Q: Is there a way to connect my old receiver to Bluetooth headphones or Bluetooth speakers so we can listen to the headphones wirelessly inside or send music outside to my porch?
If it is possible, what Bluetooth headphones would you recommend for my wife and me, and what Bluetooth speaker to use outside?
A: It is very easy to send Bluetooth signals from an old piece of equipment, as long as it has a headphone output or tape output (also called a tape loop).
Start with a TaoTronics Bluetooth 4.1 transmitter-receiver ($34). It comes with a headphone connection and an RCA connection. Set it to transmit mode and plug it into the receiver's tape output, using the RCA connections. If your receiver does not have a tape output, or if the tape output is in use, plug it in to the receiver's headphone output. You will need a 3.5mm to ¼-inch adapter to use it with older receivers.
Once connected, anything played by the receiver — be it FM, CD, TV or a turntable — will be transmitted over Bluetooth. Follow the pairing instructions to connect headphones and speakers to the transmitter. It can connect to two devices simultaneously, so you can have two sets of headphones, two speakers or one set of headphones and one speaker.
Here are some headphone and speaker choices, spanning a wide price range.
• The Mpow 059 headphones (only $35) are surprisingly good, come in a wide variety of colors and are quite comfortable. xmpow.com
• The Hiearcool L1 headphones ($69) provide great sound and active noise cancellation. I heard these recently and loved them, and apparently the rest of the world loves them, too. Amazon has 775 reviews posted, and 98 percent of the reviews are five stars. That is by far the most impressive showing I have seen for any product of any type, in any price class. amazon.com
• Audio-Technica's ATH-SR5BTBK ($149) and ATH-DSR7BT ($299) headphones are top choices at their respective price points. I am especially fond of the ATH-DSR7BT, which has sound reminiscent of expensive planar headphones. audio-technica.com
• The new OontZ Ultra speakers are so outstanding that they make speaker decisions something of a binary choice. It's either an OontZ Ultra model, or something expensive, exotic and really high-end. The weatherproof OontZ Angle 3 Ultra ($49.99) and OontZ Angle 3XL Ultra ($119.99) sound better than most higher-priced competitors with high-end brand names. They are weatherproof, have long battery life, can be used in pairs and have tremendous Bluetooth range, making them ideal for your application. theoontz.com
• If you want the Rolls-Royce of speakers, check out the Soundcast VG7 ($799, gosoundcast.com). The VG7 produces beautiful, powerful, full-range sound that is radiated over 360 degrees, providing a truly immersive experience. It is weatherproof, built with the highest standards of materials and workmanship and features indoor and outdoor modes to tune its sound to the environment. I will be writing more about the VG7 next week.
Send questions to Don Lindich at donlindich@gmail.com. Get recommendations and read past columns at soundadvicenews.com.
