Bluetooth Speaker - What Am I Doing Wrong?

Bluetooth Speaker - What Am I Doing Wrong?

Author
Discussion

CharlesdeGaulle

Original Poster:

26,091 posts

179 months

Sunday 26th January 2020
quotequote all
In an attempt to drag myself into the 21st Century, I recently bought a bluetooth speaker (a Zamkol ZK606 Wireless Stereo Speaker) in order to be able to hear music in my kitchen from where the computer sits in the study. I play from a desk-top, not my phone.

The issue I have with it is that it won't play anything from iTunes at all, and when I play from YouTube the sound drops out after a couple of songs; the computer is still playing but there's no sound from the speaker. If I turn it off and back on again, it usually - but not always - re-starts playing the music, but that clearly isn't right and not at all what I want it to do.

Have I made a schoolboy error in terms of suitability, or is it more likely that the speaker is faulty? What I'd really like to be able to do is play music in a different room from iTunes, YouTube, Windows Player or just CDs on the study desk-top.

Any advice please?

AlexC1981

4,904 posts

216 months

Sunday 26th January 2020
quotequote all
I'm afraid bluetooth isn't very good over a distance especially if objects are in the way. Saying that, it did used to work for me having a mobile phone in one room and a bluetooth speaker in an adjacent room albeit with only a plasterboard wall between them. No chance if you have brickwork between the devices.

2.4GHz wifi signals can interfere with bluetooth and so can microwave ovens. You might be able to change your router to use only 5GHz, but be aware that some older devices can only use 2.4GHz.


mmm-five

11,227 posts

283 months

Sunday 26th January 2020
quotequote all
Haven't got any experience of that make/model of speaker, but it could simply be a range issue, as the blurb for the speaker says max range 33ft - and that will be in perfect conditions (i.e. no walls or other electrical equipment interference in the way).

They're really meant for mobile/close use when camping or in the same room.

If you want to take them further, you need to look at wifi connected ones.

toohuge

3,429 posts

215 months

Monday 27th January 2020
quotequote all
It may be range.

It could also be the Bluetooth power saving taking over operation. I had this issue, albeit with a keyboard on my Lenovo laptop. Look in Bluetooth settings or power settings and disable Bluetooth power management

CharlesdeGaulle

Original Poster:

26,091 posts

179 months

Monday 27th January 2020
quotequote all
Thank you for the responses.

I thought it might be range but it happens even when the speaker is adjacent to the computer. As for bluetooth settings, the speaker itself isn't adjustable and the computer settings seem to be all on as far as I can tell.

It's odd; I'm not sure I have any option other than getting some Wi-Fi speakers to do the same job. Does anyone have any recommendations please?

Johnnytheboy

24,498 posts

185 months

Monday 27th January 2020
quotequote all
Buy the cheapest phone/tablet in the world, stick an SD card in, put your music on it, use it as a player to go with the speaker.

Hoofy

76,253 posts

281 months

Monday 27th January 2020
quotequote all
Have you tested it with your phone just to rule out any issue with BT from the laptop?

CharlesdeGaulle

Original Poster:

26,091 posts

179 months

Monday 27th January 2020
quotequote all
Thanks Hoofy, good recommendation. I've just tested it and it seems to work fine. I'll see if the dropping-out issue recurs there the longer it goes on, but I want to be able to play from the computer. I don't have music on my phone and I don't like the way YouTube music stops if the screen isn't active on the phone as I reply to lots of messages and want the music to continue.

Might a smart Wi-Fi speaker be a better option overall?

AlexC1981

4,904 posts

216 months

Monday 27th January 2020
quotequote all
A lot of wifi speakers use Android/IOS apps to cast sound to them. I'm not sure if many have the function from Windows, hopefully someone will be able to recommend a product.

There are some fudges to make Chromecast Audio work, but that's a discontinued device and there seem to be some limitations.

There is an app you can sideload onto Android called Newpipe from the F-Droid store. It's a faff to keep it updated, but it lets you view Youtube videos without using the Youtube app and it allows you to play the sound only without the video on display.

I just use a spare old mobile phone to cast music to my Google Home/Nest speakers.

anonymous-user

53 months

Tuesday 28th January 2020
quotequote all
ash73 said:
Try updating the bluetooth driver on the PC.
+1

Its probably on the driver the laptop shipped with .

You'll find a driver package with the Bluetooth app, on the manufacturers website. Can be a pain to find but I'll bet that's your problem

Hoofy

76,253 posts

281 months

Tuesday 28th January 2020
quotequote all
CharlesdeGaulle said:
Thanks Hoofy, good recommendation. I've just tested it and it seems to work fine. I'll see if the dropping-out issue recurs there the longer it goes on, but I want to be able to play from the computer. I don't have music on my phone and I don't like the way YouTube music stops if the screen isn't active on the phone as I reply to lots of messages and want the music to continue.

Might a smart Wi-Fi speaker be a better option overall?
Just put some random MP3 on loop and see if it drops after a while. I know what you mean about the YT app plus I've seen 30 minute ads (similar music to what I was playing but I didn't want to listen to it so I would have to return to my phone to skip the ad!).

aquarianone

498 posts

176 months

Tuesday 28th January 2020
quotequote all
Might be worth buying one of those USB Bluetooth dongles and see if that improves the connection.


Hoofy

76,253 posts

281 months

Tuesday 28th January 2020
quotequote all
aquarianone said:
Might be worth buying one of those USB Bluetooth dongles and see if that improves the connection.
Just don't buy the cheapest one on Amazon. It will last about a fortnight and not be worthwhile sending back!

CharlesdeGaulle

Original Poster:

26,091 posts

179 months

Tuesday 28th January 2020
quotequote all
RogerDodger said:
ash73 said:
Try updating the bluetooth driver on the PC.
+1

Its probably on the driver the laptop shipped with .

You'll find a driver package with the Bluetooth app, on the manufacturers website. Can be a pain to find but I'll bet that's your problem
Thanks chaps, I'll try that at the weekend. Is it the manufacturer of the speaker or the computer that I need to look for? I assume the computer as the old one is likely to be out of date? The desktop is about 5 years old.

CharlesdeGaulle

Original Poster:

26,091 posts

179 months

Saturday 29th February 2020
quotequote all
By way of follow-up and closure, I took a slight change of tack and followed the advice of my daughter to download Spotify to my phone and use the speaker from that. I only did it last night but all seems to be working OK as-is, so I'll leave it for now and see how I get on with it. It does mean I can listen to music whilst still using the phone for other things, and the speaker seems a little more stable.

Many thanks for all the suggestions and advice; much appreciated.