This bluetooth changed my opinion

[amit11]

Hi Friends,

Couple of days back I got chance to purchase a bluetooth receiver called as "Auris bluMe Pro". I had read good reviews and based on that I took the plunge and I would say I am delighted. We generally have the notion that bluetooth is not high fidelity neither audiophile, but this shook out that notion, atleast for me in my setup. On the first listen on day1, i was thinking to write a post but then i thought to take some time before writing and so that my impressions settle down. This what I noticed in my setup.

a) Floating mid-range
I had read few times that some DACs sound such that instruments float in the air. But somehow in my setup I never reached till this point. Whatever DACs I have, there is "presence" of midrange which was forward / recessed but never felt "floating", so this was my first such feeling.

b) Tonality
This has a neutral tonality. It sounded true to what is there in the music. The tonal balance is also spot-on.
Many DACs which upsample, they introduce some artifacts which alter the tonality of the music, if not fully but for some passages , some instruments etc. I found this one to be very much natural and neutral.

c) Lets you enjoy the nuances in the singing
This was the very first impression on listening if i recall correctly. Voices have nuances of the singer which I like. It lets you enjoy the music without being analytical. The sound is so natural that there is nothing much to focus your attention on any kind of artifacts.

d) No fatigue
This is the most important which I look for in any music system or component. For this i did not feel anytime any kind of fatigue surprisingly.

This bluetooth has 3 outputs. RCA, optical spdif and coaxial.
When I had purchased it, i had in mind that I will be by default using the optical spdif to my dac. RCA i will not use.
But i was surprised on multiple swaps between RCA/optical and everytime I find the RCA to be a step above the optical. This was a huge surprise and a pleasant one.


I don't have any CD / viny setup. So all my listening is via
a) music files in ipad. These can be mp3 or alac
b) Youtube videos
c) Spotify on ipad
I always use airplay for streaming from my ipad. I have apple airplay receiver (the oldest model) which is considered the best streaming quality compared to other models. In the past I had also tried airplay using Raspberry pi of Allo Digione signature. I also had a Bose bluetooth receiver which I used rarely. But this Auris blueooth receiver is extremely good. I never thought bluetooth can sound so good. I am trying all permutation & combinations of connections to find which is sounding best and again & again I reach to the RCA out from the receiver going to my Marantz Amp.

For people who want to wath youtube videos on ipad/mobile/tablet but want to listen music via their music system, then I think this is one of the best option. Why because this approach (diverting audio but not visuals), is not supported by android neither chromecast. It is only supported by Airplay. So if we do not have apple, then this bluetooth receiver can serve this approach best.

I am happy to purchase this and highly recommend if anybody wants to try the bluetooth approach.
Attaching couple of photos. Also had created a short video during normal listening.

short video created during normal listening

Note i had recorded using android phone positioned on chair, so it may not be high fidelity. I also wanted to know what is the best way to record such videos and audios from speakers. I had read there are various mics like condenser, dynamic, etc , then usb,trss etc, but which one should be used and which is good, that i am yet to know. May be once i get some idea i will later get that kind of microphone aswell.


Thank you for reading.

 

[Bhaskar Jyoti Talapatra]

Hi Friends,

Couple of days back I got chance to purchase a bluetooth receiver called as "Auris bluMe Pro". I had read good reviews and based on that I took the plunge and I would say I am delighted. We generally have the notion that bluetooth is not high fidelity neither audiophile, but this shook out that notion, atleast for me in my setup. On the first listen on day1, i was thinking to write a post but then i thought to take some time before writing and so that my impressions settle down. This what I noticed in my setup.

a) Floating mid-range
I had read few times that some DACs sound such that instruments float in the air. But somehow in my setup I never reached till this point. Whatever DACs I have, there is "presence" of midrange which was forward / recessed but never felt "floating", so this was my first such feeling.

b) Tonality
This has a neutral tonality. It sounded true to what is there in the music. The tonal balance is also spot-on.
Many DACs which upsample, they introduce some artifacts which alter the tonality of the music, if not fully but for some passages , some instruments etc. I found this one to be very much natural and neutral.

c) Lets you enjoy the nuances in the singing
This was the very first impression on listening if i recall correctly. Voices have nuances of the singer which I like. It lets you enjoy the music without being analytical. The sound is so natural that there is nothing much to focus your attention on any kind of artifacts.

d) No fatigue
This is the most important which I look for in any music system or component. For this i did not feel anytime any kind of fatigue surprisingly.

