Audioengine B1 Bluetooth - Really Surprised

06-14-15: Schubert
If someone wants to listen to pop music what difference does it make ?

Bingo Schubert. I have my times when I sit in solitude and enjoy the music just for myself, but when we're playing with dogs, or a board game, and cranking Motley Crue or Def Lep, the brand of tube in my amp and type of connection used to route the signal go out the window.

06-14-15: Russellrcncom
Bcgator, I smiled when I read your review. I've had it for about 5 or 6 months now and been using it to stream Pandora and have been impressed with the results. The next step is to try it with some high resolution files. Stay tuned.

Glad you mentioned that Russell, I just tried some high-res files, which I hadn't done at the time of my OP. My laptop has Bluetooth (which I'd never used, actually), with part of my library of lossless rips in FLAC and AIFF running through JRiver 19. From the laptop to the B1 via Bluetooth, it sounds perfectly listenable. Not as good as via asynch USB of course but the air drums still make an appearance and sometimes that's all it takes to have fun.

The beauty of the Bluetooth receiver, as I've discovered, isn't in the bitrate, it's the convenience. My wife has more important things to worry about than WASAPI drivers, and toe-in, and DAC chips, things I may dwell on. But by making it fun and easy for her to use the system it's become something we enjoy together, rather than just my expensive side hobby.

Elevick, I'm quite certain Mattmiller isn't joking around - that smiley face was as transparent as they come. But you have to take a step back and look at this from a wider angle...

Everyone knows that environment - room dimensions, furnishings, fixtures - can play as large a role in sound quality as what you place in the signal chain, and then there's system synergy, speaker placement, toe-in, rake, etc. It's entirely possible that I (and maybe you too) just nailed it in regards to my room and my careful experimentation, measurements, and final placement of my speakers, and that my system actually sounds better than Mattmiller's system.

Last night we listened to some Hope Sandoval, and the wall of sound was exquisite - the speakers disappeared, the image was 10 feet tall, the soundstage was defined. It wasn't great - it was superb, and it sounded superb running Spotify off a cheap $270 Groupon-special laptop into a $189 Audioengine B1. Of course, it helps that these are running through an Audio Research integrated and Purevox speakers with dual AMT tweeters. But it's entirely possible that Mattmiller, with all the research-slogging he's done, and the mistakes he's made and money he's spent, is chasing MY sound. Because resolution is wonderful, but not if it's the only thing you've got going. We've all had at least one of those awkward audio demonstrations, where they're excited to show off a big-dollar system, and you listen and it just doesn't work and you have to fake enthusiasm for the demonstrator. Big money doesn't always guarantee winning sound.

So if you put yourself in Mattmiller's shoes, someone who may not really be happy with what you have (someone truly happy with their place in life, and with what they have, doesn't post what he did), you realize how frustrating it would be if someone else achieved that elusive audio happiness with a device that cost less than dinner for 2 at Del Frisco's and you can understand why he's coming a little unglued.

Elevick, I have a question...Do you hear a difference, small or dramatic, between running your Bluetooth receiver directly into your preamp/integrated vs. running it first through a better DAC like the Hugo? I was under the impression, just from the limited bandwidth of Bluetooth, that there was no benefit from using a separate DAC vs. the DAC in the B1. But you mention how great it sounds through the Hugo...did using the Hugo, or any other separate DAC, improve the sound vs. the B1's internal DAC?

Mattmiller, we need a mop and bucket to soak up the insecurity pouring from your posts. You need to keep it together. Let me help...

http://www.amazon.com/Elmers-Washable-No-Run-School-E304/dp/B000Q3KHCM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1434782317&sr=8-1&keywords=Elmers+glue

Mattmiller, we need a mop and bucket to soak up the insecurity pouring from your posts. It's killing you that someone else is getting great sound without spending what you spent. You need to keep it together. Let me help...

http://www.amazon.com/Elmers-Washable-No-Run-School-E304/dp/B000Q3KHCM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1434782317&sr=8-1&keywords=Elmers+glue

Hey Mattmiller, how have you been? Things here are great...my system still sounds fantastic. How much does that hurt, that all of your moronic, myopic, arrogant and grammatically-challenged posts have done nothing to change that? Let's review...I post about something good happening with my audio system, something that other people that may not have the affluence that you have may benefit from, and you thought that the most constructive and helpful thing you could do was threadcrap. Think about it...that's all that really happened. I was happy, you were mad that I was happy. It doesn't get any more complicated than that. You were unhappy that someone else was happy. What an utterly miserable human being that makes you. Facebook? So now unless someone is prepared to drop $40K on a system, they should leave Audiogon? Let's see how others feel about that...I have a pretty good feeling that in demographic terms, you're outnumbered here.

If you want to continue crapping in our thread, feel free...dealing with you is like a cat toying with a field mouse. I can do this all day long.

Hi Bmdduck, I remember last year you were looking for speakers and an integrated for a 20x20 room - did you ever finish that system?

@Bmdduck, yeah I know how that goes. Footwear is more important than your audio gear so you have your priorities in order. Good thing is, there's so much nice equipment out there - new and pre-owned - at great price points that it's easy to build a rewarding system on a limited budget and there's no reason to rush it. Keep your eyes on local classifieds and such - I picked up my REL Strata III sub that way. If you decide to try one of the Bluetooth DACS in your system, let us know how it works out and feel free to PM me if you have questions or anything.

@Eddaytona, that's a fantastic setup you have - congrats on some really sweet equipment. Let me ask you, since you've taken your system much farther than I've taken mine, so your experience interests me...has it been more a case of overlooking the sound quality difference in exchange for convenient and quick access to music, OR have you found that having really great front-end equipment around the B1 has compensated for the lack of resolution of streaming sources and you don't find yourself missing full-resolution? (I'm thinking along the lines of lossy streaming through great speakers sounding better than lossless through mediocre speakers, that sort of question)

(side note - looks like Mattmiller's posts have all been deleted, I'm guessing for prohibited language. He seemed truly offended that people were so quickly and easily enjoying a $189 device given the time and money he'd spent on his own system. I hope he sees Eddaytona's post)

Thanks for posting fishboat, glad to hear the B1 worked out for you and that my original post was helpful.   Sounds like you're enjoying the same thing I am - it is so cool being able to instantly queue up millions of songs, right from the smartphone, and discovering new genres, bands, songs.   Thanks to the B1 and Spotify I've had more fun with music this year than any other time in my life.  There's so much great music out there that I hadn't discovered, especially the lesser-known independent artists.   There are times when I want to listen critically, but most of the time I just want to explore the world of music and have fun.