How to stream Bluetooth audio to a Bluesound Player?

Updated

Bluesound allows audio streaming from Bluetooth-enabled devices such as smartphones, tablets, or computers. You can also stream audio from Pandora®, Sirius/XM®, Apple Music®, TDC Play®, and many more music services. This audio can be streamed to multiple Bluesound Players when the players are grouped.

Bluesound players listed below require an external Bluetooth 4.0 USB Adapter to enable Bluetooth functionality.

Note: All other Bluesound players, excluding the above, have built-in Bluetooth functionality.

You can use the IOGear GBU521 Bluetooth 4.0 USB adapter and Targus 4.0 Micro USB Adapter as they are approved by Bluesound. (All other USB adapters may have performance issues and might not work.)

Stream Bluetooth Audio

To connect the Bluesound players with a Bluetooth device:

Android/iOS - Stream Bluetooth Audio

(Only for the above-listed players) Insert the Bluetooth 4.0 adapter in the USB port of the player in the rear panel.

  1. Open the Bluetooth Settings page of your device (mobile/computer). A list of devices inside the Bluetooth network is displayed.
  2. Select the Bluesound Player from the listed devices to pair.
    Note: The name of the Bluesound player will be displayed as player/Room-name BT. In the case of Bluesound FLEX players, the name will be PULSE FLEX XXXX BT, where XXXX is the last four characters of the MAC Address of the player.
  3. In the BluOS Controller app, select the Players tab Playerstab_icon.png.
  4. Select the player paired in Step 2.
  5. Select the Music tab Musictab_icon.png and under the Inputs section, select Bluetooth. The Player’s Bluetooth settings are displayed on the Now Playing screen. 
  6. Adjust the volume to the required level.
  7. Open the audio source on your device (mobile/computer) and play the audio.
  8. To change sources, select the required source from the Music tab Musictab_icon.png in the BluOS Controller app.

Windows/macOS - Stream Bluetooth Audio

(Only for the above-listed players) Insert the Bluetooth 4.0 adapter in the USB port of the player in the rear panel.

  1. Open the Bluetooth Settings page of your device (mobile/computer). A list of devices inside the Bluetooth network is displayed.
  2. Select the Bluesound Player from the listed devices to pair.
    Note: The name of the Bluesound player will be displayed as player/Room-name BT. In the case of Bluesound FLEX players, the name will be PULSE FLEX XXXX BT, where XXXX is the last four characters of the MAC Address of the player.
  3. In the BluOS Controller app, select the Player Drawer and select the Player paired in Step 2.
  4. Under the left Navigation Drawer, select Bluetooth. The Player’s Bluetooth settings are displayed on the Now Playing screen. 
  5. Adjust the volume to the required level.
  6. Open the audio source on your device (mobile/computer) and play the audio.
  7. To change sources, select the required source from the left Navigation Drawer in the BluOS Controller app.

Grouping Players in the BluOS Controller app

To group Bluesound players for multiroom playback with Bluetooth, refer to our Help Center article.

Customizing Bluetooth settings

To customize the Bluetooth setting’s functionality, follow these steps:

Note: Bluetooth functionality cannot be customized when the Bluetooth USB adapter is disconnected for players requiring a Bluetooth USB adapter.

Android/iOS - Change Bluetooth Modes

  1. In the BluOS Controller app, select the Players tab Playerstab_icon.png.
  2. Select the player currently connected to the Bluetooth device.
  3. Select the Music tab Musictab_icon.png and under the Inputs section, select Customise > Bluetooth. The Bluetooth window appears.
  4. Select any of the following modes:
  • Manual: This mode allows you to manually switch between Bluetooth as a local source in the Inputs section of the Music tab Musictab_icon.png. 
  • Automatic (default mode selected): This mode automatically switches to the Bluetooth source when a Bluetooth-connected device starts playing audio. You can switch between sources in the Inputs section of the Music tab Musictab_icon.png.
  • Guest: This mode switches the Bluesound player to the Bluetooth source when your connected Bluetooth device starts playing audio. However, switching sources disconnects the Bluetooth connection. The Bluetooth source is not displayed under the Inputs section of the Music tab Musictab_icon.png. This configuration is ideal for streaming audio from multiple Bluetooth-enabled devices.
  • Disabled: This mode turns off the Bluetooth receiver on the player.
    Note: This option is not available on Bluesound players requiring a Bluetooth USB Adapter. To disable Bluetooth on these players, you can simply remove the Bluetooth Adapter from the USB Port.

Windows/macOS - Change Bluetooth Modes

  1. In the BluOS Controller app, select the Player Drawer and select the player currently connected to the Bluetooth device.
  2. Under the left Navigation Drawer, select Settings > Player > Customize Sources.
  3. Under the Bluetooth section, select any of the following modes:
  • Manual: This mode allows you to manually switch between Bluetooth as a local source in the left Navigation Drawer. 
  • Automatic (default mode selected): This mode automatically switches to the Bluetooth source when a Bluetooth-connected device starts playing audio. You can switch between sources in the left Navigation Drawer.
  • Guest: This mode switches the Bluesound player to the Bluetooth source when your connected Bluetooth device starts playing audio. However, switching sources disconnects the Bluetooth connection. The Bluetooth source is not displayed under the left Navigation Drawer. This configuration is ideal for streaming audio from multiple Bluetooth-enabled devices.
  • Disabled: This mode turns off the Bluetooth receiver on the player.
    Note: This option is not available on Bluesound players requiring a Bluetooth USB Adapter. To disable Bluetooth on these players, you can simply remove the Bluetooth Adapter from the USB Port.

Notes

  • Delete or remove the Bluetooth pairing in your current Bluetooth-enabled device before moving the USB Bluetooth Adapter to a different 1st Generation Bluesound player.
  • In iOS devices, if the Bluetooth adapter settings status displays“Not Connected”, select the information icon and select Forget this Device. Then, reselect the Bluetooth adapter and pair it with the Bluesound player. When the Bluetooth adapter is paired with a Bluesound player, its status changes to “Connected”.
  • In Android devices, if the Bluetooth adapter name is incorrect, refresh by searching (scanning) for devices, and the correct name is displayed.  If the Bluetooth adapter status is blank or does not show as “Connected”, go to the Bluetooth adapter information page and select Unpair. Then, reselect the Bluetooth adapter and pair it with the Bluesound player. When the Bluetooth adapter is paired with a Bluesound player, its status changes to “Connected”.
  • If you are experiencing connection problems with the Bluetooth 4.0 adapter, unplug the power cord from the Bluesound player, wait 30 seconds, plug the power cord again, and follow the instructions in Connect Bluetooth.
  • When grouping using Bluetooth, the player with the USB adapter installed must be the primary player of the group.
  • Bluesound players are not equipped with a microphone, and Bluetooth cannot be used for two-way communications.

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