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Best Bluetooth receivers for music. Audioengine B1 review vs BluDento BLT-2 clone ish...?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 18 เม.ย. 2020
- PLEASE READ THE PINNED COMMENT:
Audioengine B1: audioengineusa.com/shop/adapt...
BlueDento BLT-2: www.ebay.com/usr/bludento?_tr... eBay is cheaper but Amazon also has it.
***DISCLAIMER: Bluetooth tech is still evolving, based on the codec your experience may vary. Below is a list of the current bit-rates available:
SBC: 345 kbit/s
AAC: 245 kbit/s
AptX: 352 kbit/s
AptX HD: 576 kbit/s
LDAC: 990 kbit/s
Keep in mind you have to have compatible gear to achieve these bitrates which is why i said you're pretty much capped at (320kb). And if you're using standard versions of streaming services you're capped around 256-320 kbit/s anyway. If you're on the hunt for a high bitrate just use a network streamer instead like the Bluesound Node 2i.
I've used both of these bluetooth adapters on expensive and cheaper systems as well as for TV duty, they get the job done and are convenient as hell. Your experience may vary based on the codec you use and your system. Associated equipment is not that important here so I will not be listing it.
Agreed, been using one for a few years, sounds amazing, zero issues.
BluDento BLT-HD is LDAC supported now.
Thanks for straight shooting honest review, seems to be getting harder to find on the tube .
Yeah, I know what you mean.
Nemo...got some Buchardts arriving today. Going to see if they can unseat my 11 year old Magnepans. Kind of ready for a change. Youre the main reason I pulled the trigger, so hoping I love them as much as you do. Your rig is looking great 👍
Very useful review., Top fella!
I've had the Audioengine B1 for several yrs & I've been very happy with it, but it's probably past time I get a Bluesound Node. I wasn't sure my entry level HiFi system was resolving enough to hear the difference but I think u just answered that question.
do it!!!!!!
I resited Bluetooth since it's inception, mostly because I'm an older guy, raised on hardwire connectors, and Bluetooth seemed like I'd get some kinda half-assed AM radio signal like my dad's 1953 Hudson Hornet. So I bought a cheap but well-regarded 2.1 system and ran a 3.5 cable between the amp and my phone. Mainly because my cats considered that wire their favorite toy, I caved and installed a Bluetooth adapter. Suddenly I was listening to a $5000 component stack. I immediately understood . With the cable, there were five obvious sources of potential trouble: the two plugs, the two jacks, and the cable itself. Going Bluetooth made an astonishing improvement in sound quality. I'm an old dog, but I sure learned something new. BF, FB. One mutt's opinion...
It's great to have honest reviews, rather than the shills out there pushing most of what they review for $$$. I agree with you 100%. I'd go as far as telling the budget crowd (I am a member) not to drop big $$$ on bluetooth. I'm waiting for APTX Adaptive to become more available & mainstream. It's supposedly closer to HiFi than APTX HD.
100% agree, spending big on bluetooth is really not a good idea since we have so many affordable options these days that sound just as good. I wish i could be excited about APTX Adaptive but like all the great bluetooth codecs they don't apply to me since I'm an iPhone fanboy :(
Nice “Arm the Animals” shirt👍 love their message
yeah, i kind of stopped messin with them after they got all political on other topics a while back, it looks they cooled down on that front but they lost me...
hi finaly a honest reviews, thanks for that. i have a question, if i conectd the bluedento by optical cable to my surround system, will work?
As long as your surround system has Optical Input then yes it will work :)
@@NemoPropaganda thanks bro. 👌. i had an issue with my xiaomi smart projector, i couldn't extract the audio from the hdmi cable to my surround system with a audio extractor, instead i have to do it with Bluetooth
Thank you for your tutorial video. I am looking to build my own large outdoor speaker box with 2- 8” 100 w/ 8 ohm speakers. Looking to use the Bluetooth from my phone but have a 120v power source for amp and Bluetooth receiver. I will be using for outdoor parties. I have been researching for a while to find correct components on a budget of about $300. Can you help with some recommendations? Ty
Hey Scott, why not just build the Blast Box 200 Watt Portable Bluetooth Speaker Kit on parts express?
