Hi all,
I’m looking for an audio receiver with an audio out (XLR preferred, but could also use 3.5mm or RCA) so that I can turn my existing DJ speakers in the kitchen, into a media player that home assistant can control.
I’ve tried running a cable from the host and used vlc-telnet, but the audio breaks up badly (There are many hits on this topic on google),l so I am looking for a hardware alternative.
Any suggestions welcome.
You could maybe use an “spare/old” mobile-phone, connect to it from HA through wifi or bluetooth, or maybe even homeassistant-APP installed … If the speakers is 4ohms, or a cellphone is enough to “power” the sound ( i-e like they can for most “pc-speakers” )
If I used an old phone how would it appear in HA as a media player?
The speakers themselves are powered and have both line and mic level inputs so power is not an issue
What about this belkin airplay speaker? Has 3.5mm and SPDIF out: https://www.bestbuy.com/site/belkin-soundform-connect-audio-adapter-with-airplay-2-black/6484638.p?skuId=6484638 Or get a chromecast audio off Ebay.
well, that depend on the way you choose i guess, if you install/integrate a media player in HA, which i haven’t and don’t use HA for, so can’t say anything in regards how that/they works, with output-options,
if you install mediaplayer on your phone, which i would have chosen as option_1, then i assume either bluetooth or wifi “autodiscover” would find it as “media_player”
I privious notised that AIMP is available through HACS, maybe that’s an option, as mentioned i haven’t tried VLS or any other options either
But a mobil phone, have wifi and bluetooth, and options to even install ha-app …
Your “Dumb speaker” is no longer “Dumb” when you connect to a mobile phone, as you can control the music app on your phone from another phone, or windows etc … and somehow also from HA … sorry my HA instance is not for media-players, so , i’ve already “disabled” my 2 android TV’s, when they popped up as media-player/google_cast devices, same for my regular phone( which i basicly use for what it is intended for, calls/ 2-factor-auth/ txt , and i use an old phone in the basement/laundry-room connected to harman.JBL soundbar, only for music purpose
I may have found a hardware free answer using browser mod and an old nexus 7 tablet I have lying around.
I will also check out the Belkin airplay.
Perfect, Create a nice Panel-mode-Kitchen-view, with the features you need access to, when there, on some strategic place/maybe wall-panel.
So, in the end it was a bit of a combo solution.
Browser mod, running on the android tablet would not enable the media player entity, which was the only reason i wanted it!
I think its related to this issue:-
But I couldn’t find a solution.
so I ended up installing a dlna media receiver app on the tablet instead, and am sending audio to it that way. So far it seems to work flawlessly.
There are a few options out there, like airscreen and bubbleupnp for example.
its also worth noting that I also tried installing a DNLA media receiver on the same pc as home assistant, but it also suffered the same problems as vlc-telnet in that the audio broke up. I can only assume its because HA is running on virtualbox on a windows 11 host, and neither the host or HA can’t get full control of the audio device as its shared with the windows host.
i prefer AIMP, more “simple” , but i like it’s equalizer and the sound quality, there’s a version in HA, via HACS, and by default an Android and windows version. and monkey-remote works with it also
I ran across this the other day. There’s a speaker but also looks like a board you can connect your own speaker to.
@mwav3 - Yeah, I’d seen that youtube video. Its running one of these inside the speaker, and I did consider buying one and using that:-
https://www.amazon.co.uk/ESPMUSE-Proto-Development-Speaker-Microphone/dp/B097F884WL
But the old phone I had lying around has given me a free solution.
There’s an Android app that’s based on Airplay here:
edit: I gave it a go. It detects as an Apple TV 2 but refuses to play anything as pyatv makes the assumption it should be listening on port 5000, when it’s actually on 8192.
Which one?
Bubbleupnp works flawlessly. Just install it on the phone then in HA add a new dlna receiver device.