almando Multiplay Stereo User manual

Almando Multiplay Stereo / Powerlink-Switch
Powerlink output for B&O speakers (even Beo ab 5!)
Stereo inputs for B&O and third-party devices
(via enclosed adapter also signal detection for devices with RCA- or headphone output,
e.g. Sonos Connect, Sony TV etc.)
SPDIF input – only at Almando Multiplay Stereo
(e.g. for Apple Airport Express, Google Chromecast Audio, Sonos Connect, etc.)
Multiplay Automatic
(audio signal detection, source change with priority circuit, speaker on/off, Auto-Standby)
Bluetooth module for wireless audio streaming
Configuration with the free app A MANDO CONTRO
Installation and operating instructions

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ALMANDO
In the digital world of entertainment electronics, there are high-quality devices,
technologically sophisticated devices, devices with good design and easy-to-use
devices. And there are a few devices that combine all this in order to meet the needs
of their users - like devices from almando Gmb . For this, we are taking new and
unconventional paths and can rely on many years of experience.
We congratulate you on buying the almando Multiplay Stereo / Powerlink-Switch. The
unit is 100% B&O compatible. All active speakers from Bang & Olufsen Lautsprecher
with Powerlink input can be connected – even BeoLab 5!
Various devices from Bang & Olufsen and from other manufacturers can be connected
to the inputs. The almando Multiplay Stereo / Powerlink-Switch automatically detects
whether one of the connected sources is playing and automatically activates the
speakers. Once several sources are active simultaneously, an intelligent priority circuit
ensures that only the source with the highest priority can be heard.
In order to activate and operate your connected device, you only need a single remote
control - the almando Multiplay Stereo / Powerlink-Switch does the rest automatically.
The almando Multiplay Stereo and the almando Powerlink-Switch has a high-quality
aptX Bluetooth module integrated. This allows you to play the music from your
smartphone or tablet (iOS and Android) wirelessly - the speakers switch on
automatically. The almando Multiplay Surround Switch can also be configured and put
into operation with a free App.
almando Gmb is not affiliated with Amazon
®
, Bang & Olufsen
®
, Google
®
, Loewe
®
,
Metz
®
, Sonos
®
, Sony
®
, 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
Information for Users on Collection and Disposal of Old Equipment ............................ 6
OW IT WORKS ........................................................................................................... 7
STEPS FOR SETUP ..................................................................................................... 9
Step 1: Download and Install the App .................................................................................... 9
Step 2: Connect the Multiplay / Powerlink- Switch to the Power Grid ..................................... 9
Step 3: Establishing a Bluetooth connection to the smartphone / tablet ............................... 10
Step 4: Connecting the speakers ......................................................................................... 10
Connecting speakers individually with a Y-adapter ........................................................................... 10
Connecting speakers in daisy chain ................................................................................................. 11
Connecting speakers together with a subwoofer .............................................................................. 11
Step 5: Connect the Sources ................................................................................................ 12
Step 6: Start the almando App ............................................................................................. 13
ALMANDO CONTROL APP ....................................................................................... 14
Control (Main Screen of the App) ......................................................................................... 14
General Settings ................................................................................................................... 15
Speaker Settings .................................................................................................................. 17
Input Settings ....................................................................................................................... 18
TEC NICAL SPECIFICATIONS ................................................................................. 19

4
TRADEMARKS
„Made for iPhone“ and „Made for iPad” mean that an electronic
accessory has been designed to connect specifically to iPhone
or iPad, respectively, and has been certified by the developer
to meet Apple performance standards.
Apple is not responsible for the operation of this device or its
compliance with safety and regulatory standards.
Please note that the use of this accessory with iPhone or iPad
may affect wireless performance.
Apple, Apple TV, Apple Watch, iPad, iPad Air, iPad Pro,
iPhone, and Lightning are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered
in the U.S. and other countries.
tvOS is a trademark of Apple Inc.
App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc.
The Bluetooth word mark and logos are registered trademarks
owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and any use of such marks by
almando Gmb is under license.

