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We are working on a complete overhaul of this guide. See What to look forward to for more details on the specific Bluetooth audio receivers we are testing.
Our top pick, the StarTech BT2A, has been discontinued and is no longer available. We will have a new recommendation soon.
If your favorite home audio system lacks Bluetooth, you don’t have to invest in an entirely new setup just to enjoy streamed audio from your computer or mobile device. A Bluetooth audio receiver is an easy, affordable add-on, and we think the StarTech BT2A is the best choice for most people—thanks to its combination of connectivity, range, audio quality, and usability.
This receiver offers high-quality audio, easy setup, reliable connectivity, digital audio outputs for higher-end systems, and range that easily covers a large room.
*At the time of publishing, the price was $73.
Among all of the affordable Bluetooth receivers we tested, the BT2A offered the best combination of sound quality, reliable connectivity, range, and number of audio-output options, plus a two-year warranty.
The BT2A offers wireless convenience without sacrificing audio quality. Pairing with a Bluetooth source is easy, and reconnection with sources is more reliable than with a number of other models we tested. Its range easily covers a large living room, extending into neighboring rooms, and due to quality components and support for multiple Bluetooth-audio codecs, audio comes close to the sound quality of a direct wired connection. It includes a Toslink optical digital-audio output, so if your existing stereo has better audio circuitry, you can take advantage of it, and it includes NFC (near-field communication) circuitry for easy pairing with some Android devices.
If you have a higher-end stereo system or speakers, the B1 offers a big improvement in sound quality, along with a big increase in price. It also provides exceptional range.
*At the time of publishing, the price was $190.
If you’ve already invested a good amount of money in your existing audio system, the Audioengine B1 Bluetooth Music Receiver is a nice step up, providing sound quality befitting a higher-end system. Its built-in digital-to-analog converter (DAC)—the circuitry that turns Bluetooth audio’s digital bits into musical sound—is much better than what you’ll find in the less-expensive models we tested, and likely even better than the DAC built into your phone or tablet. The result is audio quality that’s roughly comparable to what you’d get by connecting your smartphone or tablet directly to your speakers with a cable, if not better. The B1 sports a small external antenna that helps it achieve phenomenal range for a Bluetooth device. It’s also well-built, and, like our top picks, it has digital-audio output for use with an external DAC.
This receiver offers high-quality audio, easy setup, reliable connectivity, digital audio outputs for higher-end systems, and range that easily covers a large room.
*At the time of publishing, the price was $73.
If you have a higher-end stereo system or speakers, the B1 offers a big improvement in sound quality, along with a big increase in price. It also provides exceptional range.
*At the time of publishing, the price was $190.
I’ve been obsessing over audio gear for 14 years, going through more headphones, speakers, and audio components than I care to admit. I spent six years covering audio gear for Macworld, where I reviewed more than 75 headphones, DACs, headphone and speaker amplifiers, and computer accessories. I also contributed to Macworld’s yearly headphone and speaker buying guides. I’m passionate about good sound, and I’m not ashamed to call myself an audiophile. But just as important, I love finding great, affordable gear that connects people to the music they love. I also have a PhD in computational biology, so I have a strong technical and scientific background, and I’m not afraid to delve into technical details to answer important questions.
Whether it’s because your new smartphone has no headphone jack, or you aren’t ready to give up your old stereo in favor of a great Bluetooth speaker, a Bluetooth audio receiver adds wireless streaming to your existing home stereo or speakers, potentially giving you better audio quality for less money than buying a whole new audio system. If your smartphone, tablet, or computer has Bluetooth, but your stereo or other speaker system doesn’t, a good Bluetooth audio receiver lets you stream music wirelessly to your speakers with little loss in sound quality.
Our top pick is for people who have a traditional stereo system, computer speakers, or a soundbar—pretty much any speaker system with an auxiliary-input jack that doesn’t already have Bluetooth. Our upgrade pick is worth considering if you’ve invested roughly $500 or more on your stereo system or speakers and want to be sure you’re getting the best sound quality out of them, or if you want to be able to stream Bluetooth audio from a longer distance: farther than 90 feet with a straight line of sight, compared with about 40 for our top pick.
