almando Decoder III User manual

Almando Multiplay Surround
(Decoder III)
Installation and Operating Instructions

ALMANDO
In the digital world of consumer electronics, there are high quality devices,
technologically sophisticated devices, devices with good design and devices that are
easy to use. And there are a few devices that com ine all of this to meet the needs of
their users - such as devices from almando Gm H. To do this, we take new and
unconventional paths and can rely on many years of experience.
Congratulations on purchasing the almando Multiplay Surround. The device is 100%
B&O compati le and offers connection options for up to six speakers in a 5.1 setup
(front, surround, center speakers and su woofer).
Various devices from Bang & Olufsen can e connected to the numerous inputs®and
as well as from other manufacturers. The almando Multiplay Surround automatically
recognizes whether one of the connected sources is active and automatically
activates the loudspeakers. If several sources are active at the same time, an
intelligent priority circuit ensures that only the source with the highest priority can e
heard.
You only ever need one remote control to activate and operate your player – the
almando Multiplay Surround takes care of the rest automatically.
The almando Multiplay Surround is certified y Dol y and DTS.
almando Gm H is not connected to Bang & Olufsen®, asic®, Hisense®, LG®, Lion®,
Metz®, Panansonic®, Phillips®, Samsung®, Sharp®, Sonos®, Sony®, Toshi a®, TechniSat
®.
All names, logos, etc. are registered trademarks of the manufacturers listed in this
description.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
ALMANDO ................................................. .................................................. ................. 2
TABLE OF CONTENTS................................................. ................................................ 3
TRADEMARKS ..................................................... .................................................. ...... 4
SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS ................................................. ....................................... 5
FUNCTIONALITY................................................. .................................................. ... 6
START-UP STEPS................................................................. ............................ 7
Step 1: Connect speakers ................................................ .......................................... 7
Front speakers: Here, for example, with newer B&O speakers with RJ45 Powerlink sockets ............7
Surround speakers: Here, for example, with older B&O speakers with 8-pin DIN Powerlink sockets ..8
Center speaker ..................................................... .................................................. ..........................9
su woofer ..................................... .................................................. ......................................9
Multi-channel configurations ..................................................... .................................................. .............10
Step 2: Connect sources................................................ ................................................. 11
Step 3: Connect Multiplay Surround to the network (optional) ........................................ 12
Step 4: Connect Multiplay Surround to the power grid......................................... ........ 12
Step 5: Download and install the Google Home app........................................ ........ 13
Step 6: Download and install the Almando Play App........................................ ........ 13
ALMANDO PLAY APP ................................................ ................................................. 14
Rooms (main page of the app)........................................ .................................................. .. 14
Ideas................................................. .................................................. ..................... 15
Settings > Speakers ..................................................... ................................................ 16
Configuration WIRELESS SPEAKERS (optional *) ........................................ ...................17
Settings > In ox................................................. .................................................. .... 19
radio ................................................ .................................................. .................................. 20
music ................................................ .................................................. .................................. 20
Inputs ..................................................... .................................................. ....................... 21
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS................................................ ................................................ 22
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TRADEMARK
Manufactured under license from Dol y La oratories. Dol y, Dol y
Audio, Pro Logic and the dou le-D sym ol are registered trademarks of
Dol y La oratories.
Manufactured under license from DTS Licensing Limited. DTS, the
Sym ol, & DTS and the Sym ol together are registered trademarks of
DTS, inc. For DTS patents, see http://patents.dts.com
Apple, AirPlay, iPad, iPad Air, iPad Pro and iPhone are trademarks of
Apple Inc., registered in the US and other countries. The trademark
"iPhone" is used in Japan with a license from Aiphone KK Use of the
Works with Apple adge means that an accessory has een designed to
work specifically with the technology identified in the adge and has
een certified y the developer to meet Apple performance standards.
Google, Google Play, Chromecast, and other related marks are
trademarks of Google LLC. The Google Assistant requires an internet
connection and is not availa le in certain countries and languages.
Availa ility and react of certain features and services are device, service,
and network-dependent and may not e availa le in all areas. Controlling
certain devices in your home requires compati le smart devices.
