Do Bluetooth Speakers Need A Receiver & Amplifier? (Guide 101)
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Bluetooth speakers or going wireless is the biggest dream of many home theaters. But the transition to wireless comes with a caveat. You need to have a basic knowledge of Bluetooth speakers. So, Do Bluetooth speakers need a receiver & amplifier?
At A Glance: The Bluetooth speakers do need a receiver if you are going for a full surround sound, but if you want a subwoofer-based Bluetooth speakers system then it isn’t needed. The amplifier is not needed in both cases because most Bluetooth speakers have a built-in amplifier in them.
Keep reading to know why it is needed and why not. I will be answering some of the most asked questions about this topic. You will learn a lot of new things from this guide.
When is the receiver needed?
When the wireless speakers that you have bought don’t have separate receiver transmitters with them. They won’t because in most cases they don’t have the transmitter.
In this case, to connect your Bluetooth speakers to the home theater, you need an AV receiver.
Turn on the Bluetooth transmitter mode of the AV Receiver. Now, make sure the Bluetooth is visible and turned on the speakers.
Here, the AV Receiver will work like a bridge between the speakers and the home theater. Here in this case the receiver is needed to complete the connection.
Read this review guide of the best receivers for home theater. I have reviewed the top 7.
When is the receiver not needed?
Many wireless speaker systems have a subwoofer with them. This subwoofer has a receiver transmitter in them. You just need to power the subwoofer and power the speakers, and these speakers will automatically connect to the subwoofer via Bluetooth.
Here you don’t need a receiver to connect the speakers to the TV or projector, in other words to your home theater.
The subwoofer has a built-in receiver. These receivers are better in terms of connectivity when comparing them to traditional AV receivers.
They connect automatically and within seconds without any issues unless the system itself is defective. Along with this, they don’t have sync issues that much like in the AV receivers.
But the modern receiver brands are working hard to kill this sync issue, and they are succeeding in it.
But when it comes to connecting the soundbar with the TV via Bluetooth, that connectivity is still having sync issues. That’s why I don’t recommend connecting a soundbar via Bluetooth.
Read this review guide about the home theater system. I have reviewed the top 7 and few have this sub and speakers set up.
How to turn an existing system into Bluetooth?
If your speakers are old, or they are not wireless by nature. You can turn those into wireless speakers.
You will need a Bluetooth receiver transmitter for them. Don’t worry, these transmitters are not expensive or huge.
These transmitters are small like USB sticks and can cost from $25-$30.
You have to connect the speakers to one end of the receiver and the other end of the receiver to the power.
Then you can connect any Bluetooth device to it, such as an AV receiver or mobile phone.
They can work directly with the TV or your headphones. Few can connect one TV to two headphones. Two people can listen to the TV audio simultaneously.
Do Bluetooth speakers need amplifiers?
Almost every Bluetooth speaker has its own built-in amplifier. These amplifiers are better than the external ones.
The built-in amplifiers are made by the manufacturers for that exact speaker. These amplifiers know the needs of the speakers and can deliver the power they need.
When comparing it with the external amplifiers. You have to choose an amp that can deliver the exact power to each speaker it needs. The power should not be less or greater than what the speaker needs. Otherwise, it will damage the speakers.
Not only that. You have to calculate the amp power for each speaker’s RMS power. The external amp is not brought for one speaker, but for all speakers in the system. That’s why the amplifier should be able to power each one. Picking the right external amp is a hustle. Read this guide to know more about it. How to match the amp to the speaker? I have discussed matching in detail here.
The Bluetooth speakers don’t need an amp, but it is a good thing because the built-in amps are suited to them.
Final verdict
The final verdict is that Bluetooth speakers may or may not need an AV Receiver when looking for the type of speakers, but they will never need an amplifier because most of them have built-in amplifiers.
Did you get something out of this Bluetooth speakers guide? Hold On We Have Something Exciting To Share.
[the_ad id=”4771″]FAQs
Do Bluetooth speakers play in stereo?
The Bluetooth speakers can work in stereo. You can find a pair of Bluetooth speakers online or in a store. Connect them to your stereo receiver. Make sure the receiver supports Bluetooth connectivity.
There are many pairs of speakers available online. A lot of these pairs are manufactured by reputable brands. It means the quality is top-notch.
Is Bluetooth sound as good as wired?
When transmitting a stereo through both wired and Bluetooth, the sound will be the same. However, you might face audio sync issues with Bluetooth connectivity.
Bluetooth can only transmit the stereo. It can transmit surround sound, such as 5.1 or above. The Bluetooth bandwidth can’t support it.
How do Bluetooth speakers work with TV?
Many smart TVs support Bluetooth connectivity natively. Just hover over the sound output menu settings and turn on the Bluetooth of the speakers you want to connect. The TV will discover it and will connect it.
But if the TV doesn’t support Bluetooth connectivity with the speakers, then you can buy a Bluetooth transmitter. Connect this Bluetooth transmitter to the audio output and connect your speakers to this transmitter, and you are good to go.
Can I use wireless speakers with an old stereo?
You can use wireless speakers with the old stereo. You just need a Bluetooth transmitter that will be connected to the stereo receiver. This transmitter then can connect the wireless speakers to your stereo.
This transmitter is a very handy tool to have. It can instantly convert the wired system into wireless. It will upgrade the old stereo to the new one by adding Bluetooth connectivity features to it.
Helpful Resources For The FAQs To Read More
- This was my opinion, read more about it from this Quora Discussion. (Resource for the second answer)
- Know the connection in detail here from this Techwalla blog. (Resource for the fourth answer)
