[Clueless Scotty]

Hey folks,

I'm brand new to this forum. I've joined on account of my inability to find a solution (not to my own surprise) for my "audio system" and some headphones I've just purchased-- I will explain, of course. As I'm sure most of you have far more complex audio problems to solve, I will get right to it:

My Predicament: I've recently moved into a small apartment with my girlfriend. A few months ago, she gave me her blessing to buy a new turntable and stereo for our space, acknowledging the fact that I have a solid collection of LPs and love listening to them when I can. However, since she does not enjoy listening to full albums nearly as much or as often as I do (understandably)...

My Goal: I am trying to come up with a solution that will allow me to enjoy some records in the apartment at times when she doesn't feel like listening to them, preferably using Bluetooth headphones; I will mostly likely be sitting somewhere between 15-25 feet away from my audio setup while listening, doing stuff on my laptop, etc. (And, yes, I know that I'll be compromising sound quality for spacial convenience by using Bluetooth headphones. I believe I'm alright with that, for now.)
Note: My audio setup cannot be moved in order to accommodate a more analog-friendly solution...it's Bluetooth or bust, for the time being. I'm also trying to avoid awkwardly setting up a folding chair closer to the turntable in order to connect via a cable...I'd basically be sitting in the middle of what little walking space we have in our main area at the moment.

My Equipment: Turntable-- Music Hall mmf-1.5; Stereo-- Klipsch The Three II; Bluetooth Transmitter/Receiver-- Miccus Home RTX 2.0; Headphones-- Beats Solo 3

What I Tried (Unsuccessfully): I thought that I'd be able to connect the Miccus Bluetooth transmitter to the turntable via RCA-to-3.5mm input (this part worked), pair my new Beats with the Miccus transmitter (this also worked), and then listen to a record through the headphones while sitting about 20 feet away from the turntable (...this last part didn't work so well). The issue? I had no volume control...(why did I actually think I'd have volume control on the headphones simply because they have volume buttons?! I was very naive.) Well, I obviously realized that those volume buttons only work when the headphones are paired with a smart phone, laptop, or something of the sort. In this case, I was able to hear music through the headphones, but wasn't able to manipulate the volume, which is something I would definitely like to do.

My Questions:

• What do I need to add to the combination of the turntable, Bluetooth transmitter, and Beats headphones in order to 1. listen to records through my Bluetooth headphones, and 2. do so with volume control? (Assuming volume control on the headphones is out of the question, is there a device that will allow me to adjust the volume while listening with my headphones on? I've read about headphone amps but don't want to blindly commit to one yet.)
• For those who believe listening to records via Bluetooth is shameful, what's another alternative(s) you'd recommend? Keep in mind, I'd either be sitting at a counter about 15-20 feet away from the turntable, or on a couch about 25-30 feet away. Is running a 30 foot cable on the ground something people do? Let me know!

Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Feel free to lay it on me if you think my idea is ridiculous, provided that you also suggest some useful options or alternatives.
If you've actually even read up to this point, I already appreciate your time. Thank you!

~Scott

 

[earmonger]

OK, I know the Beats headphones are wireless. I don't understand why the volume buttons don't do anything -- c'mon, Dr. Dre! -- but I believe you.

However: Do the Beats also allow a wired connection? Or do you also have any other wired phones that you like?

Because if you do, you could get a bluetooth receiver, a tiny little thing that you clip to a shirt pocket and then plug in some wired phones. FiiO makes receivers (BTR 3, BTR 5) and so do lots of other companies.

I got a Sennheiser transmitter-receiver combo as a gift, and it works great. Since you don't need the transmitter, that would be overkill for you. I also had a cheap MPow unit for a while that also worked well, though with less range than the Sennheiser; no doubt there are newer models now.

There is latency -- a delay between source and receiver -- in many Bluetooth receivers that causes reviewers to downgrade them. But since you're not watching video that needs to be in synch, only listening to audio, that's not a problem for you.

 

[Clueless Scotty]

OK, I know the Beats headphones are wireless. I don't understand why the volume buttons don't do anything -- c'mon, Dr. Dre! -- but I believe you.

However: Do the Beats also allow a wired connection? Or do you also have any other wired phones that you like?