We began by looking at the most popular models on Amazon and checking the websites of high-profile manufacturers, ultimately assembling a list of 76 candidates. We then considered how these products are used in order to identify the most important features and specifications, which resulted in a short list of serious contenders: eight models for general home use and two higher-end model.
The main appeal of a Bluetooth audio receiver is the convenience of playing audio through your existing speakers without having to plug in a cable. This means that pairing and connecting your devices to the receiver should be easy and reliable—if connecting your phone to a receiver is too finicky, you’ll just reach for the simplicity and reliability of a cable. Also, the receiver’s range should be long enough to cover a typical living area—wireless isn’t particularly useful if you can’t roam with your device.
Ideally, a Bluetooth receiver should sound as good as a direct, wired connection—if wireless audio sounds bad, you’ll likely put up with the inconvenience of a cable to get better audio. Whether a receiver comes close to this standard depends on the quality of the receiver’s built-in digital-to-analog converter (DAC) and other audio circuitry, as well as how the audio is compressed for transmission: Bluetooth doesn’t have enough bandwidth to transmit uncompressed CD-quality audio, so Bluetooth devices use one of several codecs to compress audio for transmission, and can vary the bit rate of the compression based on available wireless bandwidth. The receiver decodes the transmitted data for playback on your speakers.
All Bluetooth devices support Low Complexity Subband Coding (SBC), a codec with low bandwidth and computational requirements, but that can sound downright bad in some implementations. To provide better sound quality, many newer Bluetooth receivers (including our top pick) support the aptX codec; some also support MP3, AAC, and other codecs. Windows and Mac computers, and most Android devices, support aptX; iOS does not, but it does support AAC.1
We found that receivers that support aptX also sound pretty good using SBC—if a receiver supports aptX, it can likely receive good-quality audio from your source device in some form or another. So we considered aptX support an almost-mandatory feature for our top pick.
Another feature we favored was digital audio output, which allows you to use a separate DAC for better sound quality. (Many home theater receivers include their own DAC, and some people have a dedicated DAC in their stereo.) While not everyone needs this feature, it’s something that’s nice to have, and models with it don’t cost substantially more than good models without it. That said, we considered two models (the Avantree Roxa and Moto Stream) that lack digital output because they offered other intriguing features not found elsewhere.
One feature we didn’t give much weight to was NFC circuitry for pairing. NFC pairing works only with certain source devices (such as some Android phones), and pairing is generally a simple process that you perform rarely for each device, so we didn’t think it was important enough to impact a buying decision.
To test our contenders, I paired each one first to a MacBook and then to an iPhone to see how easy it was to pair source devices to the receiver; how reliably the receiver connected and disconnected from sources once paired; and how easy it was to switch to a different source. For devices that could pair with multiple devices simultaneously, I used up to six devices to test this feature, and up to nine to test pairing.
I also looked at how each receiver reconnected to source devices following a disconnection (due to the devices moving out of range of another, or one device being turned off); and considered whether each receiver’s behavior made sense given how it would be used. Models designed for a home stereo will generally be left on—most don’t even have a power switch—so it’s best if connections to these models are initiated manually to avoid your phone’s audio being routed through your stereo when you don’t want it to be.
To evaluate audio quality, I first used each device to listen to background music, then compared them head-to-head using my favorite test tracks played on the Mac and iPhone. I tested the home models with a stereo consisting of NHT speakers and an NAD home-theater receiver.
Finally, to assess the range of each receiver—how far the receiver can be from the source device and still get a consistent audio signal—I set each receiver on a stand outdoors, started music playback on an iPhone, and walked slowly (to compensate for connection latency) along a tape measure with the phone held at chest level, noting the distance at which music started skipping. I conducted this test first obstructed by my body (which significantly reduces range), and then unobstructed. To get a feel for the real-world range of each device, I also connected each receiver to my home stereo, located in the living room near one edge of my 1,000-square-foot apartment, then walked around the apartment with my phone while music was playing.
