Stereo Bluetooth Headphones: Is it true, there is a video/audio delay??? [Archive]

karinatwork

06-06-2006, 05:07 AM

I've been looking into getting myself a nice set of bluetooth stereo headphones, either the Plantronics Pulsar 590A or the Jabra BT620 to use at home as wireless headset (and eventually also with my phone, if I get the nerve), for music from my pc but also for watching movies and tv (through my AV system). Now I found several reports that say that there is a notiveable time delay between the pictures and the sound, making them movie appear like a badly dubbed Hong Kong production.

Is it really true? Is this only with certain headphones, or is bluetooth really not fast enough yet?

I'd be very thankful for any info I could get on this... :)

K.

Darius Wey

06-06-2006, 05:15 AM

I have absolutely no delay problems with my M600 and Bluetake i-PHONO mini Bluetooth headphones. The use of A2DP (for stereo audio) is processor-intensive, so if you're going to use it on a very weak device, you may have problems.

Which device are you using? I doubt your device wouldn't be capable of producing clear, and in sync, audio.

karinatwork

06-06-2006, 05:33 AM

Darius Wey

06-06-2006, 05:39 AM

I would like to connect the Plantronics Pulsar 590A to my Panasonic Home Theatre system... I won't watch any videos on my Jamin, I'm trying to get some for around the house. Have you tried to connect your i-PHONO's to your DVD player yet?

Nope, my DVD player isn't even Bluetooth enabled. 8O

So if you're connecting it to your PC, then you shouldn't experience any audio delays. Just ensure that your PC's Bluetooth stack supports A2DP, because the default Microsoft Bluetooth stack in Windows XP SP2 sucketh greatly.

karinatwork

06-06-2006, 06:16 AM

The Pulsar 590A comes with a Bluetooth dongle (A2DP) that allows you to use the headset with all kinds of devices.

Here is a review that talks about the audio/video time lag:

http://www.epinions.com/content_223723032196

Darius Wey

06-06-2006, 06:32 AM

The Pulsar 590A comes with a Bluetooth dongle (A2DP) that allows you to use the headset with all kinds of devices.

A-ha. Similar to the i-PHONO mini then, which also includes a transmitter.

Here is a review that talks about the audio/video time lag:

http://www.epinions.com/content_223723032196

So I read it, and to me, the sync and cut-off issues sound like a problem with the A2DP implementation in the Plantronics package. Now whether you want to take one review and accept it as fact is something you'll have to decide on. But if you want to be safe, perhaps look at another Bluetooth headphone solution. You mentioned the BT620s before - those look solid.

karinatwork

06-06-2006, 06:49 AM

Thanks for your patience, btw. :)

Unfortunately, it's not only one reviewer that says that they have an ever so slight sync problem between audio and video... so I take this as a fact for the Pulsar 590A, considered that I read it from at least 5 different reviewers. Don't ask me for links, too late for that.. ;)

The Jabras however, while I think they look great and all, are so new that there aren't any reviews about them out there, or at least none in detail. I've come to the concolusion that bluetooth for me has to have NO wires whatsoever, so the i-PHONO's are out of the question, as we all the i-Tech S38 and R35... the Blueant seem to be flimsy and the Motorola.. well... Motorolas. I actually prefer the looks of the Jabra's over the Plantronics, because I might be able to hide them under my long hair, and because they look - as you said - solid (no replaceable battery however, bummer).

Anyway, my main problem was to find out if stereo bluetooth headsets IN GENERAL have a time lag problem, or if it was just a Pulsar problem. But I guess the whole bluetooth stereo thingie is a bit too early to get involved in this much detail... :) Gotta be patient, while I am NOT a patient person, believe me!!! :lol:

Darius Wey

06-06-2006, 08:09 AM

The Jabras however, while I think they look great and all, are so new that there aren't any reviews about them out there, or at least none in detail.

For interest's sake, I did ask to review the BT620s a few weeks ago, but there weren't any review samples available. I'll try again in a couple of months, and hopefully I'll be able to get a detailed review published here.

Anyway, my main problem was to find out if stereo bluetooth headsets IN GENERAL have a time lag problem, or if it was just a Pulsar problem. But I guess the whole bluetooth stereo thingie is a bit too early to get involved in this much detail... :) Gotta be patient, while I am NOT a patient person, believe me!!! :lol:

Based on the review you linked me to, and my experiences with Bluetooth headsets and headphones, it definitely sounds like an issue with the Pulsar and not Bluetooth in general. :)

Sven Johannsen

06-06-2006, 01:33 PM

I'll try to give it a look tonight. I mostly just use the BT for music for the mobility. Haven't used them for video as I am generally parked. PPC video I usually only have the time to watch it on a plane and you can't use BT there yet.

