Bluetooth Receiver vs. Wireless Speakers

Customers occasionally write to ask questions about the differences between our B1 Bluetooth Music Receiver and our Wireless Powered Speakers. Usually the questions go something like…

“Do I really NEED your complete speaker system or just the B1 receiver?”

“Is one product easier to use than the other?”

“Are there differences in sound quality between the B1 Bluetooth Music Receiver and your Audioengine Wireless Speakers?”

…and there have been plenty more questions that come along with those — but have no fear, today we are here to hopefully clear this up!

First off, you should have some peace of mind knowing that no matter which solution you choose, we absolutely guarantee your satisfaction. Apart from that you might be wondering which option is going to best suit your needs — reasonable enough, so let’s talk about it…

Do I really NEED the entire system or can I get away with just the B1?

Audioengine wireless speakers are powered music systems that implement cutting edge Bluetooth aptX-HD to deliver high-fidelity long-range wireless from any device.

The B1 Bluetooth Receiver also offers the same aptX-HD technology; the only difference being that B1 does not have built-in speakers, so you will still need speakers to hear your music.

Now, customers sometimes say “I already have a different brand of powered speakers that I LOVE, I just want to make them wireless.” If this is the case, you can use B1 to turn your current non-wireless music system into some super-rockin’ wireless speakers. Or maybe you have an older pair of Audioengine speakers that you bought before we made our speakers wireless — here again, the B1 is a great solution! You just need to make sure, no matter what system you have, that you have the proper inputs — RCA-style inputs work the best, or even an optical audio input if your gear has one.

Is one solution more user-friendly than the other?

Hey, great question — glad you asked! This one is a bit subjective and depends on how many components you want in your setup.

The simple fact is if you have Audioengine wireless speakers you will have the easiest setup under the sun. All you have to do is connect your speakers to power, connect the left speaker to the right, find the speakers in your phone or tablet’s list of available Bluetooth devices and BOOM, you’re done! Think of it as if the B1 Bluetooth receiver is built into Audioengine speakers.

On the other hand, if you are using a pair of non-wireless speakers and you want to make them Bluetooth compatible by using our B1 Receiver, you will need to add B1 to your setup, but in all actuality the B1 itself is just as easy to use as the speakers. Long story long, if you love your current speakers and aren’t ready to make the switch, adding the B1 is still an extremely user-friendly option and you will be up and running with great-sounding wireless audio in no time flat.

Are there differences in sound quality between the B1 and the Wireless Speakers?

This is the only moment in this article where things might teeter on the brink of being controversial.

Audioengine’s Wireless speakers guarantee immaculate and highly satisfying sound quality, which is hard to beat. The B1 offers aptX-HD Bluetooth with 24-bit upsampling (which are the exact same Bluetooth specs as our wireless speakers), so the audio being SENT from your devices to the B1 is no different than the audio being SENT from your device to Audioengine’s Wireless Speakers; however, the B1 itself doesn’t have any speakers, so it has to rely on whatever speakers it is connected to. This is the only point at which your sound quality COULD suffer.

So let’s say you are sending the highest quality audio file from your laptop to the B1 Bluetooth Receiver. The B1 takes that super-high-quality file and handles it with such great care you may not be able to tell whether it was wireless or not…BUT, if you have your B1 connected to a crappy pair of speakers, guess what? No matter how pristine that audio file was, and no matter how skillfully the B1 handles that file, crappy speakers are going to make that audio sound crappy. BUT, if you are using the B1 to send audio to a pair of really great speakers that you love, the B1 will absolutely deliver the highest quality audio possible via Bluetooth, and it will do so with an extended range so you can bounce around the house and not worry about dropouts or inferior audio quality.

This was a ton of information so here’s a quick recap and summary…

The Bluetooth capability of Audioengine’s Wireless Speakers and the B1 is exactly the same. If you love your current speakers and aren’t ready to change brands, don’t sweat it, the B1 will give you beautiful wireless audio all the same. BUT, if you are looking to be truly reinvigorated by your music, you definitely need to try Audioengine’s Wireless speakers to take advantage of both our highly advanced Bluetooth technology and our unparalleled listening experience.

