Help Me Get Music From Our Laptops To Our Stereo

Bingo thought this was worth mentioning said Wed, Apr 27th 2016 at 7:12pm ET

So here's my situation. We both have laptops and often either are playing music from online streams or files we have on our various online systems etc. I have a Win7 PC, she has a Macbook.

The laptops are pretty much always on the dining room table. The stereo is about 30 feet away.

I'd love to find something that has a 3.5" connector that can sit on a shelf near the dining room table that connects wirelessly to something that sits in the entertainment center so we can have our music playing through our stereo instead of through our crappy laptop speakers.

Any suggestions? Or is there a better way to go at this?

I've thought about just running a hardwired cable but I really don't want a cable going all the way across the rooms.

Thanks!

11 comments, 4 replies
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cinoclav said Wed, Apr 27th 2016 at 7:22pm ET:

https://www.google.com/chromecast/speakers/

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dashcloud said Wed, Apr 27th 2016 at 7:23pm ET:

I'd definitely look into Chromecast Audio.

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OldCatLady said Wed, Apr 27th 2016 at 7:32pm ET:

I'm sure there's a higher tech way to do it, but I just gave up and bought a Kindle Fire, the $50. variety, and I use it for streaming. It sits next to, and shares a surge protector with, a couple of BT speakers, because I'm still deciding which one I like better. ( I could just use the iPig speaker I got awhile back. Audio out, audio in. Works for me.) Congratulations, I've just reinvented the home stereo. Side benefit is that when I am going to have to sit somewhere for awhile, I unplug the Kindle, set it to Airplane, and use it to read ebooks.

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Ignorant said Wed, Apr 27th 2016 at 8:01pm ET:

Did anyone say chromecast audio yet?

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Bingo said Wed, Apr 27th 2016 at 8:45pm ET:

Okay so help me out then cause I'm missing something here... so I plug the Chromecast Audio into the 3.5 output on one of our laptops but then how does the sound get from the device over across the rooms to the stereo?

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- @Bingo into the 3.5 input on your stereo. The chromecast will be on your Wi-Fi network, at that point any device with chromecast apps on the same wireless network can send the audio to the chromecast.
  
  If you are using your computer, you would use the chrome browser and the cast extension.
  
  Ignorant said Wed, Apr 27th 2016 at 8:50pm ET
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Bingo said Wed, Apr 27th 2016 at 8:59pm ET:

Gotcha. I'll check it out!

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curtise said Thu, Apr 28th 2016 at 12:09am ET:

Hey @Bingo!
If you use iTunes to organise your content on your PC, then you might also want to consider the Apple Airport Express. Your wife's MacBook will be able to output all audio to it, while your PC will be able to output iTunes content to it (and maybe other things too, but you might need special software for it). http://www.apple.com/airport-express/#airplay
It offers both analogue and digital audio output through the combo 3.5mm connector.
You can also use it to turn any wired USB printer into a wireless one, and it can also be a full 802.11ac WiFi router/hub if you need it to be.

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jml326 said Thu, Apr 28th 2016 at 12:09am ET:

A very long time ago these were sold here. Have worked for me. I might have an extra around here somewhere.
https://meh.com/forum/topics/bluetooth-home-connect-audio-receiver

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trisk said Thu, Apr 28th 2016 at 12:22am ET:

Bluetooth audio receivers are still a simple and cheap option. They're about two bucks eBay.

Plug one end into your stereo, and the other into a USB port or power adapter. It will show up on your laptop's list of Bluetooth devices.

It's the closest thing to having a long cable.

Chromecast Audio is a good alternative for online streaming since your laptops function as a remote and don't have to stay in range. However, the Chromecast is limited to sites and apps that support it. Though there are apps that can stream local files, but it's not ideal for that.

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- @trisk the key to googlecast and airplay is that you won't get the bluetooth mangle, the audio quality remains as high as the source.
  
  thismyusername said Thu, Apr 28th 2016 at 12:24am ET
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- @thismyusername At the higher bitrates, even the crappy standard Bluetooth codec [is reported to achieve good fidelity]. Obviously not as sure-fire with different mixes of devices as the Chromecast, and I'd be apprehensive if dropped a ton of money on audio equipment. Have to admit it's usually not a terrible option for the average home stereo, especially if you're listening to something like an old MP3 collection or non-premium Spotify.
  
  trisk said Thu, Apr 28th 2016 at 1:34am ET
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metageist said Thu, Apr 28th 2016 at 12:47am ET:

I have a bluetooth receiver that looks like this for my car: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B019W36LWQ

I stream Spotify from my phone to the car speakers. Works good enough for me as it is cheap and portable. But I'm not an audiophile for sure, so can't tell you if it sounds ok compared to other things already suggested.

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- @metageist
  
  I've recommended this kind of receiver for quite a few people who want a cheap way to stream to their car speakers.
  
  PlacidPenguin said Thu, Apr 28th 2016 at 1:38am ET
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sligett said Mon, May 2nd 2016 at 1:33pm ET:

@Bingo liliputing.com tells me that Best Buy has the Chromecast Audio and Chromecast 2015 on sale for $30.

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