This receiver offers high-quality audio, easy setup, reliable connectivity, digital audio outputs for higher-end systems, and range that easily covers a large room.
*At the time of publishing, the price was $73.
The StarTech BT2A Bluetooth Audio Receiver is our top pick for most people thanks to its combination of good sound quality, range, usability, connectivity, and price. It comes from a reputable vendor, has a two-year warranty, and is reasonably priced.
The BT2A paired to new devices, and reconnected to old devices, reliably in our testing. It can remember eight paired devices; if an additional device is paired, the oldest-paired device is bumped from the list. Additionally, it includes NFC circuitry for easy pairing with Android mobile phones and other compatible devices, although the normal pairing process is easy enough.
In terms of audio quality, the BT2A supports the aptX codec and features a high-quality DAC that’s well-regarded in this price range. (StarTech specifies the Cirrus Logic Wolfson WM8524G.) When used with my computer and iOS devices, the BT2A provided the best sound quality of the models we tested in this price range. Overall, it offered the best dynamic range, the best high-frequency and midrange detail, the best bass power and tightness, and the least high-frequency distortion. It noticeably bested the audio of the Grace Digital 3Play and Avantree Roxa, and far exceeded that of the Motorola Moto Stream.
If you directly compare the BT2A with a wired connection, you may hear a difference in sound quality, particularly with source devices that don’t support aptX, but we think most listeners—especially those listening through computer speakers, soundbars, and other less than high-end systems—won’t notice. And even if you do hear the difference, it’s likely to be a reasonable trade-off given the convenience of a wireless connection.
The BT2A also has a Toslink optical digital-audio output, allowing you to upgrade audio quality by using an external DAC, such as the stand-alone models used by audiophiles or the type built into most home theater receivers and some stereo receivers and speakers.
Reception was about average for the home models I tested, but enough to cover most living areas well. Indoors, each covered my living room and most of an adjacent bedroom; outdoors, unobstructed range was about 40 feet.
Aside from sound quality, no individual aspect of the BT2A was unique in this category, but it was the only receiver at this price that in our tests offered such a solid combination of performance and features.
(During our testing, we noticed that the StarTech BT2A and Satechi Bluetooth Audio Receiver looked identical on the outside, and the Nyrius Songo HiFi and our now-discontinued Monoprice runner-up were also very similar; all four had back panels that appeared identical. In our testing, all four models offered essentially identical performance, and each appeared on connected devices as “Music Receiver” without any identifying brand information. I took the four models apart to investigate, and they appear to use the same circuit board—I saw little difference in three of the devices’ internals, while the Songo HiFi had only a few different chips on the board. We’re fairly confident that these are all variations on the same design, though the Monoprice, Satechi, and Nyrius models have since been discontinued.)
Our biggest complaint about the StarTech BT2A is that it doesn’t support multiple active connections: If you’re listening to music from your phone and want to switch to playing music from your tablet, you have to break the active Bluetooth connection with the phone (for example, by disabling Bluetooth on the phone), and then connect the tablet. Three models we tested—the Grace Digital 3Play, Motorola Moto Stream, and Avantree Roxa—support multiple active connections:2 In the above scenario, your tablet would already be connected, so when you begin playback on the tablet, the receiver would automatically switch to playing the tablet’s audio. If you have multiple streaming source devices and frequently switch between them, this is a very convenient feature, and one we wish the BT2A offered. However, the three models that include it all have big drawbacks in other areas, and the feature itself often didn’t work as expected.
The range of our top pick isn’t outstanding, but it’s comparable to that of most Bluetooth devices: 30 to 40 feet unobstructed or 20 to 30 feet through walls and other obstructions. To get significantly better range without making compromises in other areas, you need to opt for something more expensive, such as our upgrade pick. Similarly, like all but one of the devices we tested, the BT2A occasionally skipped for no apparent reason, despite being near the transmitting device with a clear line of sight. Our upgrade pick was the only device that never had this issue in our testing.
