60 reviews for Audioengine B1 HiFi Bluetooth Receiver with 5.0 aptX HD – Extended Range Bluetooth and High Fidelity 24 bit DAC for Wireless & Streaming Stereo Adapter Electronics

1. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   RAB – March 7, 2024

   5.0 out of 5 stars

   Big capability in a little package.

   Easy to set up. Connects to wireless devices quickly. Small size is a big plus for me. Sound quality of my 20 year old integrated Sony amp mated to my much loved 30 year old Bose 901 speakers while streaming Apple Music through my iPhone is excellent. Music quality matches that of my new Onkyo CD player. For my ears I think this device does a great job while avoiding the high cost of new equipment. Recommend this device to others.

2. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Jeff – March 7, 2024

   5.0 out of 5 stars

   Delivers as described!

   I’ve read all the reviews on a variety of Bluetooth adapters for my home stereo and settled on this. Not the cheapest, but DEFINITELY worth the investment. I take my phone downstairs, upstairs and it never misses a beat. Great piece of gear! HIGHLY recommend!!

3. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Technocratic Addict – March 7, 2024

   5.0 out of 5 stars

   Best Bluetooth Adapter I’ve ever owned

   While not cheap this little guy is phenomenal. I needed a high quality BT receiver for my office stereo to avoid ground hum issues when connecting to audio sources. I use this daily with an iPad 10th gen running iOS 16.6.1 to play high quality Spotify streams. Once paired the Audioengine is smart enough to sleep when not in use for extended periods but immediately wakes up and reconnets to the iPad without any need to touch the Audioengine.The adapter is connected via optical to a Schiit Modi Multibit+ which then feeds into a vintage NAD7000’s preamp and then is split between a powered Velodyne 10in subwoofer and the internal NAD amplifier which feeds a pair of NHT SuperOnes. I’m not the most all out audiophile ever but I’m very particular when listening to music and the Audioengine definitely isn’t holding anything back.

   One person found this helpful

4. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Samantha Porter – March 7, 2024

   5.0 out of 5 stars

   Fast Easy set up

   Great product. Fast and easy to set Bluetooth up on my old stereo.

5. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   BP – March 7, 2024

   5.0 out of 5 stars

   Near audiophile sound

   I am very impressed with the sound quality from this BT device. When you start with a good source music file (high bit rate, lossless, etc), this does not disappoint. I had no unrealistic expectations that this was going to generate the equivalent of a quality audio cable connection, and have been extremely pleased with the listenability and musicality that this offers.

6. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Thomas NielsenThomas Nielsen – March 7, 2024

   5.0 out of 5 stars

   The B1 is the king!

   I did an A/B between my Ifi blue zen V2 and Audioengine B1.They are both great Bluetooth receivers. The difference is not night and day…..but the B1 offers better soundstage and separation. The Ifi does seems to have a weightier sound – great bass – but after several A/B’s the aging B1 comes across as the most natural sounding and less fatiguing.This is impressive and surprising since I run the Ifi in LADC at 990kbs. Whereas the aging B1 only has aptx HD does. I did not expect this.My rig is a modified Sansui 999 from 1971 – completely rebuilt with a balanced differential input and other updates throughout.Either Bluetooth receiver was tested against each other, using my Oppo BD105 as a reference. Neither can quite match the oppo’s impressive analog output stage (do yourself a favor and see a cover-off photo of the oppo and enjoy the sea of red Wima film caps).

   5 people found this helpful

7. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Norman S – March 7, 2024

   5.0 out of 5 stars

   Suited for Audiophile System

   I was looking for the best BT receiver I could find in order to run Spotify streams through my older equipment. I’ve so far tested it with two systems, streaming from a Samsung tablet on a satellite wi-fi connection. It’s not a great connection, but I live in a rural area and it’s what I have to work from:1. System 1 – AEB1 connected via TOSLink optical to Musical Fidelity V90 DAC, feeding a Quad 405/2 power amp joined to a Quad 44 pre-amp driving Mission 771 bookshelf speakers.2. System 2 – AEB1 connected via TOSLink optical to MHDT Havana tube/SS DAD, feeding an Acurus A/150 power amp joined to an Acurus LS11 pre-amp driving vintage Spendor SP1’s that I bought new in 1984.Note that in both tests I am bypassing the AEB1 internal DAC by going optical to my own DACs.System 1 (Quad/Mission) sounds fine. It is in my bedroom. I am comparing it to a straight BT stream to a Marshall Stanmore BT speaker. Neither one is close to greatness – the Stanmore has better bass, but does not have the dimension of the Quad/Mission comparator. I think I’m disenchanted with the Missions – they should sound much better being powered by the Quad electronics, but that’s not the fault of the AEB1.System 2/MHDT Havana/Acurus/Spendor is VERY GOOD. I was switching back and forth between Pops Staples’ version of “World in Motion” – one from streaming Spotify and the other a Rotel CD player going into the same electronics and speakers. The CD has a richer, fuller sound with the voluptuous mid-range sound that is characteristic of these old Spendors. But the AEB1 version is very listenable. It has less “fullness” to it, and less bass, but it also has an imaging that sounds like you are acoustically in the recording studio more than the CD-based sound. Head-to-head, I’d prefer the CD, but given that Spotify opens the door to everything you’ve ever owned or loved, even though your turntables and vinyl are now gone, EITHER are fine options.I have thousands of dollars worth of mid-range audiophile equipment that has been constrained by my no longer having all the input sources (vinyl and CD) that I once had. With the $189 addition of the AEB1, I feel like a kid in a candy shop.It may be that some of the cheaper options work about as well – I don’t know – but for $189, why fool around – this thing is a passport to the soundtrack of your life. Highly recommended.

   11 people found this helpful

8. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Elrod – March 7, 2024

   5.0 out of 5 stars

   This product is a Premium product as advertised.

   This device brought my Bose 901’s back to life. I listened to my system for hours. Totally satisfied. Connected easily and the rest was beautiful music..

9. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   KiffKiff – March 7, 2024

   5.0 out of 5 stars

   If You Want Real Audio Quality, Don’t Bother With Anything Less

   Excellent, easy to use Bluetooth interface as an addition to an older but studio monitor-quality system. Plug and play. All I had to do was hook up the USB power adapter, RCA cable to an unused set of inputs on my amp, and pair it with my phone, which was instantaneous. Off to the races with various streaming radio services in less than 10 minutes. Nothing to set or adjust. No app or software to install. Piece of cake, at least with my phone. Bluetooth connectivity is always a bit of crapshoot but this was as easy as it gets.Audio quality is unbelievable, far better than any cable I’ve used in this application. and I don’t even believe this phone (old but very reliable Galaxy S7) has Bluetooth 5.0, think it’s only 4.2. The DAC in this puppy blows the DAC that drives the headphone jack you’ve been using as an output absolutely into the weeds. Without testing (which I may yet do some of), by my fairly well-trained ears alone, almost as good as a CD on terms of clarity. I’m always a little afraid to crank something like this up over my nice Yamaha monitors because that’s when I discover all the schmutz in the signal. None here. Little to no audible compression artifacts or aliasing. Cymbals are painfully clean. Bass is fat and punchy like a vinyl record, something that’s also totally missing from the low-voltage headphone output on most devices. Reggae is worth listening to again without firing up the ol’ Stanton (I love vinyl, but it does feel a little more like steampunk tech every time I put one on)…Just a tiny black box. Beautifully made, solid metal and hex bolts. Good quality power supply and cable (I bought a top shelf one, wish I had a spare optical input on my amp, its own DAC is amazing). Reception range covers my entire house and much of the yard without dropping a single audible packet. It’s a small place, but… well, I don’t need it to reach halfway down the block, which I suspect it would easily! If this thing lasts as well as its look and feel of engineering and construction would imply, it’s an awesome purchase. Listed on a couple reviewer’s top 10 Bluetooth interfaces as “best splurge” – ie if you can afford this one, don’t bother with a cheap one. Concur. Best birthday present anyone’s given me in ages…

   16 people found this helpful

10. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    The Doug – March 7, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Phenomenal product! Phenomenal sound quality!