Why We Choose Bluetooth over WiFi

It’s no secret that most players in the “smart” speaker market are primarily using wi-fi to wirelessly send audio around the house.

So if Sonos, Bose, and other big name brands are using wi-fi through an internet router, why would Audioengine use Bluetooth for wireless audio in their home speakers?

Easy Setup

Audioengine wireless home speakers are ready to use within minutes out of the box.

Connecting power and the speakers to one another is easy enough, but getting your music playing wirelessly is actually even more straight-forward. Unlike most of the big brand smart speakers, you don’t need to download and install apps for setup, you don’t need to connect the speakers to your router, and there aren’t any passwords or other overly-complicated hoops to jump through. Audioengine makes it simple by keeping the wireless connection exclusively between your phone, tablet, or computer and the speakers. Simply go to your device’s list of available Bluetooth connections, select Audioengine, and play music directly from your favorite app! Spotify, Pandora, Tidal, iTunes, YouTube; any apps that stream audio from your device can be played through your Audioengine home speakers. And remember, our speakers don’t depend on the speed of your internet connection or wireless router so when your internet slows down or doesn’t cover all of your house, you can still stream from your phone or connect another device via one of Audioengine’s many audio ports, which brings me to the next point…

Flexible and versatile

Even before the implementation of our long-range wireless Bluetooth audio, Audioengine home speakers have been some of the most versatile on the market.

A selection of inputs allow you to not only stream wirelessly but to easily and quickly connect your turntable, TV, AVR, or any other piece of gear with an audio output. The point being, is that you are not bound to a single input source. Not many auxiliary options are offered among the rest of the smart speaker community, leaving the user completely reliant upon the wi-fi connection and other compatible devices they may already own. And what about when you’re using Alexa to search for music, but a particular song can’t be played due to copyright issues? This can happen with voice-controlled systems, but we all know a quick visit to YouTube can typically get around this barrier and play the music you want to hear. Now you can actually listen to any Beatles tune you want, whenever you want, but at the same time you can also connect to an external Alexa device for superior sound with Audioengine.

Range and quality

Bluetooth transmission range was not so great in the past, as many of you have experienced. And products using wi-fi still tout the superiority of its range over that of Bluetooth, but the truth is, those days are over.

Audioengine home speakers utilize cutting-edge tech that allows a solid transmission of up to 100 feet (and sometimes more) with no drop-outs and no blips. Again, this range is not reliant upon the ebb and flow of your wi-fi strength at any given point. But what about sound quality; isn’t Bluetooth kind of crappy? No way! Bluetooth audio has come a long way in the past few years as well, and the implementation of the aptX HD codec allows for near lossless audio transmission that rivals the sound of many wired music systems.

Elegant aesthetic and sound

Audioengine home speakers have always held sleek looks that equals their sound quality, and with the shift to high-quality wireless, these standards have been upheld.

We didn’t want to sacrifice our warm, rich, analog power amps and hand-built wooden cabinets by trying to cram all that goodness into a generic-looking plastic speaker enclosure with average-quality wireless. We want our speakers to be an integral part of the look and feel of your home and we also want you to have TWO speakers so your listening experience can be what it’s meant to be. Other systems allow you to purchase “add-on” speakers, but that means in order to have two speakers you have to, well… spend more money for “add-on” speakers. Audioengine home speakers come standard as a stereo pair that are tuned to perfection. To put it simply, Audioengine home speakers are some of the best-sounding speakers on the market today. “Smart” speakers tend to put more focus on the “smart” portion than on the “speakers” portion, often leaving the sound reproduction underwhelming. Would you rather watch the next season of GOT on a single wi-fi speaker or on a matched pair of award-winning audiophile-grade speakers with true stereo sound?

