Connecting to Wireless Speakers?

[Keith Welks]

Hi --

I can't even say I'm a new B2 owner (yet). I had been waiting for restocking of the particular B2 I am interested in purchasing to warehouse my CD collection, but just spotted a possible problem I had not previously anticipated.

My main speakers are KEF LS 50 wireless units.  These are a pair of linked and individually amped speakers.  I had planned to input signals from CDs stored in the B2 via one of the wired connections on the back of the main (right) LS 50 unit for the best audio quality.  The KEF does have an optical cable input, which I presume would give me the best audio input signal.  It also has conventional red/white Aux inputs.  But I just read on the Brennan website that the B2 does not work with wireless speakers other than SONOS.  Confusingly (to me), the site also discusses how to connect its line out 3.5 jack through an optical input to an amplifier (like, for example, the ones in my KEFs?).  Needless to say, I'm uncertain whether I have a problem or not.  I'm reluctant to buy a moderately priced component that cannot connect to the speakers I would primarily expect to use to play the music available from the B2.

I didn't quickly spot a direct question/answer to this on the Forum, but I saw many references that sounded like people were sending a B2 signal to other wireless (and therefore powered or active) speakers.  It also seems odd to me that the Brennan promotes both Bluetooth and WiFi signal outputs but cannot send them to similarly capable wireless speakers.

Can someone clarify?  It seems the information limiting wireless use to Sonos speakers is inconsistent with much other information available on the site (and common sense).  The site even talks about a special connector Brennan sells that appears to have 3.5 jack on one end and Toslink optical connector on the other.  Still, my sophistication is sufficiently limited that I may be missing something quite fundamental about why connecting to the KEFs (or other wireless speakers) isn't possible.

Thanks.

[fred.w....@gmail.com]

Hi kwe

Sorry but you have me confused.     You say you want to connect to WIRELESS speakers. To me that would me speakers driven either by Bluetooth (like Bluetooth speakers) or WiFi (like Sonos); speakers with no physical connection whatsoever to the device playing the music.

However, you say

"My main speakers are KEF LS 50 wireless units.  These are a pair of linked and individually amped speakers.  I had planned to input signals from CDs stored in the B2 via one of the wired connections on the back of the main (right) LS 50 unit for the best audio quality."

What you describe is a WIRED connection.

If this is what you want to do, then there are two ways of doing it using the B2

1) make the connection to your (right) speaker using cable to the headphone output from the B2 (socket marked 14) - this would be an "analogue" connection.

2) note that socket 14 is also a SPDIF socket and you can therefore also plug in an OPTICAL cable there (this would be a "digital" signal) and run this to an external DAC such as

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Converter-Techole-Aluminum-Digital-Toslink-Black/dp/B07MB8VCWQ/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=DAC&qid=1614658667&sr=8-3  (There are better DACs (see discussion on this forum) but one like this does a good job for me).

You would then connect you right speaker up to the output from the DAC.

Hope this helps

Fred

[fred.w....@gmail.com]

I have just looked at the KEF LS50 Wireless II speakers and they have this (WIRED) connection option.

I note that there is a direct optical input - so you could connect your B2 to it DIRECTLY with a cable from the SPDIF port on the B2 without using a DAC (the speaker has one internally). You could also connect it up to the B2 using the

HDMI connector.

I think what you mean by wireless is that the speakers connect to each other wirelessly.

Fred

[PMB]

Hi kwe...,

It looks like Fred has answered your question but I'll add this -

You will need an optical cable with 'mini TOSLink' connector for the B2 (it plugs into the Line Out + SPDIF socket) to 'TOSLink' connector for the KEFs (plugs into the 'optical' socket).

If you already have a standard TOSLink cable you could buy a mini adapter to fit on the B2 end of the cable -

Paul

Brennan Support.

[fred.w....@gmail.com]

Keith sent this to my email.

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Hi Fred --

Thanks for your thoughtful response.

I agree that my explanation was less clear than it should have been.  Prepared a bit too hurriedly, for sure.  Though I'm much greener than most in this group, I do know the difference between wired and wireless speakers.  The KEFs are something of a hybrid in that they have significant wireless connectivity and have their own amplifiers (and DACs), but also offer a variety of wired connections if desired.  It was the statement from the Brennan website to the effect that the B2 only works wirelessly with the Sonos that made me wonder about other speakers (such as the KEFs) that can receive audio signals wirelessly.  As I stated, my preference is for a wired optical connection from B2 to KEF, but since I had trouble figuring out how to do that (I didn't understand until today that Brennan sometimes sells a fiber optic cable with an RCA jack on one side and the digital optical connector on the other, so I couldn't quite piece together that better quality audio connection either), I was left thinking that both wireless and wired were out for me.  Or maybe out, which was worrisome  in itself. That didn't sound like a good outcome, and paused my plans.

I also saw your suggestion about HDMI.  Unfortunately, I have the LS 50 W1, not W2, and mine lack that connection.  I think I could use the 3.5 jack out of the B2 and split it into red and white jack into my AUX inputs on the KEF, but that sounds like a serious step down in audio fidelity.  I was also a little worried -- perhaps needlessly -- about an amped output from the Brennan going into the KEFs, which have their own amplifiers.

Sorry to be both a bit dim about this and long-winded as well.  Your information was very helpful.  I have only one more question: The analog/fiber optic TOSLINK connector sounds like my best wired option.  But I can't find anyone who offers that product other than Brennan, and it's sold out.  Have you seen anyone else who sells that product?

Thanks again.

Keith

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 then this

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Ugh -- ignore my question re the cable.  Another inquiry -- about my tenth different way of phrasing it -- turned up the hybrid cable.  I'm good to go.

Thanks again.

Keith.

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Thus I think he is actually sorted!

But just to be sure here is a link to a SPDIF to TOSLINK cable available from UK Amazon (it is this type of cable that is needed)

https://www.amazon.co.uk/EMK-Digital-Toslink-Optical-Adapter/dp/B07KWRLJBL/ref=sr_1_3?crid=3LBOV04TXVD4C&dchild=1&keywords=spdif+to+toslink+cable&qid=1614772784&sprefix=SPDIF+TO+T%2Caps%2C149&sr=8-3

One more thing tough,  Keith when you want to reply to the Forum please do so from within the Forum's system - because if you just reply from your email, there is a change that the conversation then goes on outside this Forum and the information for a solution is lost to others. :))

Regards

Fred

[Graham Smout]

 

As you say The kind of toslink optical cable you need to connect the B2 to your KEF speakers is readily available from the likes of Amazon .Make sure you order one that's long enough !