This bluetooth has 3 outputs. RCA, optical spdif and coaxial.
When I had purchased it, i had in mind that I will be by default using the optical spdif to my dac. RCA i will not use.
But i was surprised on multiple swaps between RCA/optical and everytime I find the RCA to be a step above the optical. This was a huge surprise and a pleasant one.


I don't have any CD / viny setup. So all my listening is via
a) music files in ipad. These can be mp3 or alac
b) Youtube videos
c) Spotify on ipad
I always use airplay for streaming from my ipad. I have apple airplay receiver (the oldest model) which is considered the best streaming quality compared to other models. In the past I had also tried airplay using Raspberry pi of Allo Digione signature. I also had a Bose bluetooth receiver which I used rarely. But this Auris blueooth receiver is extremely good. I never thought bluetooth can sound so good. I am trying all permutation & combinations of connections to find which is sounding best and again & again I reach to the RCA out from the receiver going to my Marantz Amp.

For people who want to wath youtube videos on ipad/mobile/tablet but want to listen music via their music system, then I think this is one of the best option. Why because this approach (diverting audio but not visuals), is not supported by android neither chromecast. It is only supported by Airplay. So if we do not have apple, then this bluetooth receiver can serve this approach best.

I am happy to purchase this and highly recommend if anybody wants to try the bluetooth approach.
Attaching couple of photos. Also had created a short video during normal listening.

short video created during normal listening

Note i had recorded using android phone positioned on chair, so it may not be high fidelity. I also wanted to know what is the best way to record such videos and audios from speakers. I had read there are various mics like condenser, dynamic, etc , then usb,trss etc, but which one should be used and which is good, that i am yet to know. May be once i get some idea i will later get that kind of microphone aswell.


Thank you for reading.

Hello, thanks for your detailed write up. I have listened to the song recorded by you . I listened it on two different media, LP and CD. Surprisingly i like your recording as much as I like this particular song sung by Aarati Mukherjee on vinyl and CD. Congratulations on your new acquisition . Happy listening.
Cheers

 

[Yelamanchili manohar]

Hi Friends,

Couple of days back I got chance to purchase a bluetooth receiver called as "Auris bluMe Pro". I had read good reviews and based on that I took the plunge and I would say I am delighted. We generally have the notion that bluetooth is not high fidelity neither audiophile, but this shook out that notion, atleast for me in my setup. On the first listen on day1, i was thinking to write a post but then i thought to take some time before writing and so that my impressions settle down. This what I noticed in my setup.

a) Floating mid-range
I had read few times that some DACs sound such that instruments float in the air. But somehow in my setup I never reached till this point. Whatever DACs I have, there is "presence" of midrange which was forward / recessed but never felt "floating", so this was my first such feeling.

b) Tonality
This has a neutral tonality. It sounded true to what is there in the music. The tonal balance is also spot-on.
Many DACs which upsample, they introduce some artifacts which alter the tonality of the music, if not fully but for some passages , some instruments etc. I found this one to be very much natural and neutral.

c) Lets you enjoy the nuances in the singing
This was the very first impression on listening if i recall correctly. Voices have nuances of the singer which I like. It lets you enjoy the music without being analytical. The sound is so natural that there is nothing much to focus your attention on any kind of artifacts.

d) No fatigue
This is the most important which I look for in any music system or component. For this i did not feel anytime any kind of fatigue surprisingly.

This bluetooth has 3 outputs. RCA, optical spdif and coaxial.
When I had purchased it, i had in mind that I will be by default using the optical spdif to my dac. RCA i will not use.
But i was surprised on multiple swaps between RCA/optical and everytime I find the RCA to be a step above the optical. This was a huge surprise and a pleasant one.


I don't have any CD / viny setup. So all my listening is via
a) music files in ipad. These can be mp3 or alac
b) Youtube videos
c) Spotify on ipad
I always use airplay for streaming from my ipad. I have apple airplay receiver (the oldest model) which is considered the best streaming quality compared to other models. In the past I had also tried airplay using Raspberry pi of Allo Digione signature. I also had a Bose bluetooth receiver which I used rarely. But this Auris blueooth receiver is extremely good. I never thought bluetooth can sound so good. I am trying all permutation & combinations of connections to find which is sounding best and again & again I reach to the RCA out from the receiver going to my Marantz Amp.

