A2DP and AVRCP

Just purchased "icombi" a bluetooth headphone that made for ipods. It works as expected with my ipod, but I didn't read it carefully... This device supports profile A2DP and AVRCP. They sale a USB adapter to use with PowerBook which I will end up buying in a few days.

What I'm wondering about is if these profiles are something that can/will be supported on the bluetooth module on my PowerBook in the future through firmware update. I don't mind having an USB adopter, but it would be just nice if I don't have to have it hanging off of my PB...

I'm not looking for speculations here. I'm simply wondering if the technology works that way. (being able to support such profiles by updating firmware etc...)

Posted on Oct 4, 2005 2:48 AM

Reply
59 replies

Nov 1, 2005 6:11 PM in response to Andrew Trieger

If you have one of the new Powerbooks (w/Bluetooth 2.0+EDR) or a Powerbook with Bluetooth 1.2 for that matter, then in theory when an update comes along that supports both the A2DP and AVCRP profiles your powerbook should support it.

However who know's how long that will be until Apple implements it.
I've been waiting, and was hoping that with the released the 10.4.3 release my powerbook would support it, but it still does not.

Nov 10, 2005 2:06 PM in response to Lars Engel

I have these headphones and they work great!

http://www.aircable.net/hifi-headset.html

5+ hours of battery life and they're USB rechargable. It comes with an A2DP dongle. when you plug them in to any usb port, even the one on my keyboard, they just appear in the sound preferences as "Bluetooth Audio Dongle". i just select it as my output and it just works. No software to install.

The sound is pretty good. Not "audiophile" quality. But good enough for me while I'm working at the office or in my hotel on the road.

I talked with the company and they're really nice people. They're also coming out with an iPod adapter soon. And, the dongle will work with other A2DP devices.

Hope that helps.

- Dustin

Jan 25, 2006 4:07 PM in response to Georges Sakai

So do we know if the Bluetooth installed with 10.4.4 supports A2DP and AVRCP?

I found this headset today while researching Bluetooth headsets for my soon to arrive iMac Core Duo;
http://www.jabra.com/JabraCMS/NA/EN/MainMenu/Products/StereoHeadsets/JabraBT620S /JabraBT620s.htm
The discription makes them sound great!

I wonder if the dongle for the iCombie would work with these? Is the iCombie dongle available as an individual purchase?

Feb 3, 2006 12:27 PM in response to Dah•veed

I have the icombie headphones and tried to get it to be recognized as a headset, and it doesn't. I conclude that the bluetooth update in 10.4.4 has no A2DP/AVRCP support.

Is something that requires specific hardware to work? Or can Apple just write an A2DP stack and make it work? If this is a limitation of the bluetooth hardware in my ibook, then I don't think we'll ever see this. Seems odd that it can't support this, tho.

/gam/

Feb 14, 2006 11:26 PM in response to Georges Sakai

Ok it is clear to me that mac is not supporting the A2DP platform.
strange given that it is quickly becoming an industry standard.

Anyway, Does anyone know for a FACT if the aircable dongle and the aircable headset actually works on a powerbook.
Or indeed any other brand.

Is the driver for A2DP an intergral part of the dongle, and as such does not utilise the mac bluetooth built-in package?

Thank you

Mar 3, 2006 7:07 AM in response to Mark Wilson15

I can't say for certain until you try them, but it's much more likely than unlikely that they will work with your laptop, purchased 5 months ago. The problem is that the sound quality will be not as good as it could be if Apple supported A2DP. They still do not as of 10.4.5, as was mentioned in an earlier post.

As Apple is the know leader in the universe right now for all things audio, it is my assumption that Apple WILL support it in the future, in fact they MUST. When it will happen I believe is the question.

To summarize, you do not need, nor do you want the AirCable dongle, as your 5 month old PB has bluetooth built in. The headphones should work fine, but reduced sound quality, for now.

I'm using the Plantronics 590A's which support A2DP and sound great with the phone-plug adapter, but when I use a USB dongle the quality diminshes. For the heck of it I tried an A2DP compliant dongle, and it turns out Apple doesn't support headphones with the dongle - go figure.

It's a waiting game. Hopefully Apple will see these posts and realize that they are not the leaders in this tech, Microsoft is, and they better catch up with it, FAST!

Take care!

PB Ti G4 Mac OS X (10.4.4)

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A2DP and AVRCP

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