Tuesday, June 2, 2009

The Joy of Wireless Audio - Learn About Bluetooth Headphones, Speakers and Transmitters

Bluetooth is an amazing wireless protocol that is paving the way for cable free interconnectivity between your devices. Here are some examples of audio devices that are taking advantage of this technology.


Bluetooth Speakers


Bluetooth speakers can pair up with your Bluetooth enabled phone so you can play your music through the speakers, thus helping you do away with annoying earphones. Many of these speakers were designed to be used in your car. Most Bluetooth speakers come with microphones, so you can use them to take incoming calls. You can be listening to music in your car streamed wirelessly from your phone and if a call comes in, be able to answer it and have a conversation hands free! Many speakers come with noise cancellation technology making them ideal for car use, a great alternative to using a headset. If your laptop or MP3 player is Bluetooth enabled you can also use them to play music wirelessly through Bluetooth speakers. Some Bluetooth speakers are designed solely for car use and may only come with a car charger while others may be battery and/or AC mains powered. Many speakers will be able to also connect to your laptop/mp3 player with a standard 3.5mm jack.


Sound quality on Bluetooth speakers will not be as crisp as using a wired connection and may distort at higher volumes. You many need to make sure your phone is A2DP compatible (a protocol that allows you to send stereo quality sound over Bluetooth wireless connection) as many phones that have Bluetooth do not have A2DP. Bluetooth speakers receive audio through this A2DP protocol and may only be able to play music when paired up with an A2DP enabled phone/PC. There are Bluetooth USB dongles that have A2DP so you can stream music from your laptop/pc. Prices for Bluetooth speakers begin from under $40 and major brands are Sony, Motorola and Altec Lansing.

Bluetooth Transmitter for iPod/MP3 Players

This handy little device plugs into your iPod dock connector and allows you to transmit music to a Bluetooth enabled speaker, headset, car studio etc. If your headset has AVRCP (Audio Video Remote Control Profile) capability you will be able to control the iPod (volume, track skipping) using it. Bluetooth transmitters are also made for other types of MP3 players. Sony and Motorola are some of the major manufacturers.

Bluetooth Stereo Headphones

Many people have a standard Bluetooth headset (mono audio, fits over just one ear) but there a is different class of Bluetooth headphones/headsets made especially for listening to stereo quality audio. These headphones will have two cups and are A2DP enabled. A2DP is a Bluetooth 'profile' that is not available on all Bluetooth devices. Most Bluetooth headsets have the standard 'hands free' or 'headset' profile which means they are meant for taking calls only and if you try to listen to music from your phone on them the quality will be very poor. However using an A2DP enabled headphone (with an A2DP phone), the sound quality will be significantly better. Get a Bluetooth adapter for your iPod/mp3 player and you can listen to music wirelessly, great for wire tangle free workouts! Many of these headphones will have microphones to take calls and may also be AVRCP enabled meaning you will be able to control volume, skip tracks on your phone using your headphone. Motorola, Sony, LG and Logitech make Bluetooth headphones and many of their models come packed with a Bluetooth adapter for your iPod/mp3 player.


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