You have a great audio system at home but you miss the analog sound of vinyl? Now you can enjoy it to a much greater degree by connecting a record player to your home audio system.
Vinyl is now coming back in fashion and many people are realizing that there is a certain warmth in the analog sound produced by records that simply cannot be reproduced by digital means.
If you too are excited about listening to records with an unsurpassable quality of the sound, then this article will tell you all you need to know about connecting a turntable to your audio system.
What is Phono Preamp and Where to Find it
If your audio system is more suitable for a home theater and TV sound rather than resembling a traditional Hi-Fi audio system you’re probably wondering how exactly will you be able to connect a turntable to it. The truth is, it’s a pretty easy task once you know the basics.
The phono preamp, or pre-amplificator, is something necessary to connect the record player and the speakers. The phono preamp decodes the signal that the needle of the player sends when going through the grooves of the record and then sort of translates it so that it becomes music and it also boosts the signal so that the speakers can actually play it.
Some turntables will have an installed preamp but if they don’t, you can either find it in the AV receiver, or you would have to plug an additional exterior one.
After the matter with the preamp is settled, you can go on to connecting the turntable to the receiver, which then sends the music to the speakers for you to enjoy it.
Connecting a Turntable to a Soundbar
A soundbar is a great option for home theaters and audio systems as it contains everything necessary for quality audio while remaining extremely compact and stylish.
Surprisingly, connecting a record player to a soundbar or a soundbase is something completely possible when you choose the right player for the soundbar model.
Some models of soundbars have a stereo analog input that allows you to easily plug in the turntable with a built-in phono preamp or plug in a regular turntable through a preamp and connect it to the soundbar.
You will only need a separate preamp if you can’t find a preamp either in the record player or in the receiver.
There are even turntables that have Bluetooth that can wirelessly connect them to your soundbar and let you enjoy the analog sound without having to deal with cables and additional devices.
Connecting it to an AV Receiver
Most AV receivers have a phono preamp in-built just as one of their many audio functions. That means that you can directly connect your turntable only by finding the correct output.
If you want to get the best quality of sound, however, it’s better to consider getting an outer preamp, as the sound quality of these devices is often much better than the one of in-built ones.
Turntable to Bluetooth Speakers
Even if you don’t have an impressive audio system but you rely simply on a wireless Bluetooth speaker, you might still be able to connect a turntable to it. If you get a record player that has a Bluetooth transmitter, then everything becomes a piece of cake.
Then you simply need to connect the turntable to the speaker via Bluetooth and you’re good to go. The great thing about record players with Bluetooth is the fact that all of them have in-built phono preamps.
If you have a record player that doesn’t have a Bluetooth transmitter, you will have to get a speaker with an analog input if you want to connect it. This can be a 3.5 mm socket with an adapter or a pair of RCA terminals.
Connecting it to Wi-Fi Speakers
Connecting a turntable to Wi-Fi-based speakers such as the ones in a Sonos system, Amazon Echo, or AirPlay, might not seem like the easiest and most convenient thing to do but it’s definitely not impossible.
The easiest way to achieve that is to purchase a record player that has a Wi-Fi-based audio system but keep in mind that this is not the most affordable option out there. Some Wi-Fi-based speakers also have an analog input that allows you to easily connect a turntable with an in-built phono preamp, or connect it through an external preamp.
These are your options to connect a turntable if your audio system is Wi-Fi based. Although they’re not as affordable as connecting a record player to other kinds of audio systems, in the long term you will greatly appreciate the convenience and the quality of the sound.
Now get to work and you will soon be enjoying the irreplaceable sound of vinyl through your home audio system.
