You have a sound system you're happy with. The amplifier has been running flawlessly for years, the speakers sound good – it just can't stream. And the obvious concern is: Do I have to replace everything for that?

The answer is encouraging: No. Almost any sound system can be made streaming-capable – often with a single additional device, without you having to replace anything. This applies to an amplifier from the eighties just as much as to a modern device.

This guide shows you step by step how to do it:

  • How to find out what free connections your sound system has at all
  • What options there are – from a free makeshift solution to a proper solution
  • Whether you should connect analog or digital
  • How to incorporate your own CD collection
  • What to look for when buying the additional device
  • When it's worth upgrading – and when a new device is the better choice

In the end, you'll know which path suits your sound system and what you need for it. There's a checklist to take with you.

If you want to clarify the basics first – services, resolutions, quality levels – then you'd better start here: Understanding Music Streaming: Services, Resolution, Getting Started

Contents

The good news: Almost any sound system can be upgraded

The principle is surprisingly simple – and once you understand it, the whole topic loses its intimidation.

Streaming is taught to the sound system from the outside. An additional device retrieves the music from the internet or from your home network, turns it into a normal audio signal, and passes it on to your amplifier. For the amplifier, this device is nothing more than a CD player: a source that hangs on an input and delivers music.

That means: Your amplifier doesn't have to be able to do anything for this at all. It needs no network, no app, no display. It only needs a free input.

That's exactly why upgrading also works with devices that are decades old – often even particularly well, because a lot of money flowed into the pure amplifier quality in such amplifiers. A solid old device plus a modern streamer often results in a combination that would be significantly more expensive to get again new.

Step 1: What does your sound system have free? The connection diagnosis

Before you buy anything, take a look at the back of your amplifier. What is free there determines which device is an option for you.

Is an analog line or Aux input free?

Look for a pair of inputs with labels like AUX, Line, Tape, Tuner, CD 2 or similar – two RCA jacks, usually one white and one red. This is the input that many have wondered about for years, what you actually need it for. Now you know.

If something is free here, you already have a solid basis. But keep in mind: Not every streamer has an analog output. There are pure transporters that output the signal exclusively digitally and presuppose a converter elsewhere – in the amplifier or in a separate device. Conversely, practically every streamer can be connected digitally. So a free line input is a good starting point, but no free pass: Look at the specific device which outputs it has.

Is a digital input free?

Many amplifiers additionally have optical (Toslink, square socket with flap) or coaxial digital inputs (a single RCA jack, usually marked orange). Behind that is a built-in D/A converter – the amplifier can therefore process digital signals itself. This is more common than many think, and opens up an additional option for you when connecting.

And what if nothing is free?

No need to panic, there are several ways out:

  • Reorganize the sources. Honestly asked: When did the cassette deck last run? When the tuner? Very often, an input is occupied by a device that hasn't been used for years – and that's exactly what the streamer replaces anyway, for example on the topic of radio via internet radio.
  • Choose a streamer with its own inputs. Some streamers come with additional inputs themselves – analog, digital, or both. With that, you simply move an existing source to the streamer and only connect it to the free place on the amplifier. An occupied input thus becomes two usable ones, without an additional box in the chain.
  • Switch to a combo device. If the amplifier is already at its limits, this is the moment to think about a device with built-in streaming. More on that further down.

Special case: Amplifiers with very few inputs

Some classic devices only offer Phono and one or two line inputs. The same applies here: A single free line input is completely sufficient. The Phono input, on the other hand, is ruled out – it is specially designed for the very quiet signal of a turntable and is unsuitable for anything else.

[IMAGE SUGGESTION: 1) Labeled amplifier back with marked line/Aux inputs, digital inputs and Phono 2) Close-up of optical and coaxial digital inputs next to each other 3) Streamer and amplifier connected, cable path visible]

You're unsure which sockets are which on yours? Just send us a photo of the back – we'll tell you in two sentences what is free and what fits.

Step 2: An overview of the options

There are several ways to bring streaming to an existing sound system. We go through them in ascending order – from the makeshift solution to the solution we would recommend ourselves.

