[Misc] Cocktail X10 hi-fi help

[Super Steve Earle]

Suspect this thread will disappear quickly as it's only relevant to anyone who has or knows the Cocktail X10, but thought it worth a try. It's a hi-fi component for CD storage and streaming. I have been enjoying loading CDs on this hi-fi hard drive unit during lockdown and it has worked fine. FreeDb was switched off last year so I load the tracks manually with a USB keyboard and download the cover art though Bing direct to the unit. Unfortunately the Bing search option on the unit stopped working at the weekend. The Cocktail Audio advice line suggested that Bing may have simply decided to stop supporting the Cover Art search as it just flickers on 'Searching' then back to the Menu, but he was just guessing as I had to talk him through the full process several times. I've now tried switching it off and on again, the instruction manual, the Cocktail Forum and phoning Cocktail direct. I realise I could use my laptop to download the cover art to a USB stick and upload it manually, but the whole point of the component is a simple one stop job. I don't want to involve my laptop in the process.

Does anyone else have a X10 and if so, do they have the same problem or is it just a fail on my unit? Alternatively does anyone service or repair these units and know a solution. Cocktail tell me I have the latest firmware update. Not looking for alternative streaming devices or options, just a solution for my own component as it has about 280 CDs on board and I have another 200 odd to load which I can do, but I'd like Cover Art. Thanks for listening.

 

[Brok]

Have you tried turning it off, and then just leaving it off?

 

[1066familyman]

I had a look at this as never heard of the device before. Looks like quite an interesting bit of kit. Sounds like you've been left unsupported, software wise, so likely no fix bar doing it manually like you mention. Is Bing the only search engine offered on the device then? Only I watched a YouTube video and they appeared to be searching through Amazon and 7digital cover art too.

If you end having to involve the laptop and download album art manually, discogs is a good place to go for album art I find. Although I expect you already know that.

Sorry, I can't help. Good luck with it.

 

[Super Steve Earle]

I had a look at this as never heard of the device before. Looks like quite an interesting bit of kit. Sounds like you've been left unsupported, software wise, so likely no fix bar doing it manually like you mention. Is Bing the only search engine offered on the device then? Only I watched a YouTube video and they appeared to be searching through Amazon and 7digital cover art too.

If you end having to involve the laptop and download album art manually, discogs is a good place to go for album art I find. Although I expect you already know that.

Sorry, I can't help. Good luck with it.

Thanks for taking a look and the trouble to reply. Bing was the only search engine still working and it stopped without warning at the end of February. The other search engines such as Amazon, 7Digital, Google etc have all stopped working over the years since I bought it in 2013, but I only needed one to work, so Bing was fine.It's a cracking bit of kit and can random play all 4,000 odd album tracks quite happily with great sound through a couple of small Tannoys. Ideal for a modest sized living room. Obviously no cover art doesn't affect the CD storage or playing, but makes the screen look a bit basic while it's playing. I'm having another go at the Forum, but they tend to respond in geekspeak rather than layman help and I've raised a query with Bing. No expectations of success and Discogs may well be the way to go. Just a bit frustrating to go from a couple of clicks on the component to a laptop, downloads and uploads. Thanks again though.

 

[1066familyman]

Thanks for taking a look and the trouble to reply. Bing was the only search engine still working and it stopped without warning at the end of February. The other search engines such as Amazon, 7Digital, Google etc have all stopped working over the years since I bought it in 2013, but I only needed one to work, so Bing was fine.It's a cracking bit of kit and can random play all 4,000 odd album tracks quite happily with great sound through a couple of small Tannoys. Ideal for a modest sized living room. Obviously no cover art doesn't affect the CD storage or playing, but makes the screen look a bit basic while it's playing. I'm having another go at the Forum, but they tend to respond in geekspeak rather than layman help and I've raised a query with Bing. No expectations of success and Discogs may well be the way to go. Just a bit frustrating to go from a couple of clicks on the component to a laptop, downloads and uploads. Thanks again though.

No worries, I like learning about different gadgets. Sorry I have no experience with this one though, so can't really be of assistance.

Probably a very silly question, but if it lets you use Bing as a search engine, will it let you use others, like duckduckgo for instance? I assume not, or otherwise you would have been straight onto Google search or something.

 

[Super Steve Earle]

No worries, I like learning about different gadgets. Sorry I have no experience with this one though, so can't really be of assistance.

Probably a very silly question, but if it lets you use Bing as a search engine, will it let you use others, like duckduckgo for instance? I assume not, or otherwise you would have been straight onto Google search or something.

Unfortunately not. The options are a pre-set menu. As you said earlier, it's unsupported and discontinued now. Shame really, but I think they aimed at the wrong audience. It is liked by the CD buyers of the past who want easy access to their collections, but all the background support has been aimed at PC users with a bit of tech knowlege. The forum is full of posters who don't understand the replies from Cocktail.

 

[Alfagull]

I have A Brennan B2 which is a similar device, but is fortunately well supported with software updates adding new functionality.
There is also a very good user forum. Is there anything similar for the X10? Or alternatively somewhere like AV Forums.

 

[PeterOut]

Do you have the latest firmware updates installed on the X10?
I do not own this device, but a quick search of the user forum stated that the Google search started working again after the firmware was updated

 

[Super Steve Earle]

I have A Brennan B2 which is a similar device, but is fortunately well supported with software updates adding new functionality.
There is also a very good user forum. Is there anything similar for the X10? Or alternatively somewhere like AV Forums.

Thanks. I've scoured the Cocktail forum already with no luck, so I'm in process of registering as a user to start a thread on the matter. Seems to have a 24hr registration process

 

[Super Steve Earle]

Do you have the latest firmware updates installed on the X10?
I do not own this device, but a quick search of the user forum stated that the Google search started working again after the firmware was updated

Thanks. The Cocktail adviser reckoned my firmware is up to date. I'll be surprised if Google comes back to life but you may be on to something. The adviser wasn't very clued up over the problem so maybe he's wrong about how up to date my firmware is. I'll try a manual firmware update.

 

[Super Steve Earle]

I thought I might as well add the email reply I received from Cocktail. It's a bit more detailed, than the phone response, but in essence the same. I appreciate that it's a solution but, despite the component being discontinued, surely it must be a choice by Cocktail that the software licence is limited. Equally, if Bing has made an arbitrary choice, it would be nice to be able to make a representation to Bing to re-enable the feature. This is what they said:

'Unfortunately the software licence is limited due to the device being discontinued.

We have no control on how services decided to disable their feature – google or bing can change their features without notice.

That is why we have added the manual album art option via a PC or the device interface.

You can simply search the album art & save them on a memory stick perhaps for many albums in one go & simply add them later.'

 

[1066familyman]

I thought I might as well add the email reply I received from Cocktail. It's a bit more detailed, than the phone response, but in essence the same. I appreciate that it's a solution but, despite the component being discontinued, surely it must be a choice by Cocktail that the software licence is limited. Equally, if Bing has made an arbitrary choice, it would be nice to be able to make a representation to Bing to re-enable the feature. This is what they said:

'Unfortunately the software licence is limited due to the device being discontinued.

We have no control on how services decided to disable their feature – google or bing can change their features without notice.

That is why we have added the manual album art option via a PC or the device interface.

You can simply search the album art & save them on a memory stick perhaps for many albums in one go & simply add them later.'

Yep, in a nutshell you have a discontinued product that no longer receives software support. Very common nowadays it seems. Built in obsolescence is the way in a digital age unfortunately.

Oh well, at least you have a manual option, so all is not completely lost.