Belkin Soundform Connect frustrations

[Greyspace]

My initial excitement for this device has quickly turned to massive disappointment. My Soundform Connect arrived today, and it has been one frustration after another. Quick aside, the device itself is far smaller than I imagined from online images. It’s quite compact, which was a pleasant surprise. Not so pleasant was everything else. The setup process was infuriating. Belkin seems to have attempted to simplify setup by using the Home Kit configuration service. I didn‘t have iCloud enabled for this, which led to the first setup failure. The setup leaflet has no guidance for any kind of troubleshooting for this. After that was resolved, and a subsequent reset of the Belkin device, I was able to add it as a HomeKit device. I have no idea which SSID it joined or how. I assume it joined the same SSID of the iPhone I used to configure it. I cannot find where to verify or change this in Home. That alone was annoying.
Then I started streaming to it, and things just got more annoying. Spotify was working fine for a bit, and then I returned to a browser page which apparently had some audio component to it. This caused my Spotify audio to stop. I tried restoring the audio through the spotify app and through Home. Neither worked. I killed both apps and started over. Spotify began to work again, and I attempted to join another airplay 2 device. This worked for about two songs, and then the second device stopped playing. So these are my observations so far:
1. The setup and configuration of this device is terrible.
2. There is no way that I have found to view or change any settings of the device’s configuration. It’s baffling.
3. Streaming to Airplay devices seems to be i-device dependent and not really autonomous at all. (As opposed to casting)
4. This is way too tied into the HomeKit ecosystem.
5. AirPlay 2 might be a bit buggy.

I say this as an admitted Apple fan: Google’s chromecast audio (which is not without faults, and also dead) blows this away. At $99 there is absolutely no way I’m keeping this. I really don’t know if the blame lies with Airplay 2 or with Belkin for how they designed this to work with it, but this is a giant fail.

 

[VoiceOfUnreason]

@Greyspace
I just recently got my Soundform Connect and I'm having an issue that you didn't mention, but I'm guessing might be wide spread.

I have the device connected to my vintage hifi system via the analog audio out. Even with the level all the way up on my device, the analog output is very low.

Are you experiencing this issue?

I've compared this with a Dayton HiFly (Airplay 1) device I have and the levels from the Dayton device is fine. I connected both to my studio audio interface and when running the same test tone through both at max levels, it appears the Soundform Connect peaks at 10db less than the Dayton device. I've also connected other line-level outputs to my studio interface and they were all within +1/-1db or so of the Dayton device. The Soundform Connect was the odd-one-out. Of course different cables were tried, including the cable that was used with the Dayton Device, so it's definitely not a cable issue.

Since my studio interface has optical ins, I tested the TOSLink/optical out on the Soundform Connect and it is fine. I'm assuming that means either there's a software or hardware problem with the DAC or the line-level amplifier. Maybe it's something that can be fixed with a firmware update, but, unfortunately their customer service has been more than annoying. Even after I explained my testing methodology and results, they asked me to try a different cable and asked me what "brand" my "speakers" were.

Rather than attempting to reproduce the issue as reported on a device to see if it's a widespread problem, they immediately began a replacement order.

I did some searching for other reports online and found very few mentions of the device at all, but I did fine someone else that reported the _same_ issue.

I'm expecting that my replacement device will also have a low output.

 

[Kobra]

My experience with the soundform connect has been very positive so far. Had zero problems with the initial setup, took merely a minute as I already use HomeKit for other things. My soundform connects with optical to my DAC. I haven’t experienced that the music stops while doing other things on the iPhone while playing music. The only turn down is that the soundform only supports 16/44 despite that airplay 2 supports 24/48. But, as said, the device works as expected.

 

[VoiceOfUnreason]

My experience with the soundform connect has been very positive so far. Had zero problems with the initial setup, took merely a minute as I already use HomeKit for other things. My soundform connects with optical to my DAC. I haven’t experienced that the music stops while doing other things on the iPhone while playing music. The only turn down is that the soundform only supports 16/44 despite that airplay 2 supports 24/48. But, as said, the device works as expected.

@Kobra, any chance you could test the analog output of your device to see if yours has the same issue mine has?

If my stereo system had optical inputs, I would just use those, but this is a vintage Adcom system from the early 80s.

 

[Itinj24]

I’ve been patiently waiting to get my hands on one. Can’t find any in stock online but this is very disappointing to hear.

It seems Belkin HomeKit devices are awful. I have issues with several of my Belkin Wemo Mini smart plugs (since they moved the Wemo app to server based) and the new Belkin Wemo Stage Scene Controller for HomeKit, another device I’ve been looking forward to, has gotten nothing but terrible reviews.

 

[mrwilly25]

No issues here using Spotify and Apple Music with analog output going to a Global Source Input for a Legrand AU7000 connected to ceiling speakers in my new house.

 

[RachelleK]

I didn’t have any problem setting up my Soundform connect. Just touched my iPhone to it and it was connected. Audio analog levels seem fine. It seems much more stable than my old airport express.

