CoolStream Bluetooth Receiver for iPhone Dock.

I reviewed several different bluetooth receivers before settling on the Coolstream. It was one of the most expensive at $40 but it was the only one that specifically mentioned a software update to link my iphone with the Bose Sound Dock Portable. I'm sure that some of the other, less expensive, also work fine--but the CoolStream seemed to have the most detailed descriptions for what I wanted.First, it was amazingly easy to set up. I took it out of the box and plugged it into the legacy Apple 30 pin connector in my Bose Sound Dock portable. Immediately a small blue flashing light told me it was getting good power. I went to my iphone 5s, turned on bluetooth, and saw the CoolStream listed. I simply selected it and in about 5 - 10 seconds it came back with "connected." I am a skeptical guy and really did not expect that to be all there was to it. What about secret codes or some other requirements? Nope, as soon as I hit music and played the first song, I got beautiful stereo sound out of my Bose portable. Wow! Plus, it looks good in the unit without too many glaring bells and whistles.Second, the sound is very very good--full stereo that doesn't sound clipped at either the high or low ends. Sounds just as if my phone or ipod was directly plugged in.Finally, we have a relatively good sized apartment and the bluetooth signal worked from every room. The 30 foot specification seems right on. If you put it in the same room as the Bose, I don't think you'll see any signal degration at all.Bottom line: small easy-to-use bluetooth receiver that works great in Bose Sound Dock systems.

The only reason I gave this four stars instead of five is because the initial pairing isn't as simple as they claim it is. I just bought a second one of these as well and it has the same exact issues so it wasn't unique to the first unit.I have used this on two different Bose docking stations. The first is the Bose SoundDock 10. It plays through it beautifully with no issues. I generally connect to a Macbook Pro with it, but have connected to two different iPhones, an iPod touch, an iPad and a Mac Mini. I have no issues staying connected or any problems with sound - the sound is actually fantastic.The second unit has been installed on a Bose Acoustic Wave with the Wave Connect Kit. Again, I have set it up with all of the same devices and had absolutely no issues with sound or staying connected.The only down side (and the reason I gave it four instead of five stars) is the initial pairing. According to the instructions, you basically just hold the button on the unit down for three seconds, the CoolStream should appear on your device, and you tell it to pair and enter the passcode.It didn't work that way on either of my two CoolStreams or with any of the devices I paired with them (at least not on the first attempt). For each device, it took several tries and a bit of frustration to get the pairing to succeed. Once it was paired however, I have had absolutely no problem with reconnecting to any of the devices or any signal loss (unless I am using my phone and wander out of range). In case anyone thinks I simply don't know how to pair properly, I have many different bluetooth devices and have rarely had these issues with the initial pairing. Most recently I purchased one of Jawbone's Jambox speakers and had absolutely no issues whatsoever with pairing it to any of these same devices.Having said all that, I obviously liked it well enough to purchase a second one which should say something about how good the sound is and how inconsequential the initial pairing problem was in the grand scheme of things.Once you get it paired and up and running I think you'll be quite happy with the way it works!!

I'm always skeptical about electronics purchases---especially the peripheral ones involving devices (albeit, recently introduced) that rely upon syncing with other technology. That being said, the CoolStream Bluetooth Receiver fit perfectly on my JBL speaker dock and worked flawlessly. After holding down the top button on the Bluetooth Receiver, my Iphone and Ipad immediately found the device and promptly synced with it. I am now able to remotely control the volume of music and track selection from my actual Ipod/Ipad whereas before, the use of the JBL remote was rather limited. Specifically, the JBL remote was limited by the fact that, despite being able to access the menu and control volume, I essentially had to be right next to the dock to see what items I was selecting in the menu---making the idea of a "remote" obsolete because I could essentially reach over and accomplish the same task in a much more efficient, hands-on manner. For this reason, the bluetooth remote syncing is actually an improvement over the remote that came with my JBL speaker dock. And, for those that are curious about audio quality, there was no static or interference whatsoever. I, too, was worried whether a bluetooth audio transmission of music would sound great. I even walked outside my home and upstairs to test the outer threshold of the bluetooth signal reach. Surprisingly, the signal held up well and my music on the phone as well as through the Pandora and SirusXM apps sounded excellent. One thing I will note, however, is that my Nexus 7 did not seem to have the range of my Iphone or Ipad. I don't know if this is true of all Android devices, but the Nexus 7 seemed to function within 20 feet of the receiver. Beyond that range, the signal went in and out. Needless to say, my Apple devices had a much larger range.