Su scriptions for services and applications may e required and
additional terms, conditions and/or charges may apply.
The terms HDMI, HDMI High-Definition Multimedia Interface, and the
HDMI Logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of HDMI
Licensing Administrator, Inc.
The Wi-Fi CERTIFIEDTM
Wi-Fi Alliance®.
Logo is a certification mark of
WiSA is a trademark of Summit Wireless, registered in the United
States and/or other countries.
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SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
The connection to the mains is made with the supplied USB-PD power
supply unit (20V, 3A) and the also supplied USB-C ca le (60W).
If you use a different power supply unit or a different USB-C ca le,
these minimum requirements must e o served.
Protect the device from moisture and moisture. Do not operate the
device in the rain. The device must not e operated near water,
athtu s, wash asins, kitchen sinks, wet rooms, swimming pools or
damp rooms. Do not place o jects filled with liquids, such as vases,
glasses, ottles, etc., on the device.
Avoid direct sunlight and the immediate vicinity of radiators, radiant
heaters or similar devices.
If the unit is suddenly moved from a cold to a warm place,
condensation may form inside the unit. Wait until the device has
reached room temperature efore switching it on.
To protect the device during thunderstorms or if it is not used or
supervised for a long period of time, the mains plug should e pulled
out. This prevents damage to the device due to lightning and power
surges.
Improper use and opening the device will void the warranty!
Disclaimer:
almando Gm H is not lia le for damage to devices caused y
negligence or improper use. In particular, almando Gm H is not
lia le for lost profits or other financial losses of the uyer. This
limitation also applies to the personal lia ility of employees,
representatives and vicarious agents.
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FUNCTIONALITY
The almando Multiplay Surround was developed to integrate third-party devices into a 5.1
surround setup with Bang & Olufsen speakers and system.
Any television (e.g. Grundig®, Hisense®, LG®, Lion®, Metz®, Panansonic®, Phillips®,
Samsung®, Sharp®, Sonos®, Sony®, TechniSat®, Toshi a®) can e connected to the
HDMI (e)ARC input. In this way, volume control with the TV remote control is also
possi le.
All video devices (Apple TV, Bluray player, etc.) are connected directly to the television
- all audio devices, on the other hand, are connected directly to the various inputs of
the almando Multiplay Surround. There is of course the classic Powerlink socket for
Bang & Olufsen systems (eg Beosound 9000). Then there are still digital inputs (coax
and optical) availa le for devices such as Apple Airport Express or Sonos Port. And
finally there is also a stereo cinch input.
You can see an application example for the almando Multiplay Surround here:
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The almando Multiplay Surround can e individually configured with a smartphone
app. This allows you to set all parameters such as lipsync, downmix, pro logic mode,
volume and distances of the loudspeakers and make sound settings such as tre le,
ass and loudness, etc. And sometimes even for each input individually. In this way,
you can tailor your surround setup perfectly to your needs.
START-UP STEPS
Step 1: Connect speakers
The almando Multilpay Surround Decoder offers six RJ45 sockets for connecting Bang
& Olufsen loudspeakers in a full 5.1 surround setup as well as another for an
additional stereo zone - ideal for an open living room situation.
Front speakers:
Here, for example, with newer B&O loudspeakers with RJ45 Powerlink sockets
You can connect newer B&O
loudspeakers (e.g. BeoLa 18)
directly with a CAT 7 patch ca le.
Shown here is BeoLa 18
connected as a front speaker.
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If the speaker has two Powerlink
sockets, looping through is also
possi le (daisy chain).
There are also various older
B&O loudspeakers with two
Powerlink sockets (e.g. BeoLa
6000, BeoLa 4000, BeoLa 5,
etc.). Looping through is also
possi le with these.
Surround speakers:
Here, for example, with older B&O loudspeakers with 8-pin DIN Powerlink sockets
For older B&O speakers (e.g.
BeoLa 5, BeoLa 8000, BeoLa
6000 etc.) you need a special
RJ45 <-> Powerlink adapter to
connect them.
Shown here is the BeoLa 8000
connected as a surround
speaker.
