I decided to snag a pair of F8Z942-P A2DP receivers since they’re now cheap ($25 each) on Amazon. I picked up the Belkin variant because it seemed to be what I wanted with the ability to pair up to 6 devices and a range of 10 meters (around 33 feet).
Everything connected immediately and I had no problem transmitting from my laptop or phone…until I moved more than 5 feet away from the receiver. At this point, the audio began to break up or cut out completely. This was certainly not what I expected, so I decided to investigate a little.
What I found inside made me a little angry at Belkin’s marketing department and more so at the company as a whole for not requiring a full test of the hardware in the final enclosure as approved by marketing. This is what you see upon removing the top of the enclosure.
Yes, that’s a slug of metal in the bottom of a WIRELESS device to give it heft and make it feel not cheap. Once I removed the slug of metal, the receiver regained its full range and became the device promised by the spec sheet. That said, I shouldn’t have to modify a device to fix a marketing blunder that breaks its functionality.