How To Set Up Wireless Speakers To Computer

So, you have a pair of wired speakers that are connected to a stereo receiver you lot love, or mayhap yous have a self-powered pair, or a 2.1 system that's perfect for watching movies. But all of your friends are buying smart speakers they can talk to, or at to the lowest degree stream music to, and you want to go far on the wireless revolution. Nosotros're here to help. At that place are plenty of ways to introduce wireless connectivity to your current setup, most of which are relatively cheap and piece of cake to accomplish.

Chromecast Audio

Google Chromecast Audio

This is the easiest solution if you have merely 1 speaker y'all want to turn wireless (a brusk daisy-chain of cables volition permit you run a stereo pair). Google Chromecast Audio is, like the proper name says, an audio version of Google's Chromecast media streamer. It streams stereo sound over Wi-Fi using the Google Cast platform, letting you play music from your smartphone, tablet, or computer. It outputs through a combination 3.5mm aux/optical port, letting yous hook it up straight to a speaker or a receiver.

At just $35, the Chromecast Audio doesn't come with a lot of accessories. The package includes merely the Chromecast Audio itself, a USB cable, a USB power adapter, and a 3.5mm audio cablevision. If you want to hook it up through an optical connexion, yous need to get a 3.5mm-to-TOSLINK adapter. If you desire to hook it up to a stereo pair of speakers, you need to go a 3.5mm stereo splitter that turns the unmarried 3.5mm output into a pair of RCA stereo plugs. If your speakers take RCA ports, that'south all you need to do. If they merely have 3.5mm aux ports and you still want stereo, yous need to get RCA-to-3.5mm-mono adapters to connect the Chromecast Audio to both speakers.

As a Wi-Fi adapter, Chromecast Audio supports multi-room systems like many of the other Wi-Fi devices below. This means you tin can employ several in different rooms and control multiple speakers effectually the house individually or all at once.

Echo Dot

Amazon Echo Dot

If you want to control your speakers with your vox, the Amazon Echo Dot is the way to get. This puck-shaped device is itself a pocket-size speaker, just more than chiefly, it's a Wi-Fi-connected microphone array that lets you lot utilize Amazon'due south Alexa voice assistant. And it has a iii.5mm output for connecting it to a bigger speaker.

Like the Chromecast Audio, you tin plug the Echo Dot into your powered speaker, or powered speaker pair with some adapters. With Alexa listening to your commands, this means yous can enquire for any music available through Amazon (or other Alexa-supported streaming services) and information technology will commencement playing through your speakers.

The Repeat Dot also serves every bit a Bluetooth receiver, and then you tin stream music to your speakers from your phone. It isn't quite likewise-suited for multi-room speaker systems as the Chromecast Audio, though; you lot tin assign different Repeat Dots to different rooms and play music through voice commands, but but streaming from your telephone will exist point-to-betoken with Bluetooth.

Of course, these solutions will only work straight with powered speakers; if yous desire to apply unpowered speakers y'all'll need to gear up an amp or employ a receiver, and if that's the case you might want to cutting out the Chromecast Audio or Repeat Dot completely and look at...

Audioengine B1 Bluetooth Music Receiver

Bluetooth and Wi-Fi Amps

For Bluetooth streaming, we recommend a box similar the $189 Audioengine B1 Bluetooth Receiver. You connect its RCA output to one of the inputs on your stereo receiver (or to your powered speakers), pair it with your mobile device, and you lot're set. The advantage of a box similar the Audioengine B1 is a loftier-quality Bluetooth stream aided past excellent 24-fleck upsampling digital-to-analog conversion (DAC).

Some Bluetooth adapters like the Klipsch PowerGate feature more controls and connectedness options than the Audioengine B1. Similar the B1, the Klipsch PowerGate streams audio to your speakers, but it also includes an internal amplifier—substantially eliminating the need for an integrated stereo receiver with its 2x100W amp and 24-bit DAC. The forepart face has a volume knob and a headphone jack; think of it less every bit a selectable source for your stereo receiver (like the Audioengine B1) and more like a replacement for the receiver. The PowerGate utilizes both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, allowing it to function as a multi-room hub for your house (using the Klipsch Stream app), and information technology even has a phono preamp built in for when streaming isn't the priority.

For pure Wi-Fi multi-room speaker systems, Sonos basically invented the game. The company doesn't just make wireless speakers, either; the Sonos Connect:Amp does essentially the same thing equally the other boxes nosotros've mentioned. You can connect its output to your speakers, and it delivers 55 watts per channel. You can control information technology using the Sonos app, and the app will add your wired speakers to the listing of your various listening zones (if yous choose to purchase into the Sonos earth and go some wireless speakers for the residual of the house). Sonos uses Wi-Fi, not Bluetooth, equally it claims that the sound stream is higher fidelity.

One of the more pop options for a budget setup is the Logitech Bluetooth Audio Receiver. It's merely $40, and it's about as no-frills as yous can go. Y'all won't necessarily exist getting the same level of audio quality as you will from the above-mentioned options, but it'due south a fraction of the price.

Outlaw Audio OAW4 Wireless Audio System

The No-Cables Receiver Setup

There'southward also some other route for those of yous looking to eliminate even the speaker cables from your setup. There are options similar the Outlaw Audio OAW4 Wireless Audio Organization—plug the RF transmitter into your stereo receiver, connect the receiver box to your speaker, and you essentially eliminate your speaker cables.

Technically, y'all're still using a cablevision to connect the receiver to your speaker, but the included cables are short (rather than ones stretching across the room or traveling through walls), with the box sitting atop your speaker or subconscious behind information technology. This organization can also be used with a subwoofer—useful because the all-time placement for a sub tin can frequently exist inconvenient in terms of running speaker cable to it.

Samson adapter

Bring Speaker Docks Back From the Dead

And for those of yous who wish you could still use your dear 30-pivot connector speaker dock from the early on days of iPods and iPhones, there are even solutions for that. Though it's hardly the just pick available, Samson makes an affordable 30-pin adapter that substantially connects where your onetime phone or iPod would have, and one time it's docked, you can stream directly to it. And just like that, your obsolete speaker is suddenly churning out sound over again.

In that location'south no reason not to make your current wired speakers wireless—there are expensive, loftier-end options, of course, just the basic route can be done for a depression price and lilliputian effort. It'south also worth noting that the products we've mentioned are simply some standouts that actually only represent the tip of the iceberg—you have a plethora of options and a broad toll range.

And if you observe yourself really digging your new wireless setup and want to cut the cord through the balance of your home, bank check out The All-time Wireless and Bluetooth Speakers nosotros've tested.

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