First Time Real Speaker Set Up - Wireless Conversion Help

[Teenyman45]

I bought a Klipsch Reference Theater Pack 5.1 Surround https://www.amazon.com/Klipsch-Reference-Theater-Surround-System/dp/B0779GRFWF/ref=sr_1_3?crid=3O5PVHA6HWRTG&keywords=klipsch+reference+theater+pack+5.1+channel+surround+sound+system&qid=1637172479&qsid=143-9436866-9525118&sprefix=Klipsch+re,aps,176&sr=8-3&sres=B0779GRFWF,B086QWB9RH,B084WQHM8S,B08LP7VG32,B07QC4CWWK,B08QZ6PZJM,B08DK72K21,B087C5PR2Z,B015JERR2K,B089B6VS11,B00MJ1YR8Y,B07FKH9ZDC,B07FKH3VPV,B09GBGNYNC,B089YVMH3C,B08CZTKJBF&srpt=SPEAKERS&th=1 for my computer to replace the aging subwoofer that's been making an increasing amount of buzzing noise instead of base over the last few months.

I mistakenly took the listing's "wireless" information to mean that included the satellite speakers which I thought I could just plug into regular wall sockets for power and get audio data transmitted via the small wireless transceiver pictured. Nope! These are regular red and black wire speakers. I don't want to run cables under the floor or through the walls and ceiling and I've never owned a dedicated audio receiver/amplifier.

What do I need to buy so the the speakers can: 1) just be plugged into wall outlets or power strips; 2) communicate with 3.5 jacks + S/PDIF Out port on the the back of my motherboard? Wall outlet to speaker cable- cable? Bluetooth transmitter? what?

And to clarify, I'm neither looking for nor expecting extreme audio fidelity or massive volume power.

 

[CookieFactory]

No way around it, you're gonna need dedicated amplification with an AV receiver likely being your easiest solution.

 

[BlueLineSwinger]

As stated, you're going to need something to drive those speakers, and unfortunately, there's no simple, relatively inexpensive solution other than an AVR.

There are solutions to wirelessly connect up the rear speakers such as the RocketFish (i.e., BestBuy) unit. No idea how well it actually works, however.

 

[Teenyman45]

Not going to spend $150+tax per speaker for those Rocket Fish units when the whole kit cost me $280 and those would still need some other ancillary gear the content of which is not described. Otherwise, just saying buy a receiver is unhelpful.

 

[Teenyman45]

For instance, can I use two of these: https://www.amazon.com/Bluetooth-Am...84PB,B08F6DWKQP,B08VKXP1VY&srpt=SPEAKERS&th=1 - to power and send signals to each of the rear speakers?

 

[BlueLineSwinger]

Not going to spend $150+tax per speaker for those Rocket Fish units when the whole kit cost me $280 and those would still need some other ancillary gear the content of which is not described. Otherwise, just saying buy a receiver is unhelpful.

Sorry if you feel us telling you the proper way to support your new speakers is unhelpful. The fact is you bought a system that, aside from the sub, requires a separate amp. At this price level that's going to be an AVR.

The Rocketfish kit is 2-channel. You'd only need one set for both rear speakers.

For instance, can I use two of these: https://www.amazon.com/Bluetooth-Amplifier-Wireless-Receiver-Adapter/dp/B0949B86YV/ref=sr_1_10?keywords=wireless+speaker+kit+for+wired+speakers&qid=1637192166&qsid=143-9436866-9525118&sr=8-10&sres=B08J8CJJTR,B01ARM0VE0,B07KSGYFX3,B000VEP3XO,B08RWDN263,B07F6WLWSR,B072Q157FY,B005WLYGCU,B01CQOV3YO,B08XYJGGMK,B09JZ86PB3,B00SJ49ZJQ,B09DXYRH15,B08KY684PB,B08F6DWKQP,B08VKXP1VY&srpt=SPEAKERS&th=1 - to power and send signals to each of the rear speakers?

That's only a receiver, not a transmitter. It's something you might get if you had a spare set of small speakers you wanted to play your phone through. You wouldn't be able to pair two of them together.

There's no telling what Bluetooth audio codecs it supports. Probably just the relatively lo-fi SBC, maybe AAC. No chance it supports something appropriate, like Apt-X HD or LDAC. Also, Bluetooth will usually introduce some latency, which would be annoying.

Finally, there's no way that tiny little thing produces 2 x 50 W. Maybe 2 x 20 W on a good day and if the speakers are the proper impedance.