 

[possiblerobot]

@VoiceOfUnreason

Any luck with your replacement Soundform?

I've got the same issue with low volume of the analog output. It's no contest when compared to the AirPort Express. The Soundform's output is incredibly weak compared to any standard line-level output.

If this is how they all sound, I'm probably going to return it.

 

[RachelleK]

@VoiceOfUnreason

Any luck with your replacement Soundform?

I've got the same issue with low volume of the analog output. It's no contest when compared to the AirPort Express. The Soundform's output is incredibly weak compared to any standard line-level output.

If this is how they all sound, I'm probably going to return it.

Must be something wrong with those Soundforms. I have two now and there are no analog audio problems. Same level as an old Airport Express.

 

[bba42]

1) Setup was OK
2) AirPlay from iOS seems OK
3) AirPlay from MacOS on a Mac Mini M1 does not work. The option to select it is there but it does not play. Very disappointing as this was the main aim.

2.4 GHz or 5 GHz WLAN makes no difference, neither does WPA3 or WPA2/WPA.

In the App Wi-Fi Strenght is 70%, Firmware is 4.4.310255.0 and I tried restoring to factory settings in the app which made no difference.

Does anyone have a similar experience? Or even a fix? As it is I have to return it as it is unusable.

I am thinking of replacing it with the Link 1 from Audio Pro but afaik that is AirPlay 1 only - does anyone know of a better option?

 

[possiblerobot]

Must be something wrong with those Soundforms. I have two now and there are no analog audio problems. Same level as an old Airport Express.

Interesting. Well, I've swapped it and I'm waiting for the replacement. Hopefully the replacement will have a proper line-level output volume.

 

[RachelleK]

1) Setup was OK
2) AirPlay from iOS seems OK
3) AirPlay from MacOS on a Mac Mini M1 does not work. The option to select it is there but it does not play. Very disappointing as this was the main aim.

2.4 GHz or 5 GHz WLAN makes no difference, neither does WPA3 or WPA2/WPA.

In the App Wi-Fi Strenght is 70%, Firmware is 4.4.310255.0 and I tried restoring to factory settings in the app which made no difference.

Does anyone have a similar experience? Or even a fix? As it is I have to return it as it is unusable.

I am thinking of replacing it with the Link 1 from Audio Pro but afaik that is AirPlay 1 only - does anyone know of a better option?

I'm playing music from a MacAir M1 to a Belkin and it's fine. But, I'm on Monterey. Maybe they fixed it? Roku's have Airplay 2 and the Express 4K+ is often only $29. But, it only outputs to HDMI.

Just noticed that the Mac's keyboard volume controls do not work to adjust the sound level. You have to adjust the levels individually. Could this be the problem?

 

[john160]

Hi everyone, just thought I'd add my experience here - I have no issues with sound level (using optical out). However they do have a fatal flaw for me. Belkin smart items (any of them) cause Airplay 1 speakers to drop out with the speaker disappearing, and I have other speakers on Airplay 1 I need to use. This is a well known issue that Belkin never resolved and don't seem to have for this new product. Shame. It also doesn't support Siri which I quite like to use for airplay 2 speakers.

 

[RachelleK]

Hi everyone, just thought I'd add my experience here - I have no issues with sound level (using optical out). However they do have a fatal flaw for me. Belkin smart items (any of them) cause Airplay 1 speakers to drop out with the speaker disappearing, and I have other speakers on Airplay 1 I need to use. This is a well known issue that Belkin never resolved and don't seem to have for this new product. Shame. It also doesn't support Siri which I quite like to use for airplay 2 speakers.

Not sure I know what’s going on. Maybe it’s the iOS version I’m using - iPadOS 15.0. I have a really old Airport that runs Airplay 1 and it still appears as a selectable speaker. I just asked Siri to play a playlist on my deck (using a Belkin Soundform Connect) and it’s playing fine. It actually started faster than HomePods do.

But, there is a problem. Asked Siri to lower volume. Siri replied that the the volume was lowered but the volume actually increased. Strange. They still need some work on that.

 

[Richtong]

Ok just got the soundform connect. I have two problems

1. Yes to confirm the audio level is very low for the 3.5mm output. It’s annoying but not noisy.
2. And the airplay 2 seems To work only after a long delay. for apple Music it Mainly works. Podcast sometimes. we have an app called libby for book tapes and this doesn’t work very well.

 

[Airplying]

@Greyspace
I just recently got my Soundform Connect and I'm having an issue that you didn't mention, but I'm guessing might be wide spread.

I have the device connected to my vintage hifi system via the analog audio out. Even with the level all the way up on my device, the analog output is very low.

Are you experiencing this issue?