Path 1: Phone or laptop via cable

The easiest entry point ever: a jack-to-RCA cable from the headphone output of the phone or laptop to the free line input, done. Except for the cable and a streaming subscription – for which there are almost everywhere free trial months – you need nothing else for that.

What it's good for: To try out whether streaming suits your listening habits at all. For that, it's the most honest first step, and no one should be too good for that.

Where it gets stuck: The sound quality depends completely on the converter and the output of your phone – and they are optimized for headphones, not for a stereo system. Plus there's everyday life: A call interrupts the music, the battery runs out, the phone is tied to the cable. Someone who works all day at the computer also rarely has the desire in the evening to take the same device in hand for music enjoyment.

Path 2: USB converter on the computer or phone

If the computer must be used for a specific reason – for example because the entire music collection is there – there is a significant quality jump for little money: a small external D/A converter that goes on the USB socket.

The effect is considerable, because it bypasses the built-in converter and the headphone output of the computer. Instead of the sound card, a device that was built for exactly this task works. Such converters are available both in stick size and as a full-fledged component – and likewise for smartphones and tablets. D/A converter

For whom: Exclusively for everyone who wants to or has to use the computer as a source. Someone who instead reaches for a standalone streamer (Path 4) generally does not need such an additional device – there is already a converter on board.

Path 3: Bluetooth receiver

A small box on the line input that receives Bluetooth from the phone. Cheap, set up in five minutes, works with everything.

We are honest: This is a makeshift solution from our point of view. Bluetooth always compresses the signal for the radio link – how strongly depends on the method used, but it remains a bottleneck. In addition, your phone becomes a playback device, with all the disadvantages from Path 1: Calls interrupt, the battery suffers, the range is limited.

When it's still completely fine: For the second system in the kitchen, in the hobby room, or on the terrace. For occasional music listening without high demands. And as a practical additional function, if a streamer already brings it with it – more on that immediately.

What it's not good for: For the good system in the living room, when you consciously listen to music there.

Path 4: A dedicated network streamer

This is the solution we recommend in almost all cases.

A streamer is a device that has exactly one task: Get music from the net and pass it on to your amplifier. It is connected like a CD player – analog or digital – and integrated into the home network, via cable or Wi-Fi.

The decisive difference to Bluetooth: The streamer gets the music itself from the internet. Your phone only tells it what to play, and is thus pure remote control. You can put it away, it can ring, it can go into standby – the music keeps playing.

What that looks like in everyday life: Turn on the amplifier, select the corresponding input, open the app on the phone or tablet, and start the music. That's all.

What you can hear with it:

  • Internet radio – an almost underestimated variety of stations from all over the world. For many of our customers, that alone is reason enough to bring the system online.
  • Streaming services – for a subscription, a huge music catalog.
  • Your own music collection from the home network.
  • Podcasts.

What that looks like in practice, we once played out in front of the camera – from the connection to the first music:

Streamer

Path 5: A streamer with CD drive and storage

A special form that is interesting for collectors: Devices that additionally bring a CD drive and a built-in hard drive. You put in a CD, the device automatically rips it to the internal memory and makes it accessible afterwards just like a streaming service – via the same app.

For everyone who has a large CD collection and does not want to digitize it via the computer, this is the most comfortable way. More on that further down.

Path 6: Multiroom devices on the existing amplifier

If it is foreseeable that later more rooms should be added, it's worth looking at multiroom systems. All common ecosystems offer devices that are connected to an existing sound system just like a streamer – and can later be complemented by speakers in other rooms, all via an app.

The point is: The systems generally cannot be mixed. If multiroom could become a topic, you'd better decide now for the right ecosystem than twice later. Multiroom systems at a glance · Sonos System · BluOS System

Step 3: Connect analog or digital?

If your streamer offers both options and your amplifier too, the question arises: Which path is better?

Behind that is a simple consideration. Somewhere in the chain, the digital data must become analog signals that the amplifier can process. A D/A converter does that. The question is only: which one? In almost all cases, at least one is already present – in the streamer, in the amplifier, or in both.

