Do you have a really great speaker or speaker system that you just wish you had Bluetooth enabled so you could stream music wirelessly from your smartphone or computer? The experience of playing Spotify or Apple Music through a solid sound system is deadly. Fortunately, it is far from impossible.
The good news is that almost any regular (non-Bluetooth) speaker can be quickly and easily turned into a Bluetooth streaming device. The bad news is that while you won't have to buy a brand new Bluetooth-enabled speaker, you will have to spend some money. But the options outlined below are fairly inexpensive solutions for bringing your speakers into the wireless world.
The main device you'll need to turn your speakers into a Bluetooth-enabled audio system is an adapter. This adapter plugs into your speaker and accepts incoming Bluetooth connection requests. Enabled, it can transmit Bluetooth streaming to your speaker.
Luckily, these aren't very expensive at all, but they do come with their own feature sets and as such different pricing options. We've selected the best budget, mid-range, and high-end options available, so let's review the choices.
On the bottom end is the AmazonBasics Bluetooth 4.0 audio receiver. It's only $20 on Amazon and simply put, it does the job. It can handle a connection of up to 10 meters (or 30 feet) and one Bluetooth device at a time. If you want something basic that works, shelling out $20 on AmazonBasic's adapter is an easy choice.
However, I would recommend moving on to the middle option on our list:the Logitech Bluetooth Audio Adapter. The retail price is $39.99, but it's currently selling for just over $27 on Amazon. It stays connected to your device up to 15 meters (or 50 feet) away so you're free to roam a little further, and connects to up to two devices at once. You can switch between the devices you want to stream from on the fly. For $7 more than the low-end adapter, Logitech's popular offering is worth it.
People who might consider themselves more authentic audiophiles should consider the Bose Bluetooth Audio Adapter. It's $60 on Amazon and while it drops to that 10-meter connection range, it can remember up to eight different devices you've connected. Additionally, you can switch between three active device connections simultaneously. It is the ideal adapter for large households or parties.
Note: With any adapter, since music is streamed wirelessly via Bluetooth, there may be a slightly noticeable degradation in audio quality. This is normal for all Bluetooth connections and it shouldn't be so noticeable that great speakers suddenly sound poor.Once you get your adapter, setup should be pretty straightforward. First, you'll need to take the included power adapter and plug it into an outlet. Yes, unfortunately these adapters need to run on their own power supply, so make sure the speakers you want to plug yours into are near a wall.
Then take the aux cord and plug one end into your adapter and the other end into the audio In (sometimes called Auxiliary Input ) port of your speaker. This is located in different places on different speakers, so you'll have to search to find it.
The last step would be to connect the adapter to your speaker. How to do this will vary depending on your adapter, so check your instruction manual. Usually you need to press some sort of Connect button (as is the case with the Logitech adapter) and wait to hear a sound that verifies that it is working.
Finally, head to the device you want to stream music from, make sure Bluetooth is turned on, and connect to the Bluetooth adapter through your Bluetooth settings. And you are ready. Start playing music with an active Bluetooth connection to the adapter and it should automatically play through your previously outdated speakers.
ALSO SEE: How to use an Android device as a microphone for Bluetooth speakers