So, it’s safe to say Bluetooth and wi-fi each have their own advantages, just as anything else. But in the end, Bluetooth was the choice we made to be as user-friendly, versatile, and as hi-fi-sounding as possible.

How to Connect a Turntable to Audioengine Speakers

Even though records can be seen by some as an archaic music format, the truth is vinyl is still alive and well with many young people collecting vinyl records that were either handed down from their parents or found in a bin of used records at their local record or thrift store.

Obviously, every budding record collector needs a turntable and luckily they are extremely easy to set up. Here’s how to connect a turntable to Audioengine speakers.

Turntables with Built-In Preamp

How you connect your turntable to your Audioengine speakers mostly depends on the kind of turntable you have. Many modern turntables, such as the Audio Technica AT-LP120 and Music Hall USB-1, have a built-in preamp so they can be connected directly with your Audioengine powered speakers.

These turntables are pretty reasonably priced and are ready to go right out of the box, making it the perfect turntable for those who are starting to break into the world of vinyl collecting. These types of turntables typically include a switch on the back for "line" or “phono”. In order to use this kind of turntable, just connect the output of your turntable to the Audioengine powered speakers, make sure it’s set to "line", and you’re ready to throw on your records.

Turntables Without a Built-In Preamp

There are some turntables that do not feature a built-in preamp. Some modern and most, if not all, vintage turntables will typically not have the built-in preamp, meaning you’ll need to add an extra piece of gear to use with Audioengine speakers.

With turntables that do not have a preamp, you would need to add an external phono preamp in order to bring the instrument level signal of the turntable up to line level. To use an external phono preamp, you will just need to connect the output of your turntable into the input of the preamp and then connect the output of the preamp into the analog input of your Audioengine speakers; typically if the turntable features a grounding wire, you would connect that to the grounding post on the phono preamp itself.

Bluetooth-Ready Turntables

Since wireless connections are becoming more and more popular, it’s also possible to use Bluetooth-ready turntables with your Audioengine wireless speakers or our Bluetooth receiver and setting it up should be simple.

First, you would also need to make sure your Audioengine Bluetooth device is in pair mode (LED light flashing), and near the turntable. Next, you would need to use the pairing button to send the turntable into pairing mode. Depending on the turntable, you will need to either press and release the turntable's pair button or press and hold it; for example, on the Audio Technica AT-LP60-BT you would need to hold the turntable's pairing button for about two seconds until the light flashes different colors. Once the turntable is in pairing mode, it will search and connect to the nearest available Bluetooth device. Once the turntable if paired and connected to your Audioengine Bluetooth device, the pair light on the receiver should turn solid.

Turntables are a great way to connect to your music collection and can be super easy to setup, making those night-in listening sessions hassle-free and sounding great.

Where to find vinyl and Audioengine Speakers

A number of great record stores carry Audioengine products.  If you're looking for a place to pick up some killer vinyl AND audition turntables and speakers all in one stop, check the list below for a store near you:

Analog Record Shop - Tustin, CA

Badfish Records - Corpus Christi, TX

Black Wax Records - Lafayette, IN

Boo Boo Records - San Luis Obispo, CA

Chief Records - Ft. Worth, TX

Comeback Vinyl - Alpharetta, GA

Cosmic Vinyl - Los Angeles, CA

End Of An Ear - Austin, TX

Heights Vinyl - Houston, TX

Hi-Phy Records - Albuquerque, NM

In The Moment Records - Brattleboro, VT

Jet Age Records - Newport, AL

Josey Records - Dallas, TX

M-Theory Music - San Diego, CA

Metavinyl - Santa Cruz, CA

Moldy Toes LLC - San Clemente, CA

Port Of Sound Records - Costa Mesa, CA

Rough Trade - Brooklyn, NY

Salzer's Records - Ventura, CA

Scotti's Record Shop - Summit, NJ

Seasick Records - Birmingham, AL

Space City Audio - Spring, TX

Spinning Jenny's House Of Music - Shamrock, TX

Spinster Records - Dallas, TX

Stereo Unlimited - San Diego, CA

The Audio Nerd - Rocklin, CA

The End Of All Music - Oxford, MS

The Record Exchange - Boise, ID

Turntable Lab - New York, NY

Twist And Shout Records - Denver, CO

Vinyl Index - Somerville, MA

Waterloo Records & Video - Austin, TX

Wuxtry Records - Athens, GA

How to Stream Music from my Phone to my Stereo?

