Беспроводная связь
Поддерживаются следующие кодеки передачи музыки: SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD и aptX Low Latency.
Благодаря такому широкому набору кодеков вы получите звук наилучшего качества.
Напомню, что наше недавнее исследование говорит о том, что в паре с гаджетами Apple лучше использовать кодек AAC, а с телефонами на ОС Android один из кодеков семейства aptX для достижения наилучшего качества звука.
При тестировании сигнал оставался стабильным на расстоянии около 12 метров от источника звука на прямой видимости, в условиях квартиры сигнал был стабильным на расстоянии 7-8 метров, что является хорошим результатом.
RMCE-BT2 Comparisons
The two obvious comparisons to make are with the Shure RMCE-BT1 and the Shanling MW200.
The RMCE-BT2 improved upon the original BT1 in several ways including better codec support, Bluetooth 5.0 vs Bluetooth 4.1, and the inclusion of a dedicated headphone amplifier. Additionally, the battery run time of the RMCE-BT2 is improved to 10 hours, vs 8 hours.
| RMCE-BT2 | RMCE-BT1 | Shanling MW200 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Range | 30 ft. (10 m) | 30 ft. (10 m) | 30 ft. (10 m) |
| Battery Life | Up to 10 hours | Up to 8 hours | Up to 14 hours |
| Connectivity | Wireless, Bluetooth 5.0 | Wireless, Bluetooth 4.1 | Wireless, Bluetooth 5.0 |
| Compatibility | MMCX | MMCX | MMCX |
| 3-Button Remote + Mic | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Cable Length | 2x 28 cm | 127 cm | 2x 28.5 cm |
| Supported Codecs | Qualcomm aptX, aptX HD, aptX Low Latency, AAC, SBC | SBC | LDAC, HWA LHDC, aptX HD, aptX LL, aptX, AAC, SBC |
| Headphone Amplifier | Integrated | No | AKM AK4377A |
| Wearing Style | Shirt Clip | Removable Clip | Neckband |
| Companion Application | No | No | iOS, Android |
Better codecs equal better sound. Bluetooth 5 improves range and reliability. Dedicated DAC/Amp chips increase power and fidelity. Obviously the RMCE-BT2 is much closer to the Shanling MW200 than the BT1 in most of the ways that matter.
RMCE-BT2 Sound
All critical listening and measurements were completed using my iPhone via the AAC codec and with the JVC HA-FW01 IEMS shod with their included grey foam tips.
The noise floor on the RMCE-BT2 is very low. It’s undetectable in most situations at reasonable volume levels. As it should be, but so often isn’t with Bluetooth implementations.
The RMCE-BT2 has plenty of power to drive the JVC IEMs to loud levels. I came across some users complaining that there isn’t enough power on hand with the RMCE-BT2 to properly amplify their IEMs, but that isn’t what I experienced. Perhaps you may run into issues with particularly difficult to drive IEMs, but I’d expect that with any small Bluetooth adapter like this.
The little lady who lives in the dongle and tells you helpful things like “Power on. Connected. Battery more than 8 hours,” appears to have originated somewhere with an entirely neutral North American accent. Regardless, her voice is very clear and crisp sounding.
Frequency response measurement of the JVC HA-FW01 IEMs with the stock cable.
Much like the Shanling MW200, I find that listening with the Shure MRCE-BT2 was essentially the same as listening with a cable. Overall the sound quality is very good and free of any unwanted additions or detractions. The good and the bad elements of your MMCX IEMs will be delivered accurately.
Note the essentially identical measurement graphs with the JVC HA-FW01 IEMs both with their included cable and with the Shure RMCE-BT2 (via the AAC codec).
Frequency response measurements of the JVC HA-FW01 connected via the RMCE-BT2 Bluetooth cable using the AAC codec.
If you are in a silent environment and critically listening, by all means, you should change over to a wired connection to avoid any of the potential drawbacks of Bluetooth. But if you are on-the-go, or just listening for pleasure, the MRCE-BT2 should deliver all that you need.
RMCE-BT2 Packaging
The small blue cardboard box that contains the RMCE-BT2 is entirely adequate, but nothing particularly special. The Bluetooth dongle is contained inside with an instruction manual and cable.
