Do I need a B1

[Tony Johnston]

I have JB7 & a 2TB B2. Do I need a B1? I can transport my music by memory stick or micro sd.

[Daniel Taylor]

 Looking at the list of features that the BB1 has, do you see anything that you need?  The first thing that comes to my mind is that the BB1 can play the video part of YouTube videos.  That can also be done on your computer.  But if you want to be able to see them on a small, portable screen, then the BB1 may be a good choice.  Ultimately, only you can say whether you need a BB1 or not.

[Peter Lowham]

Hi Tony,

To give you a view of whether you need a BB1 or not, I'll give you a quick rundown of my experiences.  Firstly, I have had a B2 for nearly 4 years and it is a great unit.  I do a lot of travelling by car and by plane and last year I was looking at ways of making the B2 portable.  Then the BB1 was announced which I reckoned would be the answer to my requirements.

I pre-ordered the BB1 in August 2019 and received it in late September.  To say that I was impressed with it is a massive understatement.  I love it!!

Over the last few months I have purchased some additional items which make it even better!  Those items are:

1.  A DAC to 3.5mm converter to enable the use of headphones, earbuds, bluetooth airline connections etc.  20UKP

2.  A dual pack of 8000mAh Lithium rechargeable batteries which I can velcro to the back of the BB1. These give 24 hours play each (one is use while the other is charging) 24USD

3.  A carry pouch which hold the BB1, various cables, earbuds and the battery pack above. 25USD

4.  8 x AA 3000mAh Lithium rechargeable batteries and matching charger. 50USD

5. A 512GB microSD card. 85USD

I also have a set of over-ear bluetooth headphones.

The AA Lithium rechargeables are particularly good, with each set lasting for 9.5 hours and recharge in 3 hours.

I took the BB1 on a transatlantic flight to USA in November 2019 and it really helped with the comfort of the journey.  I preloaded all of my music, a number of favourite radio programmes and a set of audio books.  The 9.5 hour flight passed so quickly I was amazed!  It seemed like 2 or 3 hours!! Also, with bluetooth headphone I can get out of my seat, walk around, go to the loo and still listen to the BB1.

Then my wife and I drove non-stop from Atlanta, Georgia to Virginia Beach, Virginia (700 miles) to stay with friends and had the BB1 playing music in random mode all the way.  Again, we had a great time. Discovering lots of forgotten music .... brilliant!

Another transatlantic flight back home with the BB1, again this passed by very quickly.

To summarise, for me I have now got the perfect device for long distance travels.  Also I suffer from severe tinnitus following a bad skiing accident in 2001 (spent a while in an Austrian hospital getting a hip rebuilt)  so I listen to the BB1 overnight with earbuds which helps distract me from the permanent riot of noises going on in my head.

I hope this helps you to decide!

Regard,

Peter.

[Tony Johnston]

Thank you for your helpful comments Peter. I think the B1 will be added to my presents list.

[Edward Black]

Hi Peter

What is the brand and name of your "DAC to 3.5mm converter to enable the use of headphones, earbuds, bluetooth airline connections etc.  20UKP" That capability is exactly what I am searching for - so as to listen to my BB1 with AirPods and other bluetooth headphones.

Many thanks

Edward

PS 

Tony, like Peter "To say that I was impressed with it is a massive understatement.  I love it!!"

Best

Edward 

[Peter Lowham]

Hi Edward,

My DAC is a Cubilux DAC USB-C to 3.5mm unit. I opted for a USB-C DAC so that I could use it on my Moto-G6 cell phone (approx 11UKP).  You will need a USB-A to USB-C converter also (6UKP).  I also bought a USB-A right angle converter so that the DAC would point upwards when plugged into the BB1 (6UKP)

Cubilux DAC - 3.5mm Unit

USB C Headphone Jack Adapter for Google Pixel 4 4XL 3 3XL 2 2XL, Type C to 3.5mm Earphone Aux Dongle, Audio Connector for Sony Xperia 5 Xperia 1 Xperia XZ3 XZ2 Compact/Premium, Samsung Galaxy Note 10+

by Cubilux

ARKTEK USB-C Adapter - USB A 3.0 (Male) to USB Type C (Female) Converter for PC Laptop Galaxy S9 Note 9 and More (Pack of 2, Aluminum)

Sold by: Brilliant vic

£5.99

USB-A Right Angled converter (makes the BB1 more compact on flights) (optional)

USB 3.0 Adapter 90 Degree Right Angled USB Connector Type A Male to Female Extender Plug 2Pcs (UP)

Sold by: Laomi

£5.99

Good luck!

Regards,

Peter.

[Edward Black]

I am sure that I am being stupid here, Peter. You are using bluetooth headphones with the BB1 which is what I want to do. But the Cubilux DAC adapter looks to me to be an adapter that enables me to connect a wired headphone through the 3.5mm earphone jack. What is the obvious point that I am missing ?