Great video - I want to get the best sound possible from an iPad Pro to my vintage naim system - I realise Bluetooth will cap quality, so I'm thinking of connecting an external Dac. The other issue is my iPad will be 20ft away from my amplifier (no digital inputs) so I guess I need to have the DAC close to iPad and run long RCA cables? Can you recommend a good setup/DAC?
Hey Steven, may i ask what your budget is? I ask because if you want to do all that it might be better to use a streamer like the Bluesound Node 2i. It has a pretty damn good built in dac and you’ll use your ipad as the interface still so you’ll have the convenience of bluetooth but your music will be high res. Thats what i ended up doing.
@@NemoPropaganda no more than £1000 as i need to save money for Vinyl :) thanks I’ll check out the Bluesound...
@@stevenmoulsher5829 oh for sure then the Node 2i is your best solution, it's a sister company of NAD so we know they don't make gimmicks :). It's what i use in my system and the internal dac as mentioned sounds fantastic. A lot of people will tell you to upgrade it and I'm sure there is some performance to be had but personally i just feel it's simply good enough.
Thanks for the review! I’m setting up my own rear seat entertainment in my vehicle and will be using an iPad for Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, youtube etc. planning on using an ART HeadAMP4 headphone amplifier that has one 3.5mm input and 4 3.5mm outputs to give me 4 headphone channels for the kids to plug in to and adjust volume from. The missing piece is the Bluetooth receiver to take signal from the iPad and get it to the headphone amp/splitter. I’m super picky about latency and poor sound quality. Any recommendations?
Forgot to mention I’ve got about a $200 budget and my vehicle has a built in inverter so getting power to the Bluetooth receiver shouldn’t be an issue. Thanks again for any help.
@@tonymora1943 Hey Tony, most of these BT adapters operate off of 5v 1amp so you should be good either way on power. As far as sound quality both units here were pretty damn good, but latency is another issue all together that BT technology just isn't good with. Sometimes it's great, sometimes it's not. Blutetooth 5.0 has the lowest latency so I'd try to ensure you can capitalize on that meaning your ipad and BT adapter would both need to be BT 5.0.
@@NemoPropaganda thank you for the info! Keep the videos coming. Great stuff.
I have the Audioengine B1 with an Android using APTX & I'm very impressed with the sound. I'm wondering what APTX HD sounds like, guess I need a newer phone for that. Either way I'm hesitant to buy a Bluesound bcause though I'm sure the internal dac is better I'm not sure I'd hear the difference, especially since I'm bypassing the B1's dac with an optical cable to my amp's internal dac.
biggest benefit of the Node is you can stream cd quality or lossless audio vs lossy blutetooth. Some can hear it, some can't, on my system that sits around $13-$16k depending on how it's configured it's a fairly obvious difference to me and still some people may not really notice. By comparison lossy bluetooth sounds more flat, less dimensional, less lifelike, less refined, and so on but notably bass quality is reduced.
Macintosh has a Bluetooth receiver transmitter can you do a review if you have the time I enjoy your content and honesty.
given the introduction of incredibly low cost streamers like the wiim mini and arylic a50 I no longer see any value in BT only transmitters.
@@NemoPropaganda I was trying to find something budget but coming from McIntosh I thought perhaps it would sound a lot better than an audio engine B1. streaming can become expensive every year also paying mobile bill,but you can't keep the music they take it away from you if you don't paythe bill.I've been using the audio engine B1 with TH-cam premium I have the Klipsch RP28s my amp that Cambridge ARX 100 NAD CD transport and the subwoofer the RELTH-1003 My power cord and line conditioner are from pine tree audio they custom made it for me.
When you streaming from title and the other high res streamers companies they don't have all the music like TH-cam have your limited to what you want to hear
I have both of these, and I also have the MUCH cheaper Logitech bluetooth adapter. Guess which one sounds best? None of them! They're just different. Honestly, I like the Logitech the best. It's easier on the ears. The Audioengine is my least favorite, cost aside. Sounds too clinical to my ears.
One word of caution on Bluesound Node 2i - i have this and am here watching this video for a bluetooth alternative because the latency on the Node 2i via both airplay and bluetooth makes videos on youtube / netflix etc unwatchable (or at least a very poor watching experience!)
yeah wireless for AV often times gets buggy like that. I don't use any wireless for TV/Movies.