Common to Bluetooth streamers in this price range, the BT2A is relatively light, so heavier audio cables can cause it to move around, but this is easy to address with some Velcro strips or Blu-Tack
If the BT2A hasn’t been receiving audio for more than a few minutes, the first second of audio will be cut off when you resume playback. But as long as audio continues playing, this won’t happen again. Ultimately, this is a minor annoyance that doesn’t outweigh our pick’s many positives.
Finally, as we mentioned above, the audio quality of the BT2A isn’t perfect. We think it will be more than good enough for most people, but if you want the best possible performance, you can use the optical output with a higher-quality DAC, or take a look at our upgrade pick.
If you have a higher-end stereo system or speakers, the B1 offers a big improvement in sound quality, along with a big increase in price. It also provides exceptional range.
*At the time of publishing, the price was $190.
If you have nice speakers or a higher-end audio system and you want to add a Bluetooth connection that can do them justice, the Audioengine B1 Bluetooth Music Receiver is a great step up.
The B1 is based on the same circuitry as Audioengine’s well-regarded D1 DAC, and the unit’s audio quality reflects this: It offers better sound, by a good margin, than the less expensive Bluetooth receivers we tested. Music is lively and involving, with crisp, clear highs; detailed midrange; and tight, clean bass, particularly when used with devices that support aptX. In fact, because the B1’s DAC is likely better than the built-in DAC of your phone, tablet, or computer, streaming to the B1 could wind up sounding better than connecting that source to your audio system with a cable: I found that streaming audio from my laptop to the B1 (using aptX encoding) sounded significantly better than connecting the computer to my stereo using a cable from the computer’s headphone jack. On the other hand, my iPhone (which doesn’t support aptX) sounded a bit better with a wired connection to my stereo than through the B1, though the differences were small.
Like the StarTech BT2A, the Audioengine B1 supports the aptX and AAC codecs, and it includes optical-digital output if you want to hook it up to an even better DAC in the future. It also has RCA analog audio outputs, which are sturdier than the 3.5 mm stereo minijack used by most other models we tested, so it’s less likely that your cable will come unplugged accidentally, or that heavier cables will damage the jacks. Another nice feature is a dedicated pairing button, which is useful not only for pairing new devices, but also for quickly dropping the current Bluetooth connection in order to switch to another source device. (The B1 can remember up to seven paired devices.)
Finally, the B1 is the only model we tested that includes an external antenna. According to Audioengine, thanks to this rigid, plastic antenna, which sticks up a few inches from the front of the unit, the B1 has a range of 100 feet, three times what most other receivers claim. Indeed, the B1 outperformed all other models I tested: Using my smartphone as a source, I was able to walk everywhere in my 1,000-square-foot, single-floor apartment without any skipping or dropouts. (The farthest the apartment’s layout would let me get from the stereo was about 30 feet, with walls in between.) In our outdoor test, I was able to get 90 feet away before I ran out of testing area—I wouldn’t be surprised if Audioengine's 100-foot claim is conservative. The B1 never skipped, even when my body obstructed the line of sight between the receiver and my phone. Considering that some receivers I tested had problems when people or large objects disrupted that line of sight, this is extraordinary performance. The B1’s combination of features, build quality, great sound, and long range make it a big step up from our main pick if these improvements are meaningful to you.
When it comes to using Bluetooth-audio devices, you’ll hear talk of “pairing” and “connecting.” Pairing is the initial configuration process that associates two devices (in this case, your smartphone, tablet, or computer and a Bluetooth receiver) so that they can communicate. Once you’ve paired the devices, they remain paired, even if you turn one of them off or if they’re out of range of each other. You should have to pair those devices only once.