[Peter Lowham]

Hi Edward,

My error!  This is the missing link.  I already had this Kitsound Airline Bluetooth adapter.  This model has the two pin 3.5 mm mono connections which many airlines use, but mine arrived with a short two into one 3.5 mm stereo cable adapter. You might prefer a model with a standard 3.5mm stereo  output.

KitSound Bluetooth Airline Plane Wireless Headphone Adaptor, In-Flight Bluetooth Transmitter / Receiver, Black

Regards,

Peter.

[Edward Black]

Thanks. I'll look into this

[harlond57]

I'm resurrecting an old thread (which seemed closest to what I was interested in) to ask how people are powering their BB1s when they use them in the car.  I know you can use batteries, and some people have used a portable charger.  I was hoping you could use something like the Niniber "Quick Charge 3.0 Fast Charging Wall Charger Plug in Phone Charger Block Android Power Adapter Plug in USB Type C to Type A Cable Cord for Samsung Galaxy Note 21/20 S21 S20 Ultra 5G A01 A42 A32 A52."  The long title is so you can find it at Amazon if you are, rightly, suspicious of links, but for everyone else here's a link:

Niniber power cord

My idea here is to use dbPoweramp to convert the flacs on the external hard drive I use to back up my B2, directing the mp3's to my computer hard drive.  I would then upload those files via wifi to the BB1 and hope to connect it via bluetooth to my 2014 Honda CRV, powering the BB1 if possible from the cigarette lighter.  Anyone know of a reason this wouldn't work?  Thanks.

[JFBUK]

Hi,

If you are planning to use your BB1 in your car and pair it with your car entertainment system via Bluetooth then there is no need to create MP3s as the BB1 will be decoding the FLAC files before sending them via Bluetooth.

I can’t help with the power cord I am afraid
John

[Daniel Taylor]

I don't know the answer for sure, but I'd buy one of those cheap cigarette lighter to USB adapters and run a cord from that to the USB-C connector on the BB1.  I'm under the impression that all those things provide a standard voltage & amperage rating.  Somebody please say something if that's wrong.

[harlond57]

I hadn't thought about that, but in any case, converting them to MP3 is so I can get my entire B2 collection on the BB1.

On Friday, September 17, 2021 at 4:36:36 PM UTC-4 JFBUK wrote:

[Peter Lowham]

Hi Harlond57,

You can achieve your aim.  Purchase a cigarette lighter to USB-C adapter rated at output of 5 volts 2 amps (10 watts).  This will provide power to the BB1.  You can make the music side connection by using Bluetooth if your car unit supports that.

 Alternatively if your car unit has a 3.5mm Aux input, you can purchase a 'USB A to 3.5mm DAC' unit for the BB1 and use a 3.5mm stereo to 3.5mm cable to connect into the car unit.

The second option is what I use in my old 1997 Buick LeSabre when my wife and I do road trips in the USA.  It is a fantastic way of travelling, using random play and 'guess who' will take you back to much long forgotten music!

Regards,

Peter.

[harlond57]

Thanks, Peter.  My car does not have a 3.5mm Aux input.  Turning to your first suggestion, does that contemplate using the power cable supplied with the BB1 to connect the USC-C adaptor to the BB1?

I already have a dual-port USB-A cigarette lighter adaptor.  It's 24W.  Is that too much for the BB1?  If not, could I use a USB-A male to USB-C male cable for the job?  I see that Amazon has a nice purple one that might work.

My car does have bluetooth (but not variable intermittent wipe!), and it also has a USB-A female connection in the glove box that links directly to the sound system.  But I'm assuming if I used that, I'd be connecting to the BB1's USB port, and would still have the power problem to solve.

And on a completely unrelated matter--does it benefit Brennan if I order through the Brennan website rather than through Amazon?

Thanks everyone, I appreciate the help.

[Peter Lowham]

Hi harlond57,

Yes, you could use the BB1's USB power cable in the car, that will be fine.  You will need the cigarette adapter unit to convert the cigarette socket into a USB -A socket.

With regard to power, the rating of 24W will also be fine.  What that means is that the lighter adapter can provide a maximum of 24 watts of power.  The BB1 will only draw the power that it needs; in normal use that will be about 2 watts.

Regarding you query on the use of the second USB port in your car to link into the car's music system, I don't think that that will work.  The car USB port is probably a 'master' port, suitable only for 'slave' USB devices to be plugged in (such as a USB memory stick or USB HDD).  The BB1's USB-A port is also a 'master' port.  You should not plug two 'master' ports back to back as nasty events might occur, such as electronic damage to one of the devices.

On the point of purchase, Brennan will probably benefit from a direct purchase because Amazon will take a percentage of the payment as a selling fee.

Regards,

Peter.

[harlond57]

Thanks, Peter, you've been an immense help.