Geekzone Reviews Bluetake's Hi-Phono Bluetooth Audio Station Kit

[Janak Parekh]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.geekzone.co.nz/content.asp?ContentId=3124' target='_blank'>http://www.geekzone.co.nz/content.a...?ContentId=3124</a><br /><br /></div><i>"A few months back (March 2004) Bluetake was showing a new range of audio devices based on Bluetooth technology during the CeBIT 2004 in Hannover. One of the products was the i-Phono Hi-Fi Stereo Bluetooth headset, which was made available in July 2004. The second, available now from August 2004 is the Hi-Phono Audio Station Kit. I was eagerly waiting for this product to come into the market, and it is now here, and I've received one for review. The beauty of this new product is that I found inside the box everything I needed to connect different devices to a sound system. I was able to send audio from my desktop to my Denon DTS Stereo receiver, send audio from my Pocket PC directly to a pair of speakers, send audio from my Pocket PC to my stereo receiver, and even send audio from the stereo receiver to my rear speakers in the lounge. It's indeed a very versatile product!"</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/parekh-20040804-GeekzoneBluetakeHiPhono.jpg" /><br /><br />I've never thought of using Bluetooth for high-fidelity audio, but Mauricio does it. Take a look at the review to see what he thinks of the result. ;)

[burtman007]

This could be sweet to get stereo mp3 action in my car, w/o having to use a crappy fm mod kit!

[Jon Westfall]

This could be sweet to get stereo mp3 action in my car, w/o having to use a crappy fm mod kit!

Yea, FM Modulators are really aweful. I hadn't thought of that when I read the review of this product. I wonder how hard it would be to mod this stuff for a car application.

[jgrnt1]

If you have to plug it into the headphone jack and let it do the bluetoothing, even if the PPC has bluetooth, why not run a patchcord from the headphone jack directly to your home receiver or car head unit. The only advantage to this might be distance. For a car, it's just extra hardware. If I could plug the the bluetooth receiver part into my car's head unit and hide it away, then send the signal via the bluetooth my PPC already has, then it would be something worth looking at.

[Mark Johnson]

If I could plug the the bluetooth receiver part into my car's head unit and hide it away, then send the signal via the bluetooth my PPC already has, then it would be something worth looking at.

I too have been wondering at why we haven't seen such an implementation of blutooth yet. It seem like it should be a natural/obvious thing to do: instead of using my BT Jabra mono earpiece/microphone, have a stereo headphone. Instead of running the audio out of the headphone jack, jut feed it via BT in the first place.

I wonder why Microsoft hasn't pushed for this. It would be incredibly useful for the PPC.

[felixdd]

What I really want is a bluetooth "remote control" that also has audio out...that way we can stash our PPCs into a coat pocket, and have complete control of playback (forward/back tracks, volume, etc.). through the remote.

Much more elegant than fishing out your PPC every time, and much more universal.

[cubed]

Mobile Planet has it listed for $230

[Perry Reed]

You know I've never been able to reach the Geekzone website. Must be something about how the DNS info is propagated or something, but I've never once been able to hit it from any computer or network that I use.

[hewlpac]

With the operating distance bluetooth works you may as well run a wire...

[ctmagnus]

You know I've never been able to reach the Geekzone website. Must be something about how the DNS info is propagated or something, but I've never once been able to hit it from any computer or network that I use.

I can usually get to it. However, I usually cannot access www.gpspassion.com or www1.vajacases.com (http://www1.vajacases.com) . Those two things say a lot about the current state of the Internet (or individual ISPs) imo.

[maximus]

Ah, still with a transceiver.

The main point of bluetooth is to have wireless connection. But now you have to carry around a HUGE transceiver, which is attached through an audio cable (a wire) to your PPC. So much for being wireless.

[Jonathan1]

Hmmm wouldn't it be better to use the 802.11 standard instead? The reason I ask is BlueTooth has a nasty tendency to screw with WIFI networks doesn't it?

[Jonathon Watkins]

With the operating distance bluetooth works you may as well run a wire...

:?: Not following you Hewlpac. Class 1 Bluettoth at 100 meters range seems plenty good to me.

[surur]

This device will really come into its own when devices come out with built-in bluetooth v1.2. In a year's time most bluetooth stuff will be 1.2, this device is just an early adopters implementation.

It will be really good when an ipod or pocketpc with built-in bluetooth can automatically connect to your sound system, even in your car.

Bring on the future.

Surur

[hewlpac]

My response to Jonathon - In reading the review they state that the maker recommends at most 50m and actually the reviewer can only achieve 10m distances. A tenth of the 100m spec... That is the reality of Bluetooth. It is great from a cell phone to PDA as long as it is close. In a house the distances are quite limited. Would expect WiFi to be a better implementation....