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Another naive question: Looking for a decent cheap Bluetooth receiver(?)

mhardy6647

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As usual when it comes to digital audio-type things, I struggle to ask the right question, but I'm gonna take a crack at it.
It would be nice to be able to get certain audio content into the little old Yamaha stereo receiver located in our den. I am pretty sure that Bluetooth receivers with regular old unbalanced two-channel (RCA) analog outputs exist, but I'd be afraid to buy one for fear of selecting a turkey! :(

Not looking for an "audiophile" solution, just one that will work and not be a waste of money!

One other question I have -- are any of these gizmos battery powered? I would rather not add a wire (power supply) to get wireless input, you know? Too ironic. ;)

Thanks!

(PS This is largely for Mrs. H's benefit, just to be clear)

DSC_7484_ by Mark Hardy, on Flickr
 

thefsb

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One other question I have -- are any of these gizmos battery powered? I would rather not add a wire (power supply) to get wireless input, you know? Too ironic. ;)
Idk the answer but you'll need wires with RCA connectors so I don't see a big problem with a power cable. Batteries have their inconveniences. You have to either unplug the RCAs and take it somewhere else for charging (if you have a charger right there, what's the point of batteries?) or have replacement batteries on hand.

I have an Audioengine B1. It works very well and does just what it should with no fuss. But I regret buying it. BT is just an annoying way to deliver music to the amp. To keep the radio link stable, I need to keep the BT sender within certain physical bounds. So that rules out my phone because I keep it in a pocket and I sometimes move. I want the music to keep going if I walk to the other side of the room. Might as well dedicate an old phone to the job with a cable.

If you want to the B1, I'll sell it you.
 
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mhardy6647

mhardy6647

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Idk the answer but you'll need wires with RCA connectors
That is true... there are logistical challenges associated with this particular 'installation' :rolleyes:
 

Asylum Seeker

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Idk the answer but you'll need wires with RCA connectors so I don't see a big problem with a power cable. Batteries have their inconveniences. You have to either unplug the RCAs and take it somewhere else for charging (if you have a charger right there, what's the point of batteries?) or have replacement batteries on hand.

I have an Audioengine B1. It works very well and does just what it should with no fuss. But I regret buying it. BT is just an annoying way to deliver music to the amp. To keep the radio link stable, I need to keep the BT sender within certain physical bounds. So that rules out my phone because I keep it in a pocket and I sometimes move. I want the music to keep going if I walk to the other side of the room. Might as well dedicate an old phone to the job with a cable.

If you want to the B1, I'll sell it you.
I wonder what version of BT your receiver and transmitter support. BT Connection reliability and strength these days with BT5.0 and aptX is quite good. Phone in pocket should be no problem.
 

thefsb

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I wonder what version of BT your receiver and transmitter support. BT Connection reliability and strength these days with BT5.0 and aptX is quite good. Phone in pocket should be no problem.
I doubt BT versions are the problem. It was the same with an Audioengine B1, a Topping D50s, and a Bluesound Node 2i with a Nokia 6.1 and an iPhone X.

If I go to get a drink, to the bathroom or to the front door, the connection breaks down. To me that's not OK for listening to music. So the device sending the BT has to be something other than the phone in my pocket. At that point it makes better sense to use a different topology where the music is on a media server and played through a streamer with a remote control app on the phone. And I suspect that would work better for OP too.
 

Asylum Seeker

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You did not answer the question. BT 5.0 offers improved connectivity.

I live in a two story house. I leave the smartphone in the bedroom upstairs and go downstairs to the kitchen and the connection on my BT TWS earbuds does not drop out.

I put the smartphone in the storage compartment underneath the motorcycle saddle, I sit on the saddle and listen without drop outs.

This is on aptX with BT 5.0.
 
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BeerBear

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I literally just bought a very cheap BT receiver for the same reason, to plug it into an old stereo amp. It looks like this and the name on the box is "BT200":

oU4MIro.jpg


It also has basic USB playback and it's powered through micro USB (which I prefer to a battery in this case). It goes for around $8.50 on ebay.

I did a few RMAA tests and IMO the DAC itself is fine, the bottleneck should always be the BT signal degradation. It supports the SBC codec only. I plan on making a new thread about it and post the measurements and other thoughts. It's too early to draw conclusions, but so far it pretty much does what it's supposed to do. I will say, though, that I've heard some audible degradation when moving my phone around. The receiver (supposedly) has BT 5.0, but my phone has 4.1.
 

hellboundlex

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I have an EarStudio ES100 MK2. If you have an Android phone that supports ldac, this is the one for you. Balanced and single ended outputs, with the ability in the app to set the voltage limits to your needs. $99 and tiny.
 

thefsb

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You did not answer the question. BT 5.0 offers improved connectivity.

I live in a two story house. I leave the smartphone in the bedroom upstairs and go downstairs to the kitchen and the connection on my BT TWS earbuds does not drop out.

I put the smartphone in the storage compartment underneath the motorcycle saddle, I sit on the saddle and listen without drop outs.

This is on aptX with BT 5.0.
The phone and DAC both advertise Bluetooth 5.0 support. Android is configured to use versin 5. Both devices advertise aptX-HD and the phone displays the aptX logo when it connects. That's all I know.
 

Asylum Seeker

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The phone and DAC both advertise Bluetooth 5.0 support. Android is configured to use versin 5. Both devices advertise aptX-HD and the phone displays the aptX logo when it connects. That's all I know.
Very unusual that your have such poor connection stability.
 

QMuse

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This Avantree device does a good job with BT conncetivity for reasonable price.

Manufacturer info here.
 
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mhardy6647

mhardy6647

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Not lookin' for great -- just a wireless way to get Zoom audio to something more room-filling. Thanks!
 

dougi

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I just got an iFi Zen Blue. It supports BT 5.0 and newer codecs such as apt-x hd and LDAC. The DAC is decent and 5V powered so you can use a USB port off something if you get a cable. I power it off a USB drive port off a Marantz network player. A$199.
 
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