  • Connected analog (RCA from the streamer into the line input): The converter in the streamer does the work.
  • Connected digital (optical or coaxial): The converter in the amplifier does it – or, if present, a separate external converter.

The practical rule of thumb: Take the path where the better converter comes into play.

  • If your amplifier has no digital input at all: connect analog, completely unproblematic. That is the normal case with classic devices and no compromise – the converter in the streamer does that.
  • If you have a high-quality streamer and a rather simple digital part in the amplifier: analog.
  • If you have a simple streamer and an amplifier with a good digital part: digital.
  • In case of doubt: Try both if possible. The differences are usually audible, but not dramatic – and which path you like is also a matter of taste.

A separate external converter is not a must, but an option for everyone who wants to specifically upgrade: A streamer with a digital output plus a high-quality converter is a proven combination, because both parts can be improved independently of each other. For getting started, you don't need that. D/A converter

A word on cabling: Make sure to cable cleanly and neatly – sufficient, but not excessive lengths, try not to lead signal cables parallel to power cables, solid plug connections. That sounds trivial, but prevents exactly the hum noises and dropouts that are later misunderstood as device errors. Analog cables

Connecting to the network: Cable or Wi-Fi

The streamer must be in the home network. For that, there are two ways – and a clear recommendation.

Network cable, whenever possible. That is the most reliable connection, costs little, and eliminates almost all dropout problems before they arise. If the router and the system are in the same room or a line is laid: Take the cable.

Wi-Fi, if cable is not possible. Works without problems in most households. Problems almost never arise at the internet line – audio streaming needs surprisingly little bandwidth – but in the home network: thick walls, a router in the hallway cabinet, overcrowded radio channels in multi-family houses, too many devices at the same time.

If the Wi-Fi at the installation location is weak, a mesh system or an additional access point near the system helps significantly more than any accessory. Also powerline adapters, which lead the network over the power line, are a practical intermediate solution if no cable can be laid.

When buying the device, make sure that a network connection is even present. Devices that can only do Wi-Fi take the most reliable option out of your hand. Network Switches · Network cables

Bringing your own CD collection along

Not everyone wants to rely on streaming services. Someone who has a CD collection grown over years often wants to have it available themselves – and that can be combined excellently with streaming.

Why that is worth it

The practical reason: If there are two or three systems in the house, no one has to carry CDs back and forth anymore. The entire collection is available everywhere, in the same way as streaming services and internet radio – in an app, with search function and cover view.

In addition: Your collection belongs to you. It does not disappear from a catalog if a license expires.

How you digitize your CDs

On the computer. With a CD drive and corresponding software, you rip the CDs to the hard drive. Costs nothing except time – and time is the honest factor here: Count on about five to ten minutes per CD including labeling. With 300 CDs, that is a project for several evenings.

With a device that can do it itself. There are streamers with built-in CD drive and internal hard drive. You put in the CD, the device automatically rips it and organizes it into the library. Significantly more convenient, because no computer is involved. The storage space of such devices is typically in sizes that can easily accommodate very large collections.

Where the music is

  • Internally in the device – easiest if the streamer brings a hard drive.
  • On a NAS – that is a hard drive that is not connected to the computer, but directly to the router. Thereby it is accessible for all devices in the house, even if no computer is running. For larger collections and several systems in the house, the cleanest solution.
  • On the computer – works, but presupposes that the computer is running when listening to music.

In all cases applies: Think of a backup copy. A digitized collection is work, and hard drives fail.

And the quality?

The most important thing about ripping: Save losslessly. If the quality is lacking at the source, it can't come out of the speaker at the end either – and no one wants to have to re-digitize a painstakingly digitized collection in a few years just because space was saved back then. Storage is cheap today; the format should be lossless, not compressed. CD Player

What to look for in an add-on device

One by one, from most important to nice-to-have:

1. Does it support your streaming service? By far the most important point – and the one that causes the most trouble later. Not every device integrates every service directly. Check this before buying. Everything else can be adapted, this cannot.

2. Do the outputs match your free input? Sounds obvious, but is regularly overlooked. Analog output for a line input, digital output for a digital input – and if in doubt, choose a device that offers both. Remember that pure transporters only output digitally.

