Miccus BluBridge for iPod review: Miccus BluBridge for iPod

The Miccus BluBridge is a stereo (A2DP) Bluetooth adapter made specifically for the iPod. The Blubridge isn't the smallest, sexiest, or best-sounding Bluetooth adapter we've tested, but with a retail price of $59, it is one of the most affordable.

Measuring 1.75 inches wide, 1 inch tall, and just 0.25 inch thick, the BluBridge is about the size of a matchbook. The front features a large white and blue logo that, while not unattractive, isn't the sort of thing design-conscious iPod owners will want to look at every day.

The top of the BluBridge features a standard 30-pin iPod dock connector, placed slightly off-center to compensate for the equally off-center plug found on the iPod Nano. The rest of the BluBridge is featureless, except for a pinhole blue LED on the bottom edge of the adapter, which blinks to indicate Bluetooth connection status.

If you're familiar with Bluetooth pairing, using the BluBridge shouldn't present many problems. The adapter kicks into discovery mode the moment it is plugged into your iPod and looks for nearby audio receivers (speakers, headphones).

The BluBridge's main competitor is the Scosche TuneStream, a product with a smaller, sexier design and a current street price of $69. After testing the TuneStream against the BluBridge using a fourth-generation iPod Nano, a pair of Logitech FreePulse Bluetooth headphones, and the Miccus BluBridge mobile speaker, we preferred the sound quality and design of the Scosche TuneStream over the BluBridge. Both products offered identical wireless range, but the sound of the BluBridge tended to be overdriven compared with the cleaner, quieter sound of the TuneStream.