News
Exclusive: Belkin’s TuneStage Bluetooth stereo solution
By Jeremy Horwitz
Editor-in-Chief, iLoungeGoogle+
Published: Thursday, December 16, 2004
News Categories: iPod Accessories
Discussing the future of its iPod accessory line with iLounge today, third-party developer Belkin Corporation has disclosed details of its newest iPod accessory, provisionally titled “TuneStage,” a Bluetooth Class 2 stereo solution for the iPod.
TuneStage will consist of two components - a receiver and a transmitter - which will connect any iPod via wireless Bluetooth link to any stereo system. The receiver will connect to a stereo via 3.5-inch minijack or RCA left and right ports, and Belkin is currently considering whether to additionally include an optical TOSLink output on the final product. TuneStage’s transmitter will attach to the top of the iPod, enabling it to wirelessly broadcast audio to the receiver and act like a “remote control” for the playback of iPod audio, explained Belkin product manager Randall Stowasser.
Numerous design factors can impact the audio quality of Bluetooth signals, but Belkin is “extremely pleased” with the sound quality of the TuneStage, according to Stowasser. It will output digital stereo sound taken from the iPod’s headphone jack, which while not line-out quality is likely to satisfy the needs of most iPod users. iLounge will have photography of TuneStage closer to the product’s first public showings at the Las Vegas Consumer Electronics Show and the San Francisco Macworld Expo next month.
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21
naviPlay has been released at the Apple Stores and is available in 2-3 weeks timeframe
Posted by Baskar in India on December 30, 2004 at 11:37 PM (PST)
22
Just a question: The new gizmo from Monster, the icarplay, doesn’t use the 3.5mm jack to transmit the signal, it only uses the connection beneath the Ipod. Any chance that it can be rigged to SPDIF to hook up directly with a Coax stereo?
-Mike
Posted by Akria on January 2, 2005 at 6:36 PM (PST)
23
I agree with IDSmoker. This would even work well with cellphones(2.5mm jack) that have media players(with lots of external memory) but are crippled with mono bluetooth. We totally need a breakthrough here.
Posted by Rocco on February 13, 2006 at 2:11 PM (PST)
24
i would like to use the tunestage reciever as a bluetooth audio receiver for my laptop but it’ll only show up in my bluetooth places and i’ll need a key to connect…which i don’t know :(
does anyone have ideas ?
Posted by tobias on January 17, 2008 at 2:45 PM (PST)
25
A little late replying to this, but you can connect to the tunestage with any Bluetooth capable device. Just enter “0000” when it asks you for a code to pair. Works great, especially with the new iPhone 3.0 OS with stereo Bluetooth, you can connect to your iPhone without using the transmitter. Although it seems that the transmitter provides better sound quality.
I love this device, best solution for home stereo connection!
Posted by Kane TO on June 20, 2009 at 10:12 AM (PST)
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