Show your workshop Sound System

[m_sasso]

