Help setting up wireless speakers to play Pandora through BluRay player.

[jerdo]

Hello,

I am fairly new to home wireless networking and audio setups. I recently added a wireless router that I connected to our cable modem upstairs so that we can connect various wireless devices throughout the house. Downstairs, we currently have a BluRay player hooked up physically to an LCD tv and to a wired set of speakers. I figured out how to connect the BluRay player to our new wireless network, so I am now able to play music from Pandora through those speakers. However, I want to be able to play that same music upstairs, and I want to do so wirelessly. Are there any inexpensive options to do this? If so, what equipment would I need to purchase and set up? I don't care too much right now about high quality sound, I just want to be able to play Pandora - and maybe some CDs - from the BluRay player and have the music come out through wireless speakers upstairs. I am also looking for a setup that is simple enough for a newbie like me to install.

Any help will be appreciated, and if you want more detail from me - such as brands or models of my equipment - please let me know.

Thank you in advance,
J

 

[thee_prisoner]

What are the names and models of your equipment?

 

[jerdo]

What are the names and models of your equipment?

thee_prisoner: Thank you for responding! I have an LG Network 3D Blu-Ray Disc/DVD Player BP620C, a Yamaha Natural Sound AV Receiver RX-V559, a Motorola SB6121 SURFboard eXtreme Cable Modem, and a MediaLink Wireless-N Broadband Router MWN-WAPR300N. I think that covers the relevant pieces of this puzzle, but please let me know if I can provide any other information that will help.

J

 

[thee_prisoner]

I am assuming that you haven't bought any equipment for the upstairs.

You have a few options;

1:You can get a transmitter and receiver like this:http://www.parts-express.com/term/wireless?c=1951
where you hook up the transmitter from the receiver to transmit to another device like a receiver(AV receiver or separates). It uses its own signal not from the wireless router. It uses a transmitter and receiving unit.

2. Get a tablet that has 3.5mm output(or digital, depends what the speaker input has) like a headphone jack to output to powered speakers. http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Fire-H...e=UTF8&qid=1370709424&sr=8-8&keywords=tablets Powered speakers; http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?partnumber=248-6300

3: Get a receiver that can use the wireless router: http/www.amazon.com/Onkyo-TX-8050-Network-Stereo-Receiver/dp/B004UR486G/ref=sr_1_1?s=aht&ie=UTF8&qid=1370716334&sr=1-1&keywords=receiver+lan+wireless plus the usb wireless dongle.

4: Or get something like Sonus http://www.sonos.com

These are just examples but hopefully will give you some ideas. Parts Express is great company along with Newegg to order from.

More wireless audio links from newegg;http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...CH&Description=wireless+audio&N=-1&isNodeId=1

Just look around, give us a budget and post what you think you might like and we can make suggestions.

Happy Listening, the Prisoner...

 

[jerdo]

thee_prisoner: Wow! That looks like a lot of helpful information that you responded with. Thanks for that. I'll have to spend some time looking at the links you provided, and checking out my various options to get this going. This is all still a learning curve for me right now.

I'd love to be able to spend no more than $100-$200 in total, but I'm not sure whether or not that will be enough.

Anyway, I'll try to take some time soon to look further into the options you provided me with.

Thank you again,
J

 

[thee_prisoner]

You haven't answered my question if you have any existing equipment to use upstairs because that will affect the budget and configuration. One thing to consider in terms of the transmitter/receivers(and the wireless router) is transmission range.

 

[jerdo]

You haven't answered my question if you have any existing equipment to use upstairs because that will affect the budget and configuration. One thing to consider in terms of the transmitter/receivers(and the wireless router) is transmission range.

Oh, sorry. Right now the cable modem and the wireless router are both upstairs. The Blu-Ray player and the sound receiver are both downstairs, physically wired to each other, an LCD TV, and some external speakers. WiFi range from the wireless router seems good, as that's how I've been able to play Pandora through the Blu-Ray player downstairs (i.e., by connecting the Blu-Ray player to the wireless network and logging in to the Pandora account via the Blu-Ray player). The area upstairs where I'd like to be able to play sound from the Blu-Ray setup is physically in-between where the wireless router is (upstairs) and where the Blu-Ray player is (downstairs).

So, I was hoping there might be an inexpensive way to have some speakers upstairs that could receive the output from Pandora, via the Blu-Ray player, downstairs.

I hope that makes sense....
J

 

[hang-the-9]

Just buy a used netbook and hook up some speakers to that. Will sound better and no need to cobble together something. Plus that way you can use the disk player for something and play music at the same time. You can get a good quality set of speakers for $50 or $100. Get a set of M-Audio AV 30 or 40 speakers, they are excellent for music and anything else actually. http/www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/StudiophileAV30.html I've used a pair or these for computer movie/music listening, using them for my electric piano, they sound great in every use.

 

[jerdo]

Just buy a used netbook and hook up some speakers to that. Will sound better and no need to cobble together something. Plus that way you can use the disk player for something and play music at the same time. You can get a good quality set of speakers for $50 or $100. Get a set of M-Audio AV 30 or 40 speakers, they are excellent for music and anything else actually. http/www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/StudiophileAV30.html I've used a pair or these for computer movie/music listening, using them for my electric piano, they sound great in every use.

hang-the-9, thank you for the suggestion. It looks like - based on the advice I received from both you and thee_prisoner - I have several different options to look into and figure out which will best suit my needs.

Thank you both for taking the time to help give me advice for my situation!

J

 

[thee_prisoner]

An option that can get you to your budget is use the transmitter/receiver linked above with this simple amp and speakers.
Link for speakers:http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?partnumber=300-652
Link for amp:http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?partnumber=310-300 good for low to medium volume music.

The advantage of this setup is you just buy more receivers, only one transmitter needed if you want have sound in more rooms. It won't be using the wireless router at all but using it's own channel. The transmitter will need to be hooked up to the output of your receiver or blu-ray player.

A inexpensive tablet or low price/used netbook(suggested by hang-the-9), instead of putting money toward the transmitter/receiver is that you have a more useful device in terms of what it can do. Also, it will be using the wireless router and maybe better range in terms of a signal.

Disadvantage of course would be higher cost.

Anyways, keep us informed on what you might buy and we might be able to make some suggestions.

Happy wireless listening, the Prisoner.