Audio Preamp with Bluetooth Recommendations Please

Hi All,

I have an amplifier and speakers that I want be be able to use with bluetooth to connect to my phone and play music. It has an rca input for a preamp. So i'm thinking i want to buy one of the small preamps for $50-$100 from aliexpress - but there are a lot of options. Does anyone have any experience with these, or have a recommendation? Alternatively is here is a better style of product that will achieve this purpose? For example, will any smart devices allow a bluetooth connection that links with my amp?

Here's what i'm looking for:

Must:
1. Reliable bluetooth connection with range at least 10 metres
2. Quality audio
3. Makes use of current amp and speakers

Maybe:
1. Auto power off after a period of time or when inactive
2. Not too ugly. I'd pop the main amp under the bench (wired so it loses power when I turn off the preamp), and just have the preamp and speakers on the bench.

Thanks for any suggestions.

Comments

  • If you want BT with a 3.5mm jack output into an amp (use a minijack - > dual RCA cable), get one of these, they are utterly brilliant. And cost close to nothing. And it supports local design skill.

    https://core-electronics.com.au/bluetooth-5-0-audio-receiver…

    It's a bare board, so you'll have to either tuck it away or hide it in something (like an old school match box). I 3D printed a case for mine. The photos do not do it justice, it is absolutely tiny.

    On the audio quality front all I can say is that it sounds fine to me but I have not done any critical listening on it. DACs don't make much difference in my experience (I've gone up to about $1000 with DACs) and lets face it, you're talking about Bluetooth audio, so who cares. Worrying about DAC audio quality when using Bluetooth is like fussing about the quality of mustard in a McDonalds.

    • Thanks for the suggestion. I could do something like that if I was to hide it under the bench (because i wouldn't have the patience to make a nice case for it). But thinking above bench would be good to have an easy to access volume knob.

      • If you're connected via bluetooth then you can use the volume control of the sending device. Or the volume control of the amp.

        Anyway, it's so cheap that it's worth simply trying out for laughs.

  • I've one of these for a couple of years and quite happy with it. Currently $135

    https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001793254868.html?spm=a2…

    I did have a play with some different tubes and settled on some Russian ones.

    • That's the sort of thing I am considering buying. No issues with the bluetooth connection or weird quirks?

      • Not that I noticed but I've only used the BT once or twice.

  • So I decided rather than a preamp, to get an Aiyima A07 pro amp. Once i realised that the volume knob on the preamps only controlled the headphone volumes, the preamps lost their attraction. I should have realised this from the start. The Aiyima looks good, and came in at $115 delivered.

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