8th

center speaker
Both mono and stereo speakers (as shown
here, a BeoLa 7) can e connected to the
center socket. The center tone is output here
on oth Powerlink audio signals of the
socket.
Su woofers
Su woofers - like a BeoLa 2
shown here - are connected to
the corresponding RJ45 socket.
BeoLa 14 can also e
connected here without any
pro lems (centre and su woofer
are output separately on the two
audio signals from the
Powerlink socket).
Do you also have the
corresponding passive
speakers are connected, you will need two more CAT 7 ca les for the front and
surround speakers (shown here with dashed lines).
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multi-channel configurations
You can realize all speaker configurations from 2.0 stereo mode to full 5.1 surround
mode:
5.1 surround mode
with center and
with su woofer
3.1 stereo mode
with center and
with su woofer
5.0 surround mode
with center
without a su woofer
3.0 stereo mode
with center
without a su woofer
4.1 surround mode
without centers
with su woofer
2.1 stereo mode
without centers
with su woofer
4.0 surround mode
without centers
without a su woofer
2.0 stereo mode
without centers
without a su woofer
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Step 2: Connect sources
POWERLINK (8pin DIN)
Here you can connect a Bang & Olufsen system (BeoSound 9000, BeoSound
Overture) with a classic Powerlink ca le.
Newer B&O systems (such as BeoSound Essence, BeoSound Moment) can also e
connected – you need a Powerlink <-> RJ45 adapter ca le for this.
LINE IN (RCA)
Any device that has a stereo cinch output (volume controlla le if possi le), eg
Raumfeld Connector, Sonos Connect, can e connected here.
COAX
If possi le, only use devices with a volume-adjusta le digital output such as Sonos
Port, Sonos Connect etc.
OPTICAL
If possi le, only use devices with a volume-adjusta le optical output such as
BeoSound Core, Sonos Connect, etc.
The optical input can also e coupled with HDMI (e)ARC.
HDMI(e)ARC/CEC
Connect the television with the supplied HDMI ca le and activate the HDMI (e)ARC
function in the setup menu of your TV set. Please also note the information in the
operating instructions for the television.
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Step 3: Connect Multiplay Surround to the network (optional)
The almando Multiplay Surround is WiFi-certified and can e connected wirelessly to
the network.
The device also has an integrated switch with two RJ45 sockets and can optionally e
connected to your network with a patch ca le. If required, an additional device can e
connected via the second RJ45 socket (e.g. a television, etc.).
Important note: This is not possi le if the almando Multiplay Surround is connected
to the network wirelessly via WLAN. This means that the almando Multiplay Surround
CANNOT e used as a WLAN repeater!
Step 4: Connect Multiplay Surround to the mains
After you have connected all speakers and play ack devices, connect the almando
Multiplay Surround to your power supply.
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Step 5: Download and install the Google Home app
We recommend the Google Home app for commissioning. This is
availa le free of charge for the Android and iOS platforms.
Download the free one from the Apple App
StoreGOOGLE HOMEDownload the app and
install it on your iPhone or iPad.
Download the free one from the Google Play
StoreGOOGLE HOMEDownload the app and
install it on your Android smartphone or
ta let.
After installation, start the Google Home app and you can start the initial setup for
the Almando device. You define the device name (e.g. living room) and, if necessary,
enter the access data for your home WLAN.
Step 6: Download and install the Almando Play app
For the audio settings and daily use you need the Almando Play app.
This is availa le free of charge for the Android and iOS platforms.
Download the free app from the Apple App
StoreALMANDO PLAYDownload and install it
on your iPhone or iPad.
Download the free app from the Google Play
StoreALMANDO PLAYDownload and install it
on your Android smartphone or ta let.
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ALMANDO PLAY APP
Rooms (main page of the app)
The main screen of the app is divided into the following sections:
In the upper area you will find
information a out the menu level and
the icon for opening the settings.
The middle section lists all almando
devices availa le in the network. To
play music from a specific device or
configure that device, select it and it
will e highlighted in orange.
When delivered, the device name
consists of the word almando
followed y part of the MAC address.
