Tuesday, January 27, 2015

DROK NFC Enabled Bluetooth Audio Receiver Review ( Model IBT-08 )

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this product for free so that I could provide product feedback to the company and post a product review. I was not required to write a positive review and I do not rate products higher than they should have been. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's requirements.

I recently received a DROK NFC enabled Bluetooth audio receiver for a product review. The receiver itself was a bit smaller than I expected based on the pictures, but larger than another adapter I recently tested.  In addition to the receiver itself, an audio cable and USB cable were also included.

Product box, receiver, and included cables
The back of the receiver has two audio output options ( 1/8" headphone style jack and RCA jacks ) and also has a USB connector that allows you to use a single power source to run the adapter and charge your phone.  Power is provided to the receiver via a micro USB port.

Back of device
Left to Right : Power In (microUSB), Power Out (USB), Audio Out (RCA), Audio Out (1/8")
On the front, you have buttons for volume and play control.  If you long press the volume buttons, it will restart the current track (-) or skip to the next one (+).

Controls on front of unit
To test the receiver, I used the included cables to connect it to the aux in of a portable speaker.  I was able to pair with my Moto X phone just by touching my phone to the top of the receiver (where the NFC word is).  I didn't have any problems playing music, and the quality was good.

Size comparison next to a standard AA battery
I also tested my Nexus 7 with the adapter, and it paired using the NFC feature pretty easily ( I had to try it more than once, when I kept the Nexus close to the receiver while pairing it worked better ).

In addition to testing the receiver in my house on a portable speaker, I also tested it in my car.  I used the aux-in cable to connect the Bluetooth receiver, and was able to play music just fine and I found it useful being able to hold the + button to skip to the next track since I didn't have to look at the screen to make it work.

Here are the main points I noticed about this product:

Audio Output Options: The receiver has multiple audio output options and includes a cable with headphone plug on one side and RCA on the other.  As long as your stereo has some sort of aux or RCA input you should be able to hook up this receiver without any extra cables.

Power Pass-Through: If you plan to use this on your desk, or in the car, where you don't have multiple power options I think the USB power output is a nice extra feature.  I tested it with my Nexus 7 tablet and it worked.

Ease of Use: If you have a NFC-enabled phone or tablet, it is very easy to pair with the device.  The manual explains the various features of this adapter and how to use it, but once you read the manual it is very easy to use.

Bottom line: This is a nifty little gadget if you are looking to add Bluetooth to your home or car sound system.

NOTE: I used this product as one of the options for my Nexus 7 install here:
http://bigboystoys13.blogspot.com/2015/02/nexus-7-in-car-setup-non-permanent-mount.html

Amazon Product Page: http://amzn.com/B00Q2ND632

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