3. What resolutions does it process? If you want to listen losslessly or at a higher resolution, the device must be able to pass it through.

4. Does it have a network connection? Not just Wi-Fi. See above.

5. How good is the app – and is it maintained? In everyday use, you will use the app almost exclusively. A sluggish or confusing app spoils more joy than many a sonic difference. And because services are constantly evolving, the manufacturer's update policy is a real purchasing criterion – although this only becomes apparent after years, which is why a look at the manufacturer's history helps.

6. Can you integrate your own collection? Support for network libraries, USB storage, or an internal hard drive.

7. Is it multiroom-capable? Even if it's only one room today.

8. Does it come with a Bluetooth input? Not a good idea as a main way – but practical as an additional function. This also gets sources onto the system for which there is no own app integration: video portals, podcast apps, websites where you just discovered something. For the occasional case, this is just right.

9. And finally: How does it sound? Streamers do not all sound the same, even if they process the same data. Power supply, converter, and output stage make audible differences. If two candidates meet your requirements, the ear decides.

Which devices are available for this and what matters when connecting and operating, we show you here:

Retrofit or buy new? The honest assessment

At some point, the question arises whether an additional device is the right way – or whether it would make more sense to replace the amplifier with a model with built-in streaming.

Arguments for retrofitting:

  • Your amplifier is good and you are satisfied with the sound. Then there is no reason to replace it – on the contrary: Many older amplifiers contain an amplifier quality that is significantly more expensive to get again today.
  • The investment remains manageable, and you only change what needs to be changed.
  • A streamer is portable. If you later do replace the amplifier, it remains yours.
  • You can specifically invest in exactly the quality that is important to you.

Arguments for a combo device:

  • Your amplifier is already outdated or you were never completely happy with it.
  • There is no longer a free input and you don't want to bring an additional device into the chain.
  • You want fewer devices, fewer cables, and fewer remote controls – one device, one app.
  • You are already considering whether a new system would make sense.

A sensible middle ground for the undecided: Retrofit and continue to use the existing system for now. If a new amplifier comes later anyway, the streamer is not lost. The reverse does not apply. Streaming Amplifier · Amplifier buying guide: which type is right for me?

Typical mistakes when retrofitting

Bought Bluetooth and expected real streaming. The most common misconception. A Bluetooth receiver does not make your system network-capable – it makes it the speaker of your phone. That is something completely different.

Bought the device before checking your own service. Always the other way around: first check which device supports your streaming service.

Only clarified the connection question after purchase. Five minutes looking at the back saves a return shipment – on both sides: which input on the amplifier is free and which outputs the desired device even has.

Compressed storage when ripping. Saves storage space, which no one needs to save anymore today – and costs quality that does not come back. No one wants to rip the entire collection again.

A Hi-Res subscription on a chain that does not pass it through. Paying for the high quality level and then transmitting it via Bluetooth or playing it through a device that does not even process it.

Attributed electronic dropouts to the Wi-Fi. In nine out of ten cases, it is the Wi-Fi, not the device. A network cable solves more problems than any upgrade.

Messy cabling. Signal cables tightly next to power cables, wobbly plugs, much too long cables in a tangle behind the rack – the classic causes of hum and interference noises, which are then attributed to the new device.

Checklist: In six steps to a streaming system

  1. Check the back. Is a line/aux input free? A digital input? If nothing is free: Which device can go?
  2. Choose a streaming service. First the service, then the device. Use trial months.
  3. Clarify the network. Does a network cable reach the installation location? If not: How good is the Wi-Fi there?
  4. Think about your own collection. Should CDs or downloads be integrated? Then look for a network library, USB, or internal storage.
  5. Think about the future. More rooms planned? Then choose the right multiroom system right away.
  6. Connect and listen. Analog or digital – and if both are possible, feel free to try both.

Conclusion: What fits for whom

You first want to know whether streaming is something for you at all → connect your phone or laptop via cable to a free input, book a trial month. You don't need more than a cable for that.