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SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
Connect the device to the power supply using the supplied power cord.
A damaged cable must not be repaired.
The operating voltage must match the local mains voltage
.
Protect the device from moisture and water. Do not operate the unit in
rain. The appliance must not be operated near water, bathtub, sink,
kitchen sink, wet room, swimming pool or damp rooms. Do not place
objects filled with liquid, such as vases, glasses, bottles, etc. on top of
the device.
Avoid direct exposure to the sun as well as the immediate proximity of
radiators, radiant heaters or similar devices.
If the appliance is suddenly brought from a cold to a warm place,
condensation may form inside the appliance. Before switching on, wait
until the device has reached room temperature.
To protect the device during a thunderstorm or when it is not
supervised or used for an extended period, the mains plug should be
pulled. This prevents damage to the device due to lightning strikes and
voltage surges in the power supply system.
In case of improper use and by opening the device, the guarantee
claim will be extinguished!
Disclaimer of liability:
Almando Gmb is not liable for damage to equipment caused by
negligence or improper use. In particular, almando Gmb is not liable
for loss of profit or other assets of the buyer. This restriction also
applies to the personal liability of employees, representatives and
vicarious agents.

6
Information for Users on Collection and Dis osal of Old
Equi ment
These symbols on the products, packaging, and/or accompanying
documents mean that used electrical and electronic products and
batteries should not be mixed with general household waste. For
proper treatment, recovery and recycling of old products and used
batteries, please take them to applicable collection points, in
accordance with your national legislation and the Directives
2002/96/EC and 2006/66/EC.
By disposing of these products and batteries correctly, you will help to
save valuable resources and prevent potential negative effects on
human health and the environment which could otherwise arise from
inapropriate waste handling.
For more information about collection and recycling of old products and
batteries, please contact your local municipality, your waste disposal
service or the point of sale where you purchased the items..
[Information for business users in the European Union]
If you wish to discard electrical equipment, please contact your dealer or supplier for
further information.
[Information on Disposal in other Countries outside the European Union]
These symbols are only valid in the European Union. If you wish to discard these items,
please contact your local authorities or dealer and ask for the correct method of
disposal..

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HOW IT WORKS
The almando Multiplay Stereo and the Powerlink-Switch were developed to integrate
external devices into a stereo setup with B&O speakers and audio system
Various devices with volume-controlled output can be connected:
- TVs from Bang & Olufsen, Loewe, Metz, Sony, TechniSat
- Audio devices from B&O (e.g. BeoSound 9000, Overture, Essence, Moment, etc.)
- Audio devices from other manufacturers (e.g. Amazon Echo Dot, Apple Airport
Express, Google Chromecast Audio, Sonos Connect, etc.
ere you can see an example of use for Multiplay Stereo:
Powerlink signals from connected B&O devices are simply looped through. All other
audio signals - whether digital or analog - are converted to a 100% standard B&O
Powerlink signal including the trigger voltage required for the B&O loudspeakers (as
well as the B&O data signal for BeoLab 5, BeoLab 4500 and BeoLab Penta if required).

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The almando Multiplay Stereo and the Powerlink-Switch are not just a Powerlink
converter. It’s also an automatic source management. To operate one of the connected
devices, all you need is the respective remote control and you can also adjust the
volume in this way.
The connected sources have different priorities - i.e. even if several sources are active
at the same time, you will only hear the one with the highest priority. For example, you
can present photos on the TV with music from your audio system, or listen to
suggestions from your music service during the halftime of a football match.
The almando Multiplay Stereo and the Powerlink-Switch can be configured individually
with a free smartphone app. This allows you to set all parameters such as initial
volumes, operating mode (signal detection on/off), automatic generation of the data
signal for BeoLab 5 and sound settings such as treble, bass and loudness, etc. - and
in some cases even individually for each input. This is how you can adjust your audio
setup perfectly to your needs.
You will no longer need the almando Control App in your daily use of your equipment -
just the remote control of the device you want to listen to is sufficient. And this is the
great strength of the almando device - it does everything for you fully automatically -
from recognizing active devices to switching the speakers on and off to smart switching
between equally active sources according to predefined priorities.

