How to Add Bluetooth to an A/V or Stereo Receiver
If you’re pursuing an entirely wireless home theater (our guide), you’ll probably consider adding Bluetooth to your receiver at some point. There are a lot of different Bluetooth receivers on the market. Not all of them are intended for home theater sound, so you need to know what you are looking for before you hit that order button.
To add Bluetooth to an A/V or Stereo Receiver, you can use a wireless Bluetooth adapter. These devices come in a range of based on the quality you need, and they’re simple to use.
Adding Bluetooth to your home theater system including your TV (our guide) can allow you the ability to play DJ right from your phone. You can also play from a number of other devices including laptops and some Smart home devices.
How to Install a Bluetooth Receiver
There’s a lot more detail on what to look for in a Bluetooth receiving unit, and how to deploy it below, but first, it’s good to know just how simple these can be to install. The good news is these steps are very simple, and will be the same for any Bluetooth receiver you find.
Choose the Hardware
The first step will be to review the information below and gain some confidence in the hardware you’ve chosen. After you pick a receiver though, you can rest assured that the install is mostly the same from unit to unit.
Here’s a very simple Bluetooth audio adapter (on Amazon) that will work perfectly with basically every receiver out there.
Connect the Bluetooth Adapter to the Receiver
Next, you’ll need to actually connect the two devices using the red and white A/V cables that will come with the adapter. These are also known as RCA cables, and there will only be two of them because of the limitations of Bluetooth technology – it will only carry two channels of sound. We have more details on what sound channels are and how to think about them if you need it, but the bottom line is this is a serious limitation.
However, the cables will be simple to install: match the red and white RCA cables up with the Bluetooth adapter’s red and white outlet ports, then plug the other end of the cables to your receiver’s red and white RCA input ports.
Connect a Device to the Bluetooth Adapter
With your equipment connected, you’re ready to make the wireless connection. Power on the Bluetooth adapter and connect it to your audio source via Bluetooth, using the pairing method specified by the adapter’s manufacturer.
It should be as simple as turning the unit on and finding it in your phone or computer’s Bluetooth pairing menu, but be sure to check the manual if you don’t immediately see it as an option.
Power On and Test
Now that everything’s connected, you’re ready to power on the receiver and test things out. You may have to change the input on the receiver to the channels you’ve plugged the RCA cables into, so, if you don’t hear anything at first, check the receiver’s manual for instructions on how to change the input.
Choosing the Right Equipment
First, make sure you have a Bluetooth receiver with output plugs matching the input plugs of the channel you intend to use on your A/V or stereo receiver. If you don’t have one or can’t find one that matches, get the appropriate converter cable.
Apart from USB connections, Bluetooth receivers have nearly universally analog audio output. If your A/V or stereo receiver only has digital inputs, you may need to buy a converter unit that plugs into the wall.
Generally, there are two kinds of Bluetooth receivers: battery-powered and wall-powered. Typically, battery-powered units are used for the auxiliary input of car radio systems. They seem nice in that they have fewer cables. But they may come at the cost of needing to recharge or replace batteries.
Wall powered receivers are generally better for a home theater system. They might require you to extend your surge protector, but it’s worth it. Once you have it set up, there is practically no maintenance.
A High-Quality Bluetooth Adapter Option
One of the biggest issues with Bluetooth for audio will be the signal strength. If you want the best hardware you can get to try and mitigate the possible issues with wireless Bluetooth signals, you want a unit like the Avantree Oasis Plus Bluetooth 5.0 Transmitter Receiver (on Amazon).
The Bluetooth 5 feature will be critical to your signal strength, and this unit also pulls triple duty by being a Bluetooth broadcaster and receiver (more on Bluetooth 5 in our comprehensive guide).
So it solves your receiver problem, while also adding more functionality by routing sound to other devices such as from your TV to a pair of wireless headphones.
A budget-Friendly Option
Luckily Bluetooth technology is pretty well understood at this point, and pretty cheap to implement. Units like this esinkin Bluetooth Audio Adapter (on Amazon) can take in your Bluetooth signals and convert them to left and right channel sound without coming close to breaking the bank.
This option is limited by the low number of channels, but that’s the devil’s bargain of Bluetooth convenience – that wireless signal just can’t carry all the channels.
Drawbacks of Bluetooth
Bluetooth is mostly intended for broadcasting signals between portable devices, introduced to the public primarily through wireless headsets. Although many modern home theater systems offer Bluetooth connectivity, it should be one of your last resorts for wireless audio transmission.
Range
Bluetooth is mostly intended for you to be able to connect personal devices together without headphone wires or other cables to bog you down. It’s most common for connecting to a car audio system, a portable speaker, or other audio devices you expect to be close by when using.
