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Audio out to bluetooth headphones

5K views 15 replies 5 participants last post by  Simonizer 
#1 ·
Hey all

I currently have a minix neo x7 as my 'media hub' and it has 3.5mm audio out and a bluetooth transmitter (not receiver) which allows me to have loud audio during the day via the 3.5 (into some crappy old computer speakers) and quiet audio at night via my bluetooth headphones.

I recently purchased the nexus player but there is no bluetooth transmitter and only hdmi. This means audio comes out of my tv which I can push through 3.5mm again to my old computer speakers, however the problem is I can't do the bluetooth at night.

So I figured it was time to get modern and buy a soundbar. Turns out though that 'bluetooth' soundbars have receivers but not transmitters - so they can't push to my headset.

My question is - why are there practically no options available these days for listening to tv/media with bluetooth headphones?

BTW - I bought a TaoTronics bluetooth transmitter but the sound quality is so horrible I'm returning it.

Thanks
 
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#2 · (Edited)
As you're aware, you can buy Bluetooth transmitters which plug into 3.5mm headset jacks. Some are obviously better than others, as you've discovered.

There is still lots of support for Bluetooth stereo audio. Though Bluetooth is not the best in terms of wireless audio quality, and I suspect this is why some higher end systems may offer limited support of it.
 
#4 ·
^^^^^ Ahhh yes, you are correct. My bad. Terrible example, obviously. Nonetheless, the transmitters do exist, as the OP is aware.

I will correct my post.
 
#6 ·
Simonizer. Thank you for this URL. I purchased the Nolan Bluetooth box two months ago and it has been left cold since simply because I just couldn't seem to retrieve audio from the 7 HDMI sources I have connected to a Yamaha RX-A2030 receiver (thinking of course that the receiver could do the job!!!). 57 confirms that this is just not the case :(

So now, hopefully I can insert the Panlong "black box" at the HDMI output of the receiver and retrieve everything at once. Great.

I hope I get this right and that there's an HDMI passthrough to feed the monitor??? Anyways, I'm getting this (on Friday of course!!!).

Thank you again. Great tip!
 
#7 ·
What were you connecting from the receiver before John... Optical or coax into the Nolan box from the A/V reciever? I have only tried the box with an optical out from my TV, and it works great.

But now I'm waiting for the Panlong box to arrive though, as I want every input from the soundbar extracted - the way my setup is, I'd have to have the soundbar on to switch to certain HDMI inputs, which I fully didn't think of before when just getting the Nolan box.
 
#8 ·
My setup consists of a Samsung TV, a Yamaha receiver and 7 peripherals with HDMI management enabled. With the HDMI management feature enabled (called Anynet), I am not able to access the 3.5" audio jack from the TV even though all HDMI devices do provide audio that is playable through the TV speakers. Don't ask me why but neither 3.5" jack nor the optical out available on the TV will let audio out to the NOLAN box.

Anyways, each HDMI device supplies its own PCM or DD audio to drive HT receiver speakers (thanks to the receiver's built-in HDMI switcher... pretty neat). Meanwhile, the TV's optical output supplies audio from OTA channels and an 8th HDMI device which plugs directly to the TV.

Like I said earlier, when I first purchased the NOLAN THX bluetooth transceiver, I wrongfully assumed that the HT receiver WOULD provide some sort of MONITOR OUT L and R (or optical) that I could feed the BT unit with and again, I'm told that receivers do not convert HDMI output so I was quite screwed until today!

We all have our little peculiarities as far as HT configuration goes. Mine consists in making the whole thing as elaborate as I need while at the same time maintaining a simplified path to my honey's favorite channels.

For this sort of thing to happen, I require HDMI takeover to the extent that it becomes impossible for me to tap into any sort of HDMI audio!!!

By the way, I couldn't wait and ordered the slick black box during lunch, 39$ wasn't too much of a burden for what confort it will bring! So thanks again Simonizer... you Simonized my A/V life!
 
#9 ·
Yeah, I couldn't get the Nolan device to work via the TV's optical out when my soundbar and HDMI audio were on and connected to the TV. Only when I turned off the soundbar was when I could hear audio from the Nolan device. But since I need my soundbar to be on for switching to certain inputs (as mentioned), I'll need the Panlong device too.