 

[Zepher]

any option to get your rear speakers working wirelessly is is going to add complexity and won't probably be worth the added cost.
you might want to return that setup and get a WISA based system.

https://www.klipsch.com/reference-wireless

 

[Teenyman45]

Sorry if you feel us telling you the proper way to support your new speakers is unhelpful. The fact is you bought a system that, aside from the sub, requires a separate amp. At this price level that's going to be an AVR.

The Rocketfish kit is 2-channel. You'd only need one set for both rear speakers.




That's only a receiver, not a transmitter. It's something you might get if you had a spare set of small speakers you wanted to play your phone through. You wouldn't be able to pair two of them together.

There's no telling what Bluetooth audio codecs it supports. Probably just the relatively lo-fi SBC, maybe AAC. No chance it supports something appropriate, like Apt-X HD or LDAC. Also, Bluetooth will usually introduce some latency, which would be annoying.

Finally, there's no way that tiny little thing produces 2 x 50 W. Maybe 2 x 20 W on a good day and if the speakers are the proper impedance.

If I could use those rocketfish units at all, I would need two because I don't want to leave speaker wire trailing from the unit across the floor where people walk. Though not in the text of my initial post, the satellite speakers are 50w each and the rocketfish can only output 25.

I should have been clearer in my phrasing as "transmitting" meant communicating with whatever device is plugged into my computer's audio jacks. As far as that bluetooth unit's power capabilities, the external power brick delivers 12v at 5amps... so 60watts and I would be using it single channel of one per speaker

As for the isolated statement of buying an a/v receiver... WHIICH ONE?! There's more than one on the market! Why that particular receiver? How will having that receiver enable all four of my satellite speakers and the centerline speaker to start wirelessly receiving signals and power or if not also wirelessly receiving power (which seems a bit much to expect) what additional component is needed so that at a minimum the rear satellite speakers can receive power from a standard wall socket rather than trailing speaker wire to the receiver? Simply stating to buy a receiver without further explanation is truly unhelpful. "My car needs a smoother ride" "So, buy some aftermarket shocks." "Weeellllll which ones and why?"

any option to get your rear speakers working wirelessly is is going to add complexity and won't probably be worth the added cost.
you might want to return that setup and get a WISA based system.

https://www.klipsch.com/reference-wireless

Returning would be more possible if I did not open the box, which is how I came to learn that the non-subwoofer speakers were not wireless. The amount of added complexity and cost is what I am trying to get help for.

 

[Zepher]

Well, if you are stuck with those speaker then you will need to get a 5 channel surround receiver, pretty much any name brand lower end model will suffice.
Not sure what your room layout is, but is there no way to run cables up along any wall to get to the rear speakers?

If you must go wireless, the Rocketfish or this will be the easiest solution
https://www.amazon.com/DYNASTY-PROA...T,B00378KMF0,B0002D017M,B07BQC7GNL,B08QZ1D7B5

 

[Teenyman45]

Well, if you are stuck with those speaker then you will need to get a 5 channel surround receiver, pretty much any name brand lower end model will suffice.
Not sure what your room layout is, but is there no way to run cables up along any wall to get to the rear speakers?

Even if I wanted to run cables along the walls/ceiling I could not do so for the rear right speaker. My house is a singular great room from which the bedrooms/ guest bathroom/ and garage all adjoin. The computer is in the "family room" which is subdivided from the remainder of the great room by an open plan kitchen. The ceiling is not flat, but as is common in my area, is a large angled shape that extends from 10 feet at the front and rear walls to 14 feet in the center. The kitchen walls do not reach the ceiling, as they only extend 8 feet up along one wall and for about two feet along another before dropping down to a counter-height breakfast bar. Guess which wall the right rear speaker would be up against. My computer is normally housed in a large CaseLabs TH-10 case positioned just to the left and ahead of the family room couch's left armrest and roughly in line with a very wide elevated " coffee" table which has never actually had a cup of coffee on it since I've owned it. So there is a nice wide gap between computer and the family room outer wall and that is also a somewhat commonly travelled area. Aligned with the case is a Cyberpower PR1500LCDRTXL2U UPS you'd normally find in a server rack.

Why not put the rears directly behind the couch? Despite being a real wood frame and real full-grain leather piece of furniture, the couch is not strongly anchored or weighted to the floor and that has historically been a positive thing. However, it does mean that besides having speaker wire run along the left of the couch (tripping hazard) or directly underneath the middle (also a tripping hazard), sudden movements on the couch (like jumping up when touchdown is scored in the fourth quarter) can cause the couch to slide backwards several inches and knock any inconveniently placed speaker poles right over.

