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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-20 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
• Avantree Relay — biggest strength: Up to 25 hours of playtime, aptX Adaptive/aptX HD support, and dual-link sharing for two pairs of headphones on one airplane screen.
• Avantree Relay — biggest trade-off: It is transmitter only. No microphone, no calls, no TV receiving, no hearing-aid or instrument use.
• PinPure Transmitter Receiver — biggest strength: True 2-in-1 design (TX and RX), five codecs including aptX Low Latency, and a full accessory kit with RCA and 3.5 mm adapters.
• PinPure Transmitter Receiver — biggest trade-off: Shorter battery at up to 18 hours, and it's a bulkier dongle-style unit (2.15 x 1.1 x 0.55 in, 34.2 g) rather than a slim inline adapter.
• Who each pick is for: Frequent flyers who just want their AirPods on the seatback screen → Avantree Relay. Household tinkerers who want one adapter for flights, TV, gym and stereo → PinPure.
The Avantree Relay is a single-purpose tool, and it's honest about that. Its job is to take the 3.5 mm audio out of an airplane entertainment system and send it wirelessly to your Bluetooth headphones. That's it. And for that one job, the spec sheet is genuinely well thought out.
Two things stand out to me. First, battery. Avantree rates the Relay at up to 25 hours of playtime from a 2-hour charge, with a clear battery indicator and onboard volume controls. On a long-haul itinerary — say a connection through a hub plus a 12-hour leg — that's the difference between packing a charging cable and not thinking about it at all. Second, the codec story: Qualcomm audio tech with aptX Adaptive and aptX HD support, on Bluetooth 5.3. With compatible headphones, that's the more modern, more adaptive end of the codec range rather than plain SBC.
The dual-link feature matters more than people expect. You can connect two pairs of Bluetooth headphones or earbuds to a single seatback screen, so you and a travel partner watch the same movie without splitting a wired headset. Pairing is a three-step routine — plug into the 3.5 mm jack, put your headphones in pairing mode, connect — and Avantree includes a dual-prong airplane adapter, which is the piece people forget and then can't find at the airport.
Who should buy it: frequent flyers, couples or travel partners sharing a screen, and anyone who wants a light, low-fuss adapter. The ABS body in Sandstorm Beige is compact, and the whole thing is built around a lithium-polymer battery that's small enough to disappear in a seat pocket.
Who should skip it: anyone who wants to receive audio rather than send it. Avantree explicitly flags this as transmitter-only — no microphone, not for phone calls, TVs, hearing aids, musical instruments, or receiving audio. If your plan is "one gadget that does everything," this isn't it.
The PinPure is the Swiss Army knife of this pair. It's a 2-in-1: in TX mode it sends audio from a 3.5 mm source to your Bluetooth headphones; in RX mode it acts as a receiver and can concurrently connect to two Bluetooth-enabled smartphones or computers. That single design decision changes who the product is for.
The codec list is the other headline. PinPure runs a Qualcomm chip supporting SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX-LL, and aptX-HD. The aptX Low Latency entry is the one worth circling if you're feeding a TV or gaming source — low-latency codecs exist specifically to keep audio and picture roughly in sync, which matters far more on a TV than on a plane where you're not comparing to a separate screen.
Battery is rated up to 18 hours. That's shorter than the Avantree, but PinPure adds a practical wrinkle: if the battery runs out, you can plug the dongle in and keep using it while it charges. For a device that might live permanently on a TV stand or a home stereo, that's arguably more useful than raw capacity.
The kit is generous and clearly aimed at home setups: the transmitter/receiver unit, an RCA cable, a USB-C charging cable, a 3.5 mm audio female plug, a dual 3.5 mm male-to-female adapter, and a manual. The RCA cable is the tell — it's there for connecting to a TV, receiver, or home stereo with RCA outputs. The dual 3.5 mm adapter covers airplane seat jacks.
Who should skip it: if you fly constantly and battery life is your number-one criterion, the 18-hour rating and the 34.2 g, 2.15-inch body make it the heavier, shorter-running option. It's also white and grey rather than a muted travel-friendly tone, which is purely cosmetic but worth knowing.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for battery life → Avantree Relay. Up to 25 hours versus up to 18 hours, plus a 2-hour charge time and an onboard battery indicator.
• Best for one-job simplicity → Avantree Relay. Three-step pairing, dual-prong airplane adapter included, onboard volume controls, nothing to configure.
• Best for codec modernity → Avantree Relay. aptX Adaptive and aptX HD over Bluetooth 5.3 is the more current pairing for compatible headphones.
• Best for versatility → PinPure Transmitter Receiver. It transmits and receives, and in RX mode connects two Bluetooth phones or computers at once.
• Best for TV, stereo and car use → PinPure. The RCA cable and 3.5 mm female plug exist for exactly these setups, and aptX Low Latency helps with lip-sync on video.
• Best for charging flexibility → PinPure. You can keep using it while it charges, which suits a fixed installation.
• Best for travel partners sharing a screen → either. Both support dual-link to two pairs of Bluetooth headphones or earbuds. Avantree is the lighter, longer-running travel pick.
• Best for a permanent spot on a shelf → PinPure. More cables, more inputs, more jobs — and the size stops mattering once it stops moving.
If I were buying for myself and my use was overwhelmingly air travel, I'd take the Avantree Relay. In my opinion, the combination of up to 25 hours of playtime, aptX Adaptive, onboard volume controls, and a genuinely pocketable design makes it the better travel companion — and the transmitter-only limitation is a non-issue if flying is the point.
If I wanted one adapter that also handles a TV, a home stereo, a car aux jack, and occasional receiving duty, I'd take the PinPure Transmitter Receiver instead. It does less on battery and more everywhere else. Check the current price on Amazon before deciding, since that's the one variable that can flip this call.
Both work on airplane seatback screens and both support two pairs of headphones. Avantree gives you longer rated battery (up to 25 hours vs up to 18) and a slimmer body; PinPure gives you a receiver mode and a bigger accessory kit. For pure flying, I'd lean Avantree.
No. Avantree states it's transmitter-only — no microphone, and not intended for phone calls, TVs, hearing aids, musical instruments, or receiving audio. If you need any of that, the PinPure's 2-in-1 design is the relevant one.
Yes. Avantree advertises dual-link for two pairs of Bluetooth headphones or earbuds, and PinPure advertises connecting up to two devices, with RX mode also handling two phones or computers concurrently.
Both use Qualcomm chips and support aptX HD. Avantree adds aptX Adaptive; PinPure adds aptX Low Latency and AAC. In my opinion the differences show up mainly in latency (PinPure is the better fit for TV and video) rather than in raw fidelity, and both depend heavily on what your headphones support.
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