Can you play audio on 2 Bluetooth devices at once?
Bluetooth is a short-range wireless technology standard that is used to stream audio between devices. It allows two or more devices to connect and communicate wirelessly via radio waves using frequencies between 2402 and 2480 MHz. The effective range for Bluetooth connections is usually up to 30 feet.
For audio streaming, Bluetooth relies on advanced audio distribution profiles (A2DP) to transmit audio from one device to another. The audio is compressed and encoded into packets using advanced audio coding (AAC), subband coding (SBC) or other codecs before being transmitted over the Bluetooth connection. The receiving device then decodes the audio and plays it through its own speakers or headphones.
Some benefits of Bluetooth audio streaming include wireless connectivity, the ability to stream to multiple devices like speakers and headphones, and support across many platforms like smartphones, tablets, computers, TVs and car infotainment systems. The audio quality is generally good, albeit compressed compared to a wired connection.
Playing Audio on Multiple Devices
It is possible to play audio to 2 Bluetooth devices simultaneously from one source device, but it requires specific hardware and software support. Most smartphones, tablets, and laptops only allow audio streaming to one Bluetooth device at a time by default (Source 1). However, some devices support multi-point technology that allows connecting to multiple Bluetooth audio devices at once.
With multi-point Bluetooth, the source device maintains independent connections to multiple headsets or speakers. You can then choose to play the audio on one or both devices. For example, certain Bluetooth headphones like the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro allow pairing to two devices simultaneously so you can listen from either a smartphone or tablet (Source 2).
Overall, playing audio to two Bluetooth devices at the same time requires hardware support on the transmitting device as well as the receiving devices. If not natively supported, specialized transmitters can also enable simultaneous streaming.
Stereo Bluetooth Streaming
Some Bluetooth headphones and speakers support stereo streaming, which allows audio to be transmitted to both the left and right channels simultaneously. This is achieved using a technology called Bluetooth Multipoint.
With standard Bluetooth, audio can only be transmitted to one device at a time. But with Multipoint, the headphones maintain connections to two devices at once. One device can transmit audio to the left headphone and the other device can transmit audio to the right headphone.
This allows you to have stereo audio streaming from two different sources. For example, you could be listening to music from your phone in one earbud and take a call from your laptop on the other earbud at the same time.
To take advantage of stereo Bluetooth streaming, you need headphones that specifically support Multipoint connections. The headphones will need to have separate Bluetooth radios and internal circuitry for managing the two audio channels independently.
Multi-Point Connections
Bluetooth multipoint is a feature that allows a single Bluetooth device to be connected to multiple source devices at the same time (1). This means you can pair one set of Bluetooth headphones with your smartphone and computer simultaneously. When a call or media starts playing on one device, the audio will automatically switch to that device (2).
Multipoint connections require the Bluetooth device and the source devices to support Bluetooth profiles like A2DP for audio streaming. The Bluetooth device handles the audio switching between the connected sources automatically. Most modern wireless headphones and earbuds support multipoint connections for up to 2 or 3 devices (3).
Multipoint is useful for seamlessly transitioning audio between a smartphone and computer without having to manually disconnect and reconnect your Bluetooth headphones each time. It allows you to hear audio from both devices through one headset. However, Bluetooth multipoint does not allow playing audio from multiple sources simultaneously (1).
Using a Bluetooth Transmitter
One way to play audio on multiple Bluetooth devices simultaneously is by using a multi-stream Bluetooth transmitter. These devices act as a central hub to transmit the audio signal to multiple receiving devices at once.
Bluetooth transmitters work by taking an audio input, like from a TV or computer, and converting it into a Bluetooth signal. The transmitter then allows multiple Bluetooth headphones, speakers, etc. to pair and connect simultaneously to stream the audio.
Many of these transmitters advertise support for transmitting to 2, 4, or even more devices at once. For example, the Avantree Priva III Bluetooth Transmitter claims compatibility for up to 8 devices (https://www.amazon.com/Multi-stream-Bluetooth-Transmitter/s?k=Multi-stream+Bluetooth+Transmitter). Using one of these can enable an entire group to listen to the same audio in sync.
The main limitations are that the connected devices need to be within range of the transmitter, and audio quality can degrade as more devices connect. But for simultaneous streaming, a multi-stream transmitter is more reliable than trying to individually pair devices.
Using a Stereo Audio Splitter
One simple way to stream audio to two Bluetooth devices at once is by using a stereo audio splitter. An audio splitter is a small adapter that takes a stereo audio source and splits it into two separate mono audio outputs.
To use an audio splitter for Bluetooth streaming:
- Connect the audio source (such as your phone) to the stereo input of the audio splitter using a 3.5mm aux cable.