The old Klipsch Pro Media 2.1 speaker line ran from the motherboard's line out port along the floor for several inches where nobody would walk to the subwoofer placed on the floor under the coffee table and behind the table's sideways V-shaped leg that runs the entire width of the table. The power cable (plugged into the UPS) nearly parallels this path. From there, normal speaker wire extends to the right speaker, then daisy chains to the left, and both speakers are on the coffee table abutting and behind my monitor.

I wanted to do something similar with a 5.1 "wireless" set up of having audio out to the subwoofer under the table, with the front and rear satellite speakers independently AC powered and communicating wirelessly to the audio jack equipped transmitter shown in the speaker set's pictures and which I now know is only for the subwoofer. The big change would be for the fronts to be at the far edges of the coffee table and the new centerline directly underneath the monitor.

If just about "any" receiver will suffice, how do I make the receiver communicate with the rear speakers and power them? Though not as bad, running cable to the front satellites is also a real tripping hazard, or more likely somebody's foot hooking the cable and causing the speaker to launch towards the floor. If that happens often enough with a landline phone, I'd rather not repeat it with speakers.

 

[Zepher]

If just about "any" receiver will suffice, how do I make the receiver communicate with the rear speakers and power them? Though not as bad, running cable to the front satellites is also a real tripping hazard, or more likely somebody's foot hooking the cable and causing the speaker to launch towards the floor. If that happens often enough with a landline phone, I'd rather not repeat it with speakers.

You will need either of those wireless transmitters/receiver systems posted above to power and send audio to the rear speakers.

 

[Zepher]

you can opt for something like this to make all the speakers wireless,
http://www.amphony.com/products/t800.htm

 

[Teenyman45]

Well, if you are stuck with those speaker then you will need to get a 5 channel surround receiver, pretty much any name brand lower end model will suffice.
Not sure what your room layout is, but is there no way to run cables up along any wall to get to the rear speakers?

If you must go wireless, the Rocketfish or this will be the easiest solution
https://www.amazon.com/DYNASTY-PROAUDIO-Amplifier-Selectable-Switching/dp/B08J8CJJTR/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=DYNASTY+PROAUDIO+WSA-5RP&qid=1637209594&qsid=131-6949492-7631655&sr=8-1&sres=B08J8CJJTR,B08RWDN263,B07SHCZ1V6,B00MJ1YR8Y,B08FXBHH44,B084LJ5GGN,B016P9HJIA,B092XDX3GR,B01LR420NM,B08HSRYZHM,B07WF96FY5,B08HZH8MKT,B00378KMF0,B0002D017M,B07BQC7GNL,B08QZ1D7B5

Dynasty won't sell discrete receivers, so it's buy a transmitter receiver combo per speaker.

you can opt for something like this to make all the speakers wireless,
http://www.amphony.com/products/t800.htm

Gotta love how Amphony doesn't actually sell the described transmitter needed for those receiver amps and their manuals don't match their product listings.

 

[vegeta535]

Get a sound bar. It seems you are not ready for a real setup.

 

[Darunion]

Honestly after reading your needs it almost sounds like you would be best to return that. Maybe look at a klipsch sound bar with wireless sub, put the sub near the couch to get that rumble feel. That would seem to provide your best configuration with the least amount of work needed or wires.

Alternatively you can get wire covers to keep the wires captured over the rug/carpet/floor

 

[Teenyman45]

Get a sound bar. It seems you are not ready for a real setup.

soundbar on the coffee table? soundbar under the table and strapped on top of the subwoofer? I'm looking for something that will communicate with multiple speakers wirelessly and something that will allow me to independently power those speakers with one speaker per outlet. Since there have been no suggestions of transmitters that can plug directly into a computer whether via the motherboard's audio jacks/sound card/ or add in card, but to instead get an a/v receiver... which one and why that model?

Honestly after reading your needs it almost sounds like you would be best to return that. Maybe look at a klipsch sound bar with wireless sub, put the sub near the couch to get that rumble feel. That would seem to provide your best configuration with the least amount of work needed or wires.

Alternatively you can get wire covers to keep the wires captured over the rug/carpet/floor

1) not readily returnable; 2) wood floors not running multiple sets of wire covers over the floor; 3) already have a wireless sub, as it's the one part that is wireless from the new kit and is the only part that doesn't need to be wireless; 4) that's where the existing, dying subwoofer is already positioned.

 

[magnetik]

I ran into an issue of needing to run wires in my new house for cat-5 and not wanting to tear up walls or run across the open floor. I ended up pulling the trim and running flat wire right behind it. Possibly an option if everything is adjacent and connected?

