not just for TV-watching, but also for listening to music.

Buy a Benchmark DAC-1. I have the USB one. It connects to a variety of digital sources and converts these to an analog signal, that you then send to your BL3s.

You can use the optical out from the TV through the TOSLINK IN on the Benchmark. And then you can connect your computer music through the USB. (No drivers or set-up required, plug-and-play).
Simple selector in front - plus for you: a volume knob.

Excellent piece of kit, that totally opens up your digital music, from CDs or computer files. Also serves as a reference class Headphone Amplifier. Compact and wonderful:

http://www.benchmarkmedia.com/dac1/