Bluetooth only has a range of 30 feet. You can use it for a playlist on your phone, but depending on how far you want to travel with it, you may be out of luck. Bluetooth 5 promises three to ten times this range.
However, this requires that both the receiver you buy and the device you want to connect to it to have Bluetooth 5. Although it has been available since 2017, it’s still mostly only available in top-of-the-line devices.
Channels
Granted, you probably won’t need more, but Bluetooth is only capable of two-channel stereo sound. In the unlikely event that you want to broadcast 3.x or 5.x audio to your receiver, your sound will be compressed into two channels. There is no way to get 3.x audio or higher from a Bluetooth receiver.
Quality
Another drawback is the circuit of a Bluetooth receiver. There are basically no Bluetooth receivers that transmit a digital audio signal that most home theater systems would be able to receive.
As a result, you are taking a digital signal from your device (already lossy), translating that signal into a Bluetooth signal (still lossier), and translating that into an analog signal (not lossy). It may go further, translating back into a digital signal in your home theater, and then again into an analog signal to your speakers.
Two Ways to Set Up a Bluetooth Receiver
But there are actually two ways to connect a Bluetooth receiver to your home theater. Which you choose will depend on how you intend to use it. This may determine the equipment you need. So, determine which method you are using first before you start making purchases.
Separate Channel (Safest Way)
The safest way to set up a Bluetooth receiver is to connect it to the audio inputs of its own channel on your receiver. Once you’ve selected an input channel, connect the right and left channels of the Bluetooth receiver to the corresponding input channels. with the appropriate cables.
This will allow you to select the input channel and play music from any device that can connect to Bluetooth. When testing your sound levels, connect to the Bluetooth with your device’s volume all the way down. Begin playing music and raise the volume to maximum if it isn’t too loud.
The advantage of this method is that the sound is routed through your home theater system’s processing. This means it will be controlled by the master volume. So say you’re having a party where people are fighting over the Bluetooth. You don’t have to worry about someone blowing out everyone’s eardrums with their full volume blast beats.
HT Bypass (Best Sound)
Some A/V or stereo receivers come with a separate HT (home theater) bypass. This allows you to bypass the preamp stage and send your sound directly through the power amplifier into your left and right speakers and your subwoofer. The advantage here also being you aren’t getting muddy crossover from your center and rear speakers.
This is risky because there is no processing done by your unit whatsoever. That means that your volume control comes entirely from the volume of the audio itself. So if you accidentally connect with your phone at full volume, you could damage your speakers.
Let’s Get Wireless
So by now, you’re probably in a good position to make a decision. You can get a Bluetooth audio adapter, connect your device, and start living the wireless audio dream. You may be limited to two channels, but that’s the price you pay for the elegance of fewer wires.
Posted on Last updated: May 17, 2023
Logitech Bluetooth Audio Adapter 980-000914
The Logitech Bluetooth Audio Adapter offers the newest feature which is the wireless streaming to most speakers or home stereo systems.
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The Logitech Bluetooth Audio Adapter offers the newest feature which is the wireless streaming to most speakers or home stereo systems. It is capable to provide convenience and ease of use by means of simple bluetooth pairing that enables smartphone and tablet with a convenient one-push pairing button. This bluetooth audio adapter can connect to any speaker with a 3.5mm or RCA connection.
Brand New. A brand-new, unused, unopened, undamaged item in its original packaging.
This item comes with 12 month manufacturer’s warranty.
Multi-point Bluetooth Technology Automatic re-pairing Superior acoustics Simple setup Connect to any speaker with a 3.5mm or RCA connection
Bluetooth Audio Adapter RCA to 3.5mm cable Power cable User Guide
Do you have a question about this product? Please call 1800 90 90 99.
Logitech Bluetooth Audio Adapter Review
Impeccable connectivity and the multi-device pairing, at a reasonable price.
Jason has been writing for tech and media companies for nearly ten years. He reviews audio products, including speakers and headphones for Lifewire.
Logitech Bluetooth Audio Adapter Receiver
This is a great little Bluetooth audio receiver that has a lot going for it, from stable connectivity to a very wallet-friendly price.
Logitech Bluetooth Audio Adapter Receiver
We purchased the Logitech Bluetooth Audio Adapter so our expert reviewer could thoroughly test and assess it. Keep reading for our full product review.
The Logitech Bluetooth Audio Receiver is everything you need in a receiver, and virtually nothing else. Logitech is a brand known for high quality devices, primarily in the consumer computer market. Where this differs from their industry standard keyboards and mice is that a Bluetooth receiver has to play in the high-end audio space. To be fair, this isn’t a bad receiver—in our tests it worked simply and flawlessly, and did so for a great price. You’ll sacrifice some more expensive features, like premium design and modern Bluetooth codecs, but for about 20, the number of concessions is shockingly low. Here’s how our unit performed in about a week of testing.
