I tested the i2i Stream in recreational and workplace locales. They included a beach house with broadband but no network. I transmitted Internet radio from the headphone jack of a bedroom computer to an i2i receiver while I wore earbuds and lounged on an outdoor deck. I also streamed Internet radio to my personal buds in an open office crammed with aisles of computers and people wearing telephone headsets, some wireless.
I confirmed the claimed 30-foot range. You can improve reception at the fringe by holding the receiver in the direction of the sender, but line-of-sight isn't necessary. I found the battery was depleted in about five hours (i2i claims 5 to 7 hours of use before recharging). The receiver retains power slightly longer than the sender. If broadcasting from a computer, the sender could be USB-powered indefinitely. Once I adjusted the volume on the receiver, I found there wasn't much difference in audio quality versus plugging the earphones directly into the source device. Since I encountered little interference, I didn't have to change colors much.
At the beach house, I wanted to connect the receiver to the auxiliary stereo inputs on a Bose Wave Music System in the living room. Unfortunately, a miniplug-to-stereo adapter wasn't readily available. It's included in i2i Gear's optional Home Stereo Adapter Kit.
The packaging shows young people each dancing with an i2i Stream. Stealth music sharing by a clique of two or more in study hall or the cafeteria is a sure-fire use, but there are adult applications, too. Perhaps a couple wants to share a rented audio device like a museum's walking tour or a theater's enhanced hearing system. In bed in front of the TV, a viewer considerate of a sleeping spouse could listen without being corded to the headphone jack. I found the greatest benefit to be in the workplace where computer speakers aren't cool, yet an individual prefers to listen to music unencumbered by a leash.
I'm now able to get up and walk to a network printer without removing headphones that had snapped my head back when I tried to rise because they were plugged in under my desk. I can't get over the modicum of privacy the i2i Stream affords me in an office where workers aspire to their own cubicles.
