High quality bluetooth audio receiver

The 4 Best Seamless Bluetooth Audio Receivers of 2023

Emmeline Kaser is a tech writer and former editor for Lifewire. She writes and edits commerce content about consumer technology for Lifewire.

Overall, a Bluetooth receiver is a relatively small investment that opens possibilities. Some things to look for in a Bluetooth audio receiver include audio codecs, range, and output types. Bluetooth 5.0 is a great find since it offers an impressive range and excellent audio codecs. You also want to ensure that whatever receiver you get will output correctly to your car or stereo, depending on where you want to use it. So with all that in mind, read on to find our top picks.

Best Overall

Audioengine B1 Bluetooth Music Receiver

The Audioengine B1 music receiver comes with Bluetooth 5.0, aptX HD, aptX, and AAC codecs for high-quality audio. These codecs will give you CD-quality audio with minimal loss. Bluetooth 5.0 also gives you up to 100 feet of range, so you can keep your phone on you while it plays through your home stereo. Plus, you’ll get 24-bit playback and low latency, which is a fancy way of saying you get clear audio with no lag.

The B1 has both optical audio and RCA outputs which will work with basically any stereo system. It also includes an impressive digital-to-analog converter right on board, helping achieve a lower signal-to-noise ratio.

_{Input: Bluetooth | Output: Optical, RCA | Range: 100ft | Audio Codecs: aptX HD, aptX, AAC, SBC}

The Audioengine B1 music receiver is pretty small and sleek. Because most of the chassis is made of aluminum, it feels really solid with hardly any give. The B1 gets top marks on build quality, a look and feel befitting its price. The B1 appeared on our Bluetooth lists as soon as we put it in pairing mode, great to see from a device that costs this much. We could beam music from two rooms over through thick concrete walls on Bluetooth with no problem. In real-world use, this is one of the best Bluetooth audio experiences we’ve ever had. — Jason Schneider, Product Tester

Best Budget

Besign BE-RCA Long Range Bluetooth Audio Adapter

If you’re on a budget, we really like the Besign BE-RCE long-range Bluetooth audio adapter. It has Bluetooth 5.0 and aptX technology, along with CD-quality sound from up to 100 feet away. The receiver is powered by micro USB and requires pressing the power button to turn it on.

Some reviewers mentioned that they’d hoped to connect a smart plug that they could power on to power on the Bluetooth receiver. That won’t work with this unit. It’s a minor point, but it may factor in depending on your use case.

_{Input: Bluetooth | Output: 3.5mm, RCA | Range: 100ft | Audio Codecs: aptX, SBC}

Best Versatility

Anker SoundSync A3341

Sometimes you don’t want just a Bluetooth receiver; you may also want to transmit audio, and the Anker SoundSync A3341 offers that functionality. Some use cases include plugging the output of your TV into the transmitter and sending it to Bluetooth headphones, or connecting it to your stereo and playing music from your phone. A switch on the side of the device determines what you’re going to do with the audio.

The receiver even comes with an aux cable, RCA cable, and optical cable which should cover most of your devices. The receiver is battery-powered and lasts around 20 hours on a single charge. Optionally, you can plug it in in a single location if it’s going to be there for a while. The Anker SoundSync A3341 features aptX HD and low-latency sound which produces higher quality with lower latency that keeps the audio in sync with the video when you’re transmitting to Bluetooth headphones.

_{Input: Bluetooth | Output: 3.5mm, RCA, optical | Range: 33 Ft | Audio Codecs: SBC, aptX HD}

Best Range

Logitech Bluetooth Audio Adapter Receiver

The Logitech Bluetooth audio adapter has one of the best ranges you’ll find in a Bluetooth receiver. We tested and found it had a range of about 50 feet, which is 30% or more than most others. It doesn’t have a lot of the other bells and whistles you might find in other receivers, but for the price, you’re getting a small, durable little receiver that can do what it needs to do.

The Logitech adapter can store up to eight different Bluetooth devices in its memory, and you can even have two of them connected to the receiver at once. There isn’t any Wi-Fi connectivity or app support.

The main downside you’ll find here is the lack of digital outputs. You get RCA outputs only. Add that to the SBC codec that’s on board, and you’re going to get basic functionality and versatility. RCA and SBC are the most common output and codec respectively, so Logitech checks a lot of boxes. The extra range is definitely a bonus and makes this a good pickup at a great price.

_{Input: Bluetooth | Output: 3.5mm, RCA | Range: 50ft. | Audio Codecs: SBC}

Many Bluetooth receiver units at this price point tend to look sleek but feel flimsy–the Logitech is the opposite. Even the inputs and outputs on the back felt really stable when plugging in the included wires. One great fact about this receiver unit was just how easy and seamlessly it connected to our Bluetooth devices. Our tests showed very little dropout, even from the next room through fairly thick concrete walls. Anecdotally, the sound quality on the Logitech was solid for most uses. This is a unit that has all the bare minimums, with none of the flashy premium options. — Jason Schneider, Product Tester

Источник