Audioengine B1 Bluetooth Receiver with 5.0 aptX HD - Extended Range and High Fidelity 24 bit DAC Wireless & Streaming Audio Systems

This is one of the best designed and engineered audio units purchased in recent years. Compact and neat, the build quality is very high and the audio performance is exceptional form power on. Pairing with another Bluetooth device is a breeze and takes less than 60 seconds. Once paired, the Bluetooth signal is locked in and doesn't drop out.Once hooked up to the HiFi kit the sound quality is simply stunning. Great clarity, depth of sound across the stereo soundstage with no noise over Bluetooth. The 24-bit DAC means that the digital sound is transformed into very high quality analog signals. Think CD quality.The short manual is both clear and informative. A section suggests that the audio will continue to improve until the unit has been operation for between 40-50 hours. Not reached that point yet but are delighted with the current sound quality so will be interested in how much better it gets.You don't get high quality without paying extra. The unit price will only increase further with UK inflation and currency fluctuations.If you are looking for a Bluetooth receiver to link your digital devices to your analog HiFi then you'll be delighted too.

I replaced a Neet BT receiver with a Audioengine B1 and the resultant enhanced overall musicality of the B1 is substantial.Pairing and connecting my iPhone was trouble-free and accomplished in seconds.I am taking a feed from the toslink optical output of the B1 into a Chord DAC and amplifier.In my view any upgrade to a hifi-kit is to be judged from two aspects; (a) the additional previously unheard detail and clarity of music and (b) the more difficult to define aesthetic pleasurable "musicality" of tonal balance and ambiance . The B1 ticks both boxes, very impressively indeed. In fact, beautifully.At c. £130 the B1 isn't cheap, on the other hand it is beautifully engineered and permits a significant upgrade to be performed to your hi-kit easily in a few minutes.Can music BT'ed from an iPhone ever achieve the same sudiophile levels of fideility as from the original CD ? Probably not, but for those of us too idle to stir ourselves from our armchair to retrieve CD's from our library, it comes bloody close.A highly recommended piece of kit for those in pursuit of superb hi-fi musical quality combined with the convenience of BT sourcing.

Good points:Fantastic sound quality for what it is. I tried several of the cheaper Bluetooth adapters and was really disappointed with the quality - this knocks them out of the water. This for me is the main selling point and the reason I purchased the item. I struggle to hear any difference between the files played through my PC speakers and the output on my stereo via this deviceEasy to set up - I stream music from my computer to the stereo via a small USB bluetooth adapter plugged in to my PC. Does drop out occasionally but only for a split second and it this is few and far betweenI can now access all of my digitally stored music on my stereoGood reception - it's about 5 metres from the device to my bluetooth adapter and this works very wellBad points:It is quite a lot of money. Tip: search on Amazon Warehouse to see if they have one with an opened box for slightly cheaper. This is what I did and saved about £25Very minor, but does need a power socket. I have my stereo, a turntable and this all plugged in which means a trail of power wiresVery occasionally has issues with Windows 10, my music starts to stutter. I then disconnect bluetooth via my settings, reconnect and everything work perfectlyOverall if you're looking for a way of streaming your digital files in as good a quality as possible then this is perfect for you. As I said I tried other cheaper devices but they were in no way comparable, this is in a different league. If you are not bothered about audio quality go for a cheaper one!

I was very impressed by both radio streaming (radio4) and normal Itunes/Youtube Music streaming to this device. I stream from an Iphone and an Ipad and it locks in well to the bluetooth signal, no issues connecting or with any breakup in sound. I run it through a Musical Fidelity amp and also a Pioneer surround sound box in the lounge. It is a little more expensive than the typical entry level bluetooth streamers, however having experienced a cheap one I can say the sound is a step up at this level and the build quality, plus packaging and manuals etc are great.

If you are looking for a quick solution to connect your phone to an old hi-fi amp then look no further. I spent a while doing some research before I made the purchase as there are a lot of similar products on the market. This feels solid. It came well packed and includes a power supply, phono cable and a fabric draw string pouch, which is a nice touch. Couldn't be more simple to set up and amazing results within minutes of unboxing. Really fantastic sound quality. I couldn't recommend it more.