I've compared this with a Dayton HiFly (Airplay 1) device I have and the levels from the Dayton device is fine. I connected both to my studio audio interface and when running the same test tone through both at max levels, it appears the Soundform Connect peaks at 10db less than the Dayton device. I've also connected other line-level outputs to my studio interface and they were all within +1/-1db or so of the Dayton device. The Soundform Connect was the odd-one-out. Of course different cables were tried, including the cable that was used with the Dayton Device, so it's definitely not a cable issue.

Since my studio interface has optical ins, I tested the TOSLink/optical out on the Soundform Connect and it is fine. I'm assuming that means either there's a software or hardware problem with the DAC or the line-level amplifier. Maybe it's something that can be fixed with a firmware update, but, unfortunately their customer service has been more than annoying. Even after I explained my testing methodology and results, they asked me to try a different cable and asked me what "brand" my "speakers" were.

Rather than attempting to reproduce the issue as reported on a device to see if it's a widespread problem, they immediately began a replacement order.

I did some searching for other reports online and found very few mentions of the device at all, but I did fine someone else that reported the _same_ issue.

I'm expecting that my replacement device will also have a low output.

Yes the analog output is pretty low.

 

[Jonez20]

I was also unable to add the device to HomeKit, the app would just wait forever without response. After a good 30 minutes wait, I restarted the Home app. The Soundform wasn’t there, but now I got an error when trying to add: The device is already added, you must reset it before installing. Reset, repeat, no luck.
Then it struck me that the device most likely uses bluetooth for the setup while adding the WLAN of the iOS unit. What if Soundform doesn’t support 5 GHz WLAN like my iPhone? I did a new Soundform reset, switched my iPhone to 2.4 GHz WLAN and…now everything worked.
Next issue was Airplay2. Streaming from one radio app worked ok although volume was very low. However, my Synology app (DS Audio) just created hickup noises when playing. After switching output within the app from iPhone to Soundform the sound quality was fine, though. But volume still low.
Maybe the low volume was an issue with the Soundform’s DAC? I switched Soundform output from to optical and used an old low-cost DAC instead. Vupti! Volume is now normal and sound quality excellent.
Maybe this can be of help to others.

 

[jxrxme]

1) Setup was OK
2) AirPlay from iOS seems OK
3) AirPlay from MacOS on a Mac Mini M1 does not work. The option to select it is there but it does not play. Very disappointing as this was the main aim.

2.4 GHz or 5 GHz WLAN makes no difference, neither does WPA3 or WPA2/WPA.

In the App Wi-Fi Strenght is 70%, Firmware is 4.4.310255.0 and I tried restoring to factory settings in the app which made no difference.

Does anyone have a similar experience? Or even a fix? As it is I have to return it as it is unusable.

I am thinking of replacing it with the Link 1 from Audio Pro but afaik that is AirPlay 1 only - does anyone know of a better option?

AirPlay from macOS Catalina iMac (Intel obviously) does not work for me. Option to select is there but doesn’t start to play. From iOS works fine though…

 

[Arthur75]

I have a Belkin soundform connect plugged to a soundbar.

It was working very well on my setup with a 2016 MBP as the source (for movies and music), baring the occasional disconnect.

I just switched to a 2021 M1 MBP (14" max 32gb), and now I have terrible audio synch issues on any software (VLC, PLEX, IINA, Infuse etc), really unwatchable.

Youtube/Web videos are fine though.

Anybody have similar issues ? Is there a firmware update process on the Belkin ?

 

[Arthur75]

Really strange, it was working ok, and now I have the thing disconnecting (not appearing anymore in the sound output menu) several times per hour or something (sometimes less), disconnecting reconnecting the power/USB C cable, cures it.
But really getting almost unusable !!
Plus there is still a totally unusable sound delay when watching a video on the mac (with a video player VLC, Plex, IINA, any of them) and the sound through Airplay.
But this is not the case for youtube or any web based video !!
Not the case either when playing a video in VLC or Plex from an IPAD
So this sound synch issue for video is clearly related to a mess in the implementation of Airplay in MacOS !
When is apple going to repair it !

 

[Arthur75]

For info the last version of Infuse solves the issue

 

[Arthur75]

But now it disconnects like 10 times a day if not way more !!
Barely usable.
Are there some firmware updates on this thing ?

 

[Arthur75]

This piece of crap is so annoying !! Really tired to unplug replug it ! is there an alternative or not ?

 

[SKeijmel]

i got it too work here is how

This is where you can download the app to do the initial wifi setup and do the firmware update: https://www.belkin.com/support-article/?articleNum=317574 after doing that reset the belkin soundforce with the small reset button for 5 using a paperclip or something. if you dont reset it, it still wont be able to add itself to home kit so do the reset! then go to home kit and add it there by scanning the nfc tag with the top of the phone swiping over it! thats it watch it all in the video

 

[tinybop]

I've had my Soundform connect with my vintage sound system for about 2 years mainly without issue, except for an occasional need to reboot. Recently though I had to do a full reset for reasons unknown, but it's been fine since, but this got me wondering. What is the latest firmware?