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If you have Bluetooth speakers, you might think that their use cases are limited to wireless pairing to a single source device. The truth is, you can cram more resources into your speakers around your house and your home entertainment system, as long as you’re willing to get creative.
Also: I traded in my Sonos Era 300 for a new Denon home speaker – and I see no reason to go back.
Whether you connect a Bluetooth speaker directly to your TV to create a temporary audio channel, or buy a small audio receiver to turn your analog speakers into smart speakers, you have options. Even the cheapest smart speakers cost at least $200, and these tips are free or don’t cost more than $90.
1. Extend the sound of your TV to different rooms
An easy way to maximize the use of your Bluetooth speaker is to connect it directly to your TV. Before I added the Sonos Era 100 to my kitchen counter, I used this trick all the time.
If your TV has native Bluetooth, you can put your speaker in pairing mode and add it. If your TV doesn’t have Bluetooth but you have an Apple TV 4K, Amazon Fire TV, Roku, or Google Chromecast connected to it, you can pair your speaker with your streaming stick. If you have one, you’ll need a Bluetooth dongle to connect to your TV.
Also: I finally tried pairing the headphones with my TV streaming stick, and I’m not going back
It’s about simplification, not the right sound. Recently, I connected my TV to a Bluetooth speaker I was sleeping with so I wouldn’t miss Sunday afternoon football while I was fixing Sunday night dinner. In college, I used this trick to listen to The Real Housewives of Atlanta while I got ready in the bathroom.
The only caveat is that you may experience a noticeable lag between your picture and sound. However, this matter did not matter much to me, as I was more interested in listening than watching. Additionally, you’ll need to keep your speaker and TV within Bluetooth range (about 30 feet) to avoid dropping the connection.
2. Turn it into a medium audio channel
If you don’t need a portable solution to extend the sound of your TV, you can create a central sound channel with a Bluetooth speaker. Depending on whether your TV has a line-out port, and your Bluetooth speaker has a line-in port, you can connect your speaker via cable to your TV to play audio.
This trick works well if you’re watching TV in a small room and don’t want to spend money on a sound bar. While you won’t get a high-quality sound experience, you will get a rich sound that accentuates the dialogue.
Also: Your TV can sound even better: 7 simple but unexpected ways to improve sound quality
If you have bookshelf speakers lying around, you can also connect them to your TV via RCA to achieve the same effect. However, you must use active speakers to communicate directly; for passive speakers, you will need an amplifier.
3. Consider smart audio streaming
If you have old powerful speakers without smart features, you can invest in a smart streamer, such as The WiiM Mini. Devices like these connect to your speakers via line-in or optical, and you can set up the WiiM app to enable features like AirPlay and digital voice assistants.
With a few WiiM Mini speakers around your house, you can create a whole-home sound system with your existing speakers, instead of spending hundreds on a new speaker with native smart features.
4. Try the Bluetooth dongle with your receiver
If you have an analog setup that includes an AV receiver, you can connect a Bluetooth receiver to its output port to enable wireless streaming. Your AV receiver probably has a line-out, output, or headphone port; you can connect to any of them.
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Once your Bluetooth receiver is connected, put it in pairing mode and connect your phone to start playing music through your speakers. I highly recommend this trick for people who have a built-in analog system that doesn’t plan on upgrading to digital speakers anytime soon.
5. Reuse the old Amazon speaker
If you have an older Amazon Dot, Spot, Plus, or Show, it should have a line-out port. You can use a 3.5mm cable to connect one of these speakers to your powered analog speakers, connecting Amazon speaker audio to a high-fidelity speaker.
Along with improved sound quality, connecting your Amazon speaker to your analog speakers allows you to use smart features, such as the Alexa voice assistant, to set alarms and issue voice commands.
This trick will only work if you have a fourth-generation or older speaker, as Amazon’s new smart speakers don’t have headphone jacks and instead rely on wireless streaming.