- Connect Bluetooth transmitters or receivers to each of the mono outputs of the audio splitter, also using 3.5mm aux cables.
- Pair each Bluetooth transmitter or receiver to a separate Bluetooth speaker or headset.
Now your stereo audio source will be split into two separate mono streams, allowing you to play audio on two Bluetooth devices simultaneously. The sound quality may degrade slightly, but this method provides an easy and inexpensive way to get audio to two destinations from a single source.
Just note that both devices will be playing the same audio stream in mono. To play different audio on each device, you’d need a more advanced splitter that maintains separate stereo streams.
Group Playback Options
There are several solutions available for streaming audio to multiple devices in a group setting. Wi-Fi based multiroom systems like Sonos and Chromecast allow you to stream music from a phone, tablet, or computer to multiple speakers set up around your home. With Sonos, you can group different speakers together for synchronized playback, or play different songs in each room.
Chromecast takes a similar approach, letting you cast music, radio, podcasts and more to different devices grouped together. The software handles syncing everything for multiroom audio. Both Sonos and Chromecast offer seamless management of multiroom playback across a home wifi network without needing to deal with Bluetooth connections.
For large gatherings or parties, these ecosystems allow easily extending music playback across many speakers for whole home audio. Their apps give control over which devices are grouped, volumes, and queue management. By leveraging Wi-Fi instead of Bluetooth, there are no limitations on the number of speakers that can be synced.
Playing Different Audio on Multiple Devices
When it comes to playing different audio streams on separate Bluetooth devices simultaneously, the options are more limited. Most Bluetooth chipsets only allow connecting to one audio device at a time for streaming. To get around this limitation, the audio output would need to be split so that independent Bluetooth connections can be made.
On Android devices, starting with version 10, separate app audio can be routed to a Bluetooth device vs. the phone speaker or wired headphones. This allows two audio streams at once, but both are still coming from the same phone. As noted on Reddit, “You can only split 2 separate apps between 1 Bluetooth source and the phone speaker/wired headphones. The most you can do with 2 Bluetooth devices is have the audio from 1 app go to each device separately.”
For full independent audio, a specialized Bluetooth transmitter, audio splitter, or multi-point capable speaker would be required. As explained on Lifewire, streaming different audio to separate Bluetooth devices simultaneously is “not something that comes standard on any phone, tablet, computer, or Bluetooth speaker.” Workarounds exist, but mobile operating systems generally limit simultaneous Bluetooth audio to a single device.
Mobile OS Limitations
The major mobile operating systems like iOS and Android have some limitations when it comes to simultaneous Bluetooth streaming to multiple devices. This is due to how Bluetooth is implemented in the software and hardware of mobile devices.
For iOS devices like iPhones, only one A2DP (stereo audio) Bluetooth device can be connected at a time for audio streaming. This means you can’t stream audio to two Bluetooth speakers or two Bluetooth headphones simultaneously from an iPhone. However, other non-A2DP Bluetooth accessories like smartwatches and fitness trackers can stay connected. This limitation applies across iPhone models and iOS versions (source).
Similarly for Android phones, connecting to multiple Bluetooth audio devices concurrently is restricted. Android manages simultaneous connections differently across various manufacturers’ implementations. Typically only one high-quality stereo audio stream is supported, while other non-media Bluetooth connections may remain active (source).
So in summary, iOS and Android have imposed single-stream restrictions that prevent users from pairing multiple Bluetooth headphones or speakers for simultaneous streaming from one phone. Non-media Bluetooth accessories can stay connected, but the OS limits concurrent playback to one A2DP stereo audio device at a time.
Summary
In summary, there are several options for playing audio on multiple Bluetooth devices simultaneously:
– Many newer Bluetooth devices support stereo streaming, allowing left and right channel audio to be separated across two connected devices for a true stereo experience.
– Multi-point Bluetooth connections allow some devices to remain connected to two or more Bluetooth sources, so you can actively stream to two headphones for example.
– Using a Bluetooth transmitter plugged into an audio source allows multiple Bluetooth headphones to connect to the transmitter to receive the same audio stream.
– An audio splitter with multiple outputs can connect to a Bluetooth source and route the signal to multiple wired headphones.
– Mobile operating systems like iOS and Android have some limitations, only allowing audio to be streamed to one Bluetooth device at a time. But wireless multi-room speaker systems using proprietary software can group multiple speakers for synchronized playback.
The technology and techniques for simultaneous Bluetooth streaming continue to evolve. While true stereo streaming requires compatible devices, options like transmitters and splitters allow flexible audio distribution to multiple listeners in many situations.
