4 Gadgets That Can Upgrade Your Old Stereo System

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If you want to upgrade your old stereo system, you don’t need to buy a pricey set of new speakers, a bunch of high-tech equipment, or an entirely new system altogether. There are plenty of useful gadgets you can pick up that can easily breathe new life into your aging stereo.

You could use a Bluetooth music receiver to stream music wirelessly from your phone or computer to your vintage music system. Want to integrate your old stereo into your smart home setup? Plugging your audio system into a smart plug lets you monitor energy output and control its usage from your phone. If you instead want to add smart speaker features, it could be worth hooking your stereo up to an old Amazon Echo you may have lying around. For those who own more than one music system and want a way to connect them, a centralized streaming hub could be a useful addition to your audio setup.

In other words, your vintage stereo system doesn’t need to head for landfill or be left to gather dust. Below, we break down four gadgets that can upgrade your old stereo system for the modern era.

If you want an easy way to wirelessly stream music to your old stereo system, the Audioengine B1 is worth considering for your setup. Any speakers, music system, or stereo with a standard analog audio input can plug into this Bluetooth music receiver. You can then pair the receiver with your phone or computer via Bluetooth, allowing you to instantly stream music to your connected audio device — all while enhancing the audio quality.

The Audioengine B1 features 32-bit audio processing and aptX Adaptive technology. This means output audio is dynamically adjusted and upscaled to ensure consistent, high quality, distortion-free music, even at extended wireless ranges.

The Audioengine B1 is considered by experts to be one of the best music receivers on the market, with users praising its straightforward setup, excellent sound quality, and generous range. Though, its $189 price tag makes it pricier than other Bluetooth audio receivers, like the BluDento BLT-2.

If you own a mixture of digital and analog audio systems, your setup could benefit from the WiiM Ultra. This wireless audio streaming device offers a comprehensive suite of connection options, including RCA, phone, optical, and USB, allowing it to act as a digital hub for all your devices — old and new. Through the hub, you can stream music from major music streaming services, like Spotify and Tidal, to your connected audio output via Bluetooth 5.3 or Wi-Fi 6. You can also connect your WiiM Ultra to an Amazon Echo, Google Home, another WiiM device for unified, multi-room audio streaming.

In addition, the WiiM Ultra uses a 32-bit, 384 kHz ES9038 Q2M Sabre DAC (digital-to-analog converter chip) to deliver hi-res music playback up to 24 bits at 192 kHz. Audiophiles will also appreciate the ability to tailor audio settings, like EQ levels, to the space your stereo system is in.

At $329, the WiiM Ultra is a pricey investment, but experts consider it to be one of the best music streamers on the market, praising its responsive 3.5-inch full-color touchscreen, solid connectivity, and crisp sound.

You don’t need to spend a fortune to upgrade your aging stereo system. In fact, you may actually have another old device lying around your home that could do the job: an Amazon Echo. Really, any offering from one of the major smart speaker brands would do the trick here. The goal is to simply add smart features to your old stereo system or speakers.

Depending on your system’s connections, and the connections of the Echo model you have, you may be able to connect the two via Bluetooth or an audio jack. Once connected, the audio output from your Echo should come out of your older system, allowing you to wirelessly stream music to your old speakers, while also allowing you to use Alexa voice commands to control the Echo.

Even if you don’t have an unused Echo lying around, older, second-hand Echos, like the first-generation Echo Dot, are available from sites like eBay for under $15, making them a more affordable proposition than buying a new smart stereo system.

Another gadget that can add smart features to your old stereo system is the Eve Energy Smart Plug. While this $43.95 device won’t improve your vintage setup’s audio output, connecting it to your stereo system — or one of the gadgets above — allows you to turn the plug for that device off and on via the Eve app.

In addition, by providing certain energy supplier details, you can monitor your audio device’s energy consumption and cost via the Eve app. Meanwhile, the ability to schedule when your plug (and therefore device) turns on and off can give you more control over your energy usage.

This device is compatible with Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Google Home, Home Assistant, and Samsung SmartThings, so it certainly supports some of those essential voice assistant commands you need to start using. However, you’ll need a Matter-compatible hub, like a Nest Hub for Google Home, to integrate the smart plug into your chosen ecosystem.