[Closed] Hi Fi buff help please

What actual kit have you got now - amplifier etc?

The simplest, cheapest thing would be to just add a bluetooth adaptor to your current amp and some instructions on how to use it.

You can get a 'bluetooth headphone adaptor' for less than £10 on Ebay. Power it permanently from a usb charger. Visitor just needs to hold down the button on it until the light flashes, connect your phone. job done.

edit. this looks more 'permanent'.

Probably easier than buying a new amp with bluetooth built in

I'd say an amp with Bluetooth / AirPlay would do it?

Bluesound box an option - but would need an amp.

If you have an old amp, Yamaha make the WXAD-10 which seems like a good cheapish way to add bluetooth and wifi streaming. (I'm thinking of getting a couple of these for home.)

Actual experts will be along soon to help you properly, though.

Yep.  Bluetooth or AppleAirplay are the way to go.  I used an Airplay years ago now and it was fantastic.  Don't put your computer on the network under any circumstances, you have no idea what sort of youngsters might be staying 🙂

In any case, before you do any of this please by proper cooking stuff for the kitchen.  I've never rented a place where I've been upset by the provision of fully integrated hifi but I do get pissed off by having to put up with crappy castoffs from the owners main house - the blunter and grubbier the better 🙂

hahaha yes , and a decent coffee maker please 🙂

From the OP's general tone, I reckon those things are covered off though 😉

At the moment I have a full separates system plus the computer all hard wired into a switching box for the speakers. The amp might be on its way out tho - something is causing problems on one channel but it could just be dodgy connections.

4 pairs of speakers, proper switching box, Arcam alpha amp, decent separate CD, turntable etc ( not been used for years)

One of those newer Denon micros with built in Blutooth?

Nice kit and very simple.

In any case, before you do any of this please by proper cooking stuff for the kitchen.

Thats a odd one for us. We have hardly bought any kitchen stuff in 40 years! We bought two houses full of contents and using the mantra "reduce, reuse, recycle have happily used all this stuff. It is on the list tho - we will have to buy new and decent stuff for the holidaymakers!

does the coffee machine have to integrate with the music system?

One of those newer Denon micros with built in Blutooth?

Was literally about to suggest:

https://www.richersounds.com/denon-dm41-dab-blk.html

Or even:

https://www.hifix.co.uk/denon-pma60-amplifier

does the coffee machine have to integrate with the music system?

🙂

Those Denon's look quite expensive.

Why not something like this - DAB and Bluetooth built in so radio for if people aren't tech enough to connect their phone.

https://www.richersounds.com/yamaha-dab-bluetooth-stereo-receiver.html

Cheers TJ, this has just resolved an issue that I’ve been pondering over.

Dunno if it will tick the right boxes but I've got a Yamaha MusicCast WXAD-10 wireless receiver plus a few other MusicCast devices. Works an absolute treat for streaming music from various sources to any speakers on the wifi network. Only slight technological hitch is the requirement to use the MusicCast app, but apart from that it sounds almost exactly what you're after.

edit - just seen this from earlier:

If you have an old amp, Yamaha make the WXAD-10 which seems like a good cheapish way to add bluetooth and wifi streaming. (I’m thinking of getting a couple of these for home.)

Cost me about £120 iirc.

Flying ox - the speakers are hard wired all back to a central point

I want it so anyone with a smart phone can play music easily

There might be an issue with Bluetooth depending on the layout of the flat, how far away would the BT need to be?

So if I’m laying in bed listening to the bedroom speakers will my phone BT reach the receiver? Replace bedroom with any room that has wired speakers.

The “proper” solution is to replace the amp with the new Sonos Amp (Or similar from another manufacturer). But it’s not perfect for multiple users as you need an app to control it and have to attach accounts to it to get the best from it. It does have AirPlay though (and maybe Bluetooth). Also quite expensive.

I have no idea how far bluetooth reaches - the flat is fairly compact tho so withthe receiver in the intended position its no more than about 8 m to the furthest point and one stone wall to go thru.

Anything that needs an app is no good I don't think - I want it so the tenants can just play music on their phones thru the speakers

So if I've understood correctly you already have a hifi system with multiple speakers around the house.

You are looking for a solution to allow people to connect their phone to the hifi and play music through the existing system?

Just get a bluetooth adapter box and plug that into a spare input on the amplifier. You just press a button, pair your phone to the box and you can steam audio from your phone to the hifi system. You don't need to download any extra apps etc...

