Tech Alert No. 977: “Phone me some music”

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OK, so here’s the challenge. You’ve got a lovely up-to-date smartphone and you’ve managed to put a load of MP3s on it. Up ‘til now you’ve been very happy listening to your tunes through some ear-buds or headphones. For many, that’s all that’s required for a great musical experience.

Trouble is, some of us (of a certain age), have probably also got a good sound system at home with some nice speakers attached. Now, wouldn’t it be good if you could connect up your smartphone to your hi-fi and play your tunes that way – wouldn’t that just be the perfect marriage of old and new technology working seamlessly together?

As Thomas Magnum used to say: “I know what you’re thinking…”. ‘A degree in Electronic Engineering’, ‘miles of ugly cabling’ and ‘an afternoon behind the amp trying to recall what-goes-where’. Err, No!

Step forward the rather tongue-twisty: Logitech Wireless Speaker Adaptor for Bluetooth Audio Devices available from those nice people at Amazon and costs just £25. It’s a small black-box about the size of  an iPod Classic. It has just three audio sockets on the back – twin phonos and a jack-plug. It’s mains powered and has a single button on the top. That’s it… very minimalist.

LogitechBluetoothWirelessSpeakerAdaptor

Getting it working was ‘simples’. Set the smartphone’s Bluetooth setting to ‘discoverable’, plug the black-box into the mains, press the ‘connect’ button on the top and within 30 seconds or so, the two should be taking to each other. In fact, I didn’t even need to add in the suggested four-digit pin to pair them – they just connected.

Last of all, use the connecting cable to plug the black-box into your sound system. It doesn’t have to be a hi-fi, it could be anything that’s got an external sound input socket on the back.

The result? A very convenient way to control music with the added convenience that the volume button on the phone controls the volume of the music coming out of the speakers. A couple of of sticky pads on the back and the device is now conveniently out of sight in the lounge.

Best £25 I’ve spent this year!
Smile

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