Later that same day: I'm here watching some MEDC video on my X50v with the HP BT headphones. No lag on that setup. Probably a device issue. I know I've played with it before and never noticed anything.

Darius Wey

06-06-2006, 01:49 PM

For what it's worth, I've tried watching videos with BT headphones on my Media Center PC and on my Pocket PC. It works flawlessly, so the delay problem is looking more like a Pulsar issue than anything else.

[email protected]

06-07-2006, 01:05 PM

I use some logitech BT-headphones and they work great for watching movies and listening to music either with the included dongle or the builtin bluetooth in my Ipaq ... however I had also wanted to use it with musical instruments and there is definitely a delay in that application. I tried the dongle with my piano and the delay between pressing a key and hearing the note makes it unplayable.

But for music and movies it's great!

Dan

Joseph Moon

07-04-2006, 02:59 PM

I am in the market for a decent pair of earphones. I have a TREO 700w and have wrestled with dropping the insane money for a pair of Shure's. Then I started to get curious about BT earphones. What a dream that would be! For once I could walk the dog and not have him get tangled up in my earphones... He's a Jack Russell and it's a sight when he jumps up on me!

Does anyone have a suggestion - or guide to steering someone towards one item or another... It is really disappointing when I go to the local audio/video/phone/electronics store and none of the salespeople have any experience with the items they are trying to sell me. They don't even have end-user feedback to give me, argh!

Joseph...

Janak Parekh

07-04-2006, 03:52 PM

I am in the market for a decent pair of earphones. I have a TREO 700w and have wrestled with dropping the insane money for a pair of Shure's. Then I started to get curious about BT earphones. What a dream that would be! For once I could walk the dog and not have him get tangled up in my earphones... He's a Jack Russell and it's a sight when he jumps up on me!
The big problem with this is that the 700w doesn't have A2DP, so it's not directly compatible with Bluetooth headsets. You'd have to use an external adapter.

(And if you've been looking at Shures, it's worth pointing out that no Bluetooth headset is going to give you remotely anything near the quality of a good pair of corded earbuds. That, and you can get some Shures at good prices -- check out PriceGrabber (http://pocketpcthoughts.pricegrabber.com), for example.)

--janak

martin_ayton

07-11-2006, 08:36 AM

Just ensure that your PC's Bluetooth stack supports A2DP, because the default Microsoft Bluetooth stack in Windows XP SP2 sucketh greatly.

Ok, Darius - how? I have a Dell Latitude laptop and the stack does not support the A2DP profile. It has an internal bluetooth card (mini-PCI I would guess) which I would be happy to replace. I do not want an external BT dongle or a PCMCIA card with an external aerial. I would like my BT mouse and keyboard to continue to work, my Xda2s to continue to sync, and I'd like to stream stereo over BT. Dell can't make any suggestions as to how I might achieve this - can you, or anyone else out there?

Darius Wey

07-13-2006, 12:54 PM

Ok, Darius - how? I have a Dell Latitude laptop and the stack does not support the A2DP profile.

The easiest solution is to acquire a third-party stack that not only supports A2DP, but your Bluetooth radio as well. This is one that I use with one of my computers: http://www.bluesoleil.com/

Admittedly, not my Dell laptop, so I can't guarantee if it works well with your Latitude. Your best option would be to download it (the standard version is usually good enough), install it, and see how it works. If it works well, you can purchase it to remove the trial limitations.

martin_ayton

07-13-2006, 04:41 PM

The easiest solution is to acquire a third-party stack that not only supports A2DP, but your Bluetooth radio as well. This is one that I use with one of my computers: http://www.bluesoleil.com/

Thanks Darius :D . I have been hunting for something like this, off and on, for months. I've downloaded it, and I'll try installing it in the next few days. I'll let you know how it goes ('cos I'm sure I'm not the only user of a Dell Truemobile 300 BT module)

Edit: It's installed, paid for and registered and that was a remarkably painless process. Can't get ActiveSync working over BT though - any ideas?

Once again, thank you, thank you. I'm off to buy those BT enabled speakers now. Yaay! :clap:

axzr

07-25-2006, 09:55 AM

Apologies if this is off-topic but this seemed like a good place to ask.

Does anyone have a x50v and Jabra 620s. Have you got them to work together?

Darius Wey

07-25-2006, 11:39 AM

Does anyone have a x50v and Jabra 620s. Have you got them to work together?

