... or my choices for finding what I was after really were extremely limited ! Let me explain what I needed this item for - and I am so glad that I found it - as it might well help others.
I purchased this for my elderly parents. My father's hearing is still good enough so that when he watches television he can have the sound coming through a Sony soundbar; my mother's hearing is very poor and she needs sound that is closer to her ears. We tried a pair of Bluetooth headphones for her which paired fine with the television... but, although the Samsung TV has multi-audio output, it would not push sound through the soundbar at the same time - only through the TV's speakers (and even then it wasn't consistent and required work from my mother (i.e. pressing buttons) every time she wanted to watch).
So I got this product. The reason only one or two brands of this type of item will do, as far as I can ascertain, is that the Sony soundbar is connected through the HDMI ARC port so I needed something with a 'pass through' feature - i.e. it had an HDMI ARC input AND output ! Most of the audio converters out there do NOT have this so please be aware !!
This little beauty was an absolute cinch to install. It comes with a small USB power lead which plugs into one of the television's USB ports (most have more than one). If you have the same set-up as mine, you will have to unplug your soundbar from the HDMI ARC port on the TV. Then you need another (spare) HDMI lead to run from the television to the gadget and then you can use the one that you took from the television to plug into the HDMI ARC output on this item.
You will now have the sound running from the television and THROUGH this adapter to your soundbar without any loss of sound quality whatsoever - in other words, you are listening and watching just as you did before.
But this is the clever part.
I then purchased an RCA to Bluetooth transmitter - /dp/B0793XGM8H?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details - and this I plugged into another free USB port on the back of the television to power it and then connected it to the appropriate red and white audio ports on the 'output' side of the gadget I am reviewing, using the leads supplied in the box with the above item.
I then paired the Bluetooth transmitter to the headphones I already had and now my mother can listen to the television through the headphones at the same time as my father watches the TV as normal. And my father can control the television volume with his own remote while my mother has separate volume controls on her headphones that work entirely independently !
What a great result. In short, this item did precisely what it claims to do - and it does it very well.
I am unable to comment on longevity at the present time, but if this unit ceases to function as it ought at any stage (I have registered for the two-year warranty using a card that came in the box) then, as is my wont, I shall update this review accordingly.
If there is anything I have missed that you would like to know, please ask a question and I shall do my best to respond...
FV
| Manufacturer | Avantree |
|---|---|
| Part number | OTHR-HAX05 |
| Item Weight | 125 g |
| Product Dimensions | 8.4 x 6.6 x 2 cm; 124.74 g |
| Item model number | OTHR-HAX05 |
| Item Package Quantity | 1 |
| Plug profile | Table Top |
| Batteries included? | No |
| Batteries Required? | No |
