Eos Converge Wireless Receiver review: Eos Converge Wireless Receiver

After a CNET reader asked us to figure out how to get laptop audio streamed wirelessly to a receiver, we came across the Sound Blaster Wireless System for iTunes and Receiver. While the system worked well, we were disappointed to see that the included remote control was only fully functional with PCs. Just like with most devices, the 2.4GHz-dependent system also occasionally interfered with our Wi-Fi router.

6.7

Eos Converge Wireless Receiver

The Good

Receives stream from Eos Converge Transmitter; onboard track play, pause, and skip buttons; includes all wires and adapters you'll need.

The Bad

Can interfere with Wi-Fi; no remote control.

The Bottom Line

The Eos Converge Wireless Receiver is easy to use and performs well. We just wish it came with a remote control.

To even the playing field, we're now taking a look at the Eos Converge line of products, a group of devices that aims to accomplish the same basic function as the Sound Blaster system. The Converge is easier to set up, has a better range, but is much bulkier than the Creative offering.

Even though this is the review for the Wireless Receiver, we'll be discussing other components that must be present in order for the system to work. Eos offers four separate devices as a part of the Converge line, each one available for purchase by itself.

The Wireless Transmitter and "="">Wireless Receiver both retail for $100. You'll need a minimum of these two products in order for your system to work ,so it's safe to say you'll be spending a minimum of $200 on your Converge setup. Also available is the Amplified Receiver (for $150) and a set of bookshelf speakers (for use with the Amplified Receiver) for $100. The Eos Converge line can be mixed and matched according to your personal preference.

The Eos Converge Wireless Receiver is about the size of three iPod docks stacked on top of one another. The device is also wider than an iPod dock and has track control buttons on top.

The device feels solid and sturdy and has a rubber pad at the bottom to ensure it stays put. A 2.5 inch antenna rests atop the transmitter, which will glow blue when connected with the transmitter.

Setting up the wireless system is simple. Using the included USB cable, you attach the device to an open port on your PC or Mac, desktop or laptop. The transmitter uses power from the USB port so there's no separate power connection required. Also included with the Wireless Transmitter is a 1/8-inch patch audio cable to make use of the "audio out" port on the device.

The Wireless Receiver has control buttons that can play/pause and change the track of the media player you're using.

You will need power for the Wireless Receiver (the standard and the amplified versions) so that it can receive and then pass the signal along to your desired player. (Don't worry, you can switch it off when not in use.) We hooked our standard Wireless Receiver up to a stereo system using left and right RCA analog audio cables (which are included with the Wireless Receiver). The receiver also has play/pause and skip forward and back buttons on top, which will work with iTunes and most other media players you have loaded on your computer.

We really liked that the Wireless Receiver includes all the cables you'll need to connect it to your receiver or external speakers. Inside the box you'll find two RCA analog audio patch cables as well as a 1/8-inch-to-RCA audio adapter. The receiver does require its own power source, which is also included.

If your computer does not switch sound over to the transmitter automatically, you'll have to manually change this depending on your operating system. Windows users can navigate to Control Panel > Sounds & Audio and select Eos; Mac users need to head to System Preferences and select Eos under the Sounds settings.

During our testing we were impressed with the range at which the transmitter was able to broadcast. Eos claims a 150-foot range, and our testing definitely flirted with that measurement. Even better, the Eos was able to work through numerous walls and even two floors.

Like all devices that operate on the 2.4GHz spectrum, we did experience some interference with our wireless router. We recommend setting your router to a separate channel to avoid drops in performance.

Our only few complaints with the Eos Converge system is that the transmitter is larger than we wanted. Ideally, we would have liked to have seen a USB dongle (as we saw with the Sound Blaster), but the range would have suffered as a result.

Also, we think the Converge system is missing a remote control. Even though the Sound Blaster system has limited Mac functionality with its remote, it does provide plenty of control when using a PC. The Sound Blaster can be found online for around $150, yet the Eos will cost you a minimum of $200.