Blue tooth

[cuffs054]

I am once again behind the curve. I get that BT can send sound around the house. My question is: Do all BT thingies send AND receive? Example, new 7.2 receiver with blue tooth says it can play stuff off of phone etc. But that mean receiver can send signals to wireless speakers?
(my last foray into this century left me with a really nice BluRay player and a TV so old I can't hook it up. God, I feel old!)

 

[turquoisedude]

Oh good, so I am not the only one baffled by Bluetooth!   We got a new hot tub last fall with a built-in sound system with a Bluetooth interface.  In less than 4 seconds, Hubby's iPhone was sending tunes from his playlist to it, which was great.  But ya think I can send anything from my humble PC (which I got about 2 weeks after the tub) via Bluetooth??  I guess  we should've had kids after all so that that they could explain stuff like this to us.... OY!

 

[kb0nes]

Generally a receiver will not transmit a wireless signal unless it says it will. Also except for the little external Bluetooth soundbar speakers for a mobile device (like the over priced Bose ones), most wireless hifi or home theater speakers I have seen don't use Bluetooth. They generally have their own specific transmitter you'd feed from the receiver. There are whole home systems like Sonos and these tend to use their own communications standard as well.

The Bluetooth standard was really designed for close range communications (phone to headset or mouse to computer etc.) There are different class devices that have more power and range though. A mobile device like a phone or tablet transmitting to your receiver will likely be limited to about 30 feet line of sight. In other words it will probably have to be in the room to be reliable. Speakers installed in other parts of the home trying to receive a Bluetooth signal might not be reliable.

I'm pretty new to Bluetooth myself but so far I only use it to link a hands free device to my phone.

 

[brib68]

I would think it has that capability, but I'd need to know the brand and model of your receiver to give you a better answer. There are all sorts of ways the manufacturer can configure it to work.

I'm guessing that you would want the ability to play a CD or radio station on your receiver and send the sound to another area of your home through a bluetooth speaker?

I'm a little envious of being able to play music from your phone or tablet through your stereo receiver. We can do that through the Bose wave radio in the bedroom using a BT adapter. Our main Bose system in the living room has an iPod dock plugged into it, but I'm not sure if the bluetooth adapter would work in place of the dock or not--and it's such a nightmare of wires back there I'm not excited to try. (I was trying to do something yesterday and managed to unplug the TiVo, which I wasn't even touching!) The thing about those Bose bluetooth speakers is that the sound is good enough that if we are looking for, say, background music for a dinner party or something, we can just stream a playlist right from a phone, laptop or tablet and not bother with the surround system.

 

[cuffs054]

Brib, what you outlined is just what I want to do. Onkyo has some decently priced receivers, but I haven't even looked at speakers. Thanks for your help.

 

[kb0nes]

I just consulted the manuals for a couple of the mid-range Onkyo network receivers. They appear to be Bluetooth input only.

Be sure to read carefully before you buy.

 

[cuffs054]

KB, thanks, I will wait and see!

 

[retro-man]

Glad this came up. I would like to transmit the signal from my Bose Wave to my console stereo. Its aprox 30 ft away in a clear line of sight. So I can purchase a blue tooth transmitter and receiver to make this happen? Where does one purchase these items in person? Thanks.

Jon

 

[brib68]

Online support

If you go to the website for your brand of stereo, you should be able to find the support page, where you can pull up your exact model # and get an online/PDF copy of the manual, and often some sort of Q and A about features, troubleshooting, etc.

