Review: Jensen Universal Bluetooth Stereo Receiver
October 26, 2007
In our quest for losing any and all possible wires, we stumbled upon this cool little gadget, a way to transmit my music wirelessly from my Treo 755p. The search revealed several options to choose from. I, of course, opted for the cheapest I could find - the Jensen Universal Bluetooth Stereo Receiver ($9.97 from Amazon.com.) Those who have a 755p know that A2DP does not come standard. (Bad Palm, bad. But that’s another topic for another day.) But with the help of the Softick Audio Gateway, voila, streaming Bluetooth.
The Receiver did not come with the highest reviews, but I figured for less than $20 with shipping, I’d bite. It turns out it was better than I expected. Much better.
Out of the box you get everything that you would need to get up and running - audio cables, mini-manual, and power adapter. And of course, the Bluetooth Receiver.
Setup was straightforward. After a couple of attempts, I was able to pair the receiver and the phone. The manual, though short, does give you the basic steps (in case it is your first time, you may also want to consult your phone/media player’s manual, too)
Range turned out to be above average as well. I was able to get a good 20 feet before I was clearly out of range. The problem is, once you are out of range, it seems that you need to unplug the receiver before you can re-pair. Not so bueno.
I do have to say, being able to stream the music from the Treo and control the playlist from almost anywhere in the house (I don’t have the biggest house) was uber cool. Definitely file this one under the Impress Your Friends file. However, the fact that if you wander out of range you have to go back and unplug the receiver, repair, and start all over, does reek of party foul.
Even with the noticable drawbacks, I don’t think that this device deserves the reviews that it has received. Though not a 5 star solution, we challenge you to find a better bang for your buck.
how is the sound quality? i don’t think you mentioned that at all
Hmmm…you’re right. Slight oversight wouldn’t you say? The sound was about the same as using satellite radio (if you’ve used that before you know it’s not quite as good as a CD but definitely listenable). All in all, a very solid gadget to add to your collection. Especially for the price. I think that when I was originally looking it was this one for $20 or the nearest competitor for $100. I can’t imagine the alternative being that much better for $80 more…it had better be near CD quality for the difference in price. Also, a lot of the quality is dependent on your phone/media player, so YMMV.