Connecting refers to establishing an active wireless connection between two paired devices. When you turn one device off or move one out of range of the other, the two disconnect in order to conserve energy and to free each other for connecting to other devices, but you can easily reconnect them when necessary—disconnecting does not affect the pairing between the two. However, unpairing two devices means they’ll no longer connect unless you put them through the pairing process again.
Some receivers automatically reconnect to a paired source when within range, while others require you to manually reconnect them through your device’s Bluetooth settings—the exact behavior depends on how the manufacturer designed the receiver to function.
We have a new writer working on a complete overhaul of this guide to Bluetooth audio receivers. He is currently testing the Anker Soundsync A3341, Auris Blume, BluDento BLT-HD, iFi Zen Blue V2, and Monoprice 38071, as well as an updated version of our upgrade pick, the Audioengine B1.
Many of the affordable receivers that we tested for this guide have been discontinued, including the Monoprice Bluetooth Audio Receiver, the Satechi Bluetooth Music Receiver, the Nyrius Songo HiFi, the Avantree Roxa, and the Motorola MotoStream.
Several other models we came across appear to use the same circuitry as our overall top pick, although short of obtaining and taking apart samples of all of them, we can’t say for sure. Of these, we eliminated the NuForce BTR-100 because it’s about $15 more than the StarTech model. Several other models appear to be discontinued or otherwise unavailable: the Rocketfish Bluetooth Music Receiver, the Betasphere Audio Beacon HR-120 Bluetooth Link, and the Crystal Acoustics BluDAC. If you find any of these at a good price, they may be worth considering, but we haven’t tested them.
The Grace Digital 3Play supports three simultaneously connected devices, but our top pick sounds significantly better. The 3Play includes an optical audio output and—interestingly—a battery for portable use (but no volume control for use with headphones). However, getting the 3Play to pair and connect to source devices was sometimes hit or miss, and its range was also the worst of the devices in this category, with dropouts occurring at the edge of my living room, about 20 feet from the receiver.
The inexpensive HomeSpot NFC-Enabled Bluetooth Audio Receiver is one of the most popular models on Amazon. We briefly tested a seemingly identical model, the now-discontinued Outlaw Audio BTR-100, which performed relatively well, but we felt it was too expensive given its features and performance. While the HomeSpot’s price is attractive, our top picks offer digital-audio output, and—assuming the HomeSpot sounds similar to the Outlaw BTR-100—offer better sound quality for not much more money.
At the high end, we also tested the now-discontinued Arcam miniBlink. This model offers good audio quality, but the Audioengine B1 sounds better, and the Arcam lacks the B1’s digital output and extraordinary range. (The miniBlink’s range, indoors and out, is comparable to that of our top home pick.)
For 30-pin dock models, the RadTech WaveJamr, Nyrius Songo Link, and CableJive dockBoss air all performed relatively similarly to one another, but none were ultimately as reliable in connecting and pairing to source devices as the Samson BT30, nor did they match the Samson’s range and sound quality.
We had high hopes for the 30-pin CoolStream Duo, thanks to an impressive Amazon rating. The Duo’s sound quality is good, it supports two actively connected devices, and it sports a built-in rechargeable battery and a 3.5 mm audio-out jack, so you can also use it as a portable receiver or with a non-docking speaker system. However, we found using the Duo frustrating, as we often had to pull it out of the speaker dock and then insert it again to “wake it up,” and, because of its battery, turning off the speaker dock wouldn’t always break the Bluetooth connection with our paired device.
In practice, we couldn’t always tell which receivers supported codecs beyond aptX and SBC, because few manufacturers provide this information. The same is often true on the source side—for example, iOS devices, which support AAC and SBC but not aptX, don’t provide a way to view which encoding scheme is currently being used for streamed audio; and while there are ways on Macs to determine the codec (and even force the use of one), it’s neither convenient nor reliable. The result is that we often had to evaluate audio quality without knowing which codec was being used.
All of the home Bluetooth receivers we tested can be paired with multiple devices simultaneously, but these three can maintain active connections with multiple paired devices.
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