The computer is already your music source → an external USB converter. The biggest quality jump for the smallest effort. D/A Converter

It's about the second system in the kitchen or hobby room → a Bluetooth receiver is completely sufficient, and that is no shame.

You have a good system and want to keep it → a dedicated network streamer. That is the right way for most. Streamer

You have a large CD collection that should come along → a streamer with a drive and storage, or a NAS as a basis.

Several rooms are planned → first choose the multiroom system, then the device. Multiroom systems at a glance

The amplifier is already due or there is no longer a free input → a streaming amplifier as a complete solution. Streaming Amplifier

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make my old system streaming-capable at all – or do I have to buy new?

In almost all cases yes, and you don't have to replace anything. Streaming is added to the system via an additional device that goes to a free input – like a CD player. Your amplifier doesn't need to be able to do anything for that. Age plays no role; often a solid older amplifier is an excellent basis.

What connection do I need for this?

A free pair of RCA inputs is enough – usually labeled AUX, Line, Tape, or Tuner. If your amplifier additionally has an optical or coaxial digital input, that is a second option, because then a D/A converter is already built into the amplifier. Only the phono input is unsuitable; it is specially designed for turntables.

What is the difference between a streamer and a Bluetooth adapter?

A Bluetooth adapter makes your system the speaker of your phone: The phone plays and transmits the compressed signal over. A streamer is itself in the network and gets the music directly from the internet – the phone is only a remote control. This is sonically significantly better and much more pleasant in everyday use, because calls, battery level, and range no longer play a role.

Isn't a Bluetooth receiver for a small price simply enough?

For the second system, the kitchen, or occasional music listening: yes, absolutely. For the good system in the living room, we would advise against it, because Bluetooth always compresses the signal and your phone becomes the player. As an additional function on a real streamer, Bluetooth is very practical – for example for sources without their own app integration.

Do I need a D/A converter in addition?

Usually not. Almost all streamers come with their own converter and can be connected directly analog to the amplifier. And many amplifiers have a converter with digital inputs built in themselves. A separate converter is worth it if you want to upgrade specifically, if you already have a good one, if your streamer is a pure transporter without an analog output – or if you use the computer as a source, because there a USB converter brings the biggest jump.

How do I get my CD collection into the system?

Either on the computer with ripping software, or with a streamer that has a CD drive and a hard drive built in and rips the CDs itself. It is stored internally, on a NAS, or on the computer. Important: save losslessly and create a backup copy. Expect about five to ten minutes per CD.

Should I connect analog or digital?

That depends on which converter is better. Analog uses the converter in the streamer, digital the one in the amplifier or in an external converter. If your amplifier has no digital input, connect analog – that is completely unproblematic and the normal case for classic devices. If both are possible, try both.

Do I need to lay a network cable or is Wi-Fi enough?

Wi-Fi is enough in most households. If a cable is possible, take it anyway – it is the most reliable connection and prevents dropouts before they occur. Bandwidth is rarely the problem: audio streaming needs significantly less than video.

What if my amplifier has no free input left at all?

Three ways: First check whether an occupied input is really still needed – often a device is hanging there that has been idle for years, and the streamer replaces it anyway. Secondly, there are streamers with their own inputs, to which you can re-hang an existing source; with that you gain a connection in the end. Thirdly, this is the moment to think about an amplifier with built-in streaming.

Is retrofitting even worth it, or better buy a new amplifier with streaming right away?

If you are satisfied with your amplifier: retrofit. You keep the sound, invest specifically, and can take the streamer with you later if you do replace the amplifier. For a combo device, it speaks for it if the amplifier is already due, no input is free, or you simply want fewer devices in the living room.

Unsure what fits your system? Talk to us

When retrofitting, almost everything depends on two things: what is free on the back of your amplifier and which service you want to use. Both can be clarified in a short conversation – and after that, the selection is usually manageable.

Call us or write to us. The fastest way is if you send a photo of the back of your amplifier and briefly tell us how you want to listen to music. We will tell you honestly which way fits you – and also if the cheap solution is completely sufficient.

And if you like: come by and listen to the difference between the ways yourself. That is often more convincing than any description on this topic.

View consultation & installation →
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Author: Fidelity

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