Cannot re-pair bass module 500 to soundbar 500 after unexplainable self disconnect.

[Humdrum]

Bose product name

Soundbar 500 / bass module 500

Country

USA

Firmware Version

Unknown

App VersioN

bose music 4.1.1

What devices were you using that were affected and what version are they on

iPhone iOS14

Detailed description of the issue and steps to reproduce

Cannot re-pair bass module 500 to soundbar 500 after it mysteriously disconnected on night. Woke up to find no bass. Both have power, Bass Module blinking Amber. Soundbar working correctly in all fields except pairing to Bass Module. I have unplugged and re plugged the Soundbar and Bass Module after five seconds as one representative in this community forum suggested, and then for five minutes as suggested by another. Please let me know if there is any difference and why the two different ways are suggested.  I have hard reset the soundbar using the remote combo TV / > .   I have also reset the Bass Module by holding the button until it blinks white. I have looked up the led blinking codes available online and can see when the Bass Module is blinking and waiting to pair, or solid and in standby. Even now after a hard reset and setting it up anew, when the Bass Module is blinking amber the bose music app on my iPhone (which is 4.1.1 or on my iPad which is older) can not find the Bass Module and will offer no connection to it.

When did you start to experience the issue? Did it work correctly previously?

This issue started two days ago. It has been working fine for several months.

[Keith_L]

Hi Humdrum,

Welcome to the Community, thanks for posting!
 

It sounds like you have been doing a lot of great trouble-shooting already for this, so thank you for doing that and letting us know. When the bass module has a blinking amber light, it is ready to re-pair to the soundbar. By disconnecting the bass module from power for at least 1 minute, it will put the bass module back into pairing mode with a blinking amber light if the status light changes at all. It doesn't sound like this is working for you, however.

As you mentioned this issue starting a couple of days ago, did you change anything in the layout of your room at all before this happened? Usually, when the bass module shows the blinking amber light, I find it is caused by wireless interference, have you introduced any new wireless devices into the setup at all? The most common causes of interference are devices like routers, wireless printers, and cordless phone bases but any wireless device can potentially interfere. If you have added new wireless devices, try unplugging these from power and seeing if the bass module can reconnect after doing this. 

Let me know how you get on!

[Humdrum]

thank you for your time,

    In the literature on the bose website it is clearly stated that when the bass module is blinking Amber it is "Ready to connect" and when solid it is in"standby".  However it also states in the "Understanding LED indicator status lights and information" section that when the Soundbar is unable to connect it blinks 4 times. I have researched as well as witnessed both phenomenon. Please be clear if the website is incorrect or if it is that you misspoke. 

      I find the "at least one minute" advice interesting as this is the third amount of time mention as the amount to wait in order to re-boot.  I am currenly waiting according a probability matrix that sets me between 30 seconds and 5 minutes based on the recommendations found on this forum. This is what imprecise advise leads to. Please be clear as to the time this device needs to re-boot.

      As for the wi-fi, I did fail to mention that I have rebooted the router and made sure my connection with the soundbar is "great" as according to the tech info section within the bose music app. Nothing has changed in my network setup, which was pretty basic, until now...  Nothing new to unplug and since the app needs wifi to work, and is working, I figured I could move past that area in my troubleshooting but maybe no?

[Keith_L]

Hi Humdrum,

I apologize for any confusion, you are correct, the blinking amber light is ready to connect and the solid amber is stand. I've edited my post to correct this to avoid any future confusion.

The reason we use "at least one minute" is because the bass module needs to be unplugged for a minimum of 30 seconds to reset properly. I like to suggest slightly longer as I've found people often misjudge how long 30 seconds is, so giving a time slightly longer than necessary means the speaker will definitely be unplugged for long enough.

It's not necessarily that the router needs to be unplugged, it's that the router, or other wireless devices, could potentially be causing wireless interference that is stopping the bass module from connecting. Roughly how far away from the soundbar and bass module is your router? I'd recommend having it at least 2 meters away if possible, also making sure it's not between the soundbar and bass module. 

If you do unplug the router to test for interference, you can still connect the bass module back to the soundbar using the remote rather than the app. The instructions for this can be found HERE.

Let me know how you get on.

[Humdrum]

 I simply REBOOTED the router at first, but have subsequently turned it off and connected via the soundbars internal network. I have no wireless devices to disconnect to stop interference. The router is about 4 meters away from the sound bar and not between it and the bass module. I have also turned off my router, connected to the wifi network created by the soundbar via remote button combo, and then tried to pair the soundbar to the bass module through the app as well as through the remote button combo as well.  Truly though, this product seems horribly underdeveloped and basically unusable in any real world situation unless the I have a defective unit.  Please explain how the router that is making the connection from app to soundbar could be a source of interference. This seems nonsensical but with this product I am beginning to expect that. The router is working fine to connect with the soundbar. In the bose app, in the tech info section, it shows the connection as "great" as I stated before. Is that not proof that it isn't the router? There is only one router in the house.  I can also connect to the soundbar via it internal wifi. Just not the sub.

   i am getting super frustrated with this product and the Horrible design. I hate the app, its designed around it being a streaming service more than a control for the bar. I'm just waiting for it to ask me for a subscription in order to change the EQ🤑  Connectivity is always an issue with this. If someone comes over and want to play music off thier device they have to sign into my wifi and get set up in my app. I mean, they already put an 1/8" audio line to use with the adaptiq program, why doesn't it work as an audio line in? It just sits thier after you set up your bar(...again)  Designs like that are just a slap in the face to the end user. And there very few ways to troubleshoot the problems that come up. The help page in the app is so simplistic it's a joke! Your website is almost as sparce and I've been ending up all the way out on Reddit to figure the specifics.  I have had to go all over the internet to find out these little things like pressing tv and forward at the same time and Bluetooth and play and whatever. Combo keys and led light codes!?! **bleep**? Not even you can keep them straight!  Who wants to ask themselves "is that white light blinking slow or fast? Or is it pulsing?" All of which have different meanings. That's got to be frustrating for you as a tech:

"customer: the yellow light is blinking.  You: did you mean the amber light was pulsing?"

Its like you are trying to be apple but suck at it. And FYI, It's a speaker not an  iPhone, maybe put more than one button on it. At least apple actually tries to make it work which is better than I can say for bose. 

So at the moment my bass module won't connect or be recognized by the soundbar. It is showing a solid amber indicator light after I reboot or power cycle, and then I can always get it to blink(or possibly pulse) Amber but through an unknown process of pressing the button. This part has been enigmatic. The soundbar is working its best (sounds like crap without the bass module) and is connected to wifi with a "great" connection as shown in the app. The router is plugged in, is working, nothing has changed or been added, and is about 4meters away.  Am I correct to assume that since the app is showing a connection and it is working fine that it is not the router? Please explain how the router that is providing the connection could be a source of interference. 

This product was purchased from bose. What recourse do I have to get a working unit or my money back? 

[Jessie_O]

Thank you for your feedback @Humdrum. I'll be sure to pass this on to the relevant team. 

Regarding your Bass Module, If you have reset both the soundbar and the bass it is likely your system may have developed an issue. Therefore, I would recommend getting in contact with your local technical support team. As you are based in the USA, I have included the contact details HERE for your convenience. 

If there is anything else we can do, please reach out to us again!

[Humdrum]

That is a link to bose global. "Super helpful thanks." He says sarcastically, turns and walks away.