Of course, you can specify the device
name yourself during configuration,
for example living room
This icon takes you to the details of
the current play ack. The volume
control is to the right of it.
You can use the icons in the menu
ar elow to access the other areas of
the app.
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Ideas
The most important area of settings
is for the speakers and for the inputs.
You take this for each individual
entrance
settings individually. To do this,
simply switch on the input to e
configured
connected source and start
play ack.
Here you select your preferred music
service (e.g. Spotify) for quick access
via the almando Play app.
Here you select the icons that are
displayed in the menu ar.
Click here if you want to set an Airplay
password.
To access network settings, please
click here.
Click this utton to go to the
Firmware Update page.
Here you can reset your device to
factory settings.
If you want to restart your device, you
can click here - this has the same
function as disconnecting the device
from the mains for a few seconds.
TheYou can download and display
the operating instructions here as a
PDF.
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Settings > Speakers
* Optional: If the device has an
integrated WiSA transmitter module,
you can open a page here to connect
speakers wirelessly (e.g. BeoLa 18).
This area allows you to select the
speaker you want to configure using
the controls elow.
Use the upper slider to set the
distance from the speaker to the
seating position.
And here you determine the volume
of the selected speaker (compared to
the others). You can increase or
decrease the level y up to 12 dB at a
time.
Here you specify whether the
selected speaker is a "large speaker",
i.e. suita le for reproducing low
frequencies ( ass). If you selected
"LFE" a ove, indicate here whether a
su woofer is connected.
With this utton you can play a test
tone. This allows you to identify the
speaker selected a ove and verify
that it is connected to the correct
output on the device. The test tone is
also helpful for optimally setting the
volume ratios etween the individual
speakers.
Here you specify whether data signals are to e output to the B&O loudspeakers
(data fed in from B&O devices or data generated y the almando device itself for
third-party devices). This is only necessary when a BeoLa 5, BeoLa 4500 or BeoLa
Penta is connected. Otherwise the generation of the "data signal" should remain
deactivated (default setting).
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Configuration WIRELESS SPEAKERS (optional *)
* This function is only availa le if the almando Multiplay Surround Decoder has an
integrated WISA module (option with surcharge).
First put all WiSA loudspeakers or WISA receivers in pairing mode in order to e a le
to register them with the almando Multiplay Surround Decoder.
Please refer to the instructions that came with your wireless speaker, e.g. B. BeoLa
18 for more information on how to connect your speaker.
After that click
RECONFIG RE
All loudspeakers found are
displayed with num ers in
the middle
When tapping the
a short hissing tone is
played
around the speaker
to e a le to identify
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Now select the channel
(position) that this
Loudspeaker should play,
e.gFR(front right)
Repeat the assignment
for all other speakers
and finally click on
SAVE ON COMP TER
WithSEPARATEcan
You later single
speakers again
remove or with
RECONFIG RE
complete the setup
again
to lead
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Settings > In ox
You make various settings separately for each individual input. To do this, simply
switch on the play ack device at the input that you want to configure and start
play ack – eg the TV at the HDMI ARC input, as shown here.
In the DOWNMIX area, you determine
which speakers should e used for
play ack when this input is active.
The first num er means the num er
of front speakers. The num er after
the slash indicates the num er of rear
speakers. For example, you can play
ack the sound in full surround sound
when watching TV (HDMI: 3/2) and,
on the other hand, only run your B&O
system in stereo via the two front
speakers (DIN: 2/0)
For the sound settings, you can raise
or lower the tre le and ass y up to
12 dB each, and activate or deactivate
loudness.
With this controller you determine
the channel-specific volume of the
active input with which the connected
source is to e played ack.
Delay/Lipsync. Select a news or talk
show channel and slide the slider
until the picture and sound are lip-
synching.
Although some TV sets have an
HDMI-CEC connection, they require
additional parallel ca ling with an
optical ca le (Toslink). Here you can
couple the inputs HDMI ARC and
OPTICAL.
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radio
On the radio page you can start the station you want.
Music
This is where you start your
favorite music app (e.g. Spotify) in
daily use.
Here you can choose which music
services to list in the a ove pane for
quick access in everyday use.
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