Complete Novice Needing Help With Whole House Speaker System

[a2mom]

We have an old whole house audio system that sounds pretty good. Speakers and volume controls in five rooms.

All of the different wires are threaded through a central location to a TC-25 5 way professional stereo speaker control box. I have it connected to an old amplifier, but it's a dinosaur.

We don't use the system very often, and I'd really like to play bluetooth music using this system. Is there anything I could connect to this control box to that would allow us to do that? Some sort of small receiver? (I really don't know the difference between an amplifier and a receiver. . .).

Thanks in advance. .

 

[}Fear_Inoculum{]

You probably need a Bluetooth capable AVR/Receiver.

In general terms, an AVR (Audio Video Receiver) is a brain box that processes both audio and video signals that you feed into it, then moves those signals to the appropriate output. AVR have built in amplifiers. In most cases there is no need for external amplification.

An amplifier is simply that. It is a power source that connects to either an AVR via the pre outs, or to an AVP (Audio Video Pre processor) that has no internal amplifiers to power your speakers.

In either case, as I said you simply need an AVR that is Bluetooth capable to connect to your control box, so that you can stream music to the AVR, and through the control box to your speakers.

 

[a2mom]

You probably need a Bluetooth capable AVR/Receiver.

In general terms, an AVR (Audio Video Receiver) is a brain box that processes both audio and video signals that you feed into it, then moves those signals to the appropriate output. AVR have built in amplifiers. In most cases there is no need for external amplification.

An amplifier is simply that. It is a power source that connects to either an AVR via the pre outs, or to an AVP (Audio Video Pre processor) that has no internal amplifiers to power your speakers.

In either case, as I said you simply need an AVR that is Bluetooth capable to connect to your control box, so that you can stream music to the AVR, and through the control box to your speakers.

Would this work? https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B09TW6Y3FB/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A1YX4W46FS64NK&psc=1

 

[lovinthehd]

How far away would you be in various parts of the house as far as that central amp goes? BT has limited range, might be better to think about a wifi solution.

 

[a2mom]

How far away would you be in various parts of the house as far as that central amp goes? BT has limited range, might be better to think about a wifi solution.

It would be pretty far away. I'm actually not opposed to plugging something in or using wifi, I'm mainly interested to know if I can ditch the 70's receiver.

 

[lovinthehd]

Is this your TC-25? https://www.amazon.com/Technolink-TC-25-Speaker-Selector-Headphone/dp/B078RSGLDM

A receiver is a combination of generally a radio tuner (or in modern gear internet connectivity), a pre-amp and an amp all in a single box. An amp is generally just that, also known as a power amp. What are you using now?

 

[a2mom]

Is this your TC-25? https://www.amazon.com/Technolink-TC-25-Speaker-Selector-Headphone/dp/B078RSGLDM

A receiver is a combination of generally a radio tuner (or in modern gear internet connectivity), a pre-amp and an amp all in a single box. An amp is generally just that, also known as a power amp. What are you using now?

Yes, that’s the TC-25! I’m using a Sony receiver.

 

[lovinthehd]

Yes, that’s the TC-25! I’m using a Sony receiver.

Which Sony receiver?

 

[a2mom]

Which Sony receiver?

It is STR-DH100

 

[lovinthehd]

It is STR-DH100

You say you want to ditch it.....but why particularly? What do you want a new unit to do (other than BT/wifi)? Everything sounds okay otherwise? Or?

 

[lovinthehd]

Also, what do you plug into the receiver now for audio sources? Or just use the radio?

 

[a2mom]

You say you want to ditch it.....but why particularly? What do you want a new unit to do (other than BT/wifi)? Everything sounds okay otherwise? Or?

I would just like something smaller/simpler. We don’t use the radio, and I do think if we had Bluetooth we’d use it more. The only way we can connect to it now is with an old iPad that has the round audio input connector.

 

[lovinthehd]

I would just like something smaller/simpler. We don’t use the radio, and I do think if we had Bluetooth we’d use it more. The only way we can connect to it now is with an old iPad that has the round audio input connector.

That could be your wifi receiver? You connect it to the receiver via a 3.5mm to rca adapter or ? All your phones/computers also apple? I'm not an apple person, but specific iPad info might help others chime in. That's not a particularly large receiver but there are smaller units available....but not by a lot and depends how much you want to spend. You can plug in an adapter to the receiver for apple products that uses Airplay if your iPad can't perform that function. The Audio Chromecast was a great wifi adapter, but no longer in production (but available on ebay but at much higher prices than originally).

Bluetooth as I said is range limited, so it may not be as useful as you think. Plus many streaming services, as well as phones/computers, will just still connect directly via wifi, even if using a phone/tablet/pc as a source.