We want things to work, is that so much to ask?

There is such a mass of technology and gadgetry available out there today that, for the most part, the good stuff sticks around and the bad stuff is pushed right out the door, never to be seen again. But when it comes to streaming music from our phones to our stereo systems, we sometimes still have to jump through hoops to get our gadgets to see eye to eye.

Rest easy, friends, for today I am here to make it very very easy. Let’s talk about a couple of ways Audioengine can get your music streaming from phone to stereo in less than 1 minute!

Using Audioengine Wireless Speakers

If you are one of the TRILLIONS of highly intelligent individuals who have already purchased a set of Audioengine wireless speakers (this includes the HD6, HD3, A5+ Wireless, and B2 speakers), you are in luck, as this is the easiest possible way to get your music streaming.

To get the system up and running in general, all you have to do is take your speakers out of the box, plug the left speaker into power, connect the left speaker to the right speaker via the included speaker wire (does not apply to B2, it's just one little speaker), and flip the power switch to the ‘On’ position. After the speakers are on, the only thing left to do is find the speakers on your phone’s list of available Bluetooth devices, and select them. They will pair within seconds after just ONE click! You’re done -- can you believe that!? Sheesh, that was easy. But what if you don’t have a pair of Audioengine wireless speakers?

Using Anything Else

Okay so maybe you don’t have a pair of super awesome wireless speakers, that’s cool, Audioengine can fix that in less than a minute using our B1 Bluetooth Receiver.

The same principals will apply from the previous section, but first, we have to MAKE our non-wireless speakers into wireless speakers. Let’s unpack our B1 Bluetooth receiver, connect it to power, and then run cables from the analog OUTPUTS on our B1, to the analog INPUTS on our existing speakers. Boom -- now our speakers are wireless, crazy right? The final step is the same as before; just locate B1 in your phone’s list of available Bluetooth devices and click. You’ll be paired in seconds and ready to rock that Duran Duran Greatest Hits album you just downloaded.

Keep in mind, once you’re paired like this, you should be able to stream any and all audio from your phone to your speakers. This means, iTunes, Spotify, Tidal, Pandora, everything. Everything!

No more banging your head against the wall trying to get things paired up, no more proprietary passwords, and no more having to reconnect every ten minutes. It really is the best way to stream music from your phone to your speakers, no matter what kind of speakers you are using.

Now, why don’t you stream your way on back to our Wireless Speakers and see what you’re missing out on!

Speaker Setup – How to break in new speakers.

So you just got your brand new Audioengine speakers and you’re ready to pull them out of the box and get them set up so you can start rocking out.

Straight out of the box, your speakers should sound great, but what if your speaker setup could sound better with time?

One thing that you can easily do to make that new speaker setup sound top-notch is a thing called “break-in” and it’s actually really simple.

So why would you want to break the speakers in?

The materials we use for our speakers are quite robust, so right after manufacturing they can be a bit stiff.

One way to help out with this stiffness is to break them in so that these materials, such as the rubber surrounds of the aramid fiber drivers, loosen up. As mentioned earlier, the speakers should sound great from your first listen, but after they move around a bit and loosen up you should notice smoother low end response and sweeter mids/highs.

From time to time, we get asked about how to break in new speakers.

The break-in period doesn’t really require anything special other than listening to music and over time your speakers will become more and more broken in.