I use an old Apple TV box which has an optical output to airplay Apple Music from my device to my amps onboard DAC. It works well and is lossless. I would like to be using a more premium method but I have no idea what that would be. Might not be any better anyway.
You can use a bludsound Node, it's internal dac is most likely better than what you currently have, you can take it a step further and add an external dac like a Denafrips Ares II.
@@NemoPropaganda Thanks, I’m aware of the bluesound as an option though I do recall complaints regarding its Airplay dropping out too often. I only get occasional drop outs at the moment. The amps onboard DAC is a $1,000 upgrade module so it’s probably very good.
What I really want is for someone, even Apple, to produce a device that will connect to the modem and have an optical of coax output, and allow the iPad to be used as a controller to select the music from my Apple Music app but deliver it to the amp wired, that way I get lossless and high res without any airplay dropouts. I guess it would have to be an Apple product to be able to do that. I doubt they will ever produce one though because they are only really into wireless. But I live in hope.
@@aussie8114 I don't know too much about the apple ecosystem but can't you use something like a mac mini, then usb out to an external dac (or your current dac if it accepts usb) and control the mac mini from your ipad? I think it's possible like that but I'm not entirely sure.
@@NemoPropaganda Not sure about that. Not sure if you can use the iPad to control another device that’s streaming from Apple Music. I am going to the Apple store next week so I will ask them. My amp does have a USB input. I have never used it but I might get a cable that can connect the iPad lightening output to a suitable USB connector and at least that will let me try it and see if I can hear a difference in audio quality between the iPad hardwired and airplay. I have a feeling I will hear no difference because to be honest I can hear no difference between Apple lossy and Apple lossless, so maybe I would hear no difference between lossless airplay and lossless hardwired. Maybe my hearing is not great these days.
I shouldn’t complain with my current Apple TV box anyway because it’s delivering audio that sounds pretty awesome to me when playing well recorded music. Yes I could try the Bluesound node but I would only be using it as an airplay receiver yet it’s $1,000 here, and my Apple TV box is probably just as good at that job. My Apple TV box airplay almost never drops out unless I use the iPad to search on Google while listening to music, that seems to disagree with it for some reason.
By the way if you have Apple Music I made a 145 song playlist that is sourced from well recorded albums. I’m pretty happy with it. It’s called AUDIOPHILE MIX (Neil). If you want to check it out.
@@aussie8114 yeah lossy music is a lot better than audiophiles like to admit. Unless your system is very resolving with respect to soundstage depth & holographics it's hard to notice. Like if you're whole system is under $1500 for example I think it will be nearly impossible to tell the difference between lossless and lossy either way. But at the end of the day it sounds like your system costs more than that and you're rather happy with it, I say who cares, enjoy what you have and don't look back :).
How you like the Kinki??
Thanks for the review. I've been using the bludento for phone streaming duty. Since I can stram anyy content from my phone via bluetooth.
I want to ask if you know of a similar functionality dac that is a step up from both?
That's awesome Chris, the convenience is really great!
Which piece you got under those streamers. Looks mad expensive though.
The preamp with the two big knobs? That’s the Kinki Studio EXP7 which is 2k.
I just bought and tested the bludento blt-hd and it's good using the optical and coaxial outs. Not good using the analog outs. Alot of background static/hiss noise. I tried moving around wires and different power adapters and it didn't help.
mmmm... might have to use the warranty my man, that doesn't sound right.
I also own the Bludento and I also find the analogue outs are hissy and inferior to the optical out. The optical out is great, however.
I was looking at the Audioengine A5+ Bluetooth but you have to manually pair every time you swap between devices. Does this do the same or once you pair multiple devices to it will you be able to swap at will or how does that work? Can it send audio from multiple sources to a single output (i.e. if I connect the B1 to my phone and my PC will it send audio from both to my speakers)?
Hey my man with this review being pretty old audioengine has updated a lot of their products so I'm not too sure what features they may have added. I would recommend you shoot them an email or give them a call on Monday, they should be able to easily and quickly answer that question for you.
@@NemoPropaganda Thanks for the information. I know that they're taking a long weekend for New Years, just wasn't sure if you had any experience swapping between devices on your B1 and how easily that was.
