2. The Test & Verdict

My test was pretty straightforward. I connected the transmitter to my stereo receiver, which powers a three-speaker (a subwoofer plus two small "satellite" speakers) system. I left the subwoofer connected directly to the receiver and fed the tape monitor output to the tranceiver unit. I then moved the satellite speakers about 10 feet away and connected them to the receiver / power amp combo.

The "Pairing" process went uneventfully and the satellite speakers were up and running. I tried my TV at first, but after a short while put on a CD to do some more critical listening. It wasn't long before I heard a noticeable delay between the sound coming out of the subwoofer and the Bluetooth-connected satellites.

At first I thought this might just be an effect of having the subwoofer and satellites separated. So I moved the satellites back up to their normal position flanking the subwoofer and connected one satellite back to the receiver's direct output and left the other connected via the BT460EX. I even switched the receiver to mono to make sure both speakers got the same signal.

Sure enough, the delay was still there, most likely resulting from the delay in the Analog-to-Digital conversion in the tranceiver, Bluetooth transmission and Digital-to-Analog conversion in the receiver. Though perhaps a nice effect if you like your sound with a large-hall type echo, it didn't float my boat. Bluetake acknowledged that the product has a 0.1 second delay and suggested that delay adjustments available on multimedia receivers could be used to reduce or eliminate the problem. They also said they're working on a next-generation product that won't have the delay.

On a more positive note, range was more than advertised and more than adequate for close-range use. I actually was able to go anywhere in my 3000+ square foot two-story home and even to outside to my front and side porches and still get reliable, clean audio!

What will mess you up, however, are other 2.4 GHz RF sources, such as microwave ovens, cordless phones, and heavily-used wireless LAN equipment. I ran a quick test on the latter, with my 802.11g notebook about 3 feet away from the BT460EX receiver. When running a full-blast IxChariot throughput test, I could hear static and break-up in the audio. But normal web browsing produced only occasional minor static.

Bluetake's corporate vision may be "to build a cable replacement structure to promote a more convenient and cheerful lifestyle", but in this case I think they missed the mark a little. With a built-in non-adjustable delay, the BT460EX may not be ideally suited for its advertised home theatre rear-channel application.

It should work fine, though, as long as the sound coming through it doesn't need to sync up with any other sound source. But plain-old 900MHz wireless speakers may be a more cost-effective way to go if you aren't fussy about your sound or need to use specific speakers.