For people who want to wath youtube videos on ipad/mobile/tablet but want to listen music via their music system, then I think this is one of the best option. Why because this approach (diverting audio but not visuals), is not supported by android neither chromecast. It is only supported by Airplay. So if we do not have apple, then this bluetooth receiver can serve this approach best.

I am happy to purchase this and highly recommend if anybody wants to try the bluetooth approach.
Attaching couple of photos. Also had created a short video during normal listening.

short video created during normal listening

Note i had recorded using android phone positioned on chair, so it may not be high fidelity. I also wanted to know what is the best way to record such videos and audios from speakers. I had read there are various mics like condenser, dynamic, etc , then usb,trss etc, but which one should be used and which is good, that i am yet to know. May be once i get some idea i will later get that kind of microphone aswell.


Thank you for reading.

Thanks a ton for sharing this

I have been using the BlueMeHD for a few years now, which is one model below yours. I had mine running off a cheap 5V lpsu from china and only using its optical out. And was very impressed with it. Infact, one of the early reviews on amazon India is from me

Though I never bothered to try the inbuilt dac, will do so now. But mine has the ESS chips, while your might have the AKM I think. Enjoy

 

[DAB]

Thanks for the great review
. I was impressed with your review and wanted something similar but in a low budget...
I compared auris blume and the Xduoo xq50 pro2 and found they are exactly the same in terms of hardware and functionalities...
No idea about performance though...
Trying to buy the Xduoo as its out of stock atm..

 

[sgmkumar1972]

Thanks a ton for sharing this

I have been using the BlueMeHD for a few years now, which is one model below yours. I had mine running off a cheap 5V lpsu from china and only using its optical out. And was very impressed with it. Infact, one of the early reviews on amazon India is from me

Though I never bothered to try the inbuilt dac, will do so now. But mine has the ESS chips, while your might have the AKM I think. Enjoy

which is best ESS or AKM Chip DAC

 

[Yelamanchili manohar]

which is best ESS or AKM Chip DAC

Haha...there are good and bad examples of both. So implementation of the power supply, input filters, and analogue output stage make a bigger difference than the chip itself.

Having said that, I have read that the bad examples of ESS chip have a lean and bright top edge, bordering on sibilance. And likewise with AKM's sounding too analytical. And my experience has been similar.

On the positive side, well implemented ESS can sound exciting and fast. And AKM can sound natural with more body to the notes.

And i should add, that there are no bests in audio, which is about the creation of an illusion. The holy grail of audio is to achieve the illusion of real musicians playing on real instruments in our rooms. It is always a matter of preference, so there are endless debates about tubes vs SS, digital vs Vinyl. In the end, it is whatever that creates the illusion in the most enjoyable manner to you that matters.

 

[DAB]

Haha...there are good and bad examples of both. So implementation of the power supply, input filters, and analogue output stage make a bigger difference than the chip itself.

Having said that, I have read that the bad examples of ESS chip have a lean and bright top edge, bordering on sibilance. And likewise with AKM's sounding too analytical. And my experience has been similar.

On the positive side, well implemented ESS can sound exciting and fast. And AKM can sound natural with more body to the notes.

And i should add, that there are no bests in audio, which is about the creation of an illusion. The holy grail of audio is to achieve the illusion of real musicians playing on real instruments in our rooms. It is always a matter of preference, so there are endless debates about tubes vs SS, digital vs Vinyl. In the end, it is whatever that creates the illusion in the most enjoyable manner to you that matters.

Yes I agree, implementation makes a lot of difference..
Speaking of implementation... I am also in the market for a bluetooth streamer DAC, auris blume is oob but I did some research and Xduoo xq50 pro2 has exactly same hardware and outputs cum inputs...

What's your opinion about the implementation done my xduoo in their products...

(btw couldn't buy the Xduoo as it was available only on concept cart and both my orders failed and since then it's oos)

 

[Yelamanchili manohar]

Yes I agree, implementation makes a lot of difference..
Speaking of implementation... I am also in the market for a bluetooth streamer DAC, auris blume is oob but I did some research and Xduoo xq50 pro2 has exactly same hardware and outputs cum inputs...

What's your opinion about the implementation done my xduoo in their products...

