CIO BT-TM800 Review | Thin Bluetooth transmitter that connects wireless earphones to PS5 / PS4 / Nintendo Switch

Nintendo Switch and PS5 basically do not support wireless earphones and headphones. Therefore, many people may be playing games with wired earphones or headphones.

However, for wired earphones, the cable can get in the way. Recently, the 3.5mm earphone jack has been abolished from smartphones, and many people have wireless earphones and headphones.

Wouldn't it be convenient if it could be used on game consoles? The item that makes that happen is the "Bluetooth transmitter". This site has previously introduced the Bluetooth transmitter "BT-TM700" sold by CIO, but the successor "BT-TM800" has been released.

This time, the CIO of the distributor provided a sample of this product, and I was able to actually use it, so I would like to introduce the specifications and usability in detail.

1. Thin and unobtrusive product design
2. Easy and smooth pairing is possible by pressing and holding the button
3. Almost no audio delay that could interfere with play
4. Can also be used on PC and Mac
5. summary

Thin and unobtrusive product design

The BT-TM800 is a Bluetooth transmitter that wirelessly transmits the sound of the game console from the USB port. For example, with the Nintendo Switch, you can listen to audio with wireless earphones by connecting the transmitter to the USB-C port on the bottom of the Nintendo Switch.

In TV mode, you can connect it to the Nintendo Switch dock using the included USB-A / USB-C conversion cable.

This product can also be used on PS4 and PS5. When using with PS5, either USB-C port or USB-A port can be connected. Like the genuine Nintendo Switch dock, the PS4 doesn't have a USB-C port, so you can connect it with a USB-A / USB-C conversion cable as well.

The design of the transmitter has been changed from the round design of its predecessor to a rectangular design. The size is also quite small, 14 mm high x 49 mm wide x 6 mm thick, and it hardly interferes with gameplay.

The structure of the main body is quite simple, there are "A" and "B" buttons on the left and right, and there are only multiple LED indicators. The indicators below the letters SBC / aptX / aptX LL / aptX HD are for visually checking which codec was applied to the connected device.

Easy and smooth pairing is possible by pressing and holding the button

Try using this product. First, I tried connecting the BT-TM800 to the Nintendo Switch. Thanks to the thin design with a thickness of 6 mm, there is almost no feeling of foreign matter and it does not interfere with play at all. I was able to comfortably play the Nintendo Switch version of "Pikmin 3", which had just been released.

To pair wireless earphones / headphones with this transmitter, first press and hold the "A" button or "B" button for 3 seconds with the BT-TM800 connected to the Nintendo Switch main unit. When the LED indicator under the pressed button starts blinking, it is a signal that the pairing mode has started.

Anyone know how to contact a @Stubhub seller?

— Shila 🦋 Fri Jun 30 00:09:10 +0000 2017

After that, if the earphone or headphone you want to use is in pairing mode, the BT-TM800 will automatically connect. Pairing is complete when the LED changes from blinking to lit. Depending on the connected device, it took about 5 to 10 seconds to complete the pairing.

Also, once the device is paired, it will be connected automatically unless it is reset after that. Even if you interrupt the game once, you should be able to resume it smoothly the next time you start it.

Almost no audio delay that could interfere with play

Speaking of wireless products, delays are a concern. Therefore, I also verified the audio delay. This time, I used Apple's "AirPods Pro" and Beats' "Powerbeats Pro" to play Nintendo Switch "Pikmin 3" and PS5 "Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales".

Since both AirPods Pro and Powerbeats Pro are connected with the SBC codec, it is verified with the largest delay among the codecs supported by the BT-TM800.

As a result of the verification, although I felt a slight delay if I was conscious of it, there was no delay that would cause a big hindrance to the play, and I was able to play as usual. In particular, "Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales" required quick operation, but it was hardly difficult to play due to audio delay.

However, when playing a game that emphasizes timing, such as a rhythm game, you may be a little worried about the delay. For the time being, I also tried playing "Fit Boxing 2" with the earphones attached, but I felt a slight delay, so if you are interested, you should use earphones and headphones compatible with aptX LL with less delay. You will be able to play comfortably.

Also, when using it on PS5 / PS4, only the game voice can be made wireless, and voice chat cannot be made wireless. Unfortunately, if you are assuming the use of voice chat, please use wired earphones / headphones.

By the way, this product can send audio to up to 2 devices, and pair the second device by pressing and holding a button different from the button for which the device has already been registered for 3 seconds. can. It will come in handy when you want to use wireless earphones and headphones when playing with two players.

If you want to connect two devices with aptX / aptX LL / aptX HD, they both need to support the same codec. For example, if you want to connect with aptX, you need two wireless devices that support aptX. Please note that if different codecs are used, both will be connected by SBC.

Can also be used on PC and Mac

The BT-TM800 can be used by connecting to a Windows PC or Mac as well as a game console. The supported OS is Windows 8 or later and macOS Mojave or later, respectively.

The usage is exactly the same as when connecting to a game console, and in the case of a Windows PC, the driver is automatically installed when connecting for the first time. The installation will finish soon, so wait for it before pairing.

summary

"CIO BT-TM800" is a Bluetooth transmitter that allows you to listen to the sound of game consoles with wireless earphones. Its compact size does not interfere with gameplay, and device pairing is easy and easy to use.

Even with the SBC codec, which is the most prone to delays, there is little audio delay and there is almost no problem with playing, so it can be said that it is a perfect product for those who want to play games using wireless earphones and headphones.

This product is superior in most respects to the conventional model, but the only inferior point is that USB-C pass-through charging is not possible. The Nintendo Switch has only one USB-C port, so if you want to keep using your wireless earphones and headphones in mobile mode, you'll need to charge the Nintendo Switch from time to time.

If you don't want the Nintendo Switch to pass through charging, or if you're planning on using it on other devices such as the PS5 / PS4, the BT-TM800 is a "buy". If you are looking for a compact Bluetooth transmitter that has less delay and does not interfere with gameplay, please consider purchasing it.

The CIO BT-TM800 can be purchased at Yahoo! Shopping for 3,608 yen (tax included).