    I am thrilled with this purchase! This bluetooth receiver is professional class; nothing about it feels cheap. It has a well-made sturdy metal case, and the RCA jacks feel solid when plugging the analog cables in (I did not test the digital optical output). It comes with a stereo RCA audio cable and a USB to USB-C power cable. It even ships with a 5V power supply (plugs into 120 VAC outlet), or you could power it from another device’s USB port. The audio quality is amazing; music always sounds crisp and clear with no background hiss or noise. When nothing is playing it is totally quiet, so no need to turn it off. Pairing is super easy; no codes required. Once paired, both this device and your phone remember each other. The range is unbelievable. I have this receiver sitting on a metal rack in my office surrounded by other electronics, and it picks up bluetooth from my iPhone over 30 feet away through two walls. I can’t find anything I don’t like about this product.

    6 people found this helpful

11. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Scott Balaich – March 7, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    By far the best Bluetooth receiver on the market.

    This is bar none the best Bluetooth receiver on the market, I tried 6 different units before just biting the bullet and paying the extra money for this one.My goal was to find a receiver that I could connect to my Mackie ProFX mixer, with every other receiver I tried I would get artifacting and distortion even at low volumes. Not a problem at all with this unit, doesn’t matter how low I turn the volume down or crank the volume up on my mixer, signal is flawless.I saw some other reviews saying they had compatibility issues with Apple products, not sure if they revised the hardware or firmware at some point but this has not been an issue for me (iPad Pro 12.9 Gen 4 / iPhone XS Max).IMPORTANT – Make sure you use their included power brick, when I connected the unit to a 5 port USB charging hub I was getting some mad noise. Audio equipment can be very picky when it comes to power, I typically even keep all my audio equipment on a separate power bar / surge protector from everything else in my setup.Bottom line, great unit if used properly, unrivaled fidelity.

    4 people found this helpful

12. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    JH – March 7, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    An alternative to a dedicated music streamer.

    Updating audio system. Was looking at streaming devices with price tags of $500 or more. If you subscribe to music services other than Amazon, maybe there is some benefit here. You probably will get higher sampling rates with greater music definition, but I use Amazon for my music streaming. Some of the better rated streamers don’t support Amazon music. So, why not a Bluetooth device to upgrade my older audio system. Found this unit in my research and figured why not? Much less $$ than the music streamers I was researching. Seemed like a no brainer and I am not disappointed. Set up was a breeze and being able to control my music and volume from my iPad was a real plus. 1st up, listened to some Steely Dan, sounded pretty darn good to me. Onto classical, some Chopin, piano Nocturne #2, very nice. Jazz, Ella and Louis awesome, just as good if not better than my LP. So, I’m very pleased with my decision. Highly recommended.

13. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    David Athen – March 7, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Sounds Great

    Sounds Great

14. 

    Rated 4 out of 5

    Jonathan K. Cohen – March 7, 2024

    4.0 out of 5 stars

    Sound is okay, install was good, results are mixed.

    I bought and installed the Audioengine Bluetooth receiver. Installation was much easier than expected; I was able to establish a connection, and Windows created a speaker profile for the device. The only problem is that ALL the sound in your audio, like alert beeps, goes to the speakers. I had to break the Bluetooth connection to use the computer for work. The sound is good enough for CD audio, not for hi-res. There are some Windows sound settings I haven’t tried yet that may help. One piece of advice – using better cables than the ones in the box does improve the sound. I use the Belkin cables from Blue Jeans audio. Finally, this may be an artifact of my preamp, but you have to play with the computer volume, app volume, and preamp volume quite a bit to get a sound out of the Bluetooth receiver – and then undo it all when you want to play a CD. It is a lot of work.

    One person found this helpful

15. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    gadgetnut – March 7, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Breathed New Life into an Old System

    I have a 12 year old audio system in our large, finished basement, consisting of a Harmon Kardon receiver, and RBH speakers. It sounds phenomenal, but it’s definitely old technology. We also own 2 really nice, portable Bluetooth speakers, but they just aren’t up to the task of filling the big basement with music over the noise of a party crowd.Enter the Audioengine B1. When a light bulb finally went off in my thick head, and I realized that I can purchase a Bluetooth adapter for my main system, it was just a matter of figuring out which one to get. After all, there are loads of these little devices on the market, and some are WAY less expensive. While I don’t claim to be an audiophile, I do still want my music to sound as good as reasonably possible. I decided on the B1 because it has the necessary wizardry to reproduce darn good sound, provided the source and system are equally as good. The B1 has two connection options: toslink optical out, and standard analog RCAs. I opted to use the optical out, because I figured my Harmon Kardon receiver probably has a better DAC than the B1.All I know is that is works and sounds amazing. I can now use my cell phone to stream my endless music from Spotify Premium through a system that has the power to entertain large crowds. Very happy with my investment in the Audioengine B1.

    2 people found this helpful

16. 

    Rated 4 out of 5

    Joe Smith – March 7, 2024

    4.0 out of 5 stars

    Sounds great but still Bluetooth

    Not blown away, but if you are looking to add Bluetooth functionality this is probably among your best options. Works great, solid build quality.

    One person found this helpful

17. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Jill M. Nordstrom – March 7, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    My old school receiver gets a new lease on life

    I got a new iPhone with a plan to replace the very old and slow 6S that was plugged into my receiver with the XS Max that I replaced with the new phone. The XS does not have a 3.5mm jack. 😕 Determined to keep my existing stereo setup, I found this highly-rated device. It connects immediately every time I turn on the receiver and works great so far. It’s a great solution if you don’t want to trade in your old school setup for 100% wireless.

18. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    seagoon3 – March 7, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Great sound for streaming services

    I bought this to try after listening to several stand-alone blue tooth speakers, none of which sounded anywhere close to acceptable. This bluetooth receiver is an absolutely amazing device, which delivers sound quality that is so good it is hard to believe it is possible. My 5 star rating for sound, however, takes into account what it is and what it costs. If you have a good system, you are probably not going to want to dispense with your CD or record collection just yet. It is not in the same league as my 20 year old Meridian CD player, which, on the same albums, delivers more natural sound, a better soundstage, richer detail, and more of the “put the performer in the room” factor. But this receiver with good interconnects and an HD streaming service will give you sound that is more than good enough to make listening to more or less anything you want very pleasurable. So, if you have a system with sound you like, and a free Aux input, and a computer, phone or tablet with HD capability you will not be disappointed if you buy this. Pairing and setup was easy. I use it with an iPad and have had no connection or drop-off problems at all.

    4 people found this helpful

19. 

    Rated 4 out of 5

    OzzyKMO – March 7, 2024

    4.0 out of 5 stars

    Great device!

    Volume is very low. Have to turn receiver volume way up. Then when switching back to TV mode ( and forget to turn the volume down) I get blasted out of the room. Wish the volume was closer to other receiver modes.

    One person found this helpful

20. 

    Rated 2 out of 5

    Beitie – March 7, 2024

    2.0 out of 5 stars

    iPhone bluetooth drop out

    I’ve owned this for quite a few years now. The sound quality is really good and I love how it sounds over my Bang & Olufsen system. However, if you have been reading any number of these reviews, you’ve seen this issue; the connectivity with iPhone is pure garbage. Imagine this scenario. You sit down, turn on your stereo, and pick a song. You’re excited, and ready to have a relaxing session of listening to some sweet deep jams, only to have the first second and a half of the song play, then you hear a soft click, and you notice that your iPhone is no longer connected to the Audioengine B1. I’ve had this issue with both my iPhone 6s, and it still continues to happen with my iPhone 11 Pro.The only solution to this issue that I’ve found is to switch to the Podcast app and start playing a podcast. No amount of resetting the device helps. Powering your iPhone on and off will be completely fruitless. Even other apps seem to have the same issue (YouTube for example). For reasons I will never understand, you must use the Podcast app.While this sounds like a fairly simple solution, you will have to perform this task over and over and over. Almost every time you use it, and sometimes multiple times while trying to use it. It’s insanely frustrating. I would REALLY love to find another solution that sounds this good, but actually works consistently, and I can tell by these reviews that I’m not the only one.Audioengine did seem to take some of these complaints to heart and they have released the B-Fi, a very similar device that will stream using Airplay. This to me sounded like the perfect device to replace my B1 with, so I bought it. However, I was never able to get the App to work, and after days of working with customer support, I had to send the product back. *sigh*

    2 people found this helpful

21. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    OE – March 7, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Amazing – Builtin 24bit DAC gives you upsampling which is magical!