For proper break in, we generally recommend around 40 to 50 hours of at least mid-level playback before doing any critical listening. Some our customers have mentioned that they play tones or white noise while they are away, such as while they’re at work, to help the process along, but we’d recommend just listening to them normally at a medium-level during the break in period.

Breaking in your new speaker setup is a simple and crucial thing to do to make your speakers sound better and open up their potential. Some things do get better with age!

Audioengine – Doesn’t Your Music Deserve It?

Audioengine’s Home Music Systems are designed to deliver exceptional sound quality, offering you a next level gaming experience enhancing every footstep and gunshot, pulling you into the game's world, making every moment feel real and alive.  

This guide will help you navigate the nuances of connecting your Xbox Series X or PS5 directly to your Audioengine Desktop Speakers, Gaming DAC, or other speakers. Before we dive in, let's address a crucial but often overlooked aspect: the type of display you're using. 

• Can I connect external speakers to my Xbox Series X? 
• Can I connect external speakers to my PS5? 

Why TVs Simplify Speaker Connection 

Gaming on a modern TV makes connecting speakers straightforward. TVs usually offer a variety of audio outputs, giving you several options for your audio setup. Simply connect via HDMI to your TV and connect the speakers through an available audio output.

Computer monitors, while often providing high refresh rates, often have limited audio output options and so, this guide will be helpful to those of you who are looking to avoid using a TV. 

Note on Direct Connections 

The FAQs and compatibility table below focus on direct connections between your gaming console and speakers. If you're using an additional device like an A/V receiver, or connecting through your TV, compatibility may differ. 

Audioengine's Best Selling A2+ Desktop Speakers

How To Connect Your Xbox Series X to Your Speakers

Can I connect external speakers to my Xbox Series X? 

Certainly, although with limitations. The Xbox Series X doesn't natively support USB, optical, or Bluetooth audio outputs. You can, however, utilize the 3.5mm audio jack on the wireless controller to connect speakers that accept this input. 

We recommend purchasing an inline HDMI audio extractor. This device can take the HDMI output from your Xbox Series X and extract the audio to outputs like Optical or RCA, allowing you to connect your speakers more easily. 

How To Connect Your PS5 to Your Speakers

Can I connect external speakers to my PS5? 

Yes, you can. The PS5 supports USB audio output, making it compatible with speakers that offer this input*. However, the PS5 does not support 3.5mm, optical, or Bluetooth audio outputs. 

Why is the type of display I use important? 

As previously mentioned, your choice of display—whether a monitor or a TV—affects your audio options. Monitors usually lack the audio output variety found in modern TVs. 

Summary of Input Compatibility 

Refer to this table for compatibility between different audio input types and the Xbox Series X and PS5: 

Key 

• ✓: Compatible 
• ✕: Not Compatible
• Note: *While the PS5 supports USB audio, it supports USB Audio Class 1 devices. If your device doesn't support USB 1.0, you will need an adapter as discussed in this guide on the PS5 reddit. We have confirmed that the Audioengine A2+ (current generation) will support USB audio from the PS5.

Final Thoughts 

Understanding your setup's compatibility is essential for an optimal audio experience. Using a TV provides more options for connecting your speakers, but a monitor isn't entirely limiting; you just need the right equipment, like an HDMI audio extractor for Xbox setups. 

Feel free to explore our other resources to further optimize your gaming and audio experience. 

0.7" (18 mm) thick MDF cabinets
0.75" (20 mm) silk dome tweeters with neodymium magnets
2.75" (70 mm) aramid fiber woofers with advanced voice coils

Operating temperature: 32 degrees F to 95 degrees F
Non-operating temperature: -4 degrees F to 113 degrees F
Relative humidity: 5% to 95% non-condensing

Dimensions (HWD)
Each speaker - 6" (15.2 cm) x 4" (10.2 cm) x 5.25" (13.3 cm)

Weight
Left (active) - 3.6 lb (1.6 kg)
Right (passive) - 3.2 lb (1.4 kg)

Total Shipping Weight
10 lb (4.6 kg)

Shipping Box Dimensions (LWH)
15” (38.1 cm) x 7” (17.8 cm) x 10.5” (26.7 cm)

Connector Type
Micro-USB

USB Device Class
type 1.1 and above

Input Bit Depth
up to 16 bit native

Input Sample Rate
up to 48 kHz native.

