not happy with these units

Posted by: Lowman

not happy with these units - 02/12/16 03:23 PM

I bought two of these blue tooth units from Outlaw on the assumption they would be quality units since my Preamp from Outlaw is very nice. I have many many connection problems with these units while other bluetooth devices in the same room do not have this issue. I spoke to Outlaw and they were willing to have a look at the units to see if there was something wrong. I was all set to send one in for repair...but I hooked my Avantree Roxa bluetooth receiver to the powered speakers the BRT-100 was hooked to.....and noticed an immediate improvement in sound. I didn't think sound quality would be noticeable between bluetooth devices. It was very noticeable...and the connection problems disappeared as well. I have decided to not send these in for repair...as I feel they are just junk, relabeled from some other company units.

I don't know if I can trust Outlaw again for another purchase.
Posted by: butchgo

Re: not happy with these units - 02/14/16 10:53 AM

That's odd.
I have two of them, one at home and one at work, and I have never had any connection problems of any kind.
Maybe there is something else interfering with the signal?????
Posted by: Outlaw Ben

Re: not happy with these units - 02/16/16 11:30 AM

It is too bad you feel that way. They are not another companies relabeled product. To have one unit with problems, never mind two, is rare. Our offer to have one unit sent in for evaluation still stands; if we verify a problem, we will make sure you are taken care of with both BTR-100s.
Posted by: XenonMan

Re: not happy with these units - 02/16/16 05:05 PM

There are many things that can interfere with a bluetooth signal. Here is a link which gives some ideas of what can interfere and how it can be remedied. It is geared towards Apple stuff but it still applies. We all use so many devices these days that can cause interference it is hard to say which ones may be a problem. I would definitely send a unit into Outlaw and let them take a look at it.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201542
Posted by: XenonMan

Re: not happy with these units - 02/16/16 05:16 PM

Here is a more in depth description of devices which can cause intererence:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_2.4_GHz_radio_use
Posted by: Helson

Re: not happy with these units - 02/17/16 10:37 AM

Thanks Xenonman. The 2.4 GHz bandwidth is definitely getting crowded.
Posted by: XenonMan

Re: not happy with these units - 02/17/16 09:18 PM

Years ago my microwave would really interfere with my cordless phone because both were 2.4 Ghz.
Posted by: Helson

Re: not happy with these units - 02/18/16 03:36 PM

I was not aware of the "spread-spectrum" technique that some of these cordless phones and other devices use.
Posted by: EEman

Re: not happy with these units - 02/20/16 10:42 AM

The spread spectrum technique actually increases the noise immunity of the signal because, as the name implies, the power is spread over a wider frequency range. To get the signal back you can use a technique like matched filtering which puts the signal back together.

However these are low power devices and if some source, say a leaky microwave, is outputting a large (relatively speaking) amount of power then you can saturate the low noise amp on the receiver and cause signal degradation.
Posted by: Helson

Re: not happy with these units - 02/21/16 01:16 PM

So, if you're using some devices with spread spectrum technique, and other devices that don't employ this type, the devices that don't, end up being more prone to interference?
Posted by: XenonMan

Re: not happy with these units - 02/21/16 07:30 PM

That would be the general idea. What we don't know is how the BTR deals with it.
Posted by: EEman

Re: not happy with these units - 02/23/16 10:41 PM

It depends. Think of it this way. Say you have ten frequencies: 1-10. Your spread spectrum device will send information on all ten frequencies but another device may send it only on one frequency (e.g. frequency 7).

So say your old, leaky microwave is blasting out power on frequency 7. You totally wipe out your frequency 7 device but only 10% of your spread spectrum device. (i.e. Frequency 1-6 and 8-10 come through without interference). With a little error correction you can fully recover the spread spectrum data.

Of course it's a little more complicated than that but you should get the idea.
Posted by: Helson

Re: not happy with these units - 02/24/16 11:37 AM

Thanks, Guys.
Posted by: IAengineer

Re: not happy with these units - 08/13/16 05:34 PM

Has anyone manage to pair a BTR-100 with a MacBook. I short, I can't get it to work. With the audio connected I get the "tinkle" when I press the pairing button, but no device name shows up in the Bluetooth Menu, like several other bluetooth devices. I have three registered names out of a max of eight, so I don't think that is the problem. In desperation I launched the Bluetooth Explorer and pressed the button, and I did see some info on the Explorer. It told me the BTR-100 was an audio device (major) and an earpiece (minor). There was no name like "BTR" that I could see>

Is this normal?
Posted by: XenonMan

Re: not happy with these units - 08/17/16 01:47 PM

Does it work or not. If it is showing up in your computer I think it is paired. Not familiar with how Macs do this but it is pretty straightforward process with PCs. Call Outlaw for some support.
Posted by: Helson

Re: not happy with these units - 08/23/16 02:00 PM

Just did a quick search for Macbook bluetooth pairing/connecting issues. It seems there are a few sites available for help on this topic.
Posted by: SternFan

Re: not happy with these units - 06/06/17 12:34 PM

I was getting some high-pitched interference with occasional clicks. I switched out the power cable to the one that came with my Amazon Fire tablet and there is no more interference.
Posted by: rjp6

Re: not happy with these units - 07/09/17 05:18 PM

I know that this is a Bluetooth device, but it behaves as if it is a line of sight remote. Standing within 5 ft of the receiver, the signal from an Ipad is blocked if I stand with my back to the receiver—that is, with my body between the Ipad and the receiver. No other electronics running in the room. Not worth the $40 Outlaw Audio charges for it.
Posted by: Helson

Re: not happy with these units - 07/10/17 09:20 AM

Isn't the human body something like 99% water? That would be enough to block the signal. I know my Bluetooth in the car gets blocked, if my phone is in my back pocket and I'm sitting.