 

[pendragon1]

to make these "work" wirelessly, you need to convert the speaker output from a 5.1 amp/avr to rca, then feed the rca into a wireless transmitter, then feed the wireless receiver into an amp to power the speakers.

get a proper avr and run the wire around the perimeter under the base boards.

 

[Darunion]

The amphony would work, it is available on amazon as well with a shipping delay. It requires audio from 3.5 or speaker level output. you would also want to have a 5.1 receiver to feed out the individual channel audio. A simple https://www.amazon.com/.../B07C49F2LD/ would work for you in that part.

That should get you running if i am not mistaken.

Amphony https://www.amazon.com/...B01ARM0VE0

 

[pendragon1]

The amphony would work, it is available on amazon as well with a shipping delay. It requires audio from 3.5 or speaker level output. you would also want to have a 5.1 receiver to feed out the individual channel audio. A simple https://www.amazon.com/.../B07C49F2LD/ would work for you in that part.

That should get you running if i am not mistaken.

Amphony https://www.amazon.com/...B01ARM0VE0

those amphony things are not powered, he would need an amp for them
"Each Model 800 wireless receiver has a stereo RCA output and connect to any active speaker, subwoofer or power amplifier."
plus they are rca in, so he needs to convert the avr/amp's speaker output to rca.
edit: and all that will add a delay for the rear speakers that will need to be compensated for some how....

 

[Darunion]

those amphony things are not powered, he would need an amp for them
"Each Model 800 wireless receiver has a stereo RCA output and connect to any active speaker, subwoofer or power amplifier."
plus they are rca in, so he needs to convert the avr/amp's speaker output to rca.

They are each an 80w amplifier with a 36v supply

edit: The model 1800 is what i linked

edit: oh and of course, this setup he is wanting is terrible for audio quality but that is what he is asking for very specifically.

 

[pendragon1]

They are each an 80w amplifier with a 36v supply

edit: The model 1800 is what i linked

edit: oh and of course, this setup he is wanting is terrible for audio quality but that is what he is asking for very specifically.

not sure how i missed that or why they specify what i quoted...

 

[Darunion]

not sure how i missed that or why they specify what i quoted...

Not sure, never heard of the company myself. I went down this rabbit hole myself once and learned that "Wireless, Audio, Sync" are three words that never belong together.

 

[Teenyman45]

Would this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08J7MKYN1/ref=emc_b_5_i?th=1 be a functional transmitter to send separate signals to rear speakers?

I ran into an issue of needing to run wires in my new house for cat-5 and not wanting to tear up walls or run across the open floor. I ended up pulling the trim and running flat wire right behind it. Possibly an option if everything is adjacent and connected?

That's not an option. The left rear speaker can't take a floor molding path as that is interrupted by a double sliding glass door... so while I could, despite really not wanting to conceivably, run the wire along and over floor as a tripping issue to the outer wall, up the outer wall, along the ceiling and down like a string of Christmas lights, that's still not happening. The right rear speaker has no wall or ceiling path to reach it without having dangling wires like the 1920's scenario from the Carousel of Progress ride or having lengthy wire covers running atop a wood floor.

to make these "work" wirelessly, you need to convert the speaker output from a 5.1 amp/avr to rca, then feed the rca into a wireless transmitter, then feed the wireless receiver into an amp to power the speakers.

get a proper avr and run the wire around the perimeter under the base boards.

This is in the right direction. What model avr? what model transmitter? What model receiver(s)? Would the receivers I indicated above work and if not, why not?

As indicated in the other reply in this post I can't run wire "to" the baseboard.

The amphony would work, it is available on amazon as well with a shipping delay. It requires audio from 3.5 or speaker level output. you would also want to have a 5.1 receiver to feed out the individual channel audio. A simple https://www.amazon.com/.../B07C49F2LD/ would work for you in that part.

That should get you running if i am not mistaken.

They are each an 80w amplifier with a 36v supply

edit: The model 1800 is what i linked

edit: oh and of course, this setup he is wanting is terrible for audio quality but that is what he is asking for very specifically.

Amazon is listing the Amphony T800 as unavailable when I just searched for it and then alternatively showing a single shipper with a 67% feedback rating. The 1800 is a kit with an iphone dock and two 880 receivers. Yeah, those 880 receivers are powered and I do know how to twist banana cable caps onto the ends of speaker wire when, as a child, I was plugging speakers into an old stereo and took those capped cables apart. I have never tried to independently power a free-standing speaker made wireless however, which is why I wanted information on that subject.