It Shure is a box! Shure? Hilarious.
In the box
- RMCE-BT2 Bluetooth module
- Instruction Manual
- Micro-USB cable
Just like with the Shanling MW200, I lament the lack of MMCX to 2-pin adapters to make the RMCE-BT2 much more universally compatible. However, the lack of inclusion is more understandable with the Shure product, as they pointedly state that they don’t recommend swapping cables between Shure models, let alone using RMCE-BT2 with anything other than Shure SE IEMs (SE215, SE315, SE425, SE535, and SE846).
“…we do not recommend interchanging the cables. The plastic over molds were designed for the specific products and in some cases, the over mold may not fit into the receptacle. In other cases, it may fit but since the earphone cables use a formable wire for the ear, it may not be practical to use these cables for the headphones.” – Shure
Cable
In practice, MMCX is a universal standard and of course, the RMCE-BT2 works fine with other IEMs with this connector. Yes, it may be possible that due to some odd design or implementation, they might not work. But in the vast majority of cases, it should fit.
The MMCX connector is used by manufacturers including Campfire Audio, Westone, Ultimate Ears, Fender, JVC, and others.
Each 38 cm, black rubber-coated, flexible cable runs between the MMCX connector to the pendant that contains the battery, the Bluetooth module, and the charging port. The first 6 cm of each cable near the MMCX connector contains a flexible memory wire that holds its shape. This means that the cable can be formed into over-ear hooks, or whatever shape is most comfortable for the user.
Throwing caution to the wind, I plugged the MMCX connectors into the JVC HA-FW01.
The inclusion of this memory wire solved one of the major issues I had with the Shanling MW200. Because the hook shape is permanent on the MW200 cables, I couldn’t use it with the JVC HA-FW01 IEMs. The JVC IEMs have bottom-mounted MMCX ports, and aren’t designed for over-ear wire routing. While the RMCE-BT2’s stiff memory wire isn’t ideal protruding straight downwards from the HA-FW01, it is workable.
And yes, the MMCX connector fits the JVC HA-FW01 IEMs absolutely fine.
There is a small cable management slider attached to the left side which can be adjusted until it hits the integrated mic and remote module on the right cable. The 3 buttons (Volume up, Power, Volume down) are nicely spaced and easily distinguished by touch.
To change a track, long-press the Volume up/down. Note that this is a difference from other Shure controls where you double-press the center button for next and triple-press for previous, so this may cause some confusion with long-time Shure owners.
The 3-button remote module on the cable.
Unsurprisingly there is a tiny red/blue LED on the back of the microphone module that flashes blue when connected. Am I the only one who likes to use these things in a dark room or at bedtime? That flashing blue LED is enough to distractingly light up my surroundings.
I did recently find an excellent product to address the blinking blue LED issue on all my electronics. LightDims adhesive dots cover the offending LED and block 50-80% of that annoying light, but still let you see it. Still too bright? Put another one on. Highly recommended.
The microphone works well with calls, but unwanted noise will be transferred if your clothes are rubbing on the cable.
Время автономной работы Shure BT2
От собственной батарейки модуль Shure BT2 проработал 9 часов 13 минут. Однако, мы тестировали его при весьма высокой громкости, около 75% от максимально возможной, а из-за встроенного серьёзного усилителя это, поверьте, очень громко. Я сильно сомневаюсь, что человек со здоровым слухом будет способен прослушать хотя бы одну песню на такой громкости, не говоря уже о нескольких часах. При обычном уровне громкости время работы Shure BT2 легко перевалит за значение 10 часов.
Зарядка осуществляется с помощью Micro-USB кабеля, происходит в течение нескольких часов. Быстрая зарядка не поддерживается.
Shure Overview
Shure Incorporated is an American family-owned, audio product manufacturer. Shure was founded in Chicago, Illinois in 1925, by Sidney N. Shure. Originally a supplier of radio parts kits, they quickly found success with the manufacture of microphones. Over the last almost 100 years, in addition to the core business of microphones, they moved into producing turntable cartridges, mixers, headphones, IEMs, and other audio related products.
