BeoWorld North America

Re: Beomaster 5500 How do I enable Speaker 2 with MCP6500 ?

tournedos — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 14:04:31 GMT

Keep in mind that cleaning the relay may not be a long time fix. The contact points have a thin plating (platinum?) and when it's gone, it's gone and the points will oxidize again practically while you wait. Never use anything abrasive on them, regular piece of paper dipped in isopropanol, pulled back & forth between the contacts, will be enough to do what can still be done.

Of all the B&O kit I've acquired, I've had a few with apparent muting relay problems, but I have never actually attended to any of them - they have all sorted themselves by simply giving them some use. Often the receivers sit unused for a longer time before people finally decide to get rid of them, and the points oxidize even if they aren't worn yet.

Re: Beomaster 5500 How do I enable Speaker 2 with MCP6500 ?

jeremy112 — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 13:40:23 GMT

Hey everyone,

I wanted to let all of you who helped me out with this know, that I have sold the beomaster 5500 that did not work, I got more for it than what I paid for the 2 5500s and 6500 together so I dont mind it being gone.

I have kept the 6500 and am currently repairing it. Geoff I want to thank you for your detailed post. My beomaster 6500 is also showing the same corrosion on the relay, I will go ahead and do as you did with your old relay and get that cleaned up.

You are all a bunch of great people, very friendly and willing to help, I appreciate that a lot.

Thanks again!

Jeremy

Re: Beomaster 5500 How do I enable Speaker 2 with MCP6500 ?

geearr — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 21:11:16 GMT

Hi Jeremy

Last week, I encountered a similar problem on a BM5500 which had been given to me and I managed to get that one to work properly. I have just found this thread and can easily relate to all of the points that have been raised. Yes, I did put my speakers into the top sockets thinking that they were speaker 1 and consequently wondered why the speaker 2 output from the bottom sockets would not work. This is a very easy mistake to make on these machines. After that was resolved, my logic for solving the problem was as follows:

Connect speakers to the speaker 2 upper sockets, both channels work properly – no problem at all with the signal path to speaker 2.

No output from the lower sockets speaker 1, suspected that the relay was damaged or was being grounded via the headphone socket.

Mute signal from the MCP5500 did result in a clicking relay but no change in speaker 1 output.

Headphones worked properly on both channels, confirms that the signal path was OK.

No change to speaker 1 output when the headphone jack plug was repeatedly put in and out – will now have to open up the machine to examine the relay.

Took off the lid and raised the top PCB into the service position – rechecked that the speakers behaved the same as before and they did. Can now see that the relay is working when the mute signal is being applied and the relay is not activated when the power is first switched on.

Decided to remove the lower PCB to test the relay. Found that there was a very high resistance across both contacts when the solenoid was off. Contacts must be oxidized.

Removed relay and swapped with a similar one with good contacts – everything on speaker 1 works properly now.

As a follow up exercise, I tried to repair the relay but battled to get the clear plastic cover off without smashing it into one hundred pieces. I have now cut the cover off using a fine saw and Dremel. The terminals can be cleaned and the resistance is now back to normal showing a good connection. If I ever need to use this relay again, I have the option of gluing the cover back in place or holding it in place with plastic sticky tape. I think that I will choose the latter option as that will allow me to service this relay while it is on the PCB. The odds are that those terminals will oxidize again fairly quickly.

Hope that this has been of some help.

Regards

Geoff

Re: Beomaster 5500 How do I enable Speaker 2 with MCP6500 ?

Blackrix — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 04:52:42 GMT

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.

Re: Beomaster 5500 How do I enable Speaker 2 with MCP6500 ?

jeremy112 — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 13:43:18 GMT

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

I am going to try something else quick...

Re: Beomaster 5500 How do I enable Speaker 2 with MCP6500 ?

tournedos — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 12:04:55 GMT

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.

Re: Beomaster 5500 How do I enable Speaker 2 with MCP6500 ?

Step1 — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 11:55:43 GMT

Have you tried the trick Mika suggested?

Re: Beomaster 5500 How do I enable Speaker 2 with MCP6500 ?

jeremy112 — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 11:01:08 GMT

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?

Re: Beomaster 5500 How do I enable Speaker 2 with MCP6500 ?

Step1 — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:45:43 GMT

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

Re: Beomaster 5500 How do I enable Speaker 2 with MCP6500 ?

hemenex — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:43:57 GMT

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...

Re: Beomaster 5500 How do I enable Speaker 2 with MCP6500 ?

tournedos — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 12:22:07 GMT

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.

Re: Beomaster 5500 How do I enable Speaker 2 with MCP6500 ?

hemenex — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 11:39:03 GMT

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!

Re: Beomaster 5500 How do I enable Speaker 2 with MCP6500 ?

jeremy112 — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 09:56:54 GMT

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 :\

Re: Beomaster 5500 How do I enable Speaker 2 with MCP6500 ?

Krona — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 01:41:29 GMT

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.

Re: Beomaster 5500 How do I enable Speaker 2 with MCP6500 ?

jeremy112 — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 21:30:59 GMT

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?