Easy Guide – Connect Your Turntable to Soundbar for Enhanced Audio Experience

Every detail is important to the final sound when it comes to enjoying the warm, rich sound of vinyl records. If you’ve chosen a speaker or stereo system other than your usual speakers, this guide will look at how you can seamlessly connect the record player to the soundbar. Regardless of what type (wired or wireless) you want to use or what year your devices are from (this may limit or expand the options for connectors), using this article, you’re sure to have a simple and easy task. And yet, don’t put the user manual far away because there may be nuances from model to model. Our task is to get quality sound.

Different ways to connect the soundbar to the vinyl record player

Connecting the turntable to the soundbar can be done in several ways, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, you and I will also pay attention to these features in addition to the step-by-step connection guide.

Connecting the Bluetooth record player to the soundbar

Connecting the turntable to a Bluetooth soundbar is very easy and convenient because you don’t need wires. You just pair the devices; the version of the Bluetooth itself or your vinyl player doesn’t matter at all, and use it whenever you want. But in doing so, you will definitely lose out on sound quality. First, it is the digitization (compression) of the analog signal, and there is simply no sense in vinyl. Secondly, depending on the Bluetooth version, the connection may not be very stable or may have interference. Third, you’re limited by range (usually around 30 feet, sometimes more).

Step-by-step connection guide:

1. Make sure your Bluetooth player and soundbar are turned on and in pairing mode.
2. Go into the Bluetooth settings on the soundbar and select the new device pairing option.
3. Find the Bluetooth player in the list of available devices and select it to establish a connection.
4. Once connected, you will hear the sound from your vinyl records playing wirelessly through the soundbar.

Connecting the turntable with a built-in preamp to the soundbar

A built-in phono stage is an important element that will save you from buying an external one (although the latter is always of higher quality). In this case, hooking up a record player to a soundbar is quite simple and reliable because you minimize signal degradation, get higher quality, and, most importantly, analog sound with stable data transmission. Plus, RCA jacks are available on virtually every turntable.

Nevertheless, you are tethered by a wire, and the soundbar must be near the turntable, which makes moving the speaker impossible. This type of cable wears out pretty quickly, although it’s easy to replace and inexpensive.

Step-by-step connection guide:

1. Connect the player’s audio output to the RCA input on the soundbar using a set of RCA cables.
2. Turn on the power to both the player and the soundbar.
3. Select the appropriate input on the soundbar to receive audio from the player.
4. Adjust the volume levels on both devices to your preference, and enjoy the sound of vinyl records through the soundbar.

Connecting the vinyl player with a separate preamp to the soundbar

Connecting a record player with a soundbar using an external preamplifier will give you the best possible sound quality (of course, it depends on the phono stage model, but they are usually very good and fully exploit the potential of even budget turntables). Also, this type of preamp provides flexibility and compatibility and gives you a wide range of possibilities to personalize the settings to your preferences. But this means additional costs, a lot of cables, and, therefore, a lot of space for a more complex audio system. Care should be taken with this type of installation because poorly shielded preamplifier cables or proximity to electronic devices can cause interference or signal degradation.

Step-by-step connection guide:

1. Connect the turntable’s audio output to the preamplifier’s input using RCA cables.
2. Connect the preamplifier output to the RCA input on the soundbar.
3. Turn on the player, preamplifier, and soundbar power.
4. Select the appropriate input on the soundbar to receive audio from the player through the preamplifier.
5. Adjust the volume levels as desired and immerse yourself in the rich sound of vinyl through the soundbar.

How to connect the soundbar without RCA or AUX input

If your soundbar does not have RCA or AUX inputs, you can still connect your vinyl record player using alternative methods, such as an optical or HDMI connection. Optical connectors are older and can be found on older year models. But lately, manufacturers have often abandoned this type in favor of HDMI, as these ports usually provide high-quality, uncompressed audio transmission and require no setup experience.

To connect, you only need the appropriate cable, which is also desirable when buying good quality cable because the sound will depend on it. Sometimes, you may need an adapter. Consult your player and soundbar manuals for specific instructions for seamless integration using optical or HDMI connections. But it’s usually very simple.