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Blanket your house in Bluetooth for $28.49

Lower price! This long-range transmitter and receiver is portable, rechargeable and super-versatile.

Rick Broida Senior Editor
Rick Broida is the author of numerous books and thousands of reviews, features and blog posts. He writes CNET's popular Cheapskate blog and co-hosts Protocol 1: A Travelers Podcast (about the TV show Travelers). He lives in Michigan, where he previously owned two escape rooms (chronicled in the ebook "I Was a Middle-Aged Zombie").
Rick Broida
2 min read
btmagic-bluetooth-transmitter-receiver
Btmagic

Problem: You like to walk around the house listening to music with your headphones, but because Bluetooth has a limited range, you have to carry your phone with you from room to room.

Problem: You have an old but awesome stereo that doesn't support Bluetooth, so those speakers are going to waste.

Problem: You want two people to be able to listen to TV audio using headphones. Roku and Fire TV limit you to just one person at a time.

The answer to these and other home-audio obstacles can be found in a long-range Bluetooth receiver/transmitter. Like this one: For a limited time, and while supplies last, Vavofo via Amazon has the BTMAGIC Bluetooth Transmitter Receiver for $28.49 with promo code 5LJMJZLO. Regular price: $50. Note that CNET may get a share of revenue from the sale of the products featured on this page.

There have long been Bluetooth receivers you could plug into, say, an old set of speakers to endow them with wireless goodness, meaning you could then stream Spotify or whatnot from your phone. If that's what you're looking for, the $20 Logitech Bluetooth Music Receiver is a fine choice.

But for just a few bucks more, the BTMAGIC has a few extra tricks up its sleeve, starting with this: It's not only a receiver, but also a transmitter. That means you can connect just about any source -- a TV, an old MP3 player, whatever -- and it'll make the audio wireless, accessible via your favorite headphones.

What's more, it promises a range of up to 265 feet. And it supports aptX HD and low-latency technologies, meaning you should enjoy the best audio quality Bluetooth is currently capable of providing and no audio-video sync issues when watching TV.

Another nice perk: It's portable, with an estimated battery life of 15-20 hours, depending on whether it's transmitting or receiving. It even supports NFC for super quick pairing to compatible devices.

I've used this exact model to add Bluetooth streaming capabilities to a TV, and it worked perfectly. My only complaint is that it doesn't come with an AC adapter; you need to supply a USB wall charger, though any old phone charger should work. (It does include a USB charging cable, though.)

I think something like this can be mighty handy, and similar products seem to run at least $40. Your thoughts?

Note: Originally published earlier this year. Updated to reflect new sale prices and/or availability.


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