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My Chromebook has Bluetooth, but as of writing, ChromeOS does not support HSP or A2DP, so I cannot play music or record audio through my Bluetooth wireless headset.

I very much would like to be able to use my headset for something like Hangouts, so I can talk and hear through my heads.

The Chromebook does have a TRRS headset jack, which works just fine, so I figured there'd be a device that could interpret Bluetooth as analog, and vice versa. There do exist many devices that either receive or transmit audio over Bluetooth when plugged into a 3.5mm jack, and some devices that purport to do both, but I have not been able to find a device that can transmit and receive at the same time.

My question for you is thus: does there exist a device that I can buy that will plug into the TRRS jack and be able to connect via Bluetooth to my wireless headset, using HSP or something like that.

Worst case, I could try to hook up a TRRS splitter that's male TRRS to two female TRS and then hook up a Bluetooth transmitter to the audio TRS and a Bluetooth receiver to the mic TRS, and then tell my headset to receive from the former and transmit to the latter, but that will require several pieces of hardware, and I'm not sure if there would be some weird lag between the transmit/receive that would cause calls to be terrible.

ChrisF
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Juniper Belmont
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  • As you will see in below responses there are technical issues on building a quality Bluetooth transmitter with 3.5 mm audio jack TRRS mic (plus a small market). The closest thing that you will find are the Xbox One audio adapters (3.5 to bluetooth), there are thousands of them on AliExpress but with a built-in microphone pass through. – JCM Oct 04 '20 at 21:10
  • Alternatively you should try using a simple driverless USB soundcard with a transparent bluetooth transmitter such the 1Mii B10, Avantree DG-60/DG-80 or Creative BT-W2, these are valid for PS4, Linux and Windows. The first two appears to be better because they have a button for switching between the music mode (HD but no mic) or bidirectional (voice quality, with mic), which solves the low-quality sound issue commented below. On the high end there is the Avantree Audikast Plus (with aux input for TV), or the cheapest Aliexpress Reiyin WT-04 or Vikefon brand (warning avoid fakes). – JCM Oct 06 '20 at 06:16

4 Answers4

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Found a solution!

I was in the same boat and extensively researched various Bluetooth devices for a TRRS-compatible solution. Finally I found this unit, the Plantronics Pulsar 260 http://www.amazon.com/Plantronics-UPP260-Pulsar-260-Stereo/dp/B000N8P4R8

While it doesn't say TRRS anywhere, if you look at the way it works, it utilizes a 2.5mm earbud/inline mic combo, rather than the usual 3.5mm audio-only output w/ an internal mic in the hardware.

I ordered this + a 2.5mm to 3.5mm adapter, and it works great with any pair of 3.5mm earbud/mic hardware. Just ensure that the adapter you order has a 4-conductor plug - if you end up with a standard 3-conductor plug you'll lose the mic signal.

Working great for both music listening and phone calls on an iPhone 5S. As is traditionally the case with Bluetooth, music listening is not super crystal clear 100% of the time - but it's stereo and works well.

Dave
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  • This is the opposite of what the question is asking for. He wants a way to use his existing Bluetooth headset with a wired computer. – balazer May 12 '20 at 08:08
  • This response is suggesting a Bluetooth receiver with A2DP etc, not valid for the original question. – JCM Oct 06 '20 at 10:45
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Nolan TxPlus Unversal Bluetooth Wireless Stereo Music and Voice Talk Transmitter Adapter with 3.5 mm Audio Plug

ZachOfAllTrades
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Ladies and Gentlemen, after much frustrating searching just like all of you, I believe I came across a forum angel that gave me a lead where I found the perfect solution.
https://www.hq98.com/prymeblu-bth-300-wireless-mic-bluetooth/

If you go to the Pryme website and open the manual, it states that it will even work with apple-configured TRRS jacks! I purchased it right away and should be here in a couple days. What's more, it works as an amplifier and does transmit stereo and not mono. This is the device we've been craving that TRULY turns any headset into a bluetooth one! I will try to come back and report my test results, but I feel like a kid at Christmas right now!

Ralph MusicJunky
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    Okay, follow up here: the Pryme BTH-300 WORKS well, and recognizes the mic button and the microphone on external headsets that I plug into it. I was very excited, but then I tried listening to music through it, and it was awful. Like, really not good music. Its in Stereo, its just sounds like your listening to music that somebody is playing you through their telephone. I'm now going to try the Sony RM-X7BT, which has an input for an external mic. There was also another one that had bad amazon reviews, but those are the final two. So, if you want it just for calls, go with Pryme. – Ralph MusicJunky Feb 06 '17 at 06:11
  • Notice that ANY Bluetooth transmitter adapter with mic should/migth suffer of low quality when listening to music, because its transmitting using the hands free profile, designed for low quality phone’s voice calls. To solve this CSR/Qualcomm invented the proprietary FastStream for HD voice calls, great for gaming chats or Skype voice calls (although NOT for music). – JCM Oct 04 '20 at 15:34
  • FYI on the reception side (headset) is quite different because it simply obeys the transmitter is in hands free HFP or audio A2DP mode with HD music codecs (SBC, APTX, AAC). It will be solved when BT 5.2 steps in supporting multi-flows. – JCM Oct 04 '20 at 15:35
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I'm looking for something like this as well (though in reverse) as my car has a TRRS jack in the glove box and I'd rather not mess about with putting my phone in the glove box and plugging it in if I can avoid it. I've found something similar, but unfortunately it's for TRS. It does however imply this should be possible, and it may even be possible to make the TRS plug work with your TRRS jack, it just won't be two-way (and you'll need a converter and my limited experience with those have been universally bad).

Vala
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  • Yes, I have seen that thing on Amazon, and a dozen others like it, but I have yet to see something that's TRRS with Bluetooth both ways, which bugs me. – Juniper Belmont Feb 25 '13 at 21:59