Because if you do, you could get a bluetooth receiver, a tiny little thing that you clip to a shirt pocket and then plug in some wired phones. FiiO makes them (BTR 3, BTR 5) and so do lots of other companies.

I got a Sennheiser transmitter-receiver combo as a gift, and it works great. Since you don't need the transmitter, so that would be overkill for you. I also had a cheap MPow unit for a while that also worked well, though with less range than the Sennheiser; no doubt there are newer models now.

There is latency -- a delay between source and receiver -- in many Bluetooth receivers that causes reviewers to downgrade them. But since you're not watching video that needs to be in synch, only listening to audio, that's not a problem for you.

Hey earmonger,

Thank you so much for the quick and helpful response. I appreciate you reading my post, considering my dilemma, and offering a solution!

Regarding the volume buttons-- my thoughts exactly! Ain't nuthin' but a cheap thang, I guess...

Anyway, yes, I do believe that the headphones will allow a wired connection; I just ordered a Beats audio cable that should create an auxiliary mode of sorts.
I really like the idea of the receiver. I looked up the FiiO models you mentioned; it looks like the BTR5 will be back in stock at Amazon soon. I'll check out some other similar models in the meantime.

Having the headphones plugged into a paired receiver seems like a very practical solution. I know audiophiles would cringe at the idea of playing vinyl through a delayed Bluetooth receiver, but I think it'll work fine for my current needs. I am certainly going to look into it. Thank you again, my friend!

~Scott

 

[Roseval]

Bit surprised the volume control on the phone didn't work.
There are senders with VC, like https://avantree.com/eu/audikast-plus-bluetooth-5.0-transmitter-for-tv

 

[Clueless Scotty]

Bit surprised the volume control on the phone didn't work.
There are senders with VC, like https://avantree.com/eu/audikast-plus-bluetooth-5.0-transmitter-for-tv

Roseval,

Unfortunately these headphones are dependent upon the device they're connected to (I had higher hopes for Beats...I guess I should've done more research before impulse-buying). In my case, they were connected to a Bluetooth transmitter that doesn't have its own volume control. I tried to see if I could have my Beats paired with the transmitter AND phone at the same time; as a last resort, I thought maybe I could use the phone as a "remote" to manipulate the volume on the headphones. Alas, that did not work.

Have you had personal experience with the Audikast? It looks like a solid option.

Thank you for your assistance! Have a great weekend.

~Scott

 

[earmonger]

Roseval,

Unfortunately these headphones are dependent upon the device they're connected to (I had higher hopes for Beats...I guess I should've done more research before impulse-buying). In my case, they were connected to a Bluetooth transmitter that doesn't have its own volume control. I tried to see if I could have my Beats paired with the transmitter AND phone at the same time; as a last resort, I thought maybe I could use the phone as a "remote" to manipulate the volume on the headphones. Alas, that did not work.

Have you had personal experience with the Audikast? It looks like a solid option.

Thank you for your assistance! Have a great weekend.

~Scott

It looks like the Audikast volume control is on the transmitter. You need volume control on the receiver end.

 

[Roseval]

It looks like the Audikast volume control is on the transmitter. You need volume control on the receiver end.

If the Beats have volume control and it works using a mobile then obvious the VC is done by the sender.
BT is a bi-directional protocol.
The headphone uses a control protocol to tell the sender to alter the volume.
I do think Scotty is spot on, you need a sender allowing for VC.

 

[Clueless Scotty]

It looks like the Audikast volume control is on the transmitter. You need volume control on the receiver end.

Gotcha! Thanks for looking into that. I’m close to pulling the trigger on a FiiO BTR5.

 

[Clueless Scotty]

If the Beats have volume control and it works using a mobile then obvious the VC is done by the sender.
BT is a bi-directional protocol.
The headphone uses a control protocol to tell the sender to alter the volume.
I do think Scotty is spot on, you need a sender allowing for VC.

Oh, I think I just had the concept reversed. Thanks for clarifying, Roseval.
So, if there’s VC on the receiver, I’d still be able to manipulate the volume of the music coming through the headphones, right? I just wouldn’t be able to control the volume using the headphone buttons— it sounds like the buttons are obsolete if the sender doesn’t have VC.

