Capsular Review: Monoprice BHS-839 Bluetooth Headphone (Monoprice 8323 with Bluetooth)
Update (6/14/19): After reading some advice from the internet, I finally got my Macbook to pair with the Monoprice cans. See Addendum at end of article.
My last Diary entry mentioned what it means to be "Good Enough", a term most audiophiles, perpetually seeking that elusive incremental "improvement", would regard as having a negative connotation. Not so, here.
I sometimes spend a lot of time in the kitchen, and wish I have some music there. As I have almost 1 T of music on my Macbook, it would be nice to be able to stream it. So I got the Monoprice BHS-839 AptX Bluetooth Headphone (official link).
Initially, all I got was frustration. No matter how I tried, it just would not pair with my old Macbook. As my old iPhone has no music on it, I tried someone else's newer iPhone and it worked well. Obviously my old Macbook (circa 2013) is the culprit, and it is known that Apple Bluetooth often have compatibility problems with other Bluetooth devices (even with newer Apple's, one has to force AptX). Monoprice's technical support confirmed this.
Disappointed, with my Parts Express order I included a $11 small Bluetooth Receiver that has a 3.5mm input (output too). I plugged it into the Macbook's jack (identified as HK008) and within seconds it paired with the Monoprice (identified as BSH-1701)! Now, this device is certainly not AptX, but the result surprised me.
Right out of the box, the Monoprice made beautiful music with the AIFF lossless files on my old Macbook! Without warmup, no matter what I threw at it, string quartet, piano, or vocals, the sound was smooth and rich in the midband, with clear highs and reasonable bass. All this, with the most basic Bluetooth, sans AptX. I'd think sonically it likely can shame many more expensive counterparts. It also has a regular version (8323) without Bluetooth that costs only $16 - I'd love to hear it, but beware sometimes the captured connection/wires have a great effect on the sound.
For $27, construction is reasonably good, though the plastic creaks a little. Also, my head is big, so it barely covers my ears. I am also not sure of the reception over distance. In my crowded listening room, it is less than 20 ft, but that can also be due to the bluetooth dongle. If you, likely unlike me, have a more current source device, with AptX, it would likely be smooth operation when it comes to pairing. Even if you don't, given the sonics, it is a still a great bargain! Highly recommended!
Addendum: Pairing Finally!
I searched the internet for solutions and came across this useful article. After Option 2, it still didn't work. Then I tried Option 4, debug and reboot. It took a while but my Macbook Pro finally found the Monoprice and paired (as BSH-1701)! However, my other Bluetooth AptX receiver, the Dayton Audio BTRO1, is still MIA.
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