BLS-KB13-Z03
Introduction
Each Bluesound Player is equipped with a USB 2.0 connection port. This USB port is located on the rear panel of each Bluesound Player. On the original Bluesound Player it supplies 0.5A of power to external attached devices, allowing it to power memory sticks, Bluetooth 4.0 adapters, but not all USB mass storage devices. USB storage devices that require more than 0.5A of power may not perform properly when attached to a Bluesound Gen1 Player. These devices may require more power than the Player is able to supply. This issue should not affect Bluesound Gen2 Players (mid 2015) as Gen2 Players have increased power supplied to the USB Port.
Scenario
Learn how to identify and improve the performance of under powered USB storage devices*. Signs of an under powered drive include but are not limited to;
- Player’s Play/Pause Button will not turn WHITE to show the storage device being indexed
- Storage device clicks repeatedly but does not start
- Storage device will not connect or start
*Underpowered drives are commonly larger in size than 500GB or 0.5TB.
Should you have any questions about USB storage devices and their power requirements, or if you encounter technical problems, please contact the BluOS Support Crew via e-mail at support@bluesound.com.
If your storage device is experiencing performance issues, follow these steps to increase the power of the drive. However, in an effort to avoid future issues, Bluesound recommends using Network Attached Storage (NAS) devices for the best music storage and performance.
Start by reviewing your device’s full power requirements and all user documents to see if an external AC power adapter can be added, or look for an additional power port on the device.
WARNING!
If your device includes a port for additional AC power but no adapter is included, contact the manufacturer of the storage device for further assistance, as the wrong adapter may be hazardous and could cause electrical fires.
If your storage device does not have an additional power port, or you are unsure of what adapter to use, consider installing a USB Power Hub between your device and Bluesound Player. USB Power Hubs will provide a boost to under powered devices, and improve the overall performance of the drive.
Notes
- Music catalogues on USB storage devices are not moved into the Music Library but are stored as individual USB Libraries on the local Player.
- Players connected with USB storage devices must be the Primary Player in a Group for proper grouping of stored music.
- For more tips on local music storage, please see the Bluesound Knowledge Base Article How USB Storage Differs From A Local Library: BLS-KB13-Z04 for further details and best practices.