It appears that the glass screen assembly and the rear cover of my Beo5 have a bit more play than they should. This results in annoying clicks, pops and rattles while handling the unit.  I'm assuming that this is simply an assembly tolerance issue.

I know that some have complained about the "cheap" feel of the beo5, while others have countered that it feels rock solid.  I can't help but wonder if this difference could be attributed to this very issue varying from unit to unit.

It seems that this would be an easy fix if I where able to remove the screen assembly (very carefully) from the backing and adjust the snapping mechanism with a small shim/wedge to make sure the assembly is under enough tension.  Has anyone had experience with the servicing of the Beo5 who can advise on whether the screen section of the unit can safely be separated?

Hi Michael

You can download the Service Manual where is well explained.

bought a new remote and after 2 weeks the remote developped strange pops and rattles. My dealer exchanged me with a new one that I tested in store and after 1 months everythig seems OK....

regards

Thanks for the replies.  My Beo5 is a little old for replacement and when I noticed that the dealer's suffered from similar symptoms I figured it was somewhat status quo.  

I did however manage to remedy the problem quite easily.  

The clicking/squeeking originates from the plastic shell surrounding the back part of the screen where the two halves snap together.  Due to the type of plastic used, handling of the remote creates a certain amount torquing which creates friction where the two halves meet.   The solution is simply to use a small amount of plastic-safe grease (as used in electronics at friction points ) brushed along both sides of the rim of the 'male' half of the case which inserts into the 'female' half.  This is obviously only applied to the rim of the shell that will be inserted within the female part of the case and not any exterior part.  Reassembly is straight forward taking care not to damage the cable from the Monitor when feeding/reattaching the cable into the slot on the main circuit-board in the base.

WARNING

This fix requires complete disassembly of the unit.  Although the service guide offers good instructions, it does not address the specifics to removing the back off the screen which is required to perform the service.  For this reason I am hesitant to recommend this fix as it would be very easy to damage the plastic functionally and cosmetically if one were to incorrectly "pry" off the back of the monitor.  I'm also unaware of the "proper technique" for this aspect of the disassmbly to the degree that I would be willing to offer advice on a public forum.

However, due to the fact that many units suffer from the Squeek/Click problem and the ease in which it was remedied, I feel it proper to share with the group. 

I certainly have more respect for the engineering of the beo5, apart from this particular design flaw, as the interior is very clean and well thought out.

Michael:

I certainly have more respect for the engineering of the beo5, apart from this particular design flaw, as the interior is very clean and well thought out.

B&O uses a very special grease for this already that once applied should be impossible to be removed. My guess is that either they forgot that step when manufactoring your device or (more likely) the amount has been insufficient to provide the needed function. Too much grease is also unwanted as you don't want the grease in other places than where it is supposed to help.

I would rather call it a manufactoring fault than a design flaw as this has been taken into consideration. The alternative would be a lot of (if no all) sqeeking Beo5s

Br,
Burnix

So is it supposed to give a little "click" when you press a touch screen button (possibly designed this way to provide audible feedback), or is this what people are complaining about (one person's rattle could very well be my "little click").

Thanks,

Stan

Yes Stan.
The touch screen has two pressure levels. A light touch highlights the icon, then a heavier press activates it and gives a confirming click.
Unique amongst touchscreens I believe!

Andy T.

Stan:

So is it supposed to give a little "click" when you press a touch screen button (possibly designed this way to provide audible feedback), or is this what people are complaining about (one person's rattle could very well be my "little click").

As Andy writes it is indeed intended to give the audible click (made by a little speaker) when you activate a key. This two step touch is one of the unique things of the Beo5 and it is made by letting the two half parts of the top part move slightly (you can see that the crack between the parts become smaller when you press the parts together.

If you open the remote (DON'T!!... I wrote if..) you will find two blade springs use both to detect the movement and to keep the two part seperated with the correct distance. These springs can be the root cause for the rattling (or making "boing" sounds when tapping on the remote) but there are also other sources for rattling.
The click sound however is indeed deliberate to give the user the feedback of having pressed the "key" - just like the mechanical feedback you get from pressing the keys on the Beo4.
There should be not audible clicks from the plastic parts themselves though.

I guess that some users haven't even noticed that the touch has two steps allowing you first to find the right button by touching gently on the display (indicated by the white square) and then activating the key sending the IR by pressing harder..

Br,
Burnix

I use the light touch all the time to back-light the hard keys - my thumbs still do not have them memorized

Stan

Yes there is definitely a difference between the speaker produced feedback "click"  and what I and a few others have found in our units.  Perhaps I should of specified that this is more of a friction squeek that produces sounds like multiple 'pops' when simply handling the unit. Obviously when pressing the screen there will be some degree of contact sound.   I'm glad to find that mine was an exception.  

The last thing any of us want from B&O is a remote that feels like it's a cheap plastic toy.  The Beo5 most certainly is not a cheap plastic toy hence my extreme measures to keep it from feeling and sounding like one.