Design: Looks better in pictures than in real life
This was a vexing category for us when testing this unit. All the pictures shown on the Logitech site, and even on the box itself, showed a really premium-looking device. This is something we were really eager to rave about in the review, because at this price point, Bluetooth receivers tend to look cheap and bargain-basement. When we pulled the unit out of the box, however, it looked cheaper than the photos would imply.
With the exception of its cheap-looking design, the Logitech Bluetooth receiver checks off virtually every necessity you’d expect on a unit like this.
That’s not to say it doesn’t have its design merits—sleek, sharp edges, with a bit of a depression on the inside that houses a blue-accented button. On the front, “Logi” is written in nice-looking lettering. We’re not sure why they abbreviated their brand in this instance, but it does look nice. Where the design falls short is the back of the unit, dull-looking blue plastic that houses the inputs and outputs.
Durability and Build Quality: Solid build and stable feet
On the flipside of the design coin is the build quality. Many Bluetooth receiver units at this price point tend to look sleek but feel flimsy—the Logitech is the opposite. At 1.2oz, it isn’t even nearly the heaviest unit we tested, but because most of the enclosure is built of a hard, sharp-edged, matte plastic, it felt really substantial.
The rubber on the bottom of the unit kept it firmly and stably planted in our entertainment set up. Even the inputs and outputs on the back felt really stable when plugging in the included wires.
Setup Process and Connection Stability: Simple and expectedly seamless
One great fact about this receiver unit was just how easy and seamlessly it connected to our Bluetooth devices. Like many of the other budget options, there are no bells and whistles here—no Wi-Fi connectivity or app support. Instead, you pull it out of the box, plug it in, and turn it on using the giant Bluetooth-logo button on the top. From here, it’s in pairing mode automatically, and you’ll find it in your device’s Bluetooth list pretty easily. To pair to another device, you simply need to tap that button again.
The Logitech adapter can store up to eight different Bluetooth devices in its memory, and you can even have two of them connected to the receiver at once. This is great for homes with a lot of Bluetooth devices, or for connecting new ones at a party. There’s pretty modern Bluetooth capabilities here, and Logitech is promising about 50 feet of range, provided there’s good line of site. Our tests showed very little dropout, even from the next room through fairly thick concrete walls. This is impressive considering many budget Bluetooth receivers tend to dropout from room to room. Logitech has built a simple device that just works.
I/O and Controls: Pretty middle-of-the-road
You won’t find any digital optical outputs here, but this unit does pack a 3.5mm aux audio output as well as direct dual RCA outputs as well. This means that connecting to your speaker system or your surround sound receiver is easy right out of the box, without the need for cumbersome, sometimes spotty adapters. This is a unit that has all the bare minimums, with none of the flashy premium options.
Sound Quality: Passable, with no modern codecs
Anecdotally, the sound quality on the Logitech was solid for most uses. As we already mentioned, the connectivity is stable, with few-to-no dropouts during our in-apartment tests. That’s half the ballgame when it comes to these budget Bluetooth receivers.
The sound quality on the Logitech was solid for most uses.
The other half is the Bluetooth codec employed. Logitech doesn’t specify on any of its tech sheets which codec is being used. We dug in on our end and found that it’s most likely the base-level SBC codec. This means that any audio you send via the receiver will be compressed to the standard Bluetooth levels. This isn’t necessarily a problem, especially if you’re connecting this to everyday speakers. But, if you’re looking to use this receiver with a high end audio system, and want to play audio files other than MP3s, we’d recommend going for something that includes aptX or another less lossy protocol. Again, this isn’t a deal breaker, because most users aren’t going to notice audible degradation, but it’s important to mention.
Price: Really affordable, especially for the quality
With the exception of its cheap-looking design, the Logitech Bluetooth receiver checks off virtually every necessity you’d expect on a unit like this. It offers a really stable connection, decent sound, and feels sturdy and durable. Most impressively, it accomplishes all of this at a ~20 retail price. To be fair, Logitech lists the unit at 40 on their site, but you’ll find it at about half the price at most online retailers. In our book, this is definitely worth it on the basis of connectivity and build quality alone. If you want something that will deliver a bit more on the sound quality front, you’ll have to spend a bit more.
Competition: The best option at this price
Etekcity Roverbeats Unify: Around the same price, you’ll find a smaller, battery-powered unit that you can take with you on the go, but feels noticeably flimsier.
Audioengine B1: This ultra-premium receiver sports a much bigger range, much better sound quality, and of course, a much higher price point.
Echo Link: Amazon’s answer to the Bluetooth receiver space is also much pricier but gives you a lot of functionality that will play nice with other Echo devices.
Cheap in the best way.
