So, you’re into vinyl, but you’ve got this sleek soundbar, and you’re wondering if they can play nice together. Ok, it’s not the most common setup, but there are scenarios where connecting turntable to soundbar totally makes sense. In this article, I will tell you how to marry the classic sound of vinyl with the convenience of modern tech.
Step-by-step connection process
Connection with a built-in preamp
If your turntable has a built-in preamp, lucky you! You won’t have to mess around too much to connect it to your soundbar. It all works pretty seamlessly:
- Get your vinyl player, a pair of RCA cables (you know, the ones with red and white plugs), and your soundbar ready.
- Make sure your turntable’s built-in preamp is on.
- Take one end of the RCA cables, plug the red one into the right channel, and the white (or black) one into the left channel on your turntable.
- Now, locate the RCA input ports on your loudspeaker. Plug the other ends of the RCA cables into these ports, matching the colors, of course.
- If your player has a grounding wire, attach it to the grounding post on your turntable and on your soundbar (if it’s there).
- Fire up your vinyl player and audio bar.
- On your loudspeaker, choose the input you connected your turntable to. Look for “Aux,” “Line-In,” or the specific RCA input.
So now, you’re all set!
Connection using an external preamp
If your turntable doesn’t have that built-in preamp, no worries! I had such a case when my friend asked me to connect her turntable to the soundbar, and there was no built-in preamp. I could still get the job done with an external preamp. Here’s how you can do it:
To begin the setup, gather the essential components: your turntable, an external phono preamp, RCA cables, and your sound system. Next, link your turntable to the external preamp with RCA cables.
Then, connect the output of the preamp to the designated RCA input. Make sure all your gear is powered on. It’s time to select the input on your sound system where your record player is linked. Typically, it’s labeled as “Aux” or with the specific RCA input used.
Connection via Bluetooth
Modern soundbars and turntables come with Bluetooth capabilities. This means you can go wireless and connect your record player to the soundbar without AUX.
- First, make sure the Bluetooth is turned on.
- Then, you’ll need to set your turntable to Bluetooth pairing mode. For that, you need to press a combination of buttons or hold one down for a few seconds.
- Now, head over to your audio speaker. You’ll find your turntable in the list of available Bluetooth devices. Once you spot it, give it a tap or select it.
- If, for some reason, your audio speaker can’t find your record player in the list of available Bluetooth devices, don’t panic. Double-check that your turntable is in pairing mode. If that doesn’t work, you can try restarting both your soundbar and the turntable and then go back to the process.
- Finally, follow the on-screen or manual instructions, and you’ll be all set.
So, you can now wirelessly stream your vinyl tunes from your turntable to the soundbar.
FAQ
What if my soundbar only has an optical input?
If your audio speaker is equipped with just an optical input and your vinyl player doesn’t have a built-in preamp, don’t sweat it. You can still bridge the gap. All you need is a digital-to-analog converter (DAC). This device will transform your turntable’s analog signal into a digital one that can slide right into your soundbar’s optical input.
Can I still use other features of my soundbar, like surround sound, with my turntable?
Absolutely! When you plug in your vinyl player, make sure your soundbar is set to the correct input. Many audio speakers these days are smart enough to figure out the source and configure themselves accordingly..
Do I need to adjust any settings on my soundbar after connecting the turntable?
The process is quite straightforward. Once you’ve got your vinyl player connected, you might not need to tweak much. Still, I advise you to double-check if the input source on your loudspeaker matches the connection from your vinyl player. Look out for specific settings like input sensitivity or equalizer adjustments. Anyway, I have to say it’s often just a matter of plug-and-play.