While I don't have the Jabra headphones, I do have another set of Bluetooth headphones and an X50v, and I think I know what you're asking - and that is, whether the two can work together, right?

Are you running Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition or Windows Mobile 5.0? If the former, you can install the HP iPAQ Bluetooth Stereo Headphone Driver Update (http://h18007.www1.hp.com/support/files/HandheldiPAQ/us/download/22475.html), but bear in mind that legal use of this driver requires you to own and install it on the h5500 (as specified), so use at your own risk. If the latter, there are some enthusiasts over at Aximsite (http://www.aximsite.com/boards/forumdisplay.php?f=109) who have ported the relevant Bluetooth stereo and remote control profiles (A2DP & AVRCP) from one device over to the X50/X50v. But again, use of this is unsupported, so use at your own risk.

axzr

07-25-2006, 01:11 PM

You got it in one. I am trying to get the two to work together.

I am running 2003se.

Thanks for the feedback.

axzr

07-25-2006, 02:45 PM

I got it to work! After all that I think it just needed authentication switched on for the Audio Gateway service.

Now I have 2 further issues, which are quite interesting.

1) I can use skip track from the headphones but not change the volume.

2) When paired with the Ax and my phone, if I answer a call using the Jabra headphones then the Ax happily drops the BT connection and just plays the music through the speaker. I thought it was supposed to pause, or at least not disconnect.

Darius Wey

07-25-2006, 05:06 PM

1) I can use skip track from the headphones but not change the volume.

2) When paired with the Ax and my phone, if I answer a call using the Jabra headphones then the Ax happily drops the BT connection and just plays the music through the speaker. I thought it was supposed to pause, or at least not disconnect.

Yes, for both cases, that's not normal behaviour, but it's most likely incompatibility issues to do with an unsupported profile on your device than an issue to do with A2DP/AVRCP implementation altogether.

axzr

07-26-2006, 09:30 AM

Darius Wey

07-26-2006, 06:58 PM

Is there any way to identify and fix unsupported profiles?

Not really. They're not designed for the particular device - hence, they're unsupported. Unfortunately, OEMs have full control over what Bluetooth profiles exist on a device, and there's little an end-user can do (legitimately) until a ROM update introducing additional profiles is released.

axzr

07-31-2006, 09:52 AM

Dachaps

08-22-2006, 02:51 PM

Ok, Darius - how? I have a Dell Latitude laptop and the stack does not support the A2DP profile.

The easiest solution is to acquire a third-party stack that not only supports A2DP, but your Bluetooth radio as well. This is one that I use with one of my computers: http://www.bluesoleil.com/

Darius,

What about the Treo 700w? From what I am gathering it doesn't appear to support A2DP either. I couldn't find any links on bluesoleil to a PPC version of their stack though it mentions a CE version. Any recommendations? I have the Treo 700w and the Moto HT820s.

Darius Wey

08-22-2006, 07:13 PM

What about the Treo 700w? From what I am gathering it doesn't appear to support A2DP either. I couldn't find any links on bluesoleil to a PPC version of their stack though it mentions a CE version. Any recommendations? I have the Treo 700w and the Moto HT820s.

Unfortunately, the 700w doesn't include A2DP, and it's not as easy as a PC where you can simply install stacks. Instead, they have to be provided by the OEM.

There is talk of enthusiasts hacking the ROM to include A2DP, but this isn't advised as (a) it's against the licensing agreement, and (b) it's unsupported. If you choose to walk this path, do so at your own risk.

Dachaps

08-22-2006, 08:08 PM

Thanks, Darius.

That's disappointing. By OEM should I take this to mean Palm, Verizon or Microsoft? I'm guessing Palm.

Darius Wey

09-12-2006, 08:34 AM

Thanks, Darius.

That's disappointing. By OEM should I take this to mean Palm, Verizon or Microsoft? I'm guessing Palm.

Oops, I missed this question. Yes, Palm is who you should take this to, though I have a hunch that Verizon has some part to play in this debacle.

Napster155

12-03-2006, 03:45 PM

iv got the bt Blue Ant x5 head phones they work with almost anything and can pair with 10 devices up 2 3 at one time. with means there a hands free got ur fone as well as head fones for ur music. the only thing is if you streen music from a pc or ppc device not over the dongle that comes with it if you use more the 120 bits it starts to judder. i havent used them on movies so i dont know how they work i would recomend them. only one catch iv blow the bass in just under 4 months i dont know how that complairs to other brands but compaird to other head fones iv owned its good.

Goliath