Internal D/A Converter

Internal BT Receiver
Qualcomm QCC 3031/3034

Input Bit Depth
16 bit

Bluetooth Receiver Type
Bluetooth 5.3

Supported Codecs
aptX, AAC, SBC

Supported Bluetooth Profiles
N/A

Wireless Operation Range
Up to 100 ft (30 m) typical

Input Data Rate
Determined by Bluetooth

Wireless Latency
~30 milliseconds (ms)

Type
Powered Bluetooth aptX speaker system

Amplifier Type
Class AB

Rated Power Output:
15W RMS per channel at 4 ohms (measured in compliance with 16 C.F.R. § 432.3)
Peak Power Output: 30W per channel at 4 ohms (AES)
Total Peak Power Output: 60W (AES)

Drivers
2.75” aramid fiber woofers

0.75“ Silk dome tweeters

Inputs
3.5 mm stereo mini-jack, RCA L/R, USB, Bluetooth

Outputs
RCA variable line-out

Input Voltages
100-240 V 50/60 Hz auto-switching

SNR
>95 dB (typical A-weighted)

THD+N
Less than 0.05% at all power settings

Crosstalk
<50 dB

Frequency Response
65 Hz-22 kHz ±2.0 dB

Frequency Response w/ Bass Reduction Switch selected
N/A

Analog Input Impedance
N/A

Nominal Impedance
N/A

Input Impedance
10K ohms unbalanced

Crossover Frequency
N/A

Protection
Output current limiting, thermal over-temperature, power on/off transient protection

Power Consumption
Idle: 10W

Standby Consumption
N/A

Phase
N/A

Recommended Amplifier Power
N/A

Battery Life
N/A

Battery Charge Time
N/A

If you are experiencing issues with your speakers when connected via USB on a Windows 10+ operating system, it might be due to the DCH (Declarative, Componentized, Hardware Support Apps) drivers. While DCH drivers offer many benefits, they can sometimes cause compatibility issues with USB audio devices, resulting in problems such as delays when sound starts, poor audio quality, or the speakers not being recognized properly.

Solution: To resolve these issues, we recommend switching from DCH drivers to non-DCH (standard) drivers. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you do that:

1. Uninstall the Current DCH Drivers:
   • Open the Device Manager on your PC.
   • Locate your audio device under "Sound, video, and game controllers."
   • Right-click on the device and select "Uninstall device."
   • Ensure you check the option to delete the driver software for this device to completely remove the DCH drivers.
2. Download the Non-DCH Drivers:
   • Visit the support website of your motherboard or computer manufacturer.
   • Navigate to the driver download section and find the non-DCH Realtek (or appropriate) audio drivers for your system.
3. Install the Non-DCH Drivers:
   • Download and run the installer for the non-DCH drivers.
   • Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation process.
4. Restart Your PC:
   • After installing the non-DCH drivers, restart your computer to apply the changes.

By switching to non-DCH drivers, the compatibility issues with your USB speakers should be resolved, allowing you to enjoy optimal audio performance.

Additional Tips

• Check for Firmware Updates: Ensure your speakers have the latest firmware installed. Visit the manufacturer’s website for firmware updates that may improve compatibility and performance.
• USB Ports: Try connecting your speakers to a different USB port to see if the issue persists.
• Contact Support: If you continue to experience issues, please contact our customer support team. Provide details about your operating system, motherboard model, and the specific problems you are encountering.

We hope this helps you resolve any issues and enhances your experience with our speakers. If you have further questions or need assistance, don’t hesitate to reach out to our support team.