Making old Denon system bluetooth

[BertyFish]

Hopefully someone can help a complete novice.

I have an old Denon cd player thats not bluetooth but im hoping i can add some kind of dongle which will make it bluetooth?

In the same room i have a smart tv and soundbar/sub which i could use but the denon has some decent tannoy speakers so hoping to use this instead.

I cant find the model of the denon but its this without bluetooth - https://www.richersounds.com/denon-dm41-dab-silver...

Would something similar to this do the job? - https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0DCNSZCYT/ref...

Im not sure if i need a certain bluetooth version?

Sorry for all of the questions.

[Xenoous]

If you have aux input, then yes that should work fine. I use something similar in my car as it doesn't have Bluetooth. Works a treat.

[RedWhiteMonkey]

BertyFish said:

Would something similar to this do the job? - https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0DCNSZCYT/ref...

I don't have that exact one but something very similar. It will work but you need to be aware that you can't charge it and use it at the same time.

Something like a Wiim Mini is a bit more expensive but once you have power to it you wouldn't have to bother with charging.

[BertyFish]

Thanks for the replies

Sure charging is will be a pain but it looks like the wiim option is £100? it will make it worth more than the denon

Do i need a certain bluetooth type, ideally i want keep as much quality as i can.

[danb79]

FWIW I have this for some powered speakers my wife has in her office:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/UGREEN-Bluetooth-Amplifie...

RCA to RCA cable into your RCA in and that’s it sorted

[.:ian:.]

BertyFish said:

Thanks for the replies

Sure charging is will be a pain but it looks like the wiim option is £100? it will make it worth more than the denon

Do i need a certain bluetooth type, ideally i want keep as much quality as i can.

What device will you be playing the files over bluetooth from?
The BT version alone doesnt mean much, but the audio codecs supported at each end can make a difference to the quality.
IOS devices dont support any of the exotic high res codecs, AptX, LDAC, LHDC, just AAC and ALAC.

Android devices should support LDAC, maybe LHDC, usually only Snapdragon phones support AptX.

Most BT receivers will support SBC and AAC, but the others are down to the device in question.

[Whoozit]

I had a very similar unit for 25 years, great for its size. The speakers are excellent!

I bought a cheap Fosi bluetooth receiver and was honestly blown away with the sound quality https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B076XSBCCL?th=1

Bluetooth in, also AUX in if you still want to play off the Denon.

[carl_w]

BertyFish said:

Hopefully someone can help a complete novice.

I have an old Denon cd player thats not bluetooth but im hoping i can add some kind of dongle which will make it bluetooth?

In the same room i have a smart tv and soundbar/sub which i could use but the denon has some decent tannoy speakers so hoping to use this instead.

I also have a Denon amp and some Tannoy speakers (from when they were made in Scotland). Which ones do you have? I should really bring mine back into service.

[AndyTR]

If you have a spare input or aux I'd recommend one of these, had one on an old system and worked fine. My Dad now has it and it's still going strong, must be 10 years old now.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bluetooth-Streaming-Wirel...

[Hanslow]

I did the exact same as you five years ago. I bought a TaoTronics bluetooth unit, which I connected permanently to the USB front port on the front for keeping the BT unit charged. I bought one that had the TOSLINK connection and connected it to the TOSLINK port on the back of the Denon. Pair the BT unit with whatever you want to be transferring the music, select AUX IN or OPTICAL IN (can't remember it was a while ago), and have nice BT functionality. Also, it was a low latency aptX BT unit just in the hope that it wouldn't be laggy.

This looks to be a similar newer version, https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0H6F1YLSD , I'd link the one I bought but it's no longer available on Amazon. I'd have said anything Bluetooth 5.x would be sufficient. I've no idea about Koven as a brand, but check your Denon to see if it has the optical TOSLINK socket on the back, I think yours is a similar model as mine was, it depends of course if you're already using the socket for something else..... My Denon was the 39DAB version having just checked old paperwork/info.

Regardless, what you want to do is possible, you could likely use phono connectors too. You have options...

Edited by Hanslow on Thursday 1st October 21:08

[dhutch]

WiFi rather than Bluetooth, but a chromecast or chromecast audio is an option.

[BertyFish]

Thanks for all of the replies.

Here s some picture of the old beast if it helps.
It s in a room above the garage.
We picked up a rowing machine for the winter so the idea
Is to be able to play Spotify from iPhones.
Wifi in this room isn’t great.

Edited by BertyFish on Thursday 1st October 22:12

[Hanslow]

No TOSLINK on your older 37DAB unit, so either something that can output to RCA/phonos if you'd prefer wiring to the back of the unit, or into the 3.5mm socket on the front. You can use the front USB to power the bluetooth unit, or power direct from mains, either should work.

The Amazon product you linked should work for the front port, although the reviews do say the latency is noticeable at around a quarter of a second. Given the unit supports both transmit and receive, it should be possible to have it as a receiver from your phone/media device and then outputting the audio through the 3.5mm jack but check to make sure the 3.5mm jack can be used both as input to the BT transmitter and output from the BT transmitter, the latter being what you'd want to then get it to play through the audio in jack on the front of the Denon.

Edited by Hanslow on Thursday 1st October 22:23

[Murph7355]

I have a few Anker Soundsyncs for various applications.

Plug it into the "portable in" 3.5mm on the front and away you go

Can charge it by USB.

Not sure Anker do them any more, but UGreen and Creative do them.

[Paul Drawmer]

I used to have a similar mini hifi in the garage, had a b/t dongle and streamed spotify to it whilst on the turbo trainer. Stopped using CDs altogether.

However..For the last few years, since I only used the amp part of it, I swapped the mini hifi out for a cheapo amp with b/t. This set up was a great improvement in sound quality and it driver proper speakers as well.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/LiNKFOR-Amplifier-Bluetoo...

Mines been in use for over 4 years. Great value and the sound quality is better than the old system it replaced.

[James-gbg1e]

Check your interfaces but just get a WiiM Mini if you can make it fit.

Like all WiiM products they're superb.

[shtu]

AndyTR said:

If you have a spare input or aux I'd recommend one of these, had one on an old system and worked fine. My Dad now has it and it's still going strong, must be 10 years old now.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bluetooth-Streaming-Wirel...

That's the type I was going to recommend. Plug it into AUX, and you're good.

[fooman]

My old Sony hifi didn't have aux in but it did have a radio so I bought a Bluetooth to FM RF, just a little USB dongle, works fine.

[cookie1600]

BertyFish said:

Thanks for all of the replies.
Is to be able to play Spotify from iPhones.

That's exactly what I do from an Android with a cheap and cheerful transmitter/receiver from Amazon, a constant USB power feed and an old mini system I had lying around. The transceiver and cables sit neatly under the unit out of sight normally

[danb79]

BertyFish said:

Thanks for all of the replies.

Here s some picture of the old beast if it helps.
It s in a room above the garage.
We picked up a rowing machine for the winter so the idea
Is to be able to play Spotify from iPhones.
Wifi in this room isn t great.

Edited by BertyFish on Thursday 1st October 22:12

Yup; all you need is the UGreen BT dongle as I linked to above; or the version that has a 3.5mm out - that’s your choice

No need to spend nearly £90 on a Wiim Mini unless you need AirPlay2 or similar