Audioengine has made a name for itself by creating a high-performance lineup of
new audio products that are easy to use and sound great speakers and components
by audioengine are known for delivering professional studio sound quality right
into your living room or workspace without the hassles of having to mess
around with multi component pieces when audioengine sent us a brand new
unreleased music streaming product we couldn't wait to test it if you're
looking for a convenient upgrade for your stereo to bring high fidelity music
streaming into your home with the ability to expand and to grow your setup
in a way that goes way beyond the capabilities of bluetooth then audioengine
has something in store for you the new audioengine b-fi multi room music
streamer brings high res music streaming to a much lower price point that enables
more music lovers to enjoy the benefits of streaming audio with multi room
functionality for those of you who want something better than Bluetooth and the
ability to combine multiple units for a great whole house music setup the b-fi
fits the bill perfectly if you want to read more on the b-fi be sure to click on
the link in the description to be taken to the full written review on audioadvice.com
along with this review you'll find
hundreds of other reviews comparisons buyers guides and much more now let's
get started
we can see several use cases for the b-fi first if you have a legacy stereo system
with a DAC or even the newer USB DAC you could connect this to the digital input
of your system and you'll be able to dip your toes into the world of music
streaming for about the same price of an Apple TV another use case might be
covering your whole house with music essentially the new b-fi can connect
to any stereo amp receiver or a pair of powered speakers and it enables you to
send the same music in sync to multiple stereo systems the b-fi's built quality
feels solid and yet that only weighs 5 ounces the housing is a sturdy aluminum
chassis that comes in a white finish with black on both front and rear panels
we stationed our test unit on top of a walnut speaker cabinet and we loved the
aesthetic the front panel is a minimalistic and simple design there's a
round push button that also functions as an LED indicator light that will show
you the status of the unit and guide you through the initial setup process
there's also a black antenna that's permanently fixed on the unit the other
end is where you'll find all the inputs and outputs from left to right there's a
micro USB input for connecting the power supply one digital audio output for
connecting a Toslink cable to your music system or a set of powered speakers and
a pair of RCA left and right analog outputs in the box there's a stereo
audio cable a DC power supply with a detachable USB cable a microfiber bag
and a Quick Start Guide essentially the B-Fi is an interesting device it gives
you the ability to retrofit any system in your home that has an RCA or optical
input it makes high fidelity audio really easy to set up in any room where
there's a stereo system or a digital or analog input keep your music game and
streaming audio going in any room you want with any stereo system in your
house when you connect additional b-fi streamers connecting the b-fi with your
stereo system or your Wi-Fi network couldn't be easier all you have to do is
connect the included RCA cables or a digital audio optical cable to your
music system or powered speakers and then follow a few simple steps
the b-fi will play the instructions audibly through your music system to
complete the integration process so it's important that you select the correct
audio source on your music system so that you can hear the instructions
coming out of your speakers the remainder of the setup between the B-fi
and your router's Wi-Fi network is all done using the audio engine companion
app once the B-fi joins your home Wi-Fi network you can play just about any
music source you can think of using audioengine's companion app or a variety
of third party technologies the audioengine control app supports streaming
services such as Spotify tidal qobuz and more all you have to do is sign in
with your favorite streaming service and you'll have complete control over all
your playlists right from within the app but you're never confined to just using
one app you can still play any high-res music you want from outside the app
using airplay windows and Android devices have the ability to stream audio
directly to the B-fi using DLNA and UPnP when we tested the b-fi with an
iphone we use the audioengine control app to stream high-res music from qobuz
we were able to control the volume both using the slider in the app as well as
the physical buttons on the side of the iphone however this was only possible
while the audioengine control app was open when we exited out the app while
the music was still playing the physical volume buttons on the side of the iphone
did not control the volume of the music this was easy to work around when we
reopened the audioengine control app on our device or use the stereos remote
control when using airplay we were able to use the buttons on the iPhone at any
point in theory controlling the volume over DLNA or UPnP will also work
similarly with Android devices and Windows computers however we tested the
B-fi with Apple products only another cool feature inside the B-fi is the
digital analog circuitry it uses a high quality 24-bit sabre DAC that's capable
of reproducing sample rates up to 192 kilohertz the premier stereo DAC has an
integrated op amp driver that delivers jitter free studio quality audio with
very low noise to test the B-fi we first connected it to a pair of new
audioengine HD4 powered bookshelf speakers and streamed
high-res music files stored on our phones and a computer the new HD4 is a
great sounding powered speaker system from Audioengine that offers wireless
Bluetooth aptx HD connectivity while the wireless can be into Bluetooth already
makes these speakers really fun to listen to it's when you add a b-fi that
you'll upgrade these or really any bluetooth speakers with the added
benefits of multi room streaming like we mentioned earlier setup was a breeze and
we were playing music in no time we also connected a second B-fi to a
stereo system in another room to take advantage of the multi room capabilities
the b-fi gave us this multi room setup would be a great experience to share
with friends and family for dinner parties or any special occasion that
deserves good music playing in the background we also tested the b-fi
using the Toslink digital output as well as the RCA outputs to test it with and
without its internal DAC if you don't already have a good DAC in your system
the B-fi is a great way to add one while also adding streaming capabilities we
should point out the B-fi is slightly more complex to use than just doing
bluetooth streaming from your phone but the sound is better and it allows you to
easily access music on your network when you add more b-fi's you don't have to pause
your favorite show just because you leave the room momentarily
you can keep listening to a podcast or an audiobook in your bedroom while
getting ready for your day and keep the show playing downstairs as you brew
your morning coffee now there are better streamers available on the market such
as Sonos port but these will cost you a lot more for less than $200 and almost
the same price as adding Apple TV's all around your home you get the ability to
stream high-res music in any room of your house while also modernizing your
existing system if you have any questions on the audioengine B-fi or
any other home audio or home theater gear be sure to give us a call chat with
one of our experts at audioadvice.com or stop into one of our Raleigh or
Charlotte North Carolina locations thanks for watching if you've enjoyed
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we'll see you next time
you