    —————————OVERVIEW—————————Audioengine’s B1 Bluetooth Music Receiver is the affordable, simple wireless home audio solution we’ve been waiting for. When Apple’s AirPlay debuted, with its relatively high-fidelity wireless audio, it was exciting. Bluetooth, which lagged behind in sound quality, eventually caught up and arguably surpassed AirPlay, which would sometimes stutter from network hiccups. Bluetooth, not needing any extra hardware (like a router), is far less likely to stutter, so the final piece of the home audio puzzle is a Bluetooth receiver for high-end musical tastes.The aluminum case of the B1 reflects traditional Audioengine design and the high-quality components and audio fidelity are typical of Audioengine’s commitment to great sound at affordable prices. The Audioengine B1 continues to close the gap between your computer music and home hi-fi and even if you’re not an audio enthusiast we guarantee your music will sound better!The audio quality of most Bluetooth products isn’t usually very inspiring and their limited range can be frustrating. The B1 solves these problems by implementing the aptX codec, which is a high-quality audio converter designed specifically for audio. The B1 also has special circuitry and a precision-tuned antenna to extend the wireless range, providing much more versatility than other Bluetooth receivers.Upgrade your Bluetooth and breathe new life into your audio system. You already have Bluetooth on your tablet, computer, or iDevice, so get more out of it and experience stunning audio with the Audioengine B1 Bluetooth Receiver including aptX, 24-bit upsampling DAC, and extended range.—————————WHAT’S IN THE BOX?—————————- (1) B1 Receiver- (1) RCA audio cable (3ft/1m)- (1) Power adapter with detachable cable- (1) Microfiber bag- (1) Setup guide—————————FEATURES—————————- Easy setup, connects in seconds- Plug-n-play, no software to install- Superior sound and extended range- Streams audio from any media player (iTunes, Amarra, Youtube, etc.)- Connects to any music system with an audio input—————————SETUP—————————1. Connect the included (or your own) audio cables from the B1 rear panel to your music system.2. Connect the included power adapter to B1 and plug into an AC outlet. B1 will automatically go into pair mode.3. On your device, turn on Bluetooth and select “Audioengine B1” to pair and connect.4. Play your music. Setup is really this easy!A well written instruction guide is also included.—————————SOUND QUALITY—————————Due to the fact the AudioEngine has a built-in 24-bit DAC it will upsample the audio while supporting APT-X is a HUGE bonus. Wireless audio has improved by leaps and bounds in the short space of a few years, and the Audioengine B1 Premium Bluetooth Music Receiver is possibly my favorite device to come out of this high-fidelity revolution thus far. It solves the problem of shaky wireless home audio streaming, and it never degrades (and often improves) audio quality. Improvement in Bluetooth technology is the real hero here, but Audioengine takes it a step further and adds a top-notch DAC, which results in a top notch audio accessory worthy of our Editors’ Choice designation. While it’s expensive compared with the Apple AirPort Express, it does exactly the job it’s supposed to do, with solid, reliable resultsThis thing performs exceptionally and is just bliss for wireless music.—————————VERDICT—————————After using the Audioengine B1 for several weeks, I didn’t find anything wrong about the product. I didn’t encounter any hiccups or degradation of sound quality even when the receiver is farther from the source. This small aluminum box is simply a “magical instrument” that would easily replace those long audio cables, connecting your source and speakers, without any loss in audio quality. This is simply a great wireless Bluetooth DAC, and you really can’t complain about its price. I’ve seen wired DACs from other companies that are priced higher than the B1, and they probably offer the same audio quality.Here is how I rank the adapters I test, from best to worst;BEST:Audioengine B1 Premium Bluetooth Music Receiver – $189GOOD:Philips AEA2000/37 Bluetooth Hi-Fi Adapter/Receiver (Discontinued) – $28.99Logitech Bluetooth Audio Adapter – $29.99OK:HomeSpot NFC-Enabled Bluetooth Audio Receiver – $29.00WORST:Amped Wireless Long Range Bluetooth Speaker Adapter – $55

    28 people found this helpful

22. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Tony – March 7, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    With the B1, you actually get what you pay for

    UPDATE 1/27/2016CHECK YOUR BLUETOOTH VERSION! If your playback device uses an older Bluetooth standard (i.e. Bluetooth 2.1 or, God forbid, 1.0), the B1 will skip and stutter like an old CD player. While this has a certain nostalgic appeal, it soon becomes unbearable. Bluetooth 2.1 (which is what my aging computer has) can only transfer data at a theoretical maximum rate of 3.0 Mb/s (0.375 MB/s), which isn’t enough bandwidth to stream high-quality audio—the files are simply too big. Newer versions of Bluetooth, meanwhile, can serve up 24 Mb/s (3 MB/s), which should be enough for even uncompressed audio (though why you’d send uncompressed audio over heavily compressed Bluetooth is a question worth asking). Fortunately, my phone supports Bluetooth 4.0, so I’m still keeping the B1.ORIGINAL REVIEWThis is the first and only Bluetooth receiver I’ve ever bought. I looked at cheaper options, but given that I’m streaming 320 kbps Spotify tracks to M&K Sound MPS1611P reference monitors, it seemed like a tragic bit of false economy to cheap out on the device that’s actually getting the music to the speakers. I’ve had a pair of

    Audioengine A2 White

    speakers for nearly five happy years now, so I have a lot of respect for Audioengine’s products. They make superb, no-nonsense audio gear at prices that can only be called “disruptive” in an industry famous for bombast and snake oil. By way of example, the

    Pangea Audio AC 9SE MKII Signature Power Cable – 1.5 Meter

    costs more than the B1 and it’s just a damn power cord.So when you consider just how much this little antenna box will improve your quality of life, especially compared to the comically diminishing returns to be had in the audiophile underworld of overpriced copper, $190 isn’t just reasonable, it’s CHEAP!Fortunately, the B1 performs like anything but a cheap device. Pairing has been quick and hassle-free with both my Mac computer and Android phone (LG Nexus 5). The signal strength has been rock solid, even from rooms away. The connectivity is simply flawless (at least for me), and that’s the highest praise I can give any wireless gadget—as a category, wireless networking devices tend to be finicky, failure-prone, and frustrating. The B1 is not.Audioengine really doesn’t make a big enough deal about the onboard DAC—it’s the B1’s secret sauce, and the reason it’s worth the premium over much cheaper competing options. Poking around the “Tech Specs” sections of Audioengine’s catalog, I discovered that the B1 contains the same DAC (AKM AK4396) used in their highly regarded D1 and D3 standalone DACs, as well as their new flagship HD6 powered speakers. This is a Very Good Thing, and makes the B1 a totally unique product (to my knowledge): perhaps the world’s only 24-bit Bluetooth DAC.But what about the sound? I did a quick A/B listening test of the same track played through the B1 and the

    HRT – Music Streamer II

    , which is my wired DAC. I’m sorry to say that compared to a good wired DAC, there’s really no contest—the sound quality penalty for going wireless is noticeable and significant, but the experience of wireless music through good speakers is magical enough that I’ll take the tradeoff. That’s not to say that it doesn’t sound good, but where the Music Streamer renders music crisp, detailed, and clean, the B1 produces a more Bose-like sound with aggressive highs and exaggerated, rumbling lows. Mids are the B1’s saving grace, though, and vocals sound beautiful. I suspect, however, that this is attributable to the limitations of Bluetooth and not because the B1’s onboard DAC is inherently inferior. That said, unless you’re used to the orchestral precision of a wired DAC, you’re unlikely to find anything to complain about—with decent source files and decent speakers, this will absolutely blow the doors off any dedicated Bluetooth speaker, most of which sound like someone jammed a car speaker into a perforated tin can upside down.

