B&O and Spotify Connect

[Kwindu]

I have troubles to use my Spotify Connect on my B&O A9.

They wont connect! just stuck on "connecting" for maybe 5 seconds, then continue on my phone, not the speaker, however Airplay works perfect! thats just not viable with my Android Phone and Windows PC. 

Is there any known issues right now? 

EVERYTHING is updated. Reset, rebooted, anything you can imagine, even fresh Spotify accounts. 

[mzecherm]

I got sick of this. Bought a Chromecast Audio (which you can put inside the little box of the A9, thus keeping the aesthetics) and cancelled my more than 4 years old Family Premium account in favor of Tidal HiFi, service which also pays the most to artists after Napster (Spotify being the one that pays less by far). It works wonderful and the sound quality is better.

This really is not the way to treat loyal customers. I hope Spotify regrets its arrogance.

[ferratim]

Have you ever tried connecting via A9 built-in chromecast ?

[wangTHEwang]

Well this is worse than I thought. OK they remove Connect support and I’m forced to use AirPlay which I’m not happy about. BUT ITS WORSE. I have my iPad running Spotify AirPlayed to my A9 but when I open YouTube on my iPhone (which my kids always want to do) it interrupts Spotify and plays the audio from my iPhone. Honestly I am soooo **bleep** off. I tried Deezer and the B&O app but all I get is “No product selected.” It seems I’m stuck. STUCK WITH AN EFFING EXPENSIVE SPEAKER WITH NOTHING TO CONNECT IT TO!!! Seriously am I forced to go back to my iPod hard wired to my A9!!!!!!!!!!!! FFS. 

[mzecherm]

I know it's an ugly solution, but trust me the best you can do is buying a chromecast audio. Then preferable abandon Spotify in favor of a streaming service who cares for their customers. I suggest Tidal HiFi.

By the way, A9 MK 1 does not have built in chromecast. That would have been an easy fix, no need to all this claims.

[dennisrudi]

This is outrageous!  This is a bad case for booth Spotify and B&O since I will abandon both of them if this is not fixed.  

[FreddieTeo]

I have just cancelled my premium.

B&O A9 V1 user

[e-mail_please]

I bought a very expensive Bang & Olufsen speaker with Spotify Connect. I thought it was buggy lately, until an online article told me you suddenly discontinued support for it. This is unacceptable. As a monopolist Spotify should be extremely careful not to cause harm to its customers. It is not sustainable or possible to buy a new expensive device just because you made a poor decision. I advice you to reconsider. I spent several minutes looking for an e-mail-adress to Spotify on your website with no luck. That's years in internet-time, so it means I am very determined, and this is very important to me. You have now crossed a line, and I hope you come around an fix things. Apple AirPlay is now my only alternative, and that is a shitty technology, pardon the language, but it is true. You listen to music to relax or enjoy yourself, not to get annoyed by the technology not working, or an interrupting phonecall that spoils the party, which unfortunately happens all the time with AirPlay. I cant get over how poor this descision was. Spotify connect worked flawlessly with my speaker for years, now you broke it by trying to fix it. Please unfix it!

[CEA9]

Dear Spotify friends, I feel really disappointed with this “we cannot fix it” reply.  One of the main reasons I chose Spotify vs Apple Music was the Spotify connect integration with B&O A9 which is a long term investment, not your “change every couple of years kind of speaker”.  I really enjoyed just touching the back of my A9 and listening to my favorite Spotify playlist without even needing to have my phone nearby.  I know not many people own the A9 since it is so expensive, but for those of us who love it enough to own it, this was a big step backwards. I really hope you will reconsider fixing this issue. Thank you 

[RvdW74]

i think i will go that route also .... spotify isn't contributing to this thread 😕

[wangTHEwang]

Well I purchased a Chromecast Audio and unfortunately the quality just isn’t as good. It’s a better solution function wise than AirPlay but the sound was flat compared to AirPlay  I was using the 3.5 to RCA which maybe why. Are you using 3.5 to USB? Would that USB port on the back of the A9 accept audio this way?

[andrejhaspel]

I have the same problem. This is most stupid business decision ever. 

I have premium because of A9. How can you stop supporting when you advertised that it  works ? 

Shame on you Spotify and Bang&Olfusen. 

Hope you fix this soon or I am leaving your lousy and noob service.

P.S. Got some HR problems? Fire the **bleep** 

[thierry_rietsch]

I am affected of this to and I am completely disappointed by the fact, that Spotify connect doesn't work anymore on my B&O A9. I would really appreciate an official statement from Spotify and B&O, since you advertised your product with the compatibility, which is gone now. I also think that it is not a good approach as a company just to be quiet and ignoring your paid users after removing an existing feature.

Enjoy your day and I am looking forward hearing from you,

Thierry

[wdcore]

I gave up sold my A9 mk1 on ebay for $1700 and bought a A9 mk2. It now works multiroom with my M5 so I’m happy.

[wangTHEwang]

I just tweeted SpotifyCares (which they dont really) saying...

I have a B&O A9 and Spotify.  A great match! Or so it was. Now Spotify Connect is gone I have an expensive A9 capable of great sound but my preferred streaming service can’t supply it. So annoyed. Why? Why? Why?

Their reply...

We're sorry you feel that way. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, we'll make sure to pass this on to the right folks. In the meantime, let us know if you need anything else /PC

[robertvandewiel]

Hate to say this .... but .... They. Don't. Care. The time i had (trying to get in) contact with them they just reverted to standarised replies. Most of the time they simply keep quiet. I guess they are trying the strategy 'if we ignore them long enough they will shut up'. And seriously, that seems to work ... i'm not the 1st who has gone the Chromecast-route and switched to another service (Deezer!).

Just thinking about it drives me mad again. I loved my A9, i liked Spotify. But from here on, no new B&O products and no Spotfiy again.... 

[wangTHEwang]

I hear your frustration, but what's to stop Spotify not supporting ANY HiFi speaker with Connect?  One of the other posters sold their A9 MK1 for a MK2 but who's to say Spotify will support the MK2 in the future!!!  You are correct.  THEY. DONT. CARE.

Deezer here we come.

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[sydneydean]

This situation is really messed up especially considering the premium price of the A9.
I´ve got a A9 MK2 for 1,5 years now and since a few days, my A9 only shows up as "Google Cast" option within my spotify device list. It is not available as "Spotify Connect" device.

So is the same thing now happening with the MK2?

(in general I´d like to add that I was not very happy with my A9 MK2 due to frequent connection issues - even right now I cannot access the A9 via the B&O app to see if I am missing an update. still google cast streams fine.)

[wdcore]

I had the same issue. I turned the unit off and then back on and Spotify connect reappeared.

[mkwan]

Did you ever find a solution to the "Google Cast" issue? I configured my Beoplay A9 (Mk 2) this week, and it only shows up as "Google Cast". I've never seen a "Spotify Connect" option. Rebooting made no difference.

[wdcore]

I turned off the power to the A9 at the power point. Waited a few minutes and then switched it back on and after that Spotify connect reappeared.