Bluetooth receiver

MrEd

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Looking for recomendation and opinions on bluetooth receivers.
I want to get the wife something for Christmas that she can pair to her phone in our living room system.
It is a Marantz 3325 receiver.
Thanks in advance 😊
 
Looking for recomendation and opinions on bluetooth receivers.
I want to get the wife something for Christmas that she can pair to her phone in our living room system.
It is a Marantz 3325 receiver.
Thanks in advance 😊
Ahh, we have an existing Bluetooth audio thread that can provide some clues for this one.

The main issue is that not all Bluetooth is created equal, and which particular phone she has, and which specific Bluetooth codecs it supports will come into play, as the source and receiver need to be in agreement there.

The $64,000 question then becomes what codec or bit rate is "good enough" sound quality wise. I have found both the aptX HD, and LDAC codecs to sound quite good, I'd argue most will think thats easily enough sound quality. Step it down to regular old aptX, or AAC, and there is an audible loss there, but most in civilian clothes would still find it completely acceptable. The bottom drops out and you descend into "sucks" with the standard SBC codec (in my opinion).

So my recommendation is to start with the source (phone) and determine which codecs it will even support. If it's an iPhone, I think you are limited to AAC, though there had been rumors about Apple once and for all implementing the aptX standard, but I never heard that actually occurred. Android phones tend to offer far more possibilities in this regard.
 
Thanks Mikey.
We have divide between phones... she is a devote Apple user.
I will jump to the other thread and read.
 
Thanks Mikey.
We have divide between phones... she is a devote Apple user.
I will jump to the other thread and read.
The Apple phone will do the AAC codec only. It's not bad as Bluetooth goes, but also not quite the quality that aptX HD or LDAC would provide.

I do like the FiiO BTA30 I got for $89, though in that thread you'll see there is also an xDuoo unit at that same price that looks like its better built, and the iFi Zen too, though that one has only digital output and so you'd need a separate DAC as well, where the FiiO and xDuoo units do have analog output.

I'll admit I've never actually listened to the FiiO BTR30's analog output despite having it for a while now, I've only ever used it's digital output to date.
 
The Apple phone will do the AAC codec only. It's not bad as Bluetooth goes, but also not quite the quality that aptX HD or LDAC would provide.

I do like the FiiO BTA30 I got for $89, though in that thread you'll see there is also an xDuoo unit at that same price that looks like its better built, and the iFi Zen too, though that one has only digital output and so you'd need a separate DAC as well, where the FiiO and xDuoo units do have analog output.

I'll admit I've never actually listened to the FiiO BTR30's analog output despite having it for a while now, I've only ever used it's digital output to date.
Okay @MikeyFresh, I've read through and reread through your Bluetooth audio thread and have a couple probably simple questions: why would I want a transceiver instead of just a receiver for a BT hookup to my stereo amp and speakers system in my barn?

Currently I drive a Topping TP60 stereo amp with an old PC running WinXP and JRiver (off network storage), and am thinking of buying an RCA output BT adapter of some sort, connected to the 2nd input of the TP60 amp so that I can stream from my Android phone.

I'm currently just looking at relatively polar opposites in the price-range area: the FiiO BTA30 ($66.49) and the much more expensive iFi Zen Blue V2 ($199) and Auris Blume Pro ($169).

Confusing to say the least.

What would I use the transmitting function of the FiiO to do, exactly?

TIA
 
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Okay @MikeyFresh, I've read through and reread through your Bluetooth audio thread and have a couple probably simple questions: why would I want a transceiver instead of just a receiver for a BT hookup to my stereo amp and speakers system in my barn?

Currently I drive a Topping TP60 stereo amp with an old PC running WinXP and JRiver (off network storage), and am thinking of buying an RCA output BT adapter of some sort, connected to the 2nd input of the TP60 amp so that I can stream from my Android phone.

I'm currently just looking at relatively polar opposites in the price-range area: the FiiO BTA30 ($66.49) and the much more expensive iFi Zen Blue V2 ($199) and Auris Blume Pro ($169).

Confusing to say the least.

What would I use the transmitting function of the FiiO to do, exactly?

TIA
I'm not entirely sure of all the use cases for the transmitter function, however I do know of one, only because a friend of mine in CA uses his unit this way (he has the Elegiant BTI-066).

He takes the Toslink out of his HDTV in the bedroom into the BTI-066, and then transmits that TV audio to his Bluetooth headphones so that he can watch late night TV while his wife sleeps undisturbed by the sound of the TV.

BTW - the newer BTA30 Pro is definitely a nicer unit than the original (and still sold) BTA30, albeit at twice the price.
 
I'm not entirely sure of all the use cases for the transmitter function, however I do know of one, only because a friend of mine in CA uses his unit this way (he has the Elegiant BTI-066).

He takes the Toslink out of his HDTV in the bedroom into the BTI-066, and then transmits that TV audio to his Bluetooth headphones so that he can watch late night TV while his wife sleeps undisturbed by the sound of the TV.

BTW - the newer BTA30 Pro is definitely a nicer unit than the original (and still sold) BTA30, albeit at twice the price.
Thank you!
 
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