 

[earmonger]

Oh, I think I just had the concept reversed. Thanks for clarifying, Roseval.
So, if there’s VC on the receiver, I’d still be able to manipulate the volume of the music coming through the headphones, right? I just wouldn’t be able to control the volume using the headphone buttons— it sounds like the buttons are obsolete if the sender doesn’t have VC.

The Beats Solo 3 Wireless page
https://www.beatsbydre.com/headphones/solo3-wireless
says this:

• 
  Take calls, control your music, and activate Siri2 with the multifunction on-ear controls (Requires iCloud account and macOS Sierra, iOS 10, watchOS 3 or later versions)

I may be wrong -- it has happened -- but that looks like the on-ear controls have to go through proprietary Apple apps and iCloud--unless that is just for iPhone calls and Siri. It's not clear. Whereas if you have a receiver with volume controls, you just control the volume on the receiver unit instead of trying to communicate with the transmitter.

Scott, it might be worthwhile just to call Apple/Beats customer service and ask how to make those volume buttons work.

They're very pleasant, though not always entirely useful. ( I won't tell you about the time they suggested I reinstall multiple operating systems, requiring hours of rebooting and reconfiguring every app, because Facetime went kerflooey -- much easier to switch to Skype.) At least you'll know if there's a simple method.

 

[Clueless Scotty]

The Beats Solo 3 Wireless page
https://www.beatsbydre.com/headphones/solo3-wireless
says this:

• 
  Take calls, control your music, and activate Siri2 with the multifunction on-ear controls (Requires iCloud account and macOS Sierra, iOS 10, watchOS 3 or later versions)

I may be wrong -- it has happened -- but that looks like the on-ear controls have to go through proprietary Apple apps and iCloud--unless that is just for iPhone calls and Siri. It's not clear. Whereas if you have a receiver with volume controls, you just control the volume on the receiver unit instead of trying to communicate with the transmitter.

Scott, it might be worthwhile just to call Apple/Beats customer service and ask how to make those volume buttons work.

They're very pleasant, though not always entirely useful. ( I won't tell you about the time they suggested I reinstall multiple operating systems, requiring hours of rebooting and reconfiguring every app, because Facetime went kerflooey -- much easier to switch to Skype.) At least you'll know if there's a simple method.

Oh wow…I definitely didn’t do my homework before buying these.
Thank you for sharing. I’ll test the headphones out once I get the Beats audio cable in the mail to see if there’s any chance of forgoing the Apple settings on my own. If I can’t figure it out, you’re absolutely right— it’s worth making a call, even if your prior experience was a bit…adventurous. Ha!

If the Beats turn out to be (kind of) a bust, at least I know I can still control volume with the right receiver (thanks for that info!). Between that and still being able to use the Beats for normal Bluetooth/iPhone function, I’ll write it off as a solid worst-case scenario. Maybe down the road I’ll invest in some decent wired headphones. I know you mentioned Sennheiser as a trusty brand, and I’ve seen that they have a wide selection of headphones; maybe I’ll invest at some point.

 

[earmonger]

Oh wow…I definitely didn’t do my homework before buying these.
Thank you for sharing. I’ll test the headphones out once I get the Beats audio cable in the mail to see if there’s any chance of forgoing the Apple settings on my own. If I can’t figure it out, you’re absolutely right— it’s worth making a call, even if your prior experience was a bit…adventurous. Ha!

If the Beats turn out to be (kind of) a bust, at least I know I can still control volume with the right receiver (thanks for that info!). Between that and still being able to use the Beats for normal Bluetooth/iPhone function, I’ll write it off as a solid worst-case scenario. Maybe down the road I’ll invest in some decent wired headphones. I know you mentioned Sennheiser as a trusty brand, and I’ve seen that they have a wide selection of headphones; maybe I’ll invest at some point.

Ah, welcome to Head-Fi where the motto is "Sorry about your wallet." Think about the kind of music you usually listen to and decide on a budget; then you could ask for recommendations on this forum or plunge into the full-sized headphones forum.

Sennheisers are beloved by some and shrugged off by others; it really depends on what kind of music and sound signature you prefer.

If Sennheisers sound right for you, Drop.com has discount versions of fancy models, HD6xx and HD58x. https://drop.com/all-communities/drops