Converting conventional speakers to wireless?

[NeilD]

Hello, first post, I've looked but haven't found an answer to my problem. I've just moved house and I'm having trouble placing speakers. I have an Audiolab 6000a Play driving a pair of Quad 12Ls. Is there a way I can economically convert the Quads to wireless (Bluetooth or WiFi)? Thanks for any help.

 

[Al ears]

Hello, first post, I've looked but haven't found an answer to my problem. I've just moved house and I'm having trouble placing speakers. I have an Audiolab 6000a Play driving a pair of Quad 12Ls. Is there a way I can economically convert the Quads to wireless (Bluetooth or WiFi)? Thanks for any help.

There may well be but it is often a compromise. There are many sites online that tell you how to do this.
It all depends on what you mean by 'economically '
I would sell the Quads and go buy wireless speakers if that's what you need.

 

[Jasonovich]

Hello, first post, I've looked but haven't found an answer to my problem. I've just moved house and I'm having trouble placing speakers. I have an Audiolab 6000a Play driving a pair of Quad 12Ls. Is there a way I can economically convert the Quads to wireless (Bluetooth or WiFi)? Thanks for any help.

The only wireless speakers that come to mind are the Audio Pro - C10 MKII Multiroom Speaker, these are around £329 on Amazon. These will work well with the Audiolab 6000a but I suspect the quality of those won't be as good as the Quad 12Ls.

There is another option but it would mean ditching the Audiolab (and I don't think this is what you really want to do, not unless you want to save space). Anyway it's just food for thought. You could go the active speaker option with bluetooth.
The Audioengine active speakers are mighty fine and many models come with bluetooth. check link below

Home Music Systems — Wired and Wireless Speakers Multiroom too

Award-winning speakers that offer professional hardware at consumer prices. Highly rated, highly reviewed, with multi-year warranties.

audioengine.com

The HD6 is pretty neat

 

[nopiano]

Hi Neil and welcome!

Is the problem the speakers are a long way from the source/amplifier?

Please bear in mind that wireless speakers aren’t free of wires. They need plugging into the mains, and some connect with each other too.

Perhaps a bit more about what you’re trying to achieve might help?

 

[plastic penguin]

Hello, first post, I've looked but haven't found an answer to my problem. I've just moved house and I'm having trouble placing speakers. I have an Audiolab 6000a Play driving a pair of Quad 12Ls. Is there a way I can economically convert the Quads to wireless (Bluetooth or WiFi)? Thanks for any help.

Perhaps more detail would be good or as @Al ears suggested, sell the Quads and buy a dedicated wireless speaker.

 

[Jasonovich]

Also, it crossed my mind, do you want Bluetooth or wireless because you're listening music on your mobile and you want to hear it through your speakers?
If that is so, your cost effective option is the WiiM mini.
This will give you Bluetooth connectivity 😊

 

[Gray]

I've just moved house and I'm having trouble placing speakers.

I'm wondering about the trouble.
If I owned your amp and speakers and was happy with the pairing there wouldn't be any trouble for me.
Come what may, I'd wire them together.
Wireless shmireless.

 

[doifeellucky]

As an owner of the AudioPro Addon C10 I can confidently say it is in no way designed, or intended, to work with an integrated amp such as the 6000a Play, as it has its own inbuilt amplification and streaming functionality. But as a standalone device, primarily designed for streaming services, it is very good, and can be used in a stereo pair, if you buy two. The mk1 is approximately £220 on Amazon.

Also the 6000a Play already has Bluetooth, so the Wiim Mini mentioned above would not be required, unless the ‘Play Fi’ aspect of the 6000a Play, doesn’t work well with the OP’s preferred streaming source, if there is one.

I’ll wait for clarification from the OP before making any further recommendations, but like others have said, probably best to sell what you have and start again.

 

[Jasonovich]

As an owner of the AudioPro Addon C10 I can confidently say it is in no way designed, or intended, to work with an integrated amp such as the 6000a Play, as it has its own inbuilt amplification and streaming functionality.. But as a standalone device, primarily designed for streaming services, it is very good, and can be used in a stereo pair, if you buy two. The mk1 is approximately £220 on Amazon.

Also the 6000a Play already has Bluetooth, so the Wiim Mini mentioned above would not be required, unless the ‘Play Fi’ aspect of the 6000a Play, doesn’t work well with the OP’s preferred streaming source, if there is one.

I’ll wait for clarification from the OP before making any further recommendations, but like others have said, probably best to sell what you have and start again.

Thank you for the clarification.
I thought the AudioPro Addon C10 would have RCA inputs for the amp, it was the product that came to mind but not the right choice if the OP is planning on keeping the amp.
Sorry a lot of conjecture on my part, so the 6000a already has Bluetooth.
Yes better the OP gives more information.

Edit:
I suspect and further to your clarification regarding the 6000a Bluetooth capability, the OP is alluding to speaker positioning and I just want to share I had a similar problem setting up my Hifi in the lounge.
My missus laid down the law, no cables.
I managed to tuck the speaker cables behind the skirting boards, 20 meters of it cover the strategic points.
DIY might not be everybody's thing but strips of pvc cable tidying is an option but you're absolutely correct, OP needs to provide more information.

