Connect Your Streaming Audio Device To Your Home Hi-Fi

Putting Them Together Is Easy if You Know How

By  Adrian Wall

So I've convinced you to take that old Hi-Fi out of storage and put it to use along with your computer or mobile device's streaming audio service, but how do you connect them and set everything for the best sound? Here are the basics. 

1/8”Stereo Plug to Dual RCA Connectors

Cheaply and readily available, these cables and adapters are the easiest way to plug straight into the RCA input jacks on a Hi-Fi system. Steer clear of the Phono input on your Hi-Fi – it's for record turntables only, and can't handle standard line level audio. The Line In, CD and Tape inputs will work just fine. Your smartphone, laptop, or other streaming audio playback device has a low impedance headphone output that will easily drive the line inputs on a Hi-Fi amp. Indeed, some headphone outputs might be slightly hotter than line level due to impedance bridging. With that in mind, it's always safest to set your streaming device's playback volume on the conservative side – about 1/2 to 3/4 on the volume slider should usually provide plenty of clean level for your Hi-Fi amp without overloading and distorting. Once you have that set, adjust the listening levels to taste with the Hi-Fi's volume control.

Soundcards

If your computer has a headphone output (as most laptops do) you can use it to connect to your Hi-Fi using the method outlined above, but there's another option you might want to consider that can provide improved fidelity. Many affordable soundcard upgrades for tablet, laptop and desktop computers will give you a dedicated line out that doesn't have the impedance bridging issue you'll get when using a headphone output. It's debatable whether the DAC in cheaper units is any better than that which came built-in on your device, but your level and impedance matching should at least be better. And if you decide to spend a few extra shekels on a nicer model, the DAC should be an improvement too.

External DAC

For better sound quality than your mobile device's 1/8" analog output can provide, consider using an external DAC (Digital to Analog Converter). This bypasses your mobile device's analog circuitry by taking a direct digital output, converting it to analog using better converters than the ones within your mobile device, then running that signal through higher-quality (and likely, more powerful) analog circuitry to drive your headphones.

External DACs typically have a USB input, so you need a USB cable with a USB plug that matches the jack on your external converter at one end. The other end should have either a 30-pin plug for older Apple phones and tablets, or the smaller Lightning connector plug for newer models. The external DAC's analog outputs connect to your home hi-fi as previously described. Fiio offer some of the best bang for the buck in portable pocket-sized DACs. Their E7 is great value, even if it only has headphone outputs. They also make a number of line out adapters for 30 pin equipped iOS devices, but since Apple already have a top-notch headphone/line driver in all of their current devices, it's debatable whether it would deliver an improvement. Other options for Android include the Audioengine D1 - again, headphone only, and the Ibasso D-zero, for around $100. The Ibasso is noted for its versatility; it has lots of output options. And if you're a guitarist, IK Multimedia's iRig UA not only includes DSP for powering Android AmpliTube software with zero latency, but can serve as a headphone amp and guitar I/O for Mac and Windows devices.


Until recently only Apple's iOS mobile devices worked properly with external DACs, but the new OTG/USB protocol in Android 5 Lollipop means that any supported Android device can now do the same. Again, price might matter in deciding whether it's worth the extra expense of an external, pocket-sized DAC, and generally the better the performance, the higher the converter and headphone amp will cost; however, obtaining better performance from less expensive handsets may well make this an attractive option for more budget-savvy music fans.

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Adrian Wall graduated from Poppyhill School of Recording in 2005, and has worked extensively as a sound engineer since then, including touring and venue FOH management, as a studio technician/consultant, and has provided award winning sound design for theatre.