    33 people found this helpful

23. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    R. Hagar – March 7, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    The Audioengine B2 Bluetooth Music Receiver is worth every penny!!

    I’ve now had the Audioengine B2 for a couple of months, well past the 50 hour “break-in” time, and I can say that it is without reservation the best $189 gadget I’ve bought in a long time. I had been using a Motorola DC800, which I bought several years ago on the recommendation of David Pogue, when he was still with the NYTimes. There’s no comparison between the performance of the two devices–the Audioengine is in a different audio cosmos, mostly, I’m sure, because of the superior quality of the digital to analog conversion chips–cheap vs. not-so-cheap. The quality and clarity of the sound produced by the Audioengine is, to my 70+ year-old ears–dramatic. I have some hearing loss, and the difference the Audioengine makes for me is the difference between being able to understand newscasters voices and missing 25 to 35 percent of what’s being said. As for music, the results are excellent. The set-up for me was effortless. I’d been using the other gateway for years, and the Audioengine, if anything, was even easier to pair. It’s working flawlessly with 2 iMacs, 2 iPhone 5’s and 2 iPads, for a 6 device maximum, perfect for us. You just have to remember which device is connected to the music receiver because, like all Bluetooth devices, it only connects with one source at a time. If you forget that your computer is connected, you will not be able to pair another device with the device until your disconnect it form the one it’s currently paired with. To solve this, I usually just leave it connected to my iMac and access music through iTunes on the computer via the Remote app on the phones and iPads. It works like a charm. Oh, about the range–my old Motorola DC 800 can maintain a connection up to about 35 feet or so then it drops out. Also, whenever we turned on our microwave when using the older gateway, it would stop working until the microwave went off, then it would sometimes continue playing and sometimes just disconnect. With the Audioengine, that has not been a problem. The manufacturer claims that the device’s range is 100 feet. That seems accurate to me, plus the Audioengine seems oblivious to our microwave. Also, as a technical detail, I have it connected to a Pioneer Elite SC-55 Receiver with three separate music zones. To connect it to multi-zone devices, you’ll usually have to connect BOTH the digital AND analog outputs to get sound in multi-zone configurations. Most digital receivers cannot broadcast digital signals to other than the main speakers. At least, that’s the way the last two Pioneer receivers I’ve used have been configured. Bottom line: simple set-up, superior audio performance, great range…I give it 5 stars plus. TWO WEEKS LATER; One more little glitch which has come up a couple of times. While switching between devices, or sometimes after a power grid failure, the device shuts down its analogue output and only outputs through the digital output. This affects my Pioneer receiver’s multi-zone output, which only accommodates analogue signals. The problem is solved by rebooting the bluetooth device–simply unplug it, wait a few seconds, then plug it back in. Problem solved. A minor inconvenience, but I thought I’d mention it. And one more thing–the power light on the device is very bright. If you have it in a bedroom, you’ll have to cover it because it illuminates the whole room like a powerful night light.Also, I edited the original review after I discovered that the popping chattering problem I was having can be solved by keeping the device as far away as possible from the power supply on my receiver. Just moving it to another shelf in the cabinet solved this problem. Have had the device for several months now and still think it’s worth 5 stars.

    6 people found this helpful

24. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    JDIMONTE4 – March 7, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Audioengine has bridged the gap between my Iphone and my Audiophile two channel system!

    We moved recently and I have been dying to set up my two channel system for some time. A few weeks ago I was able to bring it to life. It reminded me of how much I truly love listening to music at its finest. My system is relatively high-end consisting of a Sonic Frontiers SFS80 tube amp, Audio Research tube preamp, Classe’ CD player, and Rega turntable. I was always interested in finding a way to play my music or stream from my phone to this revealing but rewarding system. Until not, I have not found any product that was listenable. Not only is the Audioengine B1 super simple to setup and use, but it sounds phenomenal on its own. It sets up in minutes and the Bluetooth is easily discoverable on your device. I had relatively low expectations due to the wireless signal and my critical ear, but this piece continues to impress me. I listened to the Audioengine B1 for a few days on its own and my findings are that it is extremely musical. Listening impressions are as follows, the highs are detailed and have great separation without being fatiguing. Vocals are clean and forward. In fact, I think the vocals and mids are slightly exaggerated in a good way that shows some presence. Finally, the bass is outstanding. I have never heard a wireless signal sound so clean and authoritative in the bottom end without being muddy or losing its musicality. The B1 is extremely quite and I have not detected any background noise at all. Very impressive. As an experiment I decided to hook up the B1 to my Musical Fidelity V90 Dac to see if that made this already great sounding piece better. What a combination! My friend and I did a critical listening A/B comparison with my Classe’ cd player and the B1 changing back and forth between tracks to determine which was more enjoyable. The B1 not only held its own with a $3500 CDP but in some cases was more enjoyable to listen to. We were blown away. I used the optical output of the B1 to connect to the DAC and then the DAC is connected to the preamp with MIT 330 cables. I cannot imagine any other Bluetooth product that is more geared towards higher ended listeners than the B1. Other points that are really not a big deal for me are the range. Most of the time I am in the same room listening, however, I have gone as far away as 50 feet from the B1 and signal was still strong and clear. The B1 is compact in size and can hide behind or on top of other components. Build quality seems to be better than average with a metal housing and gold plated rca outputs.Overall, the B1 is amazing for the sub $200 price point. On its own it sounds wonderful, but if you are looking to take it to the next level adding an external DAC is the way to go! One other point that I love is that you can control the volume with your phone while playing back. My system does not have this feature on any other source but the Audioengine!Do not hesitate to give this piece a try. It has been eye opening and a game changer to my listening experience!Thank you Audioengine!

    37 people found this helpful

25. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Victor A. – March 7, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Fantastic audio and setup.

    This Bluetooth audio receiver for my analog stereo system is fantastic. Very good quality. Easy to install and connect to. It has very good range. No hiss or any other anomalies. I would highly recommend this.

26. 

