Most families have an old hi-fi system at home. And usually they have a pretty good sound. But you still may be tempted to invest in a new Bluetooth speaker that lets you play music straight from you phone without cables. Is there no way to upgrade your old system?
Records, cassettes and CDs around the world are gathering dust on shelves these days as streaming offers the chance to listen to whatever music you like, whenever you like.
Bluetooth speakers loan themselves to this approach to music, but if you have an old stereo system or a decent pair of speakers at home, it’s worth considering giving it a quick Bluetooth upgrade so you can play music from your phone.
The easiest and cheapest way to do this is by using a Bluetooth adapter. This is plugged into the music system via a jack or RCA cable and then can be easily connected up to a streaming device such as a laptop or smartphone via Bluetooth. Adapter prices start at around 20 dollars.
Try to get an adapter that supports the latest version of Bluetooth — currently version 5. At the very least it should be version 4.1, says Markus Sellmann. His company installs professional sound systems.
Using Bluetooth for audio has its weaknesses though. For one, the sound quality is usually diminished. “High Resolution does not work via Bluetooth,” says Joerg Dames, publisher of online hi-fi magazine Fairaudio.
Another factor is the limited range of Bluetooth — the maximum is 10 to 12 metres. Also, if you’re on a phone call you can’t stream music from your smartphone to the Bluetooth adapter at the same time. But if that’s important to you, you can always use an old smartphone or tablet to stream.
For most users, a Bluetooth adapter will be sufficient for their needs. Audio purists might want to choose a streaming device that runs over a wireless local area network (WLAN) instead. These cost around US$40. As well as analogue jack or RCA outputs they have digital audio outputs.
Their advantage over Bluetooth adapters is that there’s no audio quality loss during transmission. They’re usually controlled via app. Compatibility between devices, apps and programs on the home network is provided by universal standards such as UPnP or DLNA.
Some also have proprietary standards such as Google Cast or Apple’s AirPlay onboard. WLAN-based streaming devices can also be used for multi-room audio playing.
There are also network players or streamers from hi-fi manufacturers that you can use to expand your existing audio system. These too are WLAN-based and some can also be connected by network cable which provides a more stable and often faster connection than WLAN.
These network players are not cheap. “You should not spend less than 300 euros if you want to make long-term use of them,” says Karl Berkner from the audiophil-online website. That’s around US$335.
But for genuine music enthusiasts, a network player is the best choice. The sound quality is better than for simple adapters, especially for streaming services that deliver music in HD quality or if the music in your home network is in a lossless file format.
Of course such expenditure really only makes sense if your audio system is of high quality. For people happy with an everyday system, Bluetooth adapters and an old smartphone will suffice. – dpa