Shure is known for producing high-quality and reliable products, and state, “…we believe in working hard and doing things right. We don’t believe in short cuts… Our aim is to have the best products in our markets, and we strive to provide the very best service worldwide. These principles, conservative by some people’s standards, are precisely what has allowed Shure to remain an innovator and an industry leader.”
RMCE-BT2 Design
The design of the RMCE-BT2 is fairly unique and likely decisive as a result. Reviews are mixed with some folks liking the pendant style, and others listing it as a con. The pendant itself is less than 2.5 cm by 5 cm in size and quite thin. It has a sturdy spring-steel clip on the textured plastic back. It’s clearly designed to be clipped to a shirt’s neck hole or collar.
The clip and textured surface on the rear of the pendant.
Used as intended, the small and light-weight pendant all but disappears when clipped to your clothes. It’s an alternative design to the neckband style of the Shanling MW200 and is much smaller and less obvious when you are wearing it. It works well. No complaints from me.
I also like the flexibility of being able to pull one IEM out of my ear and let it dangle within my shirt from the pendant. The cable is short enough to keep it fairly controlled, but I do worry about the potential for loss if the MMCX connector pops out.
Battery
Shure is rather non-forthcoming with technical details for the RMCE-BT2, so while we don’t know the mAh of the included battery, I can get 9-10 hours of life out of it. It does take several hours to recharge using the included micro-USB cable.
For some folks, anything without USB C is unacceptable these days, but for the rest of us, the micro USB cable worked fine.
The micro USB charge port is under a rubber door at the bottom tip of the pendant’s curved edge.
RMCE-BT2 Bluetooth
The Bluetooth connection is reliable and about what I expect from version 5. My pseudo-scientific test involves leaving my iPhone in the middle of the house and I wander to the not-so-far extremes. Dropouts only occurred when upstairs (behind walls) and at the far corners of the house. Same room usage was flawless.
Codec support
The RMCE-BT2 supports multiple codecs including Qualcomm aptX audio, aptX HD, aptX Low Latency (LL), AAC, and SBC.
I’m pretty firmly entrenched in the Apple ecosystem, and unfortunately, Apple decided that for iOS devices (such as my iPhone X), there is no aptX support, so I’m stuck with AAC. aptX does work on my trusty old 2012 Macbook Pro though.
AAC and aptX are virtually audibly indistinguishable, and both are an improvement over SBC. All Bluetooth codecs are inherently noisier than a wired connection, but this typically is only audible at high volumes (greater than 80 dB) and/or at high frequencies. As such, AAC, SBC, and aptX codecs roll-off sharply after about 16 kHz to minimize this issue.
While 16 kHz is still technically in the audible frequency spectrum, there is very little musical content at that extreme, and after about age 25 we usually lose the ability to hear frequencies that high.
Newer codecs, not supported by the RMCE-BT2 (such as LDAC) roll-off at significantly higher frequencies.
Internal DAC/Amp
A big difference between the Shure RMCE-BT2 and other DAC/Amps you may encounter is the utter lack of transparency of what chipset is being utilized. Some theorize that the DAC/Amp chip was developed in house by Shure to tune the sound for their own earphones, but there is no proof that I have found one way or the other.
It turns out that Bluetooth cables are quite uninteresting to photograph.
Certainly, lack of transparency precludes direct comparison with competitors like the Shanling MW200 which uses the new AKM AK4377A chipset. It also lets Shure marketing make sweeping statements like, “Premium, wireless audio performance. A dedicated, premium headphone amplifier provides superior, high-fidelity audio quality with wireless capability.”
Sure (Shure?), we’ll just have to take your word for it. No, wait… let’s give the RMCE-BT2 a listen!
Battery life
The Shure BT2 allows for just over nine hours of constant playback and charges via micro-USB.
After subjecting the Shure BT2 to a constant 75dB(SPL) output, our testing revealed a 9.13-hour playback time. Although this is shorter than the stated 10 hours of playback time, most of us won’t listen at such loud volumes for nine hours straight. If you listen and varying quieter volumes, you’ll likely pass that 10-hour mark.
Charging the cable takes a few hours via the included micro-USB cable. It’s disappointing and surprising that Shure opted for this older charging method that’s being phased out, especially given that the BT2 supports a plethora of high-quality codecs.