    Rated 4 out of 5

    A Doctor in Ann Arbor – March 7, 2024

    4.0 out of 5 stars

    Audioengine B1 vs. AmazonBasics Bluetooth 4.0

    NOTE: I have never received any financial incentive related to a review on Amazon. No free products, discounts, etc.I bought both the Audioengine B1 Premium Bluetooth Music Receiver (“B1,” $189) and the AmazonBasics Bluetooth 4.0 Audio Receiver (“AB-B4,” $25) to compare. The quality of the B1 is excellent, materials feel solid and expensive, and packaging is thoughtful. The AB-B4 feels like a cheap electronic box and was packaged with an equally cheap RCA to 3.5mm audio cable that did not work well for me. Also, even when I used a better quality cable, I had to unplug and reattach the cable a couple of times to get it seated properly–but after doing this, all was fine. Obviously, at more that seven times the cost, the Audioengine product should be of different quality. But what about the sound?Both were easy to pair with 2 different iPhones (5s and 4) and an iPad*. For the first test, I connected each unit to Audioengine A5+ speakers using Kimber Kable – PBJ Interconnects ($96, overkill, but I wanted to isolate the difference in the 2 units). I initially used the 3.5mm to RCA cables supplied with each product and, even before playing music, there was significantly more noise with the AB-B4. When I used the cable supplied with the B1, the noise went away. I listened to rock, classical, and tracks from the Ultimate Demonstration Disc: Chesky Records’ Guide to Critical Listening (well worth the $15 cost). There was no difference in sound between Spotify and Apple lossless ripped from the CD. There was also very minimal difference, if any, between the two Bluetooth devices–using the better quality 3.5mm cable for both.The next system I tried was using an Emotiva Mini-x a-100 amplifier connected to Pioneer SP-BS22-LR Andrew Jones Designed Bookshelf Loudspeakers (at the time, the best value possible at $79 a PAIR, still a great value at $109) using the PBJ cables. Again, no difference between the two devices (with the better 3.5mm cable).Lastly, I connected each device to my best quality equipment, AKG K702 65th Anniversary Edition headphones ($377), Valhalla Headphone Amplifier by Schiit Audio (on sale for $289; new version is the Valhalla 2 for $349). The AKG K702’s are so accurate that they sometimes detract from poorly recorded music by making every error audible. There was a clear difference with this set-up between the two Bluetooth devices with the B1 providing a richer, more full-bodied and accurate sound with better imaging. The AB-B4, by comparison, took less advantage of the excellent headphones and sounded compressed and slightly tinny.Given the differences in price, however, I decided to give both products 4 stars. For an inexpensive Bluetooth solution to get music from your portable device to your stereo (or powered speakers), the AmazonBasics Bluetooth 4.0 Audio Receiver is a great value–though I recommend buying a better quality 3.5mm to RCA cable and discarding the one supplied (or maybe the one I received was defective). If you are looking for a more high end Bluetooth solution for a very good (audiophile) quality system, the Audioengine B1 Premium Bluetooth Music Receiver sounds as good as listening to a CD of the same music and is a pretty good value, too.* I don’t think any of the devices I used support the aptX codec, though my iPhone 5s sounded better than the other two devices for some reason. The B1 supports aptX so, in theory, the sound should be better from compatible devices as I don’t think the AB-B4 supports this format (it’s not mentioned on the product page).

    231 people found this helpful

27. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Robert in accounting – March 7, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Easy and sounds great

    Easy hook up and even the bass sounds great on my older McCormick stereo. I stream from my laptop where I just has to go to settings and choose Audioengine as the sound output. The unit is tiny but works great.

    One person found this helpful

28. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Curmudgeon – March 7, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Works far better than the cheaper one….

    Most of our recent music is now digital… on my phone. However, we like the sound from our large home stereo…. some vintage equipment that just sounds fabulous. The little Bose wireless speaker didn’t cut it nor did the Bower and Wilkins version. So, I tried a different gizmo first. Fail. Clipping, dropouts.. almost painful to listen to.This puppy, however, connects firmly and the music output is consistent. Is it perfect? No. But it’s darned good. The only complaint we have (and it’s my wife’s) is that white LED on the front of the unit. She hates that it’s so bright in a low light environment. During the day it doesn’t matter… at night when relaxing? Meh.

    One person found this helpful

29. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Hybrid Builder – March 7, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    The truth…

    There is a general misunderstanding of Bluetooth that seems to go, “It’s a digital signal. You can’t do any better than that!” Early in the infancy of Bluetooth (after the hiccup at the very beginning), things were good. For most mid-fi listening environments, game on! I didn’t bite…I was still CD/vinyl bound with some pretty decent gear. However, I did buy a BT unit for my shop and connected that to a massive commercial system my neighbors in my industrial building hate! Haha. And guess what? It sounded pretty good though an EV and Gauss main PA, driven by some Rane processing and QSC amps! A later generation BT unit was introduced a few years later in the $50 range, so I bit the bullet and coupled that to my home studio system with the new optical port. Good enough that I began using my smart phone for most lazy listening. However, when I really wanted to put on my audio-file-big-boy-pants, I went back to turntable or specific CD sources. Let’s put it this way, I pulled dedicated power to my rack and processing and had to locate my turntable outside the listening room to eliminate any chance of subharmonic feedback. I won’t brag about the gear…it’s just not worth getting in that opinionated mud pit. It’s good stuff…I assure you! So, my lazy ass decided to listen to a new album just released by my favorite group…and I don’t have the CD or vinyl yet. I just couldn’t get beyond the threaddy 8K and up freqs, the dry midrange, and the muddy bass. It just wasn’t as the artists/engineers/producers intended it to be. Time to go shopping. Buy the B1. Race home…hook it up. WHAT THE HECK! It’s so much less fatiguing, more musical without color, considerably more specially accurate to the sound stage, and completely emmersive. I just don’t find myself wishing that note, or that instrument, or that vocal passage could have been reproduced though my system a bit more accurately and musically. I’ve reached the point where the convenience of the B1 has intersected with the quality of the audio. This is no longer the weak link in my system!

    6 people found this helpful

30. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Joe Vliet – March 7, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Provides Excellent Stereo Bluetooth Connectivity

    I use it to stream music from my iPhone and laptop. Works great and highly recommend…

31. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    W. Craft – March 7, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Pretty Great! Range, Connectivity, Sound Quality!

    Does what it advertises and does it well. Great range. Stays connected!One note on best practice. Something that caused my wife and I some stress early on in our use of this product was when we tried to connect a new device via our iPhone/Pad bluetooth settings panel we’d see “can not connect” when we clicked on B1. This would drive us crazy because in some cases we’d just been using it the day prior with no problems and it was still in our menu as an available device.The b1 has a neat pro feature that it locks onto the device currently connected and won’t let it get bumped. What’s happening when you see “can not connect” is that the other device is still connected. Just open your music player on that device and in output just switch it back to phone or to anything other than the b1 and you should be able to connect with your other device.If you can’t find the culprit device then you will have to press and hold the white button on front to dump other devices and then reconnect your new device manually.What we do is just try to remember when you’re done streaming from your device, disconnect from the B1 so that others can connect. I think that if you were to leave the range it would automatically disconnect.

    One person found this helpful

32. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    kevin – March 7, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Was impressed back in 2015 and just got a second unit for wife’s B&W Zeppelin

    We have a 7 year old B1 in our peachtree intergrate amp + adam audio a7x. Via toslink, it does a wonderful jobs as a bridge to the peachtree dac. On my wife’s B&W zeppelin, we utilize the B1 onboard dac to the zeppelin via rca to 3.5mm. The simplicity and musicality makes this a delightful addition to anyone looking for bluetooth integration with older equipment.

33. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    DariuszM. – March 7, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Great Bluetooth sound and signal

    This is my second unit,first broke, usb power port, something was loose inside, I heard it is very common issue ,i decided to buy the second unit, this time i’m not going to disconnect the usb cable from power usb port it will stay there forever ,I tried iFI ONE nano dac ,nice sounding and looking dac with bluetooth ,but the range i was getting was maybe about 20 feet or so, it has very sensitive bluetooth signal (internal antenna) , i was getting signal drops when i placed it on my AV rack shelf downstairs , also i checked the signal with the signal meter apk on my android phone and the signal diffrence was huge between Audioengine b1 and Nano dac ,i placed Audioengine b1 downstairs ,walls ,floors etc,signal was still thereI know the IFI nano one has better dac Burr Brown better reviews etc but ,when you listen the music on bluetooth this won’t make any diffrence i use optical cable with my Audioengine and the sound is GREAT you won’t hear the diffrence between high priced dac and this ,if you need Bluetooth music this is , i think the best option in this price range,Highly recommended

    2 people found this helpful

34. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    H.D. KWON – March 7, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Quite impressive sound

    My audio system is Marantz 2220 and AR 4x for my small home office, and I use iphone 13 pro for bluetooth. Pretty good sound stage and depth. Clear and wide. Very pleased with its sound qulaity. You can control volume from both the receiver and the iphone. Pairing is super easy as described in the instruction.

35. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Joshua Michaels – March 7, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Superior sound quality, easy pairing and stellar customer service

    When I purchased the Audioengine B1 in 2016, I was looking for a Bluetooth audio interface that was built to last with great sound and easy to pair with all of my devices. The B1 did not disappoint. Pairing could not be easier and the sound quality is superb plugged into my 1970s Sansui receiver. I would highly recommend this product. It’s more expensive than many other Bluetooth receivers but you are paying for quality. What compelled me to write this review was the excellent customer service I received from Audioengine. Two weeks ago my B1 seemingly died out of nowhere. I contacted Audioengine and was directed to send my unit in to them so they could assess it. Apparently the usb power connector inside the unit had failed which was strange since I never moved the device after it was initially set up.In any event, they sent me a replacement within a week which I just set back up with my Sansui and listening to tunes off my iPhone again.If you’re looking for a top quality Bluetooth receiver/adapter, look no further than the Audioengine B1.I was not compensated in any way for this review.

