[jeffmd]

Ok so I needed a couple of these and I previously purchased (and reviewed) the Danibos BT 4.0 receiver, also with AptX support. In the hopes of scoring a unit with a better dac I spun the roulette and tried another model of BT receiver. This time I went with the TaoTronics TT-BR02. On the surface we see that this is a generation old bluetooth audio receiver that is more of a stereo set top design than the more portable and newer BR05. The BR02 also only features BT 3.0, while the newer one is 4.0 based. However at the time of purchase the BR05 was a good $2x the cost, reaching almost $30 (As of this review, it is also on sale for only $15). I went with the BR02 however because I didn't want to spend much on something I could not pre-verify the quality of, and Bluetooth 3.0 should have been able to provide for all the bandwidth AptX needs. 4.0 did not add to much for audio streaming, and while there was much press about the low energy mode in BT 4.0 most people do not realize it is a unique data connection that has a super low data rate, designed for basic information transfers like heart rate monitors. So it has no effect on audio data connections. 
 
So the BR02 comes in a rather plain looking styled box with black stenciling on it, a very retro style. Unfortunately it also has minimal information on the package, only telling you it wirelessly hooks up your stereo to your phone. In fact over-all documentation between the manual and the internet reveals very little about the unit. Currently the amazon store front for Tao even incorrectly list the unit as supporting BT 4.0. So opening it up I find it is packaged with all the cables needed for usb, RCA, and headphone aux. Upon pulling out the device itself it was instantly noticeable at how cheaply made it is. The unit design is actually kinda nice, offering a glossy body and nice rounded corners, but the thing weighs nothing and is light as a feather. The usb cable weighs more. This was a stark contrast to the Danibos which felt and weighed like a metal hockey puck. This unit is definitely more suited for home use and would look good paired with a radio receiver. The LED lights on it are bright but very masked (no lens effect) so it won't throw the light onto the ceiling and walls. I did however find it distracting enough while sleeping that I had to turn it over. 
 
Initial audio quality test (using my Ostry KC06a ear buds) yielded much the same as the Danibos. I really didn't notice enough of a difference in sound from the source, and found I could get some enjoyable listening out of it. Now the Danibos featured a low quality dac that introduced a bit of noticeable hiss. The BR02 doesn't suffer from this thankfully but instead suffers from just a little bit of power leakage. At times during very low volume or no volume parts I could faintly hear static in the right ear synonymous with inadequate electronic shielding. Again not enough to turn me off (and not audible on my bedside speaker system) but enough to let me know I have not found the perfect cheap receiver yet. I did find the headphone jack suffers connection static from a loose circuit board connect. Stressing the line chord and moving the jack around caused static and channel disconnection issues, another stab at its poorer construction. Like the Danibos I have had no issues with connecting and keeping connected to it. After the first time pairing (no NFC this time) the device consistently reconnects when powered on. I don't have battery life statistics on either but I do know the bluetooth part uses very little power. I have it playing music for 45 minutes over night, and the devices still remain on and connected in the morning. 
 
So if I had to choose between the BR02 and Danibos, which would I choose? Since audio quality is pretty much the same, I would have to pick the Danibos because of its smaller size, much better construction, and BT 4.0/NFC support. However at the moment the BR02 is $10 which is half the cost of the danibos and just as functional.