But that's the thing, there are so many configurations and connection types available nowadays, especially when using older equipment mixed with newer (HDMI) equipment. I have so many audio converters by my PC for my Slingbox and Hauppauge recorder from the various receivers going into and out of various switchers. The main HDMI connections from the satellite / cable receivers go into the TV, so anything connected to the PC is done via component video and optical / coax audio.

The Nolan / Panlong boxes will be for my upstairs TV setup. I'm glad I could point this combo out and make your life easier too!
 
#10 ·
I see we enjoy much of the same gizmos around the TV!!! I too drive two Slingboxes (Pro HD being my favorite) using Component Out. I do not believe in recording shows anymore. Not with all this stuff floating around, I can't imagine making my life any more complicated by watching recorded shows even though some are (still) worthy.

And like you, leaving the Yamaha receiver ON for HDMI switching purposes precludes access to HDMI audio over conventional means. Oh and I forgot to mention, using the headphones jack to feed audio to the Nolan was out of the question to begin with!!! Ain't that funny!
 
#11 ·
John, you'll have to tell me how the Panlong unit works for you. I got mine today, and I don't think it's fully functional.

I connected things the way they are meant to be, and the unit only extracts audio if my surround sound system is off. But when the surround sound is on, it doesn't send audio via the optical cable to the Nolan Bluetooth transmitter to my Bluetooth headphones. I need to keep the surround sound system on as mentioned in order to change inputs to the various devices connected to it. Shouldn't it work with the surround sound on? I think it should.

Also, when the surround sound is on, I'm not getting any audio through the surround sound system as well - shouldn't the device passthrough the audio to the surround sound system via HDMI (as well as to the Bluetooth headphones via optical and the Nolan device)? It passes through the video fine via the HDMI, but not the audio.
 
#12 ·
Simonize, I'll be getting mine between December 5 and 12 so patience! Meanwhile, consider these options which have a definite impact on sound (in my case):

1) Go to your amplifier's menu and see if HDMI control is ON or OFF. In my case leaving HDMI control ON means constant negociation between amp and TV and audio comes in an out (for minutes at a time)

2) Go to the TV menu and check to see if HDMI control is ON. This one you want to turn off. While turning TV ON and OFF, audio drops for long durations.

3) If, like me, you have multiple HDMI outputs on your amp, well, forget about that second output. The amp MAY see the Panlog device as an impossible output to resolve and cut sound on it. So disconnect anything from the second output and insert the Panlong between the amp and the TV. Which, in the end, might be what you had been doing all along. In that case, forget about that.

Otherwise, it's just another 40$ waste for both you and I. Meant to simplify our quiet listening, yet another cunsumer catch for an unresolved, simple issue.
 
#13 · (Edited)
I haven't tried any of the HDMI settings on the sound bar or TV.

However, I did try another HDMI cable, and that worked! So the first one wasn't doing the job - and I later tried this cable out on another TV setup just from the cablebox to the TV, and it didn't work there either - so it was initially a bad cable (even though it was sending out a picture to the TV via the Panlong at the start).

But the only thing I couldn't get working now was any devices input into my TV, which would normally be output to the soundbar by ARC, didn't send out audio the Bluetooth headphones in the setup, so I'll have to work on that. But the 3 inputs directly to the soundbar did work, and sound goes to the headphones and the soundbar speakers at the same time. I'll have to get the TV inputs working - maybe by adjusting the HDMI options as you mentioned. Or maybe the device doesn't support ARC (HDMI 1.4 and up). I think the second HDMI cable is 1.4 that I used, but maybe I'll get a new HDMI cable to make certain as well.

So there is hope with this device!
 
#14 ·
Darn HDMI cables. In the end, just like software, you always have to upgrade something. And by the time we migrate to 4K (imagine that), that Panlog box will go to waste, just like so many other things in the process.

But for now (and years to come I hope), there's hope. Thanks for the update.

Oh and do check the HDMI control feature on your TV. I didn't quite understand what the problem is at this time but short of running low yield HDMI cables, this might just be your problem.

Cheers and Happy Holidays... It's about that time!
 
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