@@Seigler I have the old version B1 that's not sold anymore so I'm not sure my experience is relevant anymore but I had it connected to my iphone and would leave my amp to auto-on. When I would come home and wanted to play music I would pull out my phone, play iTunes, and boom it my amp would auto turn on and play music. Basically my phone always auto connected to it for music.
Ah okay. I was more curious about swapping between devices though. Like if you had it paired well multiple devices if they would stay paired or if it could only pair with one device at a time, etc. But I should hear back something from them by Monday and I can update my post to let people know once I do
@@Seigler pretty sure it was one device at a time for the old model b1 i had.
Super tweeter review coming?
@@NemoPropaganda What brand are they?
What is the reason the bluetooth wont sounds as good as a network streamer ad long as it had the same quality DAC chip? Thank you
Generally speaking bluetooth is limited to 256-320kbps data rates using the more common codecs while network streamers will do 1,411kbps so you have a much higher quality file using a network streamer (assuming you're using Tidal HIFI or equivalent). Granted there are newer bluetooth technologies such as LDAC that allow for bitrates up to 990kbps but both devices need to be LDAC compatible and that is much less common. For example even the newest iphone does not have LDAC but some android phones do. If you have to buy a new phone just to use LDAC it makes more sense to just buy the Bluesound Node 2i network streamer for $549.
@@NemoPropaganda Thank you so much! very informative! Tidal MASTER supports 9216 kbps or 24-Bit / 192 kHz ..Can I achieve that with Bluesounds Node2i?
@@marcusaurelius2988 Masters is MQA and the Node 2i is MQA compatible so YES! Though I have not looked up the bitrates nor do I really care about MQA, it's an inconsistent format. Sometimes it sounds better, other times it's just louder.
@@NemoPropaganda for instance , gustardx16 is a great DAC with bluetooth. Does that mean it is capped by its bluetooth abilities only and one cannot take advantage of its superior DAC quality as long as the connection is through bluetooth? That is the confusing part.
@@marcusaurelius2988 The gustardx16 does have the LDAC codec so if your source device you're transmitting from also has LDAC then you will be sending at 990kbps which is very impressive for bluetooth but still not the 1411kbps a streamer can achieve. But the million dollar question is can you hear the difference? If not, go for the bluetooth :)
Is it worth upgrading the interconnect for this device?
Bagsey34 no i wouldn’t unless it’s just for aesthetics :) but i just shoved mine being my media console so it’s out of site.
Which is better, Audioengine B1 or Ifi Zen blue?
Sorry I have not tested the ifi zen.
Which one is the best: bluDento BLT-2 vs BLT-HD?
I have not tried the HD version but I believe it just has a more up to date version of bluetooth.
BLT-HD is aptX HD supported but BLT-2 NOT.
BluDento BLT-HD is LDAC supported now.
Fiio BTR3. Thoughts?
I haven't heard it but Fiio is generally very good for the money in my experience :)
hey bro well you should listen to xduoo xq 50 pro . it uses ldac technology wich is 990 kbs.and soubnds better than most cd transports. you cant use it with iphones ...they dont use aptx hd or ldac.thats a shame.....
i totally would if iphone used LDAC :( That's a really good price too!
So only with android phones ????
BluDento BLT-HD is LDAC supported now.
@@BluDento thsts good ....
What is the range on the bluedento?
30ft for the old one. 100ft for thew new 5.0 version.
What is a streamer?
A network streamer is something like the Bluesound Node 2i. It connects to your home internet via wifi or ethernet and is like a mini music computer that you can control from your phone. The benefit is going to be higher quality music but you also have to use high resolution music sources like Tidal HiFi which is $20/month.
@@NemoPropaganda awesome thank you!!
RIP chromecast audio....
What is a Bluetooth Audio Receiver?
Bluetooth audio receiver (aka Bluetooth adapter or Bluetooth dongle) is a device that receives a Bluetooth signal from a Bluetooth-enabled audio source (phone, tablet, TV, laptop). Bluetooth receiver is supposed to be connected to a non-Bluetooth device like a speaker system or headphones. That way, it makes your non-Bluetooth audio equipment wireless and allows wireless transmission of audio.
Range?
For these ones it's 30ft but both companies have released updated models since this video was posted and the new models most likely use BT 5.0 with range approaching 100ft, I would check with each company to see the specs of their updated units.
