Audiophiles: connect bluetooth equipment to analogue hifi

azapa

Member
Messages
1,300
Well. it did day "other topics".

So I have just discovered the joys of Spotify Premium, 320Kb/s audio. I have a ton of quality analogue amps and speakers etc.

How to connect them? I guess I need a Bluetooth receiver to pair to my mobile phone (or other mobile equipment with spotify on) that has a quality D/A converter that has analogue outputs to enter the big 'ol amplifiers RCA jacks.

Can anyone recommend a nice piece of kit, <500 quid, to do this? I am guessing there are 50 quid or less bits of gear that will do just as well aslo.

THANKS
 

allandwf

Member
Messages
10,958
I use this, but requires a USB connection at PC. Cheap and cheerful but does the job for MP3 and FLAC files. (Got mine in their sale for £100.)
 

Keano

Member
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287
FWIW - I use Spotify Premium in my QP with iphone 5 and genuine Apple cable to play music on the Bose - Sounds a lot better than the CD / Jukebox option.
 

m1980k

Junior Member
Messages
467
A Sonos Connect will allow you to stream Spotify to your Hi Fi. Bear in mind that Spotify sound quality is not as good as CD though. However, it looks like they will be bringing in a CD quality service (probably for an extra £10 a month, like Tidal provide) in the near future. You could also plug one of these https://www.whathifi.com/audioquest/dragonfly-red/review into you laptop and then connect that to your amp. You don't want to go via a smartphone - Spotify cannot output USB audio to a DAC from a phone.
 

outrun

Member
Messages
5,017
A Sonos Connect will allow you to stream Spotify to your Hi Fi. Bear in mind that Spotify sound quality is not as good as CD though. However, it looks like they will be bringing in a CD quality service (probably for an extra £10 a month, like Tidal provide) in the near future. You could also plug one of these https://www.whathifi.com/audioquest/dragonfly-red/review into you laptop and then connect that to your amp. You don't want to go via a smartphone - Spotify cannot output USB audio to a DAC from a phone.

This is almost precisely what I use. I have a Sonos Connect which brings my cinema room into my Sonos system. I have Sonos in 7 other zones including the PlayBar and various smaller speakers. I don't use the Dragonfly to my amp but instead I use it with high quality headphones when listening through my MacBook or my phone. It's the best piece of hi-fi kit for the money ever, makes a huge difference to quality. I also use Tidal, not Spotify because, as mentioned, the quality is better as it's not compressed.
 

azapa

Member
Messages
1,300
Thanks for the ideas guys, although to be honest I got lost with the last two posts!! (not sure what Sonos is, or why I might need it in my life).

The Arcam thingy looks great for my home outfit (PM sent Paul), but how about this for my second home set up, I have a really simple Denon amp and speakers there: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00I59VBH4?psc=1
 

m1980k

Junior Member
Messages
467
You're going to start with compressed audio files from Spotify. And then you'll have the not very audiophile smartphone and bluetooth streamer doing a bunch of encoding and decoding. Or you can buy something more sophisticated to do that job. That's the choice. Maybe try the cheap solution and see if you're happy with it...
 

m1980k

Junior Member
Messages
467
I'd never heard of the Google Chromecast Audio before, but it sounds pretty good:

https://www.whathifi.com/google/chromecast-audio/review

You control it from your smartphone, but it streams the music itself, like a Sonos - it doesn't go via your phone. "Google is keen to stress that wi-fi has a huge advantage over Bluetooth, namely less compression." You can also buy an optical cable to connect to an external DAC if you want to upgrade the sound.
 

outrun

Member
Messages
5,017
Looks like a good solution indeed. Might get one of those for my garage hi-fi. That sounds incredibly ostentatious but it's just made of old bits and pieces that don't have any 2nd hand value such as an old Denon tuner and a Sony 5.1 amp that is pre-HDMI etc !!
 

m1980k

Junior Member
Messages
467
Looks like a good solution indeed. Might get one of those for my garage hi-fi. That sounds incredibly ostentatious but it's just made of old bits and pieces that don't have any 2nd hand value such as an old Denon tuner and a Sony 5.1 amp that is pre-HDMI etc !!

What sounds more ostentatious?

"I drive a Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale."

"I have a Hi-Fi in my garage."

:lol2:
 

azapa

Member
Messages
1,300
just to follow up I went for one of these in the end: http://www.muzohifi.com/ it plays spotify premium directly, not only from your cellphone. The reviews seem good too. I wish it had a digital O/P as one of my amps has a digital in and nice DAC. Will give feedback when gadget arrives.