It could be that the Bluetooth in the stereo is just for receiving streaming audio from a mobile device (or from a laptop or desktop computer). For your purposes, you should look into the possibility of a proprietary wireless expansion speakers set. (ie: they would need to be designed and intended to go together... Brand X model 123A speakers, designed to wirelessly connect to Brand X model 123 stereo system)

Even if it is possible, you might find it easier and cheaper to find a decent quality compact system or a Bluetooth speaker that you can stream from your computer or your mobile device. (If you start your search with a Sonos system, Boae will seem like a bargain in comparison. Lol)

 

[retro-man]

Got some new "stuff"

Went to radio shack yesterday to pick a small indoor antenna for the tv in the kitchen. Found one for 12.00 that should work well for my location. While I was there a very informed younger associate guided me through my dilemma of transmitting audio signal between my stereos. I purchased a "connect it" portable blue took transmitter. He paired it up with a auvio Bluetooth music receiver. Will get to hook this up today. Hopefully this is going to work.

Jon

 

[retro-man]

Put it all together yesterday and it works! The only thing is when both stereos are on there is a fraction of a second time delay to the unit receiving the signal. Sort of gives it a concert hall effect. Is there a way to eliminate this so the sound comes out of both at the same rate?

Jon

 

[kb0nes]

Glad it works for you Jon!

The delay is common, its just latency as the signal is digitized and decoded the additional time as part of the Bluetooth transmission. Only way you could eliminate it would be to either delay the direct connection into the other stereo to match or use the same Bluetooth adapter to feed that one also.

I bought an Avantree Saturn Bluetooth receiver/transmitter a few weeks ago. I was helping out at a small outdoor wedding and using this I was able to provide all the music off my phone without being cabled to the PA

 

[perc-o-prince]

Jon (and Brian)-

For transmitting from a computer, CD player, etc, I've been using a little FM transmitter for years. The one pictured below is a newer version, but it's the same basic thing. I have it in my office hooked up to the computer- the office is next to the downstairs bathroom. I set it to a dead station (106.1 here) and it transmits like a radio station. I tune the downstairs stereo that feeds the intercom system to 106.1 as well as the B&0 in the upstairs living room and Bose in the library and they pick it up just fine through walls/ceilings. No delays between stereos that I've caught. That would drive me batty! I've used it on the downstairs CD changer that only has a 1/4" headphone jack by using a mini to 1/4" adapter.

I've even set the stereo in the shed in the backyard to 106.1 in the summertime and it carries there- maybe 40' through 2 walls.

I use AAA batteries usually, but it'll also power with a USB cable. Looks like this one (below) has a rechargeable lithium battery. Maybe I'll get one of these! It may not be blue tooth or the latest tech, but it works for device-to-stereo applications!

Chuck

Pardon Our Interruption...

 

[mathewhebailey0]

70 volt ceiling speakers

I bet some stores,office buildings,etc. would be using wifi or bluetooth ceiling speakers instead of the 70 volt transformer equipped ceiling speakers. The only thing is if so,you would need a wifi or bluetooth audio transmitter,plus AC mains for the receivers in the ceiling speakers.

 

[retro-man]

to kbOnes: that seems to be the easiest way to correct this. Just get another receiver and let it pick up the signal for both.

Chuck: great idea, didn't know that those were available. If I had to start over that would be my best bet. At this point will just get another receiver to add into the system.

Thanks guys

Jon

 

[kb0nes]

Opps hold up Jon, I didn't think through my statement the other day.

"Just get another receiver and let it pick up the signal for both."

Bluetooth doesn't work that way. The transmission protocol is a point to point system where there is only one transmitter and one receiver, they are "paired". Adding another receiver won't work as it can't link to a transmitter that is already paired to the first receiver.

The FM transmitter Chuck showed may be a better option as it is a single point transmitter that can be received by as many tuners as are in range. Its just radio, not a digital communication standard.

 

[retro-man]

kbOnes: you are correct that only 1 can be used. I guess I will pack it all back up and return it. Going to order the ones Chuck suggested and give those a try. Will let you guys know how it works out. Thanks for the info though. Very appreciative.

Jon

 

[perc-o-prince]

Jon-

I have a spare - if you want, I'll pop it in the mail and you can give it a try before ordering! Just send your mailing address in my email.

Chuck

 

[retro-man]

Thanks for your response Chuck. Just sent you a private e-mail. Can't wait for it to arrive.

Jon