Performance
To test the B-Fi in a few different scenarios, we connected a pair of Audioengine HD4 Powered Bookshelf Speakers. The HD4 is a new great sounding powered speaker system from Audioengine that offers wireless Bluetooth aptX HD connectivity. The wireless convenience of Bluetooth 5.0 makes these speakers really fun to listen to, and when you add a B-Fi to them, you’ll upgrade these with the benefits of multi-room music streaming with your WIFI network!
We streamed hi-res music files stored on our phones and a computer. We also used Qobuz to stream CD-quality music from a laptop. We used the Toslink optical digital audio output to bypass the B-Fi’s built-in DAC and followed the voice-prompts coming out of the speakers while using the companion app from an iPhone to connect everything with our wireless network. Finally, we connected a second B-Fi to a stereo system in another room with the B-Fi’s RCA outputs so we could take advantage of the B-Fi’s built-in DAC for comparison.
We listened to a lot of styles of music without the B-Fi’s built-in DAC to give us a good sense of how the music sounded just coming out of our powered speaker system. Then we streamed the same music to both rooms simultaneously so we could enjoy the B-Fi’s built-in premier stereo DAC in one room and the sound of the same music coming out of the Audioengine powered speakers in the other.
While everything sounded great no matter what we listened to with this multi-room setup, one of the tracks that stood out was “This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody)” released in 1983 by the Talking Heads as the second single from their fifth album, “Speaking In Tongues.”
Immediately, the rhythm and pacing of the bassline captured our attention and gave us goosebumps. There was a tuneful sense of timing in the bassline that made us all want to tap our hands along with the beat just like a live concert as we walked in and out of both rooms.
Entering and exiting the rooms to hear the subtle differences was really cool. We all agreed this multi-room setup would be a great experience to share with our friends and family for dinner parties or any special occasion that deserves good music playing in the background.
By the time the lead vocalist, David Byrne, sang his first lyric “Home is where I want to be, pick me up and turn me around, I feel numb, born with a weak heart, I guess I must be having fun,” the hairs on the backs of our necks stood up.
We noticed improvements to the soundstage with clear details when we listened to the song with the B-Fi’s built-in DAC. The improvements were not substantial, but for any stereo system that doesn’t have a DAC connected or already built-in, we think the B-Fi is a great addition that will make any home stereo system or a set of powered speakers sound more alive.
And while the improvements were subtle, covering the entire home with music in multiple rooms made our experience with the music feel really special.