#1

Hi All,
I was just wondering if any one here has same problem the new Buddha Machine with the Philip Glass sounds.
The AA batteries required don’t actually fit in the device, so it won’t work.
Has this happened to anyone else or is mine just a poorly manufactured one?
Cheers
Neil

#2

Mine hasn’t arrived yet. I’ll report back.

#3

Supposed to get mine soon too. Will report.

I do remember one past iteration of the BB had a VERY snug fit for batteries, fwiw.

#4

Thanks for the heads up. Mine is inbound (got a shipping notice the other day) so I should have feedback soon. FWIW I have nearly all of the other Buddha Machines, and have not been overly impressed with their sturdiness or the quality of the speakers. Allegedly this new batch is from a new manufacturer and has some “improvements”. Curious to hear what folks have to say.

#5

Where did you order from? I did a quick search and only found a place with a march 31 availability

#6

I pre-ordered mine from Boomkat in the UK. There will likely be distributors in the US, but I am Impatient.

#7

Forced Exposure has them.

#8

I ordered from experimedia.net.

#9

And I just got an email notice that it has shipped.

#10

i read something FM3 wrote over on facebook about the batteries- they claim that AA batteries are different sizes in different countries, but that the glass machines have been tested with all the sizes. they said that it might be difficult to get the batteries in for some countries, but that you shouldn’t be afraid to break the machine, the batteries will fit and it will be fine. of course what happens in real life is another matter, but when mine arrive i will cram the batteries in no matter what!!!

i’m dying to see some video of them in action. i don’t get home for another 2 weeks and will spend that time scouring the net for some demos…

#11

Hey all! Christiaan from FM3 here. Hope everyone receives their glass buddhas soon and please do drop me a direct email if you have any issues, ideas for improvements, comments, etc! I’m always available. Regarding batteries, it seems some brands can be a tight fit in some units. But it appears to be very random. In my units Ikea, Duracell and other battery brands are all inserting smoothly. So give yourself a bit of time if the batteries don’t fit in first go. Might be a more tight fit than expected, but you wont damage the machine if you use a bit of effort. We inserted and removed batteries in each unit at the factory for quality testing. So for most of you this won’t be an issue and you’ll be enjoying the Glass works asap! Again, feel free to contact me at any time. You can reach me directly at fm3buddhamachine@gmail.com.

6 Likes
#12

So cool to see you here, @Christiaan. Very much looking forward to the Glass Buddha.

1 Like
#13

From the Palm Sounds website

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#14

Thanks everyone. And big thanks to @Christiaan for taking the time, nice to hear straight from the source.
Well after a good 30 minutes of forcing I got the batteries in at last and it played. I then had a good few hours of listening, its quite hypnotic. The thing I like about the buddha machine concpet it is the disciplined listening, you need to take the time to let the loops play and play. Today I think I will start having a go at sampling and layering the sounds and keen to see where I can take this. I’ll share the results if its promising…

Thanks again all x

#15

Got my Philip Glass Buddha Machine. AA batteries won’t fit. Tried Duracell, Panasonic, Energizer. After much forcing and sore fingers I squeezed a pair of Sony awkwardly in. Surprised I didn’t break the machine - it’s very sturdy. Machine worked but I could not put the back cover over the battery compartment because the batteries were so tight it caused a small bulge in the machine. Tricky getting those batteries back out too. BUT - the battery compartment is so tight that it works with AAA bateries!!!

2 Likes
#16

hey all! first, apologies for your hassles ! i am very happy to hear most people are having no issues and those who find batteries a tight fit eventually get them in with a bit of extra effort and determination.

also, thanks for all of you taking the time to engineer small “hacks” to help solve this issue. For some, AAA fit very easily and work just fine. Others have found that a 2-brand solution works well, using batteries from 2 different brands. I’ve learned that Duracell batteries have a small 1.3mm tolerance variation and it seems the Ultra, Max, etc types are all just slightly longer than the standard ones i get in Asia. This 1mm really makes the difference between a smooth insertion, and a bit of unexpected effort.

One gentleman used pliers to press and “flatten” the positive contact in the upper right corner of the battery well. By flattening this just a bit, he found that even Duracell Ultra fit easily and smoothly.

again, apologies for this extra hassle. thanks for your patience and understanding. i hope you get plenty of enjoyment out the new machine!

1 Like
#17

For those of us in the States, might anyone recommend a particular battery (brand/model) to use?

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#18

Mine arrived today from Boomkat in the UK - I pre-ordered mine out of an abundance of enthusiasm.

UPDATE AFTER CHRISTIAAN’S MESSAGE:

I tried three different brands of AA batteries (Rayovac, Everready, and a Kirkland brand battery) and none of them fit smoothly and even when I managed to squeeze a pair in, the back lid would not shut without pushing on it. Ultimately, it does shut.

After following Christiaan’s instructions, the machine turned on. Long push to turn on. . .long push to turn off. Flick up and down on the wheel to change stations.

I suspect there is no volume control on this one, which complicates using it in concert with the previous generations of Buddha Machine, but thankfully that was not my use case.

I’ve wrapped it up and will give it to my wife tonight.

Phew.

1 Like
#20

IKEA batteries are standard world-wide and work well. I use these. Duracell work in china, but some in UK have found them a tight fit, however, others in UK say Duracell are no problem. and ive just learned that duracell AAA work well for a very easy fit! Everready Eco are working well in UK. Any type of simple Alkaline battery will work, but avoid those Max, Ultra, these kinds which tend to be a slightly larger and longer than standard. Im collecting a list of batteries that fit and will post soon. But actually im finding that all batteries do in fact fit, and some people are worried that even a small amount of pressure will damage the machine. Dont worry about this. the plastic is strong and can handle a bit of effort. Take your time on first install and you will find that most any battery you have will in fact fit. that has been my experience and also the experience of many others who havent had this issue…

1 Like
#21

Just got a notice that my order was out of stock. Any still available?