Presuming the iphone dock could specifically differentiate one receiver as left rear and another as right rear and could act as a transmitter for an avr then that might actually work for the rears. The documentation provided is silent as to whether the iphone dock pairs with four speakers like the T800 or just two though seller answers say the T800 is needed for that. Moreover, how would I get the Denon unit you've referenced to have the iphone dock properly send specifically left audio to the rear left and right audio to the rear right as the dock only has a single pair of wire inputs rather than a left/right dual pair? Also, why, in general, did you pick that Denon?



If I have to get a separate transmitter for each rear speaker, spending about $100 per rear speaker (aggregating for the transmitter and the receiver amp) to make that work is acceptable but spending $200+ per is not. In thinking through this, I've realized that at least for the center channel and front front satellites, I can the run cables under the table's central support, though the upwards run done thrice over is going to look quite a bit uglier than the current existing upwards run from the dying subwoofer to the two present speakers.

 

[deaedius]

As an AV guy, the first thing that everyone would need is a picture to understand what we are up against. Even if you wanted wireless you'd need some way to amplify the speakers and find power for the amp and such. Based on how you explain the layout, any example people give may not be the right one until pictures are provided.

It almost sounds like you may want to have side surrounds or have the 2 rears facing front and pointed at ceiling for reflective sound. Otherwise without images to explain the challenge, based on all I have read, I would not have rear speakers setup.

Thank you,

 

[Darunion]

Teenyman45 no no no, I linked the 1800 series. http://www.amphony.com/products/wireless-speaker-kit.htm

It has two receivers that you sync to the base unit. That unit has a 3.5mm input jack as well as two sets of standard speaker pinch terminals so you can wire straight from the AVR to those. You would need the AVR unless your PC has an output for each set of channels. Each amplifier has a set of pinch terminals as well and a volume control.

They have a video of how to hook it all up

There may be some end connector wiring you will need to do for your goals here, that is probably unavoidable. You can also get premade cables or adapters on amazon as well if you need, not sure what connections were on your speaker set.

The denon I picked was just a quick search, i use a denon x1300 as my main unit for my theater setup and enjoy the sound quality from it. You could get away with really any 5.1 or more channels.

 

[Teenyman45]

As an AV guy, the first thing that everyone would need is a picture to understand what we are up against. Even if you wanted wireless you'd need some way to amplify the speakers and find power for the amp and such. Based on how you explain the layout, any example people give may not be the right one until pictures are provided.

It almost sounds like you may want to have side surrounds or have the 2 rears facing front and pointed at ceiling for reflective sound. Otherwise without images to explain the challenge, based on all I have read, I would not have rear speakers setup.

Thank you,

The 5.1 set up includes two rear surround satellite speakers on poles that will be pointing at the couch. For various reasons neither rear speaker can have any wire running to them from my computer or an avr plugged into my computer. I had thought that this statement could simply be taken on faith as true without further explanation, but apparently that's not the case. The rears MUST be wireless. The two front surrounds along with the centerline SHOULD be wireless, though I've realized I can do a wired workaround for the fronts but the cabling is ugly which is why I had been presumptively dismissive of doing so.

Teenyman45 no no no, I linked the 1800 series. http://www.amphony.com/products/wireless-speaker-kit.htm

It has two receivers that you sync to the base unit. That unit has a 3.5mm input jack as well as two sets of standard speaker pinch terminals so you can wire straight from the AVR to those. You would need the AVR unless your PC has an output for each set of channels. Each amplifier has a set of pinch terminals as well and a volume control.

They have a video of how to hook it all up

There may be some end connector wiring you will need to do for your goals here, that is probably unavoidable. You can also get premade cables or adapters on amazon as well if you need, not sure what connections were on your speaker set.

The denon I picked was just a quick search, i use a denon x1300 as my main unit for my theater setup and enjoy the sound quality from it. You could get away with really any 5.1 or more channels.

I was mistaken, the iphone dock transmitter in the 1800 kit does have left and right speaker inputs in addition to an audio jack, so I guess I can just connect an avr's rear left and rear right outputs to the dock's left and right inputs. The how-to video is for the dedicated T800 transmitter and not the 1800 kit's iphone dock.

End connector wiring is not a problem, I've made my own phone, ethernet, and coaxial cables before so doing custom-length short connections from a wireless amp to the speaker is something I can handle... now that I know what a wireless amp IS and what its connectors are. Other than the subwoofer, all five of these speakers take standard 16 gauge speaker wire that feed into spring loaded, red and black colored retention holes. Some wireless amps I'm seeing on Amazon require banana capped/plugged cables while these Amphony ones don't, but either way that's doable.

 

[Darunion]

Teenyman45 Oh good so it is sounding like you at least have a direction now you can browse and find what would work best for you. I hope you do share what you end up getting and how it works out.