@@NemoPropaganda
Thanks, really appreciate the reply. Planning to use in the garage and the norm 30' is not far enough. 100' would be great! Will check with them on new version. Thanks again.
@@leosalas41ify Anytime Leo! Good luck on the hunt :).
The BluDento has one BIG Fault - There is no On/Off Switch! That means a flashing blue light unless you disconnect the power cable ! A simple on/off switch would have saved this annoying feature.
I have the blue dento, audioengine b1, rover beats, and mono price bluetooth adapters and none of them have an off switch. But Ray i don't have the same problem you have because i just throw them behind my media console or hide them behind something since they are so small :) Have you tried doing that? There is no reason to leave the adapter out in plain site as the range is very good these days.
You can buy a cheap usb cable with an on off switch, they use them for Raspberry Pi's.
Mine is connected to my vintage Pioneer receiver,s switch outlet at the back of the receiver , turn of the receiver and the adapter turns off !
I also purchase the BluDento. I'm very happy with the product however I had the same concern with not being able to turn it off. Thanks for the tip I just ordered a USB cable with an on and off switch.
Black out the light with some tape or ink.
What about AirPlay 2? I believe Audioengine supports it but Bludento does not. AirPlay is capable of streaming higher quality audio than Bluetooth.
That is a different audioengine product named the B-Fi. The b1 does not have airplay :(.
That’s what I meant. Isn’t AirPlay better than Bluetooth for audio quality? So the Audioengine B-Fi should be best streaming from an iPhone to a high end legacy stereo system, correct?
@@jonathancohen6203 Yes if the source is high quality enough but if you're using iTunes for example which is generally 256kbps at that point there shouldn't be any audible difference between airplay or bluetooth since even the most basic bluetooth SBC codec can handle up to 320kbps. If you're using something lossless like Tidal HiFi then yes airplay will provide the higher bandwidth for that lossless performance.
Yes I’m streaming Amazon music at the ultra HD level and want to get that into my NAD integrated amp.
@@jonathancohen6203 okay great, so yes in that case airplay would be the preferred option. You might want to wait for my review on the Arylic S50 Pro+. It's only $30 more than the Audioengine piece and gives the option to stream directly from the unit which should be even better and has a slew of features like built in amazon music and airplay. And interestingly enough it uses the same DAC chip as the B-Fi.
320kbps is all you need...you won't even notice difference as many audiophiles hav convinced themselves! These old farts can't even hear all the frequencies they think they can....in their imaginary world. BlueDento would be my choice but I already ordered a 1Mii Bo3pro for $60 and it has a decent ESS DAC.
I think that's a bit of a generalization... We're not all old either and some of us have very resolving gear. 320 certainly is plenty good but it's nowhere near CD quality so if it was good enough I'd think the recording studios would have been using MP3 for a long time now, scientifically 320 is lossy meaning it's missing some data so this isn't like a cable debate. On a resolving system just about anyone should be able to notice the difference. Now finding value in that difference certainly is a personal matter.
yes totally AGREE! I'm also about to order the 1Mii Bo3pro but I also see the Avantree Oasis Plus .... I don't know which one is better, any ideas?
They are clones but they are different....hmmm...
not clones, only the case work is cloned, 100% of the internal circuitry is different.
BluDento is different from AudioEngine. BluDento owns the digital coaxial output but audioengine b1 not.
Out at iphag
Sorry i don't understand.
Won't buy Apple, EVER!!!!
nothing wrong with that, Android makes some great phones too.
I stopped watching the video when you said "I am iPhone until I die".. even if you love music and you know that for bluetooth transmission quality the iPhone sucks.. It looks like you are not that open minded.. so I don't trust such people advices. Bye bye
You’re lucky i can’t post memes here but oooof you’re quite the judgmental one good sir... perhaps you saw a side of yourself in me that you’ve not come to terms with, anywho... i’m still iphone till i die. I’m sorry my choice in phone ruffled your feathers so much. But really is it that big of a deal my man?
What a snob. People have preferences. You can choose to like what you like and Nemo can like what HE likes. But to dismiss someone for what THEY like rather than being objective is quite Juvenile. This would certainly be a SAD SAD world if people had to agree with only YOUR choices.