Review We've seen Bluetooth audio accessories that will stream the output from your telly or hi-fi to a pair of wireless headphones, and we've tried devices that will pick up streamed stereo and feed through to a pair of ordinary cabled cans. But we haven't seen many gadgets that do both.

The Voiis Wireless Music Gateway, from supplier Mobile Action, is one that is able to both receive and transmit A2DP wirefree audio.

Voiis: Bluetooth music transmitter and receiver

It's an oddly shaped gizmo: a sort of shiny white plastic horn 120mm tall. It comes with an external AC adaptor which can be commended twice over. First, it has a mini USB output, so you can use it for other kit too, and second, it's very compact. It integrates a three-pin plug and is no bigger than your average phone charger.

The Voiis' power port is round the back of device next to a pair of 3.5mm sockets, one for input, the other for output. On the front, there's a single, multifunction button, along with speaker- and headphone-labelled LEDs.

Usage is simple. Want to stream a device's output to Bluetooth headphones? Press the multifunction button for three seconds to put the Voiis into headset pairing mode, pair it with your cans, and you're away.

If you want to use the Voiis as a receiver, press the multifunction button for eight seconds then pair the device with whatever gadget you're using as a transmitter.

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We tried both methods, using an iPhone 3GS as a wired music source and as an A2DP transmitter, and a pair of Logitech FreePulse 'phones. Pairing the wireless cans and, later, the iPhone proved entirely untroublesome, and we were quickly streaming music across the office first in transmit mode and, later, using the Voiis as a receiver.

The sound quality was good, in spite of a nearby 2.4GHz Wi-Fi router, the presence of half a dozen other WLANs in the vicinity, a host of phones with Bluetooth turned on and at least one Bluetooth mouse being steered continually over a desktop.

Mini USB for power, and 3.5mm audio I/O for easy connectivity

Music Action claims Voiis will operate at up to 100m. Neither our living room nor Vulture Central is that expansive, and intervening walls ensured we didn't get that far before the sound began to break up. Depending on the construction and of your house, you should be able to roam around and still listen in.

With the Voiis doing such a reasonable job on the audio front, it seems churlish to mention the build quality. It's not actually bad, just a tad thrown together: the two halves of the 'horn' don't align perfectly and the ports mounted onto the circuit board inside don't quite match up with the holes in the outer casing.

But none of these issues in any way prevent the device from being used, and since it's likely to spend its life stuck alongside or behind your AV kit, doesn't really matter what it looks like or how well it's being snapped together?

Press to switch sources

That said, at around £45, it's a wee bit pricey, we think. Add-on A2DP transmitters come in between £10 and £20, so perhaps doubling that because there's a receiver too is fair enough. If it was £30 we wouldn't think twice.

Verdict

The Voiis isn't a brand-new product - it's been around for a couple of years now - but it's one of these bits of kit you buy when you have a need for it rather than because it's the latest thing. It's handy if you fancy getting into wireless audio and your headphones didn't come bundled with a transmitter. Ditto if you simply want to use regular 'phones with a wireless source. ®

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