Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

First it is very important to understand WHAT you need and WHAT you have. Bluetooth streaming is very popular for music - but one important questions you have to ask is WHAT is doing the decoding. What is your Bluetooth Streamer doing? _____________ DAC? DAC stands for Digital to Analog Conversion. (You have to convert it from digital to analog so you can listen to the music). These DAC chips are in everything, from your iPhone to these Bluetooth Streamers. Certainly they are an important part of your stereo system. Most people don't know or care about their DAC chips, which one they use, and how are they implemented. As music has moved more digital, DACs have become more important and the quality of the music can be greatly impacted by not only the DAC chip used, but how it is implemented. If you are an audiophile, or very much a discerning listener that cares about quality - then you should take some time and read about DACs and how they are implemented. This is NOT an audiophile BlueStream DAC. ----------------- Bluetooth Streamers Most (if not all) bluetooth music streamers have a built in DAC. Most do NOT tell you which DAC chip they use. This particular version uses the AK4396 DAC. It's a 24bit DAC and is widely used in many products. The entry level S**** Modi 2 ($99) Modi 2 USB Digital/Analog Converter uses the same DAC. The AK4396 is the entry line AKM DAC. It's good - but you would be hard pressed to find it in more mid-to-high end DACs. Note: S**** Modi 2 Uber uses the AK4490 ($149) and their Multibit version ($249) uses AKM's AD5547 - which is an excellent DAC and S**** does a great job with the implementation. The AK4396 DAC is a good DAC, widely implemented, and very cost effective (Chip costs about $5). I would wager that many bluetooth streamers use this DAC chip. Again, it is not an audiophile Bluetooth DAC. ---------------- Digital Out? The value for me for a Bluetooth streamer was not the DAC, but rather if the bluetooth streamer has digital out. This means that rather than relying on the DAC in the Bluetooth streamer, you can output the digital signal to a different DAC. (either a dedicated DAC or one in a Receiver, Pre-amp, etc.). If you have dropped some serious money on a home theater / music system, you may wish to use the DAC in your expensive music system rather than your Bluetooth streamer. Not many bluetooth streamers have digital out - this is one of the few. Most only have analog out (either 3mm or RCA) - which forces you to use the internal DAC in the bluetooth streamer. I have only found about 4 bluetooth streamers that have digital out, this is one. That alone makes it a worthy consideration for audiophiles looking for bluetooth streaming with digital out, but is it WORTH $169? --------------- Conclusion: There are many bluetooth streamers out there, this one uses the AK4396 DAC - which is a good one. Similar AK4396 DACs run in the $50 to $100 range. Bluetooth Streamers are in the $20 to $50 range. Buy this unit - IF you want a AK4396 DAC Blue Stream. If you are NOT interested in the AK4396 DAC and just want a Bluetooth streamer - than there are better options at half the cost. If you have your own DAC and you are looking for a Bluetooth streamer with a digital out, there are less expensive options (save over $100). Lossless Optical/Coax Streamer: $45 HiFi Lossless Bluetooth Audio Receiver Optical Fiber Coaxial Out for Digital Amp TaoTronics Digital Optical Streamer: $50 TaoTronics Bluetooth Transmitter and Receiver, Digital Optical TOSLINK and 3.5mm Wireless Audio Adapter for TV / Home Stereo System - aptX Low Latency This is a good unit - but ONLY for those looking for a AK4396 DAC, but you could buy a better DAC with the same chip (like the Modi 2) for $100 and a decent streamer for $20-$30. I gave it 1 star because it is over-priced for what it is. ---------------- My DACs: Audio-GD NOS 19 (2x PCM1704UK) Audio-GD NFB 10.33 (2x Wolfson WM8741) Dragon Fly Red (Saber ESS 9016) Wolfson = warm sounding Saber = very clean and bright PCM1704UK (NOS) = no over sampling, very natural and more analog sounding - my favorite. If you are interested in sound quality, read up on DAC and implementation. I suggest reading up on Head-Fi(dot)org - some great information there.