Playing spotify through stereo. Best quality

paddylonglegs

Hi.

I have been running spofify through my smartphone into the stereo through the headphone jack. The sound quality is ok but isn't as loud as a cd or radio.

Are there any devices such as a dock out there that would do a better job with sound quality? The devices are an iPhone 5s and an iPad mini.

Thanks

Zcott

Are there any inputs on the back of the stereo? Might be an aux in somewhere.

paddylonglegs

Zcott wrote: »

Are there any inputs on the back of the stereo? Might be an aux in somewhere.

Hi, yes I actually have an aux to headphone cable so I plug into the iPhone jack and into the six in stereo. Maybe a dock that the iPhone connects to via its charging/data port and into aux?

keith_d99

You sure the volume is up on your phone?

Anyhow what you want is a wifi AirPlay receiver.

Something like:
Neet® - WiFi Wireless Music Receiver - AIRPLAY + DNLA - for APPLE (iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac), ANDROID (phones, tablets), WINDOWS (Laptop, PC) - High quality wireless audio streaming - Wolfson DAC - Turn your Speaker Dock, stereo Hi-Fi, home theatre etc. into a wireless sound system. https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00O0U37HO/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_KwF1ub09Q2Y2S
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00O0U37HO/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_KwF1ub09Q2Y2S

Bob24

Output on the headphone jack is no really designed to be used with a stereo.

4 options:
- if you stereo is a modern one, it might have a usb port. If you use a lightning to USB cable the phone will send the digital audio stream directly to the stereo, which will use its integrated DAC and decode and amplify it properly
- if your stereo has an optical input (ie digital), you can also get an airport express or an Apple TV and use AirPlay. Exact same result as above but the nice thing is that you will be sending the music wireless through Wi-Fi rather than needing a cable.
- if you stereo is older and/or doesn't have a built-in DAC and digital input, you can use a dock/adapter which will give you access to the line out of the phone through the lighting port (ie the phone will do the digital to analogue conversion, but you will be using an output which is not amplified for earphones). Something like this: http://store.apple.com/us/product/MF030ZM/A/iphone-5s-dock (but won't work with your iPad). I believe the Airport Express also has a built in DAC and will let you do the same thing wirelessely through AirPlay (but the Apple TV won't).
- Most expensive solution , you can get a separate dedicated digital to analogue converter which will connect to the lightening port and is a dedicated device converting digital to analogue signal with sound quality in mind (neither you stero nor you phone will be doign the job). The DAC will have a line out which can be connected to any stereo.

paddylonglegs

Thanks a million for reply bob. Yeah it's an older stereo alright, will need to check for an optical. So the option with the dock might be best. It makes sense now why I'm not getting great sound out of an older machine. Will look into those suggestions you have

Cheers

keith_d99

paddylonglegs wrote: »

Thanks a million for reply bob. Yeah it's an older stereo alright, will need to check for an optical. So the option with the dock might be best. It makes sense now why I'm not getting great sound out of an older machine. Will look into those suggestions you have

Cheers

Paddy I use an airport express (it supports analog and digital) with an older stereo .. works perfectly.

I wouldn't go the dock route ... the convenience of Airplay is fantastic.

I'm guessing you have a standard RCA audio Aux input (red and white sockets) on the stereo/amp?

loinnsigh

Another (not cheap) option is Sonos. You can get a 'connect' box which turns your existing stereo into a wireless system. The advantage with this is that you can later expand it to include other Sonos units. Also Spotify integration is good on Sonos - you wouldn't even have to use your smartphone at all...

Bob24

keith_d99 wrote: »

I wouldn't go the dock route ... the convenience of Airplay is fantastic.

If budget isn't an issue, definitely agreed ... given how much I used my phone for other things that music, I wouldn't really like to leave it on a dock all the time. Especially since for lightning devices my understanding is that the DAC is in the dock itself and not the iPhone/iPad. I assume the DAC in the dock is the same type as what they put in an Airport Express, so sound quality should be exactly the same.

keith_d99

If you don't want to fork out €99 for an Airport Express the Neet I mentioned earlier looks like it will do the job for £30 - seems to do digital and analog

Reviews look very positive too

Neet on Amazon

Don't see the value in a Sonos .... expecially if you already have a half-decent stereo!
I use a 15 year old NAD amp .... and wouldn't swap it!