The question of whether this is the Bluetooth receiver for you lies largely in how much you’re willing to spend. If price is of supreme importance, this Logitech unit is a sturdy device with really solid connectivity and the option to use a bunch of devices. It won’t, however, give you a premium look and feel or standout sound quality. These are expected concessions though, and based on our testing we definitely recommend this unit for the average user, even if we can’t give it the audiophile stamp of approval.
Logitech Bluetooth Music Receiver review: Forget the aux cord, this little box turns any stereo into a wireless music system
The Logitech Bluetooth Music Receiver is an easy, inexpensive way to add wireless audio streaming to a powered speaker or component audio system.
Congratulations: you just bought a brand new iPhone 7 or 7 Plus. But it doesn’t have a standard headphone jack, and you already misplaced the dongle.
Logitech Bluetooth Music Receiver
The Good
The Logitech Bluetooth Music Receiver streams audio from nearly any mobile device to any stereo or powered speakers with an open input. It’s easy to connect via either 3.5mm or RCA and you can link multiple devices to it at once. The wireless range extends up to 50 feet (15 meters) away and it holds a strong connection within reasonable distance.
The Bad
The Chromecast Audio offers better sound quality and multiroom options via Wi-Fi, making it a better option for Android users.
The Bottom Line
Forget the aux cord.- this Logitech Bluetooth Music Receiver is the easiest way to stream audio from your smartphone or laptop.
Yes, wireless speakers and headphones are cheaper and better than ever before. But if you want to retrofit an existing stereo system or old boom box to be wireless compatible, the Logitech Bluetooth Music Receiver is just the ticket. This little box makes anything with an auxiliary line-in.- including any old set of PC speakers.- Bluetooth compatible, so you can stream audio from pretty much any smartphone, tablet or Mac.- any many PCs, too. Best of all it retails for as little as 30 (£30, AU55).
This model is the second generation of Logitech’s popular wireless streaming accessory. The new one is smaller than the first version so it’s easy to hide behind a receiver or a speaker, since Bluetooth doesn’t need line of sight with the source to operate. Like the original, the device draws power from a wall adapter that plugs into the back.
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The rear also has a 3.5mm port and RCA jacks to output audio, and the box includes a 3.5mm-to-RCA cable so you can run it in whichever direction you want depending on the audio source in use. The convenience of this system is its flexibility.- you can hook it up to anything with a free input, including a stereo, AV receiver, TV or PC speakers.
Once you wire the adapter to an input, all you have to do is link it to your Bluetooth-enabled device via the pairing button on top. Press it once to put it in pairing mode, then simply click on the adapter in your device’s Bluetooth settings menu to connect. Your speakers should emit an audible jingle to let you know the pairing is successful, and that’s it. You can even connect two devices at once so you don’t have to keep switching them on and off, but only one source will play audio at a time.
According to Logitech, the range of the Bluetooth connection is 50 feet (15 meters). I was actually able to walk a little farther than that in my apartment without dropping the connection, but your mileage may vary depending on other devices you have in the same room, the thickness of your walls and so forth. But like nearly any Bluetooth device, you’ll still get occasional wireless hiccups and dropouts.
Wireless streamers compared
There are a few rival Bluetooth adapters on market, but the Belkin models are now discontinued and the Bose costs twice as much as the Logitech (though it adds digital audio-out.)
That leaves the Chromecast Audio from Google. The Chromecast and the Logitech are about the same price and they accomplish the same goal, turning any stereo with an open auxiliary port into a wireless music system, but with a few key differences in features.
The Chromecast uses Wi-Fi to connect and offers full-resolution 24-bit/96kHz audio resolution playback. You can buy multiple units and add them to several speakers to listen simultaneously in different rooms. It offers universal compatibility on Android devices, but iPhones and iPads are limited to outputting audio from a smaller list of compatible apps. (You can also output audio from the Chrome browser on Mac or Windows.)
In contrast, the Logitech uses Bluetooth for music playback, which compresses audio files to send them over the air. In a nutshell, the music might not sound as dynamic and full as a Chromecast Audio hookup if you’re listening through high-quality bookshelf or floor-standing speakers (if you’re using TV speakers or PC speakers, you won’t notice much difference). On the other hand, the advantage of Bluetooth is that you can output audio from any application on your computer or phone.
For example, I plugged it into my stereo at home and really enjoyed listening to movies and TV shows downloaded locally on my computer using VLC.- I wouldn’t be able to do that with a Chromecast.
The decision to buy either the Chromecast or the Logitech Bluetooth adapter comes down to deciding how you’ll use them. If the idea of multiroom playback and audio fidelity are a big deal to you, you want the Chromecast.
But if you’re just trying to output audio from a single source and don’t want to be held back by compatible applications (and don’t mind a slight dip in audio quality), the Logitech Bluetooth Music Receiver is your best bet.
