LEVN SK-BTI-031 High End Bluetooth Audio Adaptor with aptX HD

[jeffhawke]

Has anybody had a chance to try this BT transmitter/receiver?

http://www.skywing-hk.com/cp/10-en.html

 

[antdroid]

It looks like this: https://www.amazon.com/Elekele-Blue...=sr_1_52?s=aht&ie=UTF8&qid=1513648127&sr=1-52

 

[jeffhawke]

I saw it also on Aliexpress for about half the price, but it doesn't mention aptxHD:
https://www.aliexpress.com/af/BTI%2...AS_20171218231641&origin=n&catId=0&isViewCP=y

 

[froes]

How can the usage of aptx hd be detected, f.i. when using an android device?

 

[kuko61]

I was searching a bit on the Internet
Sky Wing is a company engaged mainly manufacturing bluetooth devices.
https://tytx.en.alibaba.com/?spm=a2700.8304367.topnav.1.57874791jgCpVj
Their retailers sell their products under the brand name Levn. But they are mainly producing as an OEM manufacturer. BTI-031 is sold on the Aliexpress under brand names EastVita or Ostart, on Amazon I found it under the name Elekele or Trond, or Viugreum on eBay.
Under the Sky Wing's brand Levn its selling on Aliexpress here https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Lev...Adapter-CSR-BC8675-APT-X-Low/32849513961.html

Sky Wing offer BTI-031 for wholesale purchase also with different specifications.
On Alibaba offer version with Bluetooth v5.0 and here its version with Bluetooth v5.0 and 350mAh battery
http://skywing.manufacturer.globals...st-BT5.0-APTX-HD-high-quality-low-latency.htm But this version I have not found to sell on the internet.
Bluetooth 5.0 version with 160mAh battery i find on Zapals https://www.zapals.com/bti-031-2-in-1-bluetooth-v5-0-audio-adapter-transmitter-receiver.html , but this eshop has a lot of negative ratings and it's untrustworthy for me.

Now I need one BT aptx transmitter/receiver, so I'm probably going to buy Levn from Aliexpress. There are still very few devices with aptx HD on the market. And BTI-031 is interesting and inexpensive. I want to test wireless transmission between PC or phone and my headphones and at first I do not need an expensive devices.

 

[jeffhawke]

I was searching a bit on the Internet
Sky Wing is a company engaged mainly manufacturing bluetooth devices.
https://tytx.en.alibaba.com/?spm=a2700.8304367.topnav.1.57874791jgCpVj
Their retailers sell their products under the brand name Levn. But they are mainly producing as an OEM manufacturer. BTI-031 is sold on the Aliexpress under brand names EastVita or Ostart, on Amazon I found it under the name Elekele or Trond, or Viugreum on eBay.
Under the Sky Wing's brand Levn its selling on Aliexpress here https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Lev...Adapter-CSR-BC8675-APT-X-Low/32849513961.html

Sky Wing offer BTI-031 for wholesale purchase also with different specifications.
On Alibaba offer version with Bluetooth v5.0 and here its version with Bluetooth v5.0 and 350mAh battery
http://skywing.manufacturer.globals...st-BT5.0-APTX-HD-high-quality-low-latency.htm But this version I have not found to sell on the internet.
Bluetooth 5.0 version with 160mAh battery i find on Zapals https://www.zapals.com/bti-031-2-in-1-bluetooth-v5-0-audio-adapter-transmitter-receiver.html , but this eshop has a lot of negative ratings and it's untrustworthy for me.

Now I need one BT aptx transmitter/receiver, so I'm probably going to buy Levn from Aliexpress. There are still very few devices with aptx HD on the market. And BTI-031 is interesting and inexpensive. I want to test wireless transmission between PC or phone and my headphones and at first I do not need an expensive devices.

I'm interested also in the Radsone Earstudio http://majorhifi.com/radsone-earstudio-24-bit-hi-res-bluetooth-receiver-review/ but I cannot find it anywhere online. AFAIK, so far only the Indiegogo pledges have received it. It looks awesome on paper, with a very decent price.

 

[kuko61]

Yes, Earstudio its very interesting. Post from Radstone on Facebook at the beginning of January
We’re preparing Amazon sales. Almost done. Probably will be launched during 3rd week of this month. But first quantity is limited, more units will be available from 2nd week of next month. Thanks all.