 

[NeilD]

There may well be but it is often a compromise. There are many sites online that tell you how to do this.
It all depends on what you mean by 'economically '
I would sell the Quads and go buy wireless speakers if that's what you need.

Thanks for the replies. I probably didn't explain myself very well. I love the amp and speakers, the problem is how the new living room is configured. There is only one possible corner in which I can put the furniture in which the hifi is installed and it has to carry the turntable, TV and both speakers meaning everything is crammed together. There's a door on one side, a radiator on the other and then a big wood burning stove in the other corner which means I can't easily place the speakers without trailing cables around the room which isn't going to go down well with my wife...

I'm wondering about the trouble.
If I owned your amp and speakers and was happy with the pairing there wouldn't be any trouble for me.
Come what may, I'd wire them together.
Wireless shmireless.

 

[Gray]

I can't easily place the speakers without trailing cables around the room which isn't going to go down well with my wife...

Simple choice really.
Bury the cables or the wife 👍

Seriously, thin trunking on top of skirting/ around doors - you don't even know it's there.

 

[doifeellucky]

Simple choice really.
Bury the cables or the wife 👍

Seriously, thin trunking on top of skirting/ around doors - you don't even know it's there.

Or move again.

 

[Gray]

Or move again.

Either of the DIY burials would be cheaper.

 

[nopiano]

Thanks for the replies. I probably didn't explain myself very well. I love the amp and speakers, the problem is how the new living room is configured. There is only one possible corner in which I can put the furniture in which the hifi is installed and it has to carry the turntable, TV and both speakers meaning everything is crammed together. There's a door on one side, a radiator on the other and then a big wood burning stove in the other corner which means I can't easily place the speakers without trailing cables around the room which isn't going to go down well with my wife...

Any chance of a few pictures? As I mentioned in post #4 ‘wireless speakers’ aren’t really wireless either.

I realise you were picturing the amplifier output whizzing through the ether and magically appearing from your speakers, without a wire visible! Not that easy, sadly.

So, back to those pics…

 

[Jasonovich]

Thanks for the replies. I probably didn't explain myself very well. I love the amp and speakers, the problem is how the new living room is configured. There is only one possible corner in which I can put the furniture in which the hifi is installed and it has to carry the turntable, TV and both speakers meaning everything is crammed together. There's a door on one side, a radiator on the other and then a big wood burning stove in the other corner which means I can't easily place the speakers without trailing cables around the room which isn't going to go down well with my wife...

Yes I had wifey problems too! 😊 I suggest you tuck them behind the skirting board or if you have carpet flooring, hide it under there; or if it isn't carpet, perhaps you can pull up part of the flooring?
You mention the door being in the way, again without seeing the physical layout it's going to be conjecture, would it be possible to run the speaker cables around the door, perhaps you can use PVC /wooden panels to create false door frame?

I got around this problem by getting rid off the old skirting board, I gorge out from the plaster, little channels to lay down the cables. This was a big project for me because I had to setup multi speaker configuration but I got there in the end.
It's your call what is feasible and what is not. Though, I suspect yours is a stereo setup, so you possibly only need to pull out only part(s) of your skirting board.
Anyway food for thought.
Here's some photos to give you some idea.

 

[Gray]

Yes I had wifey problems too, tucked them behind the skirting board or if you have carpet flooring, hide it under there; or if it isn't carpet, perhaps you can pull up part of the flooring?
You mention the door being in the way, again without seeing the physical layout it's going to be conjecture, would it be possible to run the speaker cables around the door, perhaps you can use PVC /wooden panels to create false door frame?

I got around this problem by getting rid off the old skirting board, I gorge out from the plaster, little channels to lay down the cables. This was a big project for me because I had to setup multi speaker configuration but I got there in the end.
It's your call what is feasible and what is not. Though, I suspect yours is a stereo setup, so you possibly only need to pull out only part(s) of your skirting board.
Anyway food for thought.
Here's some photos to give you some idea.

That's unobtrusive and practical (allowing for disconnection).
I expect you're using the same cable to the 4mm sockets as you are from the plugs

Personally though I'd prefer to keep the cabling continuous.
A bit OCD maybe, but you're better off avoiding additional connections wherever possible.

 

[Jasonovich]

No it isn't OCD, it's perfect sense, continuous cable means less resistance, I think it is a small compromise and for an AV setup it isn't so critical.

Chord C cables works better than many other cables for long lengths. These were used for the networking the speaker sockets.
I used screw in wire 4mm wall sockets rather than lead soldering ones to avoid any dry solder over a course of time.
I was tempted to use the same Chord C cables for the speakers and amplifier but the seller had the Audioquest bi-wire speaker cables at a much reduced price. These replaced the Van Hul blue speaker cables.

 

[nopiano]

Yes I had wifey problems too! 😊 I suggest you tuck them behind the skirting board…

I was going to ask how she escaped, but then I read on! 😁