Affordable Built-In Bluetooth Audio Setup
So when I added my screened in porch to the back of the house I really wanted to add built in bluetooth speakers, inside and out. After quite a bit of research I decided to hack it with this cheap setup because honestly who needs a big receiver and all the crap that goes with it. I successfully wired my porch for built-in, great sounding, bluetooth audio for under $150! Check it out below!
Required Tools
Shopping List
Instructions
Step 1: Mount the Amp and Receiver
Locate an outlet or add a new one where you would like to install this equipment as both will require 120V power.
The location of the mini amp is not a big deal, however, the bluetooth receiver should be relatively accessible as you will occasionally need to sync new devices.
I recommend screwing the mini amp in place.
Step 2: Installing the Speakers
Find the ideal locations for your two speakers and install according to the manufacturers instructions.
Keep in mind the next step when selecting a location.
Set 3: Run Speaker Wire
Depending on the location you may need to fish your wire through a wall or attic space.
Separate and strip the wire at both ends and connect to corresponding ports on the speakers and amp.
Step 4: The fun part
Plug in the receiver and amp. Sync your audio source (phone, tablet, ipod, etc.) to the bluetooth receiver and play some music.
With the volume on the mini amp at a minimum, now you’ll need to turn the volume all the way up on your audio source and set the mini amp volume to the max you want the speakers to play at. (You’ll be surprised how loud it gets!)
Step 5: ENJOY!
I really like this set-up! I would love to put speakers in my backyard too, but the way it was done inside my home is very intimidating and costly. Your way seems very doable. It looks like it has be several months since you installed, will you please give me an update on how it has worked out for you and if you are happy with the products you used?
Hey Cecilia!
I still use this setup all the time and we love it! So much so that whave the same setup in our bathroom and now the garage.
what kind of wattage were your speakers?
35 watts nominal. 120 watts max.
for each speaker? I found your post on pintrest and im glad I did. i read the reviews on the mini amp and watched a ton of youtube vids today on it. gonna use this setup for outdoor speakers. Just was not sure of the wattage for the speakers. These amps can handle some big ones from the vids i have watched. Are you still using this setup?
That is what the speakers are rated for. The mini amp puts out 20 watts to each channel.
I am still using this setup and it’s still working well
Is there any way to create a whole-home audio system with a similar setup? Ideally, I could have one audio device powering several rooms where the zones could be turned on/off (or volume independently controlled). Is this how your setup works, or is each room independent?
I have this setup in my garage, screen room, and bathroom but they are independent of one another. You could however link them by running one bluetooth receiver to all the mini amps. Then you could control each room by its corresponding mini amp. Beyond that I don’t think this would work as a whole-home setup and the problem would lie in the range of the bluetooth receiver.
This sounds for my back porch, however I’m worried about the speaker wire being visible outside. Any tips on hiding the wire when a wall or attic is not feasible? Thanks!
If you have any vinyl in the eves or ceiling you should be able to tuck it behind that. Otherwise you could always get some type of cord concealer to run up a corner and paint to to closely match its surroundings.
I am wanting to use this setup on my patio, but I’m wondering if I can mount the BT receiver/amp in my garage, which is just on the other side of the wall, and still be able to pick up the signal from my patio? Do you think that will work? I love this idea and have been looking for a setup like this for a while that wasn’t going to break the bank. Thank you for posting this!
I think that will work. You might not get as much range but the best way to find out is to try.
Is there a way to add more than 2 speakers to the set up? I may want to add up to 6.
You could use a splitter but I would suggest at least one more mini amp if not two.
Is an amp necessary, or can you control the volume with your phone?
20W? not much sound power there.
My guitar amp is 15 Watts and it is extremely loud. You might be surprised if you’re only looking to fill a space less than 500 sqr ft. Also bear in mind, your speakers are a maximum of 5″ diameter and if you’re lucky, have a built in crossover to separate high freq. exclusively to the tweeter. You can push 5 watts through that kind of speaker and have plenty of juice. If you want to drive a 12″ woofer, that takes more power, and you probably don’t want that on your patio anyway.