How the usage of aptx hd can be detected, f.i. when using an android device?

If you have root, you can use Bluetooth HCI Logger. It creates cap files, that log everything over bluetooth which you can view with Wireshark. You can learn more at XDA.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/android/software/mod-aptx-hd-bluetooth-hi-res-audio-t3501991
Or if you pair the phone for example with Inateck BR1006 recever/transmitter, LED indicates, with which transmission protocol the devices are paired.
https://www.manualslib.com/manual/1300607/Inateck-Br1006.html?page=5#manual
I did not find the BTI-031 manual, so I do not know, if the LED can indicate the use of aptx HD.

 

[elqbenzo]

Or if you pair the phone for example with Inateck BR1006 recever/transmitter, LED indicates, with which transmission protocol the devices are paired.
https://www.manualslib.com/manual/1300607/Inateck-Br1006.html?page=5#manual
I did not find the BTI-031 manual, so I do not know, if the LED can indicate the use of aptx HD.

BTI-031 indicates the codec used by blinking the LED as well:
4 blinks every 5s: aptX-HD
3 blinks every 5s: aptX-LL
2 blinks every 5s: aptX
1 blink every 5s: SBC

It's written in (paper) manual that comes with the device.

 

[serwei]

BTI-031 indicates the codec used by blinking the LED as well:
4 blinks every 5s: aptX-HD
3 blinks every 5s: aptX-LL
2 blinks every 5s: aptX
1 blink every 5s: SBC

It's written in (paper) manual that comes with the device.

How's it sound? It's the cheapest HD so far, since it's actually an r&d OEM.

 

[martiniCZ]

BTI-031 indicates the codec used by blinking the LED as well:
4 blinks every 5s: aptX-HD
3 blinks every 5s: aptX-LL
2 blinks every 5s: aptX
1 blink every 5s: SBC

It's written in (paper) manual that comes with the device.

How's it sound? It's the cheapest HD so far, since it's actually an r&d OEM.

Although late, but I will add:
5 blinks every 5s: AAC

... and sounds really great for this price, no noise, quite bright sound. Now I use it mostly as BT reciever in my car, but I used it earlier as a transmitter from ipod to headphones too, It's cool, really small device, with a very useful volume/media control, so only digital in/out missing Ideal solution to upgrade any wired headphones to AptX HD wireless!
If someone is interested in what's inside, I did some pictures.

 

[theperspectiv]

Although late, but I will add:
5 blinks every 5s: AAC

... and sounds really great for this price, no noise, quite bright sound. Now I use it mostly as BT reciever in my car, but I used it earlier as a transmitter from ipod to headphones too, It's cool, really small device, with a very useful volume/media control, so only digital in/out missing Ideal solution to upgrade any wired headphones to AptX HD wireless!
If someone is interested in what's inside, I did some pictures.

Just created an account to say thanks for the info about 5x blinking for AAC, and thanks for the pics! I spent about 2 hours comparing various models of bluetooth receivers and decided on this one because it had support for both AptX LL and AAC as well as dual device connections. I couldn't find any info about what the 5 blinks meant, but I assumed it was AAC since all the other codec blink codes were listed in the documentation I found... Where'd you find that info?

 

[martiniCZ]

At first I thought I could no longer count I found out this when connected the BTI-031 to the phone with Oreo ROM, which shows the info about the used codec. The sound over BT in my Marshall monitor was much better on this than on the old ROM with SBC only, so I wonder why there is such a difference. Then I managed to make working aptx and aptxHD on my phone, I have to say that it is another big step forward over the AAC.
I have a cheaper OEM version, not LEVN, but I think they are all the same FW and HW.

 

[serwei]

I got the OEM too, but still BTI-031. The sound is really good, using my Xperia XZP and Monoprice XXX IEMs.
Am going to try oon but not sure if it can drive a full-size headphone (MD HE4xx coming soon)

 

[alex5908]

The device specs read it can be connected to two sources at the same time. I am trying it but only source works at a time. Either the first or second one. What am I doing wrong?

 

[martiniCZ]

You want mix sound from 2 sources? I think it's only possible to connect 2 headphones at the same time (both with SBC).