Back in olden times, if you wanted to connect an audio source to an amplifier and speakers you had two choices: balanced or unbalanced analog cables.

Wow, that was a long time ago.

Fast forward to today and the lion’s share of your connections are digital, and of those, you could argue that they’re increasingly going wireless.

For that matter, wireless music transmission has even spread to the audiophile realm. One friend’s audiophile Hi-Fi shop uses a central music server feeding Squeezeboxes to their listening rooms for all of their non-vinyl demos.

Consequently, increasingly more audio devices are shipping these days with built-in Ethernet and wireless connectivity. I’d be hard pressed to name a model of AVR that doesn’t include network connectivity and integrated music services like Pandora.

But what about when you want to stream music to a beloved analog amplifier, and you can’t bear to replace it with a networked device?

Enter the DC-6BT Bluetooth docking station, from Vancouver based manufacturer Knoll Systems.

A small box measuring only 2.8 x 2.8 x 1.45”, excluding the 5-volt 500mA power adaptor, the Knoll DC-6BT wireless docking station allows you to connect any Bluetooth-enabled music source such as an iPhone, iPad, Smartphone, laptop and so on to an analog audio device.

In addition to being able to stream music wirelessly, the cardinal advantage is the ability to remotely control playback, including music selection and volume from the digital source, whether it’s your phone, tablet or computer without having to walk over to the stereo.

In case you’re interested, I connected the DC-6BT via unbalanced L/R analog cables to a Speakercraft BB2125 Big Bang Stereo amplifier that powers a beloved pair of PSB Alpha bookshelf speakers.

For a source, I alternated between my iPhone 3G and iPad2, and my primary laptop (a Dell). Both the iPhone and iPad2 use the iPeng app to integrate with the Squeezebox Server software that manages the music collection on the various hard drives that are scattered around the house.

First, and most importantly, the DC-6BT paired easily with my other Bluetooth devices. As anyone who has ever had a crummy Bluetooth ear piece knows, in the world of Bluetooth there are only two kinds of devices, ones that pair and ones that don’t.

Despite the fact that on the DC-6BT you’re dependent on a couple of flashing LEDs to tell you the device’s status, the supplied instructions are clear, and pairing it to the source devices went smoothly.

Knoll lists the transmission range as 80 feet in “ideal conditions” and a conservative 33 feet in what they term “real world” conditions. Moving around the house, with the DC-6BT in the basement I was able to roam upstairs to the main floor and to the other end of the house without disrupting the music stream or control.

In addition to being powered from the AC adaptor, the DC-6BT includes an internal lithium battery that automatically recharges when the power is plugged in. Knoll claims four hours of run time when fully charged. While I personally question the utility of the included battery, Knoll points to applications such as the auxiliary input on 12V car systems or connecting it to a portable boom box.

While I personally deride the level of nitpicking that often takes place in Hi-Fi reviews as being little more than snobbish one-upsmanship, an audio review still needs mention of audio quality. Playback of my music files, all of which have been ripped at a minimum of 256kbps, was as good as a physical analog connection directly from the server, or from any of the Squeezebox devices around the house that stream via Wi-Fi.

I’ve always been a big fan of specialized problem solving devices to an almost unreasonable degree. That’s the things about solutions: you may only need it once, but when you need it, you REALLY need it. The bottom line with the DC-6BT is that it’s a handy device for wirelessly streaming audio to an analog amplifier, it’s easy to install and sound quality will satisfy anyone who doesn’t wear his golden ears as a badge of honor.

To contact Knoll systems visit knollsystems.com or call +1 800.566.5579

Specifications:

Broadcast Distance
80 feet (25m) in ideal conditions; 33 feet (10m) in real world conditions

Size
2.8 x 2.8 x 1.45” (72 x 72 x 37mm)

Weight
3 oz. (85g)

Power
5 VDC 500mA (adaptor included)

Included Connector
Stereo 3.5mm to stereo RCA

Battery
Rechargeable lithium (4 hour use)

Bluetooth transmission system
A2DP