The Sound of BlueTooth
Contents
So what does a modern Bluetooth receiver / streamer sound like?
Well… surprisingly good actually! Is it as good as lossless audio via usb or Ethernet? No: of course not. But nobody claims that either. And again: it is just more than fine!
Smooth
We hear no more harsh edges, as was the case a few years ago. The spectrum feels complete: from bass to treble. It is perhaps slightly rounded in the treble, but it is certainly not distracting and may just be deliberately tuned.
By the way, remember that we test these receivers on our reference system: that system is incredibly critical when it comes to a clean source…. everything is audible!
WTX-Tubes VS WTX-700 EVO
Now there is indeed an audible difference in refinement between the WTX-Tubes and the 700 EVO. The Tubes is without a doubt the better of the two. We hear more roundness, more flow and also a bit more tonal richness. That’s not just because of the Tubes. The dac is also simply better, we hear.
Also, the WTX-Tubes is nicer to connect: with our Pass Labs XP-12, we can’t just plug the WTX-700 EVO into the back; the spacing between left and right isn’t correct for the XP-12. So we have to work with an adapter: really keep that in mind!
Stereo image
What stands out with both bluetooth receivers is that the stereo image feels very wide and grand, but the focus is not so sharp. This is – your author estimates – inherent in bluetooth streaming, because it doesn’t matter whether we use the WTX-Tubes’ analog or digital outputs. In either case, the focus is a bit fuzzier than we’re used to. On the other hand: we are talking about a 349 Euro bluetooth receiver. Not an 18,000 Euro streaming setup we normally play with.
Nice and easy
In the end, we have to admit: this doesn’t sound bad at all! Moreover, the system is incredibly easy to use. It’s just plug and play. And every phone works just fine with it. Just open your favorite app and play. What more could we want?