Which method to choose
- Bluetooth speaker or a smart speaker with Bluetooth: connect over Bluetooth, no cables needed.
- Amplifier, mixer or powered speakers with an audio input: connect with a cable. For all-day use this is the most reliable way.
- Amplifier without Bluetooth and running a cable is inconvenient: place a Bluetooth receiver (RX mode) next to the amplifier.
By cable: what you need
If the device has a 3.5 mm mini-jack headphone output, you do not need an adapter. If it only has USB Type-C or Lightning, you need an audio adapter with a DAC, and if the same port is needed for charging, a 2-in-1 adapter with audio and charging.
The amplifier needs a line input: LINE IN, AUX IN, AUDIO IN, MEDIA IN, CD IN or TUNER IN. PHONO, the MIC microphone input and any outputs (OUTPUT, LINE OUT, REC OUT, SPEAKER OUT) will not work. Pick the cable by the input: 3.5 mm → 2 RCA, 3.5 mm → 3.5 mm, 3.5 mm → 2 × 6.35 mm or 3.5 mm → 2 XLR (XLR only for a line input with +48 V phantom power off).
How to turn the sound on without damaging anything
- Set the speaker or amplifier volume to zero.
- Plug in the cable or pair the device over Bluetooth, and choose the right input on the amplifier.
- On the device set a very quiet but not zero volume and start the music.
- Slowly raise the volume on the speaker or amplifier to a comfortable level.
No sound? Turn the volume back to zero and check the cable, the selected input and that music is really playing. Do not crank the volume to maximum. In detail, with diagrams of connectors and cables: Connecting to an audio system.