    7 people found this helpful

36. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    ekoh – March 7, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Works as it should – the Best BT receiver so far!

    I use this BT since May 29th with my Yamaha Integrated A-S 1100 hooked up to a pair of ADS L 1290.PROS:Connectivity is perfect so far, across a 50ft room and up a flight of stairs in our Colonial house (thick lattice and plaster walls)Paired with my Android phone pushing bot Mp3 and FLAC files, BT receiver responds well to phone’s commands.Looks good and feels well built.CON:On the Pricey side.Sound-wise, I noticed that the mids are enhanced, requiring some tuning or equalizer adjustment. However, almost any cable connection influences the sound to some degree.One must expect a loss of sound quality with a BT input versus a wired connection, but after having used 5 other BT receivers, I will say that this rather expensive one is well worth the compromise.

    One person found this helpful

37. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    John C. Collinson – March 7, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Rich high fidelity sound w/out frustration of Apple TV dropouts

    After years of frustration tying to successfully and consistantly stream music from my iOS devices through apple airport express, Apple TV 2nd generation and Apple TV 3rd generation into my stereo, this device is a godsend. I care about sound quality, fuss over components, speaker placement, room calibration etc. B1 performs flawlessly with no interruptions or interference. Bluetooth w B1 sounds better than Apple airplay ever did even when working correctly. I should also add that my A/V receiver has Bluetooth built in. The B1 embarrasses this as well. I was skeptical about Bluetooth being able to sound great. It’s all in the implementation and Audioengine nails it. The unit has digital toslink out for direct hook up to my amp’s d/a converter. It also has rca outs that use the B1’s d/a converter. I encourage purchasers to experiment with both. I found the B1’s d/a converter to sound better than my amp’s.The B1 does support the Aptx Bluetooth codec which promises CD quaility sound. Unfortunately iOS devices do not support this function. Although Audioengine does not specify, I’m guessing that the B1 decodes AAC and MP3 files without converting and compressing through Bluetooth sbc codec.My only regret was contemplating this purchase for 2 months. I love this product.

    3 people found this helpful

38. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Paul M. Stovall – March 7, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Its friggin awesome. I received it in excellent condition

    So i HAD to get up off the couch after sitting for several hours listening to music to get my Mac and write this review. Just go buy this thing. Its friggin awesome. I received it in excellent condition , plugged it into my B&K pre amp feeding my B&K power amp driving two Paradigm Studio 100s. I believe i will need a feeding tube. My wife just brought me a drink and says she has not seen this look on my face in a long time. Set up was a breeze – powered it up and it paired with my iPhone 6 immediately. I have been listening to all types of music from my iTunes library and Spotify. Truly amazing sound – no drops, no flaws, crystal clear – I really can not believe it – not sure why I did not know about this technology as its not new. Using this component to take advantage of my existing stereo system with the ease of use of iTunes and Spotify is amazing. Thanks to the Wirecutter for the nudge. I am using the KabelDirekt RCAs paired by amazon for this purchase. I know the manual says to give it 40 hours to break in but – this sound is amazing.

    15 people found this helpful

39. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    ND – March 7, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Surprising

    I was very skeptical about this item, mostly because of the price; but it turns out that it is worth every penny. Super easy to install and connect. Sound quality is the superior to other cheap devices I have used prior. Should have bought one years ago.

    One person found this helpful

40. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Hafizullah Chishti – March 7, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Great piece of gear.

    Easy to set up. The power connector is actually USB with a 110v-to-5v transformer & cable with micro-USB connector at the unit. Unit also comes with RCA cables for connecting to the AUX inputs of your stereo amplifier. Once powered-up, it trained easily to my phone. The audio quality is just fine, and I was able to keep the unit trained to my phone and control it from over twenty-five feet away. I ended-up buying another as a gift for a friend.For Windows 10, you won’t see the B1 on the “Bluetooth & other devices” page, until after you’ve paired with it for the first time. It should show up on the page you see after clicking “+Add Bluetooth or other device”, then clicking “Bluetooth” on the “Add a device” page that pops up. You’ll want to make sure that the B1 is discoverable, by ensuring that no other devices are currently connected to the B1. The B1’s LED should be flashing. If it’s on and solid, this would indicate an active connection, so you’ll want to hold it down for a few seconds, until it begins flashing.

41. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Norman Pallas – March 7, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Sounds great!

    Very easy to hook up but most importantly it sounds great.

42. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Large Charles – March 7, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Excellent product

    Everything works as described. I’m totally happy with this device

43. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    C. Roiz Jr. – March 7, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Audio digital music sourcing is critical when listening with this superb device.

    Audioengine Bluetooth B1 device is a really excellent piece of audio equipment. EZ installation. I am using this with my very fine “Old” Carver separates stereo system that I have enjoyed for many years. The BT unit is hooked up to my Carver Preamp and I am using a Carvin sound production 260 watt, class D amp with Paradigm Monitor 9 speakers. The BT unit provides excellent clarity, stereo imaging, dynamic range and bass response to digital sound that is ripped from CDs, downloaded or streamed. This BT device when used with a very good audio system tends to have the listener “Crank-it-up” to “Live” volume levels to hear sweet rifts and other sonic niceties as it should be. The BT device also reveals the short comings of compressed, flat sounding psychoacoustic phenomenon noise that at times is offered as being music. Digital music sourcing becomes critical for your own sonic “Bliss”. Lastly, I am pleased that “I did not get cheated” !

    2 people found this helpful

44. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    OFFM – March 7, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Solid performer

    Using this to play my music library stored on a 2018ish iMac desktop using an old JVC amp with Polk studio speakers. The B1 is very simple to use out of the box. Bluetooth recognition was a snap. Good Bluetooth range: The B1 is in a different room than the iMac with a couple walls separating them, signal is strong and steady.Sound quality is surprisingly good. It took some time to find best settings on both the iMac and JVC amp. Don’t know how much of that was due to B1 or the iMac/JVC, but it got worked out and is fine now. The B1 instructions say the sound is good out of the box, which wasn’t 100 percent the case as noted, and that the sound will improve during a 40 to 50 hour break-in period, which has definitely been the case for me.Bottom line is that the B1 produces good sound and lets me re-purpose analog gear that would otherwise be discarded in a landfill.

    One person found this helpful

45. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    RgolTN – March 7, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    I can give you a good solid review from someone who enjoys good music and …

    I will start out and say that I am no audiophile, so I cannot speak to the audio-centric technology that many reviews state. However, I can give you a good solid review from someone who enjoys good music and wants to hear it on his home stereo. For years I used Apple’s “Stereo Connectivity Kit for iPod” to listen to music on my Onkyo home stereo receiver. It was a powered unit and the sound was crisp and loud. When Apple switched to the smaller 8-pin lightening connection, they did not provide a kit for the iTouch or newer iPhones and the ’30 pin to 8 pin Lightening Adapter’ just sucked; the music was terrible. So, after a few failed attempts, I finally found an awesome Bluetooth music adapter; the Audioengine B1 rocks! The setup is easy and I am using the gold-tipped RCA jacks even though I will switch to the digital optical cable once I disconnect another device. My Onkyo receiver powers speakers throughout my house as well as a surround sound entertainment room. The music via the B1 is strong, clear and crisp. Moreover, its range is fantastic. Audioengine says 30 ft., but I get almost double that before the Bluetooth signal fades in and out. I love it. I can stream music from my bedroom 50 ft. away to my den where the device sits and play music throughout my house as if my iPhone was connected directly into the receiver. Also, you can easily disconnect your iPhone and have someone else connect theirs in seconds. My wife, daughter and I were all playing music from our phones will ease. the Audioengine B1 is more expensive compared to others, but it is worth it.