(btw couldn't buy the Xduoo as it was available only on concept cart and both my orders failed and since then it's oos)

Sorry dont have any experience with the Xduoo, so cant comment on the same. My reasons for buying the Auris are as under mentioned, though same might not be important to you, depending on your use case scenario :

1. Option of eternal 5V supply, which i could replace with a LPSU.
2. Well regarded BT chip from qualcomm, for reliable and long distance BT connection.
3. Support for Ldac codec, which is compatible with my tab for streaming. ( This was most important for me )

If the Xduoo has the above, then it should be a safe bet in my opinion. All the best.

 

[DAB]

Sorry dont have any experience with the Xduoo, so cant comment on the same. My reasons for buying the Auris are as under mentioned, though same might not be important to you, depending on your use case scenario :

1. Option of eternal 5V supply, which i could replace with a LPSU.
2. Well regarded BT chip from qualcomm, for reliable and long distance BT connection.
3. Support for Ldac codec, which is compatible with my tab for streaming. ( This was most important for me )

If the Xduoo has the above, then it should be a safe bet in my opinion. All the best.

Yep it does..
Costs around 7.2k as well..

 

[sandeepmohan]

We generally have the notion that bluetooth is not high fidelity neither audiophile, but this shook out that notion, atleast for me in my setup. On the first listen on day1, i was thinking to write a post but then i thought to take some time before writing and so that my impressions settle down.

Much appreciated.

Bluetooth was relatively low fidelity or rather compressed sounding, say about 10 - 12 years ago. It has come along way now. I still don't think its 'Audiophile' grade. That said, its very much acceptable as a means to stream and enjoy music today.

I have not BT-ed in a long while for my home setup as most streaming Apps works flawlessly over the Wi fi network. Need to revisit this space.

 

[sgmkumar1972]

Haha...there are good and bad examples of both. So implementation of the power supply, input filters, and analogue output stage make a bigger difference than the chip itself.

Having said that, I have read that the bad examples of ESS chip have a lean and bright top edge, bordering on sibilance. And likewise with AKM's sounding too analytical. And my experience has been similar.

On the positive side, well implemented ESS can sound exciting and fast. And AKM can sound natural with more body to the notes.

And i should add, that there are no bests in audio, which is about the creation of an illusion. The holy grail of audio is to achieve the illusion of real musicians playing on real instruments in our rooms. It is always a matter of preference, so there are endless debates about tubes vs SS, digital vs Vinyl. In the end, it is whatever that creates the illusion in the most enjoyable manner to you that matters.

Thank for your reply

 

[Kannan]

The Bluetooth implementation in my Dynaudio active speakers is so good that I now use it as my primary input. It has left my setup absolutely cable-free and component-free.
My source is either of my LG V30 or LG G8x phones with either Apple Music or local files via NAS using MConnect+ app or the USB Audio Pro app via bluetooth aptx to the Dynaudio.

Similarly, the bluetooth implementation in the FiiO BTA30pro is very very good, supports all codecs, has an insane range of almost 100 meters. is both a BT receiver and transmitter, USB, coax, optical DAC and also a coax/optical transport. Has a well implemented preamp and an accompanying amp with which one can set filters or use as a full functional remote control.

I have a thread on its ownership for those interested:

FiiO BTA30 Pro - Versatile and affordable multi-functional DAC

Dear friends, I had posted earlier about the acquisition of Dynaudio active speakers with in-built DAC and Bluetooth. They are nicely settling in and I hope they remain a longtime companion. They have two analogue inputs, but undergo an ADC (Analogue to Digital conversion), so essentially...

www.hifivision.com

 

[sgmkumar1972]

Hi Friends,

Couple of days back I got chance to purchase a bluetooth receiver called as "Auris bluMe Pro". I had read good reviews and based on that I took the plunge and I would say I am delighted. We generally have the notion that bluetooth is not high fidelity neither audiophile, but this shook out that notion, atleast for me in my setup. On the first listen on day1, i was thinking to write a post but then i thought to take some time before writing and so that my impressions settle down. This what I noticed in my setup.

a) Floating mid-range
I had read few times that some DACs sound such that instruments float in the air. But somehow in my setup I never reached till this point. Whatever DACs I have, there is "presence" of midrange which was forward / recessed but never felt "floating", so this was my first such feeling.

b) Tonality
This has a neutral tonality. It sounded true to what is there in the music. The tonal balance is also spot-on.
Many DACs which upsample, they introduce some artifacts which alter the tonality of the music, if not fully but for some passages , some instruments etc. I found this one to be very much natural and neutral.

c) Lets you enjoy the nuances in the singing
This was the very first impression on listening if i recall correctly. Voices have nuances of the singer which I like. It lets you enjoy the music without being analytical. The sound is so natural that there is nothing much to focus your attention on any kind of artifacts.

d) No fatigue
This is the most important which I look for in any music system or component. For this i did not feel anytime any kind of fatigue surprisingly.