Опыт использования Shure BT2
Корпус Shure BT2 относительно большой по той причине, что внутри него находится довольно много элементов: аккумулятор, модуль Bluetooth 5.0 и отдельный усилитель для наушников. Всё это занимает место и потому фантастики не случилось.
На проводе, который идёт к правому наушники, расположился пульт управления и микрофон. Пульт стандартный, имеет три кнопки, всё работает так, как на любых наушниках и это приятно, т.к. не нужно переучиваться.
Но у меня возникло небольшое затруднение с MMCX джеком. Теоретически, он должен отсоединяться от наушников с умеренным усилием, но на практике я так и не смог достигнуть идеала: один раз наушники отсоединяются очень легко, даже подозрительно легко, а в другой раз не хотят отсоединяться вообще и прикладываемые мной усилия уже грозят сломать всю конструкцию. Весьма вероятно, что есть какой-то специальный способ снятия наушников, но я так и не понял, как он доложен работать.
What’s it like to use the Shure BT2?
The pendant may be large, but it’s surprisingly lightweight and functional.
Initially, I was put off by the cumbersome pendant dangling from the two cables. After all, it’s pretty unsightly. It only took a day or two for my tune to change, though; the clip pressing against the pendant’s rear effectively tames what could easily have been an unwieldy and unsightly battery brick.
What’s more, it’s not clunky for clunkiness’ sake: the suspended piece contains the battery and a dedicated headphone amplifier. It also houses the wireless components that facilitate Bluetooth 5.0 support, which is backwards compatible with all Bluetooth sources.
If you want to prevent the wires from flailing about, a tough cable management slider is attached to the left side. On the right cable sits an integrated mic and remote, which is easy to use thanks to the separated tactile buttons.
The integrated mic and remote work flawlessly, and controls can be made accurately while wearing thin gloves.
About two inches before the MMCX connect the cables transition from flimsy to stiffy, yet pliable. This allows listeners to loop the earbuds in an ear hook fashion, and in turn, it mitigates microphonics and creates a stable fit.
Detaching the Shure earbuds, in my case, the SE215, from the cable is a hit or miss process. Sometimes, the earbuds are removed with minimal effort and other times, I feel ready to wipe sweat away from my brow. I’m sure there’s a trick to it; I just don’t quite know it.
The mic is good
During day-to-day use, the mic is more effective than my LG G6’s microphone. Just be careful that it’s not brushing against a coat collar as there were multiple times where I didn’t realize this was happening and it pained my conversation partner.
RMCE-BT2 Conclusion
I purchased the ‘Shure RMCE-BT2 High-Resolution Bluetooth 5 Earphone Communication Cable’ (such a catchy name!) from Amazon. And I’m not sorry I did.
The RMCE-BT2 is representative of Shure products at their best. It’s not flashy. It’s not the absolute cutting edge. It’s well-made, practical, and just works. Utilitarian but also quite expensive.
The good news is, now it’s an absolute bargain.
The RMCE-BT2 is a great introduction to the world of Bluetooth if you’ve got a pair of MMCX IEMs.
That’s it. I’m going to take a lesson from Shure’s practical approach and I’m not going to ramble on ad nauseum. Good working Bluetooth at a good price is… err… good!
Заключение
При этом у вас уже должны быть высококачественные внутриканальные наушники с гнездом MMCX, чтобы их можно было подключить к Shure BT2.
У меня нет претензий ни к качеству сборки, ни к качеству работы гаджета, он делает ровно то, что должен и при этом стабильно. Но цена меня сильно смущает.
Если у вас есть проводные наушники с MMCX гнездом, они вам очень нравятся, и вы долгое время мечтали превратить их в беспроводные – тогда ваше время пришло, Shure BT2 это то, что нужно.
Но если вам нужно покупать наушники тоже, я бы порекомендовал сразу выбрать беспроводную модель, которая вам придётся по вкусу и не делать лишние покупки.
Плюсы:
- Поддержка всех высококачественных кодеков семейства aptX
- Лёгкое и удобное управление
- Высокое качество микрофона
- Долгое время автономной работы
Минусы:
- Цена
- Не ко всей одежде удастся прикрепить Shure BT2 с комфортом
