By Nick Smith, 18th October 2024
In a world gone wireless, why do we cling to our cables?
Audiophiles are famous for preferring older technology, with NOS DACs, tube amps & vinyl remaining popular long after the general public abandoned them.
Similarly, in an era when trains & buses are full of consumers with wireless earphones those of us in the audio hobby have stuck with wired IEMs for one simple reason… they sound better.
I was recently sent a Shozy BT-10 Bluetooth dongle in exchange for my thoughts and it prompted me to ask the question – has the time come to go wireless?
I’m skeptical that a wireless dongle will deliver the same rich experience one tethered to the USB port of my phone can provide, but it’s nice to stay open minded.
Let’s dive into this BT-10 review & discover if the time has come to cut the cord.
Packaging
This particular BT-10 was supplied to me without retail packaging, so I don’t know what’s included.
Ergonomics
At 58 grams the USD $199 Shozy BT-10 is quite heavy by dongle standards, and also pretty large. You can definitely feel that if its dangling from your phone, but I wouldn’t say that makes it unpleasant to use.
There’s glass on one side, the rest of the dongle is clad in gold-coloured anodised aluminium. Visually I don’t mind that it’s aesthetically quite distinctive with an interesting shape.
There’s three buttons & one switch on the same side – High/Low gain switch, the usual Play/Pause & Volume Up/Down buttons, and the BT-10 features 4.4mm balanced & 3.5mm single-ended jacks.
Usability
Holding Play/Pause turns the BT-10 on or off, and you need to turn it on before Bluetooth will connect.
Usage is straightforward once Bluetooth pairs with your device, which took under 10seconds for both my iPhone 15 & Macbook Air. Bluetooth connection is reliably steady and I’m impressed by the range.
The downside is because the BT-10 contains an internal battery (unlike most wired dongles) if you forget to turn it off the battery will eventually go flat, so it’s another device to charge. The upside is it won’t drain your phone’s battery drastically like wired dongles can.
You get 10 hours of battery life in Bluetooth mode, and the BT-10 can also be used in wired mode – same any other USB-C dongle.
Page 1 – Introduction, Packaging, Ergonomics & Usability
Page 2 – Sound Impressions & Technical Performance
Page 3 – Dongle Comparisons
Page 4 – Conclusion
Thank you for the review!