Sound is one of the most important factors when it comes to entertainment experiences. From music to movies, high quality sound can actually be more important than visuals. This makes it important to have a proper sound system to help you unwind after a long day of work.
While Bluetooth speakers have made life so much easier, they often can’t match the sound quality that wired analog systems can deploy. With that said, wired stereos can be clunky and inconvenient to use, especially with so many wires everywhere.
Luckily, there are some ways that you can get the best of both worlds without sacrificing the high fidelity sound that you know and love from your favorite speaker system. Here is how you can use Bluetooth to get the most out of your at-home sound system.
Benefits of Bluetooth
You probably already use Bluetooth everyday of your life. From switching songs in your wireless headphones to airdropping a file to a friend in the same room, Bluetooth has revolutionized the way we communicate wirelessly.
And if you’ve used Bluetooth before, the main thing you’ve probably realized is how easy it is to use. Without having to worry about compatible ports and adapters or organizing a jungle of cables, this wireless protocol has put efficiency first and foremost.
Because of that, you can also enjoy extended range of motion when it comes to operating your Bluetooth devices. Being able to move about the house while still controlling the music from your phone or laptop is a major benefit of wireless technology as opposed to wired.
Drawbacks
With that said, it doesn’t come without a few negatives. Namely, Bluetooth uses compression and decompression to transmit files wirelessly. Basically, the song you’re hearing out of your Bluetooth headphones is an audio file that has been compressed into a small data file for wireless streaming, and then decompressed into an audio file for your listening.
What this means is that there is a drop in quality, especially when compared to analog sound systems. Those utilize lossless audio codecs, which means that the original recorded sound is what you’ll hear out of the sound system. Many people might not notice a difference, but for the trained audiophile, it can make or break an entertainment experience.
This is why so many people are hesitant to get rid of their wired at-home stereo systems: they just sound so great. However, a lot of people are unaware that they can still experience the benefits of Bluetooth while maintaining that crystal clear sound.
Make Your Wired Systems Bluetooth Compatible
Using the benefits of Bluetooth to make the most out of your wired sound system has never been easier. You’ll just need one (or both) of the following products depending on your needs.
A Bluetooth Music Receiver
The bluMe Bluetooth music receiver and Digital Analog Converter can make any audio system wireless. You can stream music from your phone or laptop directly to your existing Hi-Fi audio system without the need for a special app or wireless router network.
This can give you wireless freedom without the compromise. Through use of the latest Bluetooth 5.0 technology and the Qualcomm CSR8675 audio chipset, this is a low power solution that will deliver high quality audio performance.
A music receiver means that you no longer need to rely on records or CDs to play your favorite music from that high fidelity stereo system. With the aptX HD advanced audio codec, sound data is preserved during transmission, resulting in that ‘better-than-CD’ listening experience that you know and love.
It has digital and analog connectivity, so you can experience full cordless freedom on any wired speaker, big or small. And since it has a range of up to 100 feet, you can clean the whole house while still having full control over your tunes.
A receiver combines the ease of use and accessibility of Bluetooth with the quality of traditional wired systems, and a digital analog converter converts a digital signal into an analog signal, allowing you to transfer music from vinyl records and the like to digital format, such as an MP3.
A Bluetooth Transmitter
If you don’t have a wired sound system, you might have a Bluetooth speaker that you really love. Newer Bluetooth speakers can have exceptionally high quality sound, and being able to stream the sound from your television will make movie nights a lot more exciting.
The problem is that most televisions don’t have Bluetooth functionality, so you need to rely on the poor quality internal speakers to listen to your favorite shows. However, there is an easy solution that doesn’t involve investing in a whole new set of wired speakers.
The bluMe Duo wireless bluetooth audio transmitter can completely change the way you watch movies and shows. It allows TVs to stream high definition audio to a Bluetooth device. And since it can stream to up to two devices at one time, you can make your own surround sound system right in the living room.
Better yet, you can stream to a pair of Bluetooth headphones so that you don’t disturb the people around you.
Sometimes, streaming wireless audio can cause delay when compared to the visuals. This can cause lip-syncing issues that are impossible to fix. But with aptX Low Latency technology, the delay is reduced extensively, eliminating lip-sync issues to give you the smoothes audio/ visual experience available.
Bluetooth transmitters are a perfect way to amp up your sound system, especially if you don’t have a wired set-up to hook up to your television.
Use a Music Streaming Service
Once you’ve gotten a receiver to bring the benefits of Bluetooth to your analog or digital sound system, it’s important that you have the right applications to make the most of it. Since you no longer need physical CDs, cassettes, or records to play music, it’s a good idea to find a music streaming service that lets you play any song directly from your phone.
Spotify is one of the most popular options because it allows users to share curated playlists and see what songs friends are listening to. You can cue up your best friend’s playlist and click through the songs without ever needing to get close to the speaker itself.
Another popular service is Apple Music. It has a sleek design and it is already installed on iPhones and Macbooks, making it a convenient service. While both of these cost a monthly fee, it is much more cost efficient than purchasing records or CDs.
Soundcloud and Pandora are free options, but they do not give you as much freedom as the paid platforms will. Hi-Res streaming options like Tidal, Deezer and Qobuz are also available to enjoy high-quality wireless audio. Regardless, streaming music from your phone is one of the best ways to experience everything Bluetooth has to offer without sacrificing that crisp CD sound.
Do More Than Just Listen to Music
The main goal of a Bluetooth enabled speaker system is to listen to high fidelity music throughout the entire house. However, make the best of your device by using it for even more than just songs.
With the transmitter or receiver, you can watch movies and television shows while also getting the freedom and mobility that Bluetooth has to offer.
On top of that, try listening to podcasts or audiobooks through your sound system. Since you’ll always be in control, you can rewind or fast forward through certain sections no matter where you are at any given moment.
In Summary
Wired audio systems are some of the highest quality sound options, beating out wireless devices almost every time. With that said, theconvenience of Bluetooth is unmatched.
You can turn your stereo system into a Bluetooth compatible device by using a music receiver. This will give you the freedom of Bluetooth without compromising the quality of the existing system. You can also get a transmitter to wireless connect a TV or laptop to a pair of headphones or a wireless speaker.
Once your sound system is Bluetooth enabled, be sure to download a music streaming service that works for you. This gives you access to an endless catalogue of music without having to stock up on CDs or records. Better yet, try listening to podcasts or audiobooks to really experience everything that your new set-up has to offer.
Sources:
https://www.lafilm.edu/blog/the-importance-of-sound/
https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/Media/Formats/Audio_codecs
