I'm looking to connect a Bluetooth headset (with mic and headphones) to a PC. Problem is the PC doesn't have Bluetooth so I need an adapter. I'm confused by the TX/RX switch on most adapters: wouldn't they need to both transmit and receive simultaneously? For example would this Bluetooth Transmitter Reciever work with a headset? Also what is the use case for having the additional jacks on the adapter? Is this not the right tool for the job?
1 Answer
What you have linked is not a Bluetooth adapter in the "this adds Bluetooth support to your PC" sense. It's a Bluetooth <=> 3.5mm audio transmitter (or receiver) and can only operate in one of those modes at a time. The USB is a red herring; its primary purpose is for power. Though the description does note that it can take audio via USB, in which case I suspect it appears as a USB sound card to the computer.
An actual Bluetooth adapter would appear as one to the computer and would not have any physical audio inputs or outputs at all. You'll be more likely to find one if you omit any references to audio while searching. They're also typically very small, like this one (linked as it's a fairly major brand; there are many cheaper examples if you wish to go find one; I'm not recommending this one in particular).
Now the question is whether you want to add full Bluetooth support to your computer, in which case the peripheral linked in the question is not suitable, or whether you simply want to add an audio output device that happens to go via Bluetooth, in which case you can use that peripheral in transmit mode.
If you also want microphone support, it's unclear if the particular peripheral you linked does that job. Your best bet is to get a full Bluetooth adapter, as the software stack in your OS should support operating in HFP or HSP profiles.
Keep in mind that in HFP/HSP modes, you're limited to mono audio of low fidelity - if you're trying to listen to music or play games, it will sound quite horrible. Bluetooth only "sounds decent" in A2DP mode, which does not have two-way audio support.
If you need high-fidelity two-way wireless audio, look elsewhere. There is no standard way to do so with Bluetooth.
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