u/rilely — reddlx

I’m at the end of my rope with a Bluesound setup and would love some reality checks and advice.

Setup:
- Pulse soundbar connected to TV via eARC
- Pair of Pulse M speakers as wireless surrounds, about 15–18 ft behind the soundbar
- UniFi network with very strong Wi‑Fi (phone tests around 900 Mbps), Apple TV on the same system

Issues:
- Tidal via BluOS constantly breaks up / buffers, even though Bluesound diagnostics show “Excellent” Wi‑Fi signal and the soundbar has a strong connection to my UniFi SSID.
- Apple Music via AirPlay was more stable for a while, but AirPlay sessions still randomly stop or the player disappears.
- Surround sound from the Pulse Ms feels “wobbly” and unstable even though there are no obvious physical obstructions – they’re just on the floor.
- Bluesound’s own tools only show the main Wi‑Fi link as excellent, but don’t expose the private wireless link between the soundbar and surrounds, which seems to be the weak point.

Things I’ve tried / considered:
- Network restarts, logging Tidal out/in, changing router settings, etc.
- Streaming Apple Music directly from Apple TV → TV → eARC to the soundbar (this is the most reliable path so far).
- Considering running hidden Ethernet to at least one Pulse M, but it sounds like that might not fix the *surround* link, since the bar still talks to the surrounds over its own wireless channel.
- Wondering if the rear speakers are simply too far / too low, and whether moving them closer and higher would make a meaningful difference.

I feel like I’ve spent a lot of money on something that requires way too much networking gymnastics to behave like an everyday appliance. For those with Bluesound home theater setups:

- Did you get stable surrounds, and if so, at what distances/positions?
- Has wiring any pieces actually helped with TV surround reliability, or just with music streaming?
- At what point did you decide to stick it out vs. bail for Sonos or something simpler?

Any concrete, real‑world success (or failure) stories would be appreciated.

Designing a bold home office — navy grasscloth feature wall with floor-to-ceiling walnut bookcases. Thoughts?

Working on a home office that’s meant to feel like a proper library — rich, dark, intentional. Planning a full wall of floor-to-ceiling walnut bookcases with navy grasscloth wallpaper (Serena & Lily) on the remaining walls.

The room faces a courtyard, so natural light is limited. Lighting plan includes a brass desk lamp and hardwired wall sconce.

A few things I’m still working through:

Navy grasscloth vs. a deeper slate/teal — is navy too much in a smaller room with limited light?

Grasscloth vs. a textured vinyl that mimics grasscloth — worth it for the real thing or does the seam visibility make faux a smarter call?

White baseboard vs. painting it dark to match the wall commitment

Anyone done a dark grasscloth office? Would love to see photos if you have them. Trying to make this feel like a room that has been around for 30 years, not a room that was decorated last Tuesday.