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STEPS FOR SETUP
Ste 1: Download and Install the A
Download the free ALMANDO CONTROL app
from the Apple App Store and install it on your
iPhone or iPad.
Download the free ALMANDO CONTROL app
from the Google Play Store and install it on
your Android smartphone or tablet.
Ste 2: Connecting the Multi lay / Powerlink- Switch to the Power Grid
Now connect the almando Multiplay Stereo /
Powerlink-Switch to the mains.
Speakers and auxiliary devices may not be
connected until later.

10
Ste 3: Establishing a Bluetooth connection to the smart hone / tablet
After connecting the almando Multiplay Stereo / Powerlink-Switch to the mains open
the settings in your smartphone, enable Bluetooth, and search for new Bluetooth
devices in the area. As soon as a device named "Almando..." is found, click on it and it
is paired with the device. You have two minutes to do this after pressing the Bluetooth
button on the – during this time, the device is in discovery mode and is visible to your
smartphone when scanning for new devices.
This pairing only needs to be done once. If you want to connect another smartphone
later, simply disconnect the almando device from the mains for a few seconds and do
the same as when pairing with the first smartphone.
Ste 4: Connecting the s eakers
The almando Multilpay Stereo and the almando Powerlink switch offer an 8-pin DIN
socket for connecting Bang & Olufsen loudspeakers. On request, the Powerlink
output is also available as RJ45 socket for the new generation B&O speakers
(e.g. BeoLab 18).
Connecting s eakers individually with a Y-ada ter
To connect your B&O speakers individually,
you need a Powerlink-Y-Adapter (#210111),
because the almando Multiplay and the
almando Powerlink-Switch have only one
output socket.
This example shows the connection of a pair
of BeoLab 8000.

11
Connecting s eakers in daisy chain
If your B&O speakers each have two
Powerlink sockets, you can also loop the
Powerlink cables through (daisy chain) - from
one speaker to the next, like a chain of lights.
ere you can see the connection of a pair of
BeoLab 18.
Connecting s eakers together with a subwoofer
You can also connect a subwoofer. The
subwoofer itself has two further Powerlink
sockets to which you connect the pair of
speakers.
The figure shows the connection of one
BeoLab 2 and one pair of BeoLab 3.

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Ste 5: Connecting the Sources
INPUT 1 INPUT 2
INPUT 1 – POWERLINK (8pin DIN)
ere you can connect a Bang & Olufsen system (BeoSound 9000, BeoSound Overture)
with a classic Powerlink cable.
Newer B&O systems (such as BeoSound Essence, BeoSound Moment) can also be
connected - this input is also available as an RJ45 socket.
INPUT 2 – POWERLINK (8pin DIN)
ere you can also connect Bang & Olufsen devices. In addition, it is also possible to
connect devices from other manufacturers using the enclosed DIN RCA adapter. In
signal detection mode, no switching voltage is required (applies only to input 2, not to
input 1).
As soon as a signal is present, it is converted into a Powerlink signal with switching
voltage.
If the source no longer supplies a signal (e.g. if it is muted or switched off), an intelligent
circuit ensures that the Powerlink signal is turned off and the B&O speakers go into
standby. This is necessary e.g. for longer breaks between audio books or gives you
enough time to select the next songs for playback in your music archive.

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SPDIF
SPDIF (only at Multiplay Stereo)
If possible, use only audio devices with a volume controllable optical output such as
Apple Airport Express, Google Chromecast Audio, Sonos Connect, etc. The necessary
fiber optic cables are included in delivery.
The almando Multiplay Stereo is also able to convert PCM stereo signals from video
devices via SPDIF (e.g. Bluray players, various televisions, AV receivers, Apple TV) -
however, these sources CANNOT be volume controlled with their own remote control.
The volume control should always be done with the Almando App, which is of course
not very comfortable.
Ste 6: Starting the almando A
If you are connected to the almando device via Bluetooth, you can start the app and
get to the start page of the app.

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ALMANDO CONTROL APP
Control (Main Screen of the A )
The main screen of the App is divided into these sections
:
In the top area all available inputs are
listed in the order of their priority. The
currently active input is shown in color.
If several inputs are active at the same
time, the upper priority takes
precedence.
In the area below you will find the
volume control. The volume value of
the currently active input is shown on
the far left. And if the volume control
with the app in the input settings has
been activated for this input, a volume
control slider and a mute button are
available to the right.
At the bottom, you will find the toolbar
to navigate to the other pages of the
app, which are described individually
on the next pages.

