[o0CosmoMemory0o]

Just a thought I've been having, but seeing as Bluetooth technology is featured in a lot of hi-fi headphones these days and its quality has improved quite significantly over the last decade, does it have a place in summit-fi? Do any existing ultra-high-end headphone products already feature HR BT?

Take the HD800 for example. Imagine a fully wireless Sennheiser HD800 where you are not tethered to a headphone amplifier. Is this a feature many of you would appreciate or just another gimmick?? I would be interested to read your thoughts.

 

[Deolum]

Doesn't that exists already? Like the Ananda BT or the Amiron Wireless. I don't think it comes close to a budget mobile amp not even mentioning a good desktop setup.

 

[technobear]

Bluetooth has no place in ultra-high resolution headphones

Fixt.

 

[o0CosmoMemory0o]

I think I read a review for that Ananda planar magnetic somewhere online a while back where they claimed the sound quality through Bluetooth was actually better than it was through a cable. Could that actually be true?

 

[Deolum]

No.

 

[daytrader]

Maybe slightly off in left field....but I use a Zen Blue in my Stax/Denafrips setup and been very happy being able to walk about my home and still listen to music. I‘ve tried a test, wired through usb or wireless with the Zen Blue, and if there is a difference it’s not very noticeable. I’d like to hear from others on this idea if they have incorporated similar BT for their systems and their thoughts on SQ?

 

[o0CosmoMemory0o]

Oh, it was a review I read on here. I just remembered.

https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/hifiman-ananda-bt.24092/reviews#item-review-23246

I don't think that Bluetooth is necessarily bad, it depends on how it is implemented I think. If BT signal degradation can be prevented and EM interference attenuated, who knows, it may be capable of transmitting/receiving a high fidelity signal. Not sure about bandwidth for hi-res formats though.

 

[Deolum]

Maybe slightly off in left field....but I use a Zen Blue in my Stax/Denafrips setup and been very happy being able to walk about my home and still listen to music. I‘ve tried a test, wired through usb or wireless with the Zen Blue, and if there is a difference it’s not very noticeable. I’d like to hear from others on this idea if they have incorporated similar BT for their systems and their thoughts on SQ?

How can you walk in your home with a Stax/Denafrips setup? Isn't all the Zen Blue does is feeding the Denafrips Dac?

 

[hrklg01]

Not being an electronic guy... but I believe the latest BT protocol allow high-end quality.
The problems might be:
a) The "sending device" has to be well deigned also
b) The built in amplifier in the headset might need lot of battery power to offer good quality and peak voltages.

 

[ubs28]

Bluetooth sucks.

Airplay 2 and UPnP / DLNA is superior for high-end. It even allows streaming movies.

Hifiman has launched a very expensive bluetooth headphone, but not sure if expensive equates to high-end

 

[Deolum]

Bluetooth sucks.

Airplay 2 and UPnP / DLNA is superior for high-end. It even allows streaming movies.

Hifiman has launched a very expensive bluetooth headphone, but not sure if expensive equates to high-end

Airplay is surprisingly good. I actually prefer it over DLNA and UPnP

 

[TheMiddleSky]

Bluetooth headphone has 2 main weakness:
1. Wireless "conductor" still far below cable to deliver signal in term of quality
2. Internal DAC+Amp should be made in very compact and lightweight size to achieve good comfort when we wear the headphone. This particular reason limiting the potency of driver quality from the headphone.

Ananda BT actually sounds not bad at all, but it's ridiculous comparison for Ananda (cable) pair with Chord Qutest and Violectric V281.

I think I read a review for that Ananda planar magnetic somewhere online a while back where they claimed the sound quality through Bluetooth was actually better than it was through a cable. Could that actually be true?

Absolutely no.

 

[daytrader]

How can you walk in your home with a Stax/Denafrips setup? Isn't all the Zen Blue does is feeding the Denafrips Dac?

True. I use my iPhone as the wireless connection with the Zen and a Stax extension which gives me quite the liberty to walk the place. But yes, not the entire house...But maybe someday?

 

[Peddler]

I have found that bluetooth has improved tremendously over the last couple of years. The combination of Bluetooth 5 and LDAC means that we're closer to wireless high resolution audio - but it's not quite there yet. For 90% of my listening, I'm more than happy with bluetooth but that remaining 10% still needs a wire. Whilst I do have some pretty good bluetooth hardware, my wired headphones are definitely not top-tier stuff. In all fairness, perhaps the differences would be far more apparent then.

FYI - bluetooth kit includes:-

Sony WH1000XM2
Sony WF1000XM3
Lypertek Tevi
Tronsmart Apollo
Mavin Air-X
Apple Airpods
Nexium Aqua +

Wired Kit includes:-

Sennheiser HD598sr
Ultimate Ears Triple Fi 10
Fiio FD1

 

[hrklg01]

it's alway the weakest part in the chain which cause the main problem.