John said:
Can I use Bluetooth to transmit audio played on my home PC to
loudspeakers which are in another room?
Is it possible to get a device which is like a bluetooth receiver to
pick up the audio broadcast from the PC dongle and then output an audio
signal into my self-powered speakers?
(I'm on bit of a budget, so I would rather not buy another Bluettooth
transmitter dongle or buy some complete send-receive kit unless I have
to.)
The most reliable solution is: wires (line level audio)
At least they won't let you down. Wireless schemes or other kinds of networking
schemes, all have their exposures. For example, with wireless, you have competition
from the portable telephone, microwave, existing Wifi for computers, any Bluetooth
traffic that is already there. With networking over power lines, any interference
generating appliance (vacuum cleaner), can affect the goodput of the network. That
being said, here is a (not so cheap) solution.
*******
If the device in the other room is near a power outlet, you can actually
use power lines to carry audio. If you could find an ethernet to audio box,
you could also use other Homeplug Alliance member's solutions for power line
networking. The reason I mention that, is maybe the solution could be cheaper,
if using a different set of component parts.
http://download.devolo.com/webcms/0593372001191855411/awb_2_de.jpg
http://www.materiel.net/ctl/Solutions_CPL_et_PoE/34779-dLAN_Audio_extender_Starter_Kit.html
http://www.devolo.de/de_DE_cs/produkte/dlan/dlanaudioext.html
Audio quality is roughly CD quality.
http://download.devolo.net/webcms/0661987001199783387/datasheet_devolo_dlan_audio_extender_de.pdf
The above power line method is not bulletproof. Apparently, vacuum cleaners
and hair dryers, if operated on the same outlet, can knock out the service.
If you can make some lucky choices in each room, as to where to plug in the
adapters, you might avoid most of it.
*******
Bluetooth "basic" audio channel, is telephony quality (64 kilobit). And telephony
voice channels carry <4KHz signals. (Would sound like a bad AM radio station,
like our local government sponsored broadcaster.)
Bluetooth also has audio profiles. They carry some kind of compressed
content, which will have lossy compression artifacts. So similar issues
to MP3. If you like MP3s, then maybe you wouldn't mind.
I have seen a lossless CODEC for Bluetooth mentioned, but I don't think
it is shipping yet. When it is available, it should be more interesting.
*******
There are analog wireless devices, some of which are quite cheap. (Radio
Shack used to carry some of these, but I don't see the exact ones any
more.) None that I've looked at so far, bothered to state what analog
bandwidth they carried. Which means you have no way of judging what they'll
sound like. At least the Devolo is uncompressed, and has a sampling rate of
44.1KHz (audio can be up to the Nyquist limit, or 22.05 KHz - the practical
limit should be whatever a CD promises).
*******
You could also go Wifi audio. If you have a Wifi router already, for your
computer, then this could be your remote audio peripheral. Notice
that this thing actually has audio specs
Being wireless, it only works
as long as there is sufficient goodput via the local conditions (apartment
dwellers beware).
http://www.rokulabs.com/products_soundbridge_specs.php
*******
One problem with all of this, is the instant you say "audio" or "audiophile",
the price goes up. At least some of these things, do not have expensive
component costs. But the price goes up, to suit the perceived market. The
display on the Roku is just a waste, but it looks pretty.
HTH,
Paul