This bluetooth has 3 outputs. RCA, optical spdif and coaxial.
When I had purchased it, i had in mind that I will be by default using the optical spdif to my dac. RCA i will not use.
But i was surprised on multiple swaps between RCA/optical and everytime I find the RCA to be a step above the optical. This was a huge surprise and a pleasant one.


I don't have any CD / viny setup. So all my listening is via
a) music files in ipad. These can be mp3 or alac
b) Youtube videos
c) Spotify on ipad
I always use airplay for streaming from my ipad. I have apple airplay receiver (the oldest model) which is considered the best streaming quality compared to other models. In the past I had also tried airplay using Raspberry pi of Allo Digione signature. I also had a Bose bluetooth receiver which I used rarely. But this Auris blueooth receiver is extremely good. I never thought bluetooth can sound so good. I am trying all permutation & combinations of connections to find which is sounding best and again & again I reach to the RCA out from the receiver going to my Marantz Amp.

For people who want to wath youtube videos on ipad/mobile/tablet but want to listen music via their music system, then I think this is one of the best option. Why because this approach (diverting audio but not visuals), is not supported by android neither chromecast. It is only supported by Airplay. So if we do not have apple, then this bluetooth receiver can serve this approach best.

I am happy to purchase this and highly recommend if anybody wants to try the bluetooth approach.
Attaching couple of photos. Also had created a short video during normal listening.

short video created during normal listening

Note i had recorded using android phone positioned on chair, so it may not be high fidelity. I also wanted to know what is the best way to record such videos and audios from speakers. I had read there are various mics like condenser, dynamic, etc , then usb,trss etc, but which one should be used and which is good, that i am yet to know. May be once i get some idea i will later get that kind of microphone aswell.


Thank you for reading.

Nice review

 

[Prateek-Epitome]

to be honest I have used bluetooth from iphone to KEF LSX speakers and the sound was fantastic. Loud clear detailed and I was not left feeling anything was missing. Other than bass which is understandable from spakers so small.

The Bluetooth implementation in my Dynaudio active speakers is so good that I now use it as my primary input. It has left my setup absolutely cable-free and component-free.
My source is either of my LG V30 or LG G8x phones with either Apple Music or local files via NAS using MConnect+ app or the USB Audio Pro app via bluetooth aptx to the Dynaudio.

Similarly, the bluetooth implementation in the FiiO BTA30pro is very very good, supports all codecs, has an insane range of almost 100 meters. is both a BT receiver and transmitter, USB, coax, optical DAC and also a coax/optical transport. Has a well implemented preamp and an accompanying amp with which one can set filters or use as a full functional remote control.

I have a thread on its ownership for those interested:

FiiO BTA30 Pro - Versatile and affordable multi-functional DAC

Dear friends, I had posted earlier about the acquisition of Dynaudio active speakers with in-built DAC and Bluetooth. They are nicely settling in and I hope they remain a longtime companion. They have two analogue inputs, but undergo an ADC (Analogue to Digital conversion), so essentially...

www.hifivision.com

You are right, the bluetooth built into active speakers is quite fantastic. And the clutter it saves

 

[rajathv8]

3. Support for Ldac codec, which is compatible with my tab for streaming. ( This was most important for me )

Does the BlueMe HD really support LDAC?
The Auris website currently shows LDAC support only on the PRO and not on the HD. Did something change in the recent product version?

 

[Yelamanchili manohar]

Does the BlueMe HD really support LDAC?
The Auris website currently shows LDAC support only on the PRO and not on the HD. Did something change in the recent product version?

Hi Rajat, my memory is a little sketchy right now, and I havent been using the blueMe for sometime now. But if I wrote that I was using it, then Iam quite sure it must be right .

Could be they changed the specs for the newer issues maybe.