I have a cheapo Aukey branded one from Amazon, cost £15 and is a little tiny box about as big as 2 match boxes and powered via USB, I have a 3.5mm jack to RCA cable to connect it to my hifi. Sound is absolutely fine for casual listening no problem at all. If sound quality is important to you then there are more expensive branded ones that support newer bluetooth formats and Apple Airplay for better sound quality.

The only issue with this is you have to leave your phone in bluetooth range of the receiver box. If you want the ability for them to walk about the whole house controlling the audio with their phone at their finger tips then things get a bit more expensive but still very possible to do.

jairaj

Yes you understand it correctly

How far is bluetooth range? I have a wee bluetooth speaker I can experiment with

Thanks

No idea what max range would be, but I've had a iPhone SE connected to a UE bluetooth speaker standing about 20m away, outdoors with full line of sight.

Distance drops off once you put people or walls in the way. New build houses with hollow walls attenuate the signal less than old school houses with thick solid walls.

I have modern built flat (~15 years old) and my phone connects fine to receiver when I walk into the room next door. So say ~5m away and one wall in-between.

If you cannot get a proper mechanical Jukebox up the stairs then a cheap turntable on top of the fridge should do it, they can wash their records in the dishwasher.

BT range seems to be very variable. I’ve got a small speaker and I was surprised to find it was still playing with my phone upstairs about 20m away.

The stereo in the camper barely works from back to front of van.

I think you might have to buy something and experiment.

Anything that needs an app is no good I don’t think

I agree unless you’re looking at longer term rents

I think that having to keep your phone near the amp sounds like an ok compromise.

A 3.5 mm lead to push into the head phone jack would be nice as well.

I was going to say just get a lead that connects the headphone socket of phones, laptops, ipads to the aux inputs of the amp.

Ta

Problem is now a days mobiles devices have stopped including a normal 3.5mm jack. You now have USB-C and lightening connectors on phones.

So you end up with 3 cables or adapters; 3.5mm cable for older devices, either separate cable or adapter for the USB-C and another cable or adapter for lightening. Thats assuming nobody goes and invents another connection standard ...

Easier and probably about the same cost to just add a bluetooth receiver and have almost universal connectivity. You're going to have to try hard to find a device in use today that does music streaming without bluetooth.

I would add a chromecast audio and an echo dot. The chromecast would allow most users to connect & control from anywhere in their flat, the echo dot allows bluetooth plus other news\updates\music (if you have spotify or amazon music yourself) with it etc

you could add serveral echo dots, for the ability to control music by voice from anywhere in the flat

I would add a chromecast audio

This was my first thought, I posted it earlier then deleted it when I realised Chromecast Audio devices have been discontinued and I'm not aware of an alternative. Full-fat Chromecasts require HDMI which I assumed TJ's stereo doesn't have.

Might find one second-hand in t'ebay I suppose.

What sir requires is a tangent bluetooth miniamp from Richer Sounds. People will come with their phones for radio, Spotify, Deezer.... They are excellent. Son1 has one and I love it. Hard wire to some speakers.

https://www.richersounds.com/tangent-bluetooth-stereo-amplifier.html

Do people actually want a multiroom system? If there's a few people staying there, they might want different music in each room. Seems overly complicated if you need to use a switching box etc.

Simpler just to get a few Google Home speakers. People can just speak to it, and ask it to play Spotify etc. Or cast from a phone.

Craig - the system is already in. I wouldn't be putting it in for a holiday let but I might as well make it usable for them. All wires are buried in the wall and we will want it when we go back to the flat so I don't want to take it all out.

That Yamaha streaming device (Yamaha MusicCast WXAD-10) is a good piece of kit for the money and will stream from the phone easily but for full use needs to be signed into the streaming service via the MusicCast app which may be a step to far for whoever is managing the lets for you.

Similarly those suggesting the Google Home stuff they require a logged in streaming account to work.

You will require something that will accept a connection from the guest's phone that doesn't require a logged in streaming service to function otherwise your rental manager is going to be re-setting the device after each guest.

Similarly those suggesting the Google Home stuff they require a logged in streaming account to work.

Yes, you will need to link it to an account for Google Music or Spotify etc when setting it up. But you could create a new account for that speaker, and leave it logged in. When anyone speaks to it, it will automatically play through that account.
If anyone wants to use their own account, they can cast from a phone.

From my experience of holiday let's a decent music system is way down the list of things that are provided. Just get a BT adaptor, I've got a Logitech one that's nice and small and has a 3.5mm connection too, can't remember if it came with the cable. Otherwise I'd just get a portable BT speaker.

eBay is full of little Bluetooth amps like this: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/254220791841 that seem good for the requirement.

Anyone used one like that? Tempted to get one for the garage to make use of some old bookshelf speakers.