    3 people found this helpful

46. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    MJM – March 7, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    It is a great solution for older stereo systems!

    I have had my eye on the Audioengine B1 for over two years and finally decided to make the purchase. I bought it to stream music via Bluetooth from my i-Phone to my 45 year old Marantz component stereo system. I hooked it up and it and I didn’t have to even read the quick start to pair it to my phone. It works beautifully and it sounds fantastic! As an added bonus for me—I also purchased a new Sony Blu-Ray player to play CD’s and DVD’s on my relatively inexpensive LG 43 inch TV in my upstairs bonus music room. I thought I could run a HDMI cable from the player to the TV and then run RCA cables from the audio out jacks on the TV to the Marantz preamplifier via a Tape 2 input which was the only input left available. But there was no setting in the sound menu on the TV to use the RCA audio output to transfer the sound. BUT there was a BLUETOOTH OPTION in the speaker option menu so I switched to that, put the Audioengine back in pairing mode and there it was—audio from the Blu-Ray playing through my Marantz system which BTW blows modern stereo systems away! I am extremely happy with my purchase and I highly recommend this product for its simplicity and outstanding sound quality!

47. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    sandrojazz – March 7, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Wonder box!

    I have been so happy with my B1 purchase. I use it to stream Spotify and Qobuz to my powered monitors (Adam Audio A7x). The device is so small and simple, but feels well made and solid. Setup is incredibly simple: plug it in, connect two RCA cables to the L/R speakers (or to your A/V receiver) and press the white ‘connect’ button to pair to your laptop or phone. The bluetooth connection from my Mac laptop is rock solid. Mac OSX shows me that the connection is run with the AptX codec.I love the B1’s small size and simplicity to use. But the best part is the incredible sound quality. I know AptX has been around since the 80s, but I swear it’s nothing short of magic. There is virtually no degradation of the source material audible whatsoever. I am listening on a highly resolving pair of studio monitors and I cannot tell any loss in SQ. Additionally, the DAC (AKM) and output circuitry designed into the B1 sounds fantastic. The DAC is resolving and transparent, and completely quiet. There is no buzz or hum when the unit is on and the monitors are on, and no “thump” when it connects to bluetooth. Listening to 320 kbps spotify you’d swear it was at least CD quality if not high-res.Devices like this are the future. You can create a modern streaming hi-fi system with just this one tiny box and two powered speakers (audioengine can help you there too). Why mess with CD players, DACs, preamps, amps etc….when none of that is necessary to get world-class sound?

48. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    terry b – March 7, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Let’s just say this works, shall we?

    I always read a ton of reviews before buying a gizmo like this, and I’ll admit I was put off by the 1/2/3 star reviews that talked about Bluetooth connectivity with Apple products. But I took a chance and it worked out just fine.The device connected to the iPhone 6 I now use as an iPod, and my iPhone 11 instantaneously. Not hunting and pecking, no bad words, just plugged it in connected and it was playing music in 30 seconds. I had so much time left over, that I did a thorough dusting of my stereo cabinet.Sound-wise? Who knows? I had iPods plugged in directly using an RCA/3mm split cable and that sounded well enough. I really can’t tell the difference between this and that. Time will tell.So – you can spend a lot less money on a variety of products (I have a couple of Miccus trans/recs sending livingroom music to my bedroom) but I will say the cheaper ones often are a pain in the neck to connect. If you’ve invested a lot of money in a decent audio setup, I think this one is a worthy companion.

49. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    M. Roche – March 7, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    The answer to my wishes!

    For many years now I have wanted to have a device to play music from my iTunes on my iPad to my home hi-fi system. I have the bulk of my CD collection transferred onto iTunes. Using my 200 CD changer on my home system just kind of seems archaic. For the last year or so I have mainly used my Bose wave system to play Bluetooth from my iTunes. Meanwhile my killer home system with Klipsch speakers sat idol. Now I just turn on my stereo have it set to the proper input in then turn on my iPad and make sure it’s paired up. With mine you have to go in to the settings each time and manually click on the B1…. This only takes a second. For me this is perfect because you can turn on another iPad and not have it interfere. When you were done listening there is no off switch on the B1 but just shut your iPad Bluetooth off and it seems to timeout after 5 or 10 minutes and shut off. The music quality is awesome. I know that many people say that Bluetooth is still not good enough for music. But to my ears the music sounds just as good as playing a CD. I’m 54 and I’ve used all the formats: reel to reel, 8 track, cassette, 45’s and LP’s. And I’m the type of guy who listens for the subtle things in my music. For me this is the answer. If you want to play Bluetooth music onto a large hi-fi system then I highly recommend the Audioengine B1. It is well worth the money.

    10 people found this helpful

50. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Frank A.Frank A. – March 7, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Well worth the premium price

    I typically upgrade my patio setup as technology changes. My previous bluetooth receiver was a Denon Pro DN200BR. This was connected to 2 Turbosound ix12 and an iNspire sub. For about 3 years had this setup and it was adequate except for the range. All my music streams from my phone which was recently upgraded. Having bluetooth 5.0 and aptX codec on it I felt it was time to start looking for a receiver upgrade. I tried a few and thought I found a good fit with the BlueDento. I wasn’t convinced the $190 price point of the Audioengine was going to be worth the difference in sound and range quality. After a few more reviews I decided to give it a try. Wow I was amazed at this little unit! Absolute brilliant vivid sound reproduction, and I can walk around anywhere in the yard and completely inside the house and I can’t get this unit to drop or skip at all. If you are asking yourself like I did is this really worth the extra price, let me tell you it is. The only thing I would change on it is having the antenna turn 360degrees. I mount it under a patio so the logo is upside down. Yes it’s very minor but working for a high end construction company i don’t overlook those details. Other than that, this product is the best I’ve found.

    One person found this helpful

51. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Amazon Customer – March 7, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Great Product!

    I don’t typically write reviews, but I was so delighted with the performance of the Audioengine B1 that I felt compelled. I was replacing an inexpensive, older Harman Kardon unit that had limited range and inconsistent sound quality. I have a Yamaha receiver/amp inside a pool house and I have recently added a new patio and outdoor kitchen to an existing outdoor entertainment area. I have 2 sets of outdoor wired speakers and an indoor surround system connected to the Yamaha. The HK unit worked okay for connecting my cell to the Yamaha inside the pool house but dropped out as soon as my cell phone went outside with me. For years, the work around for outdoor music had been to leave my cell inside the pool house, shuffle playlists off of old iPods connected through a wired dock or stream through a portable wireless speaker. With the new space, I wanted a better solution. My research led me to the Audioengine B1. So far it has proven to be the replacement I was looking for. The improvement in sound quality is truly remarkable, both indoors and out. I love it. The range is also as advertised. I can now control streaming from my cell phone thru the Yamaha from the outdoor kitchen and even the patio on the far side of the pool. This is exactly what I wanted to be able to do. Nice work Audioengine.

    2 people found this helpful

52. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Lisa D – March 7, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Yes!

    Purchased an old component system but still wanted to be able to stream music. This works great and I like being able to control the volume on my phone.

53. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Al Bauman – March 7, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Exceeds expectations

    Connects our amplifier to a Bluetooth source three rooms away. Wonderful sound, as if the amp was wired to the CD player. Thinking about buying another one to bring sound into another room in the house.

54. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Joe_T900Joe_T900 – March 7, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Audioengine B1 (Winner) vs. 1Mii B06 Plus (Loser)

    I first bought the B06 and my first impression of sound quality and volume was negative. Even when I made laptop and receiver volume adjustments (raising the volume), I felt the sound quality was tinny or somehow hollow. But I reread some Amazon reviews from folks who seemed like audiophiles and they raved about the B06 sound quality. I thought I’d live with it for awhile. I found a way to make it sound fine with iTunes by using the iTunes built-in equalizer. But that doesn’t work with Sonos or Spotify run directly on my MAC. So I googled and found that you can add a Boom2 equalizer app from the Apple store for $14 and use it with Spotify and other sources. Got it working but any boost to high frequencies (treble) caused pulses of distortion with the beat of the music. Yes, really stark blasts of crackly static. I decided to open up the really expensive Audioengine B1. The minute I turned it on, there was an obvious improvement in sound quality. I did A vs B comparisons at equal volume and the Audioengine was a hands-down winner, much richer and fuller sound, not tinny, shallow or hollow. And the B1 works just fine with the Boom2 – no distortion. I tested both devices ability to connect and disconnect from my MAC and both were prompt to react. Unfortunately, the Audioengine B1 is worth all that money. The 1Mii B06 will be returned to Amazon tomorrow.I am not being compensated in any way for this review. I was compelled to write because I thought I might save some people the 5-6 hours I’ve spent on this. For those who care, I’m running a MAC Pro 15″ Mid 2014, Mojave 10.14.6. My receiver is a Yamaha RX-V793 and my speakers are Definitive Technology SM65s. I don’t think any of this is super important but just so you know…

    7 people found this helpful

55. 

    Rated 3 out of 5

    Paul Weiss – March 7, 2024

    3.0 out of 5 stars

    Poor C.S. responsiveness; insufficient control of codec choice; sounds good

    My initial review from 8 December 2019 was a 5-star one, and that still reflects how I feel about the device’s audio quality and its stability. It sounds great, especially when using the AptX HD and AAC codecs. This revised review was written 5 months later, on 25 April 2020; I wish that this could be the end of my review.However, the device is one part of a larger system, and my requests for help in integrating the B1 into that system have failed to generate any timely response from Audioengine’s C.S. / T.S. staff. In particular, Audioengine doesn’t manufacture an AptX LL transmitter, so I am forced to purchase that from another vendor. I have already purchased two, the first a total economic loss because the deadline for returning it has passed. The second is a much more expensive and capable transmitter device which, unfortunately, will only link up with the B1 using AptX HD, even though that transmitter device is set to prefer the AptX LL codec. There is no documented way to tell the B1 to prefer LL instead of HD, unless the Audioengine Customer Support team knows how to do that. Unfortunately, without a callback, I’ll never know, nor will I know if there is a 3rd-party transmitter which is known to work for the application I am trying to implement, which is to combine video and audio information with minimal latency — video files streamed from a NAS on my LAN or from the internet, and DVDs and Blu-Ray discs played from a hardware disc player.The key problem with the B1’s basic functionality is that there is neither an indication of which of the codec protocols it is using for a given pairing, nor a way to force the appropriate protocol to be used. For my first transmitter, I measured almost a 1/4 second latency, so I can infer that the codec used had dropped back to SBC. That’s not a usable level of latency in a video environment. The more expensive transmitter device tells me which codec is being used, and informs me that the connection is always made using AptX HD, even though the transmitter itself has been told to prefer to use AptX LL, based on the user’s understanding of his/her application space.The B1 seems to prefer “the best” codec available from the transmitting device, and seems to believe that HD is “better” than LL. In fact, the whole point in supporting both the HD and the LL codecs is that there are different definitions of “the best” based on the application space. One usage model might value audio quality as the most important characteristic, but another might value low latency as the most important. If I’ve understood the B1’s protocol choice algorithm correctly, it’s an unfortunate design decision. All the modern high-quality transmitters which support AptX protocols whichI have looked at support both HD and LL, which means that the B1 can NEVER function as a low latency receiver.

    2 people found this helpful

56. 

    Rated 4 out of 5

    Harry R. – March 7, 2024

    4.0 out of 5 stars

    I think it’s a fine music streaming device for the price

    I like this streaming device quite a lot. The sound quality seems to be very good, although I can’t claim to be an audiophile.I thought I was ordering the Wi-Fi version not the Bluetooth one but it is fine. I’m not sure how long exactly it takes, but it does shut itself off after not being in use for a number of hours. So it is the one part of my entertainment system that I have to get up off my butt to turn on when I want to use it. It has no independent volume control, and using the volume controls on a cell phone – or whatever device you use – doesn’t allow for very small adjustments in volume. I would recommend it

    One person found this helpful

57. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    M. Pizzutiello – March 7, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Just do it!

    I like things that just work and are easy. Like most have said, if you have vintage audio equipment (like I do) you will love this item. Sound quality is excellent. In fact I also have a Pioneer Elite AV Receiver with Bluetooth and I think this little unit delivers better quality. The range could always be better but I get 50-75 feet out of it with plaster walls. It sets up in seconds. Works with iPhone, iPad, laptop or android phones. Any Bluetooth enabled unit. Just plug it into the “switched” plug in the back of your amp or receiver and about 2-4 seconds after you turn the stereo on, it automatically finds and connects your device. If friends come over and want to play from here own phone, just find and click “Audioengine B1” once from their Bluetooth list and you’re good to go. What could be easier? Enjoy!

    3 people found this helpful

58. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    elf – March 7, 2024

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Perfect HD optical signal is CD/Blueray quality. Couldn’t be easier and works perfectly

    Pausing the music here to write a quick review received this today and had it installed and working in less than 5 minutes. Bluetooth pairing was effortless and used the toslink optical connector out to a Yamaha AV and with my Android phone I’m now connected directly to NAS media storage over wifi and using VLC player and directing audio to the B1 it sounds awesome in fact I can’t tell the difference between the B1 and a hardwired cable into my auxiliary input the range is fantastic couldn’t be more pleased. I will note that I’m using 5 gigahertz for the Wi-Fi as to not interfere with the Bluetooth I haven’t tried my 2.4 but it probably won’t be an issue.I was using a long 6′ shielded hardwired input cable but it really became a hassle and i nearly tripped over it a few times and then having my dog yank it out from my front panel and hearing a loud pop from my Klipsch speakers I decided this was well worth the investment.UpdateNo I was wrong this device the signal through the obstacle is much more detailed and has more impact and range across whole Spectrum as opposed to the shielded high end input cable I was using to play my music. I should mention I had a weak link and needed to use a 1 foot low-quality interconnect on the phone side to get it through the cover hole to access the headphone jack and I had no idea how much signal quality I was losing. I don’t know anything about the quality of the competitors to this device but I did my research and found this little device to truly be an audio magic gem seemingly made to a very high quality standard. Time will tell but out of the box it’s 10 star.

    2 people found this helpful

59. 

    Rated 4 out of 5

    Amazon Customer – March 7, 2024

    4.0 out of 5 stars

    over priced

    grossly over priced

60. 

    Rated 3 out of 5

    Pliny the Elder – March 7, 2024

    3.0 out of 5 stars

    Won’t stay paired… or “on”.

    I bought this to connect a laptop to some old, but very nice, computer speakers. I thought it would be perfect for this because the laptop’s headphone jack is noisy and I didn’t like having it wired in the first place.Firstly, it wouldn’t stay paired. I use a Linux desktop (Kubuntu 20.04 currently) and I use many other audio devices including Sony headphones, a JBL portable speaker, a Jabra Speak conference microphone, and occasionally the bluetooth audio function in my Subaru. They all stay paired fine. The Audioengine B1 would not.Sometimes it would un-pair _during_ a song or movie, if you can imagine how irritating that would be.But, even when it would stay paired, it would shut itself off when nothing was playing through it. The light would stay on, but I could hear a relay inside click, and then it would have to click on again when a new sound was played. There’s a hesitation when this happens so you miss the initial part of the sound.So if I started playing music, I’d miss the first split second; if I got a Slack or some other computer notification, I often wouldn’t hear it at all. The notification sound was done playing by the time the internal relay had clicked on.I can’t fathom why they would add that relay and shut it off between sounds! That makes it completely useless for computer notifications, and still aggravating for playing music and other media.The audio quality from the analog composite line out was fine. But the total experience was just unacceptable for a PC audio use case, and I ended up returning it for a refund. I will have to live with a wired USB audio interface I guess.

    4 people found this helpful