15
General Settings
On this page you make general settings and have the possibility to reset the device to
the factory defaults or to update the firmware.
ere you determine whether data
signals will be sent to the B&O
speakers (input data from connected
B&O devices or data generated by the
almando Decoder itself for third-party
devices). This is only necessary if
BeoLab 5, BeoLab 4500 or BeoLab
Penta are connected. Otherwise the
generation of the "data signal" should
remain deactivated (default setting).
Usually a non-B&O device is connected to this input (INPUT 2) e.g. Sony TV, Sonos
Connect, etc., which is operated with automatic audio signal detction (then this switch
remains deactivated as in the delivery state).
If a device providing trigger voltage is connected to this input (e.g. a B&O system such
as BeoSound 9000, BeoSound Overture, etc.), you should activate this switch.
owever, there are two exceptions: BeoSound Essence and BeoSound Moment - here
please leave this function deactivated, the input will then be operated with audio signal
detection.
Recommendation: if INPUT 2 is operated with signal detection (trigger voltage
INPUT 2 is not activated), set the gain to -10 dB in the input settings for INPUT 2 and
switch back to the main page of the app (control) so that this value remains permanently
stored.

16
If no devices are connected to certain
inputs, they can be deactivated here.
They will then be hidden on the main
screen of the app. This setting can be
undone later at any time.
If only one device is connected tot he
analog inputs, you can establish a
direct ground connection between the
input used (INPUT 1 or INPUT 2) and
the output.
Click on this button to get to the page
for displaying and updating the
firmware. If a new firmware for your
device is available on the almando
server, then this line is colored red and
a badge on the navigation icon for the
settings displays the message "FW".
ere you can reset your device to
factory defaults.
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.
If you need information on installing or
operating your device, you can
download the instruction manual as a
PDF and have it displayed by clicking
here this button.
Further information can be found on
our website, which you can visit by
clicking on this button.

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S eaker Settings
This page is used to configure the speakers.
With these sliders you can adjust the
individual volume for both speakers
(LEFT and RIG T). And these
settings can be made separately for
each input (BLUETOOT , SPDIF,
INPUT 1 and INPUT 2).
IMPORTANT: The connected device
must be playing and the correspon-
ding input must be active for the level
setting to be correct.

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In ut Settings
For each individual input you can make various settings separately. To do this, just turn
on the source player at the input you want to configure and start playback.
The active input is highlighted in its color, and a badge on the navigation icon for the
input settings in the bottom right also shows its name. Click on this navigation icon and
you will be taken to a new page where you can make the specific settings for exactly
this input – for example BLUETOOT (BT) shown here.
For the sound settings, you can raise
or lower the level of treble and bass by
up to 12 dB each. And you also have
the option to enable or disable
loudness.
Use this slider to set the channel-
specific volume for the device
connected to the active input - level
(gain) respectively start volume.
The volume control function with the
almando APP should only be
activated in exceptional cases. This is
only necessary if the connected
device does not have its own volume
control (e.g. turntable).

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TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Powerlink signals 8pin DIN inputs and output are
100% B&O compatible (also to BeoLab 5)
Inputs - 2 x DIN 8pin / B&O Powerlink
- 1 x SPDIF (only at Multiplay Stereo)
Output - 1 x DIN 8pin / B&O Powerlink Stereo
Power Supply 100-240 V, 50/60 z
Measurements 171 x 72 x 34 mm (B x T x )
Weight 0,3 kg
Color Plastic enclosure available in black and white
Warranty 3 years
Accessories included - Power Cord
Accessories included - Optical cable: Toslink <-> Toslink, length 1m
(only at Multiplay Stereo) (e.g. for Sonos Connect)
- Optical cable: Toslink <-> 3,5mm, length 1m
(e.g. for Apple Airport Express)
Accessories sold separately - Optical cables (several lengths)
- Powerlink-Y-Adapter
- Powerlink cables (several lengths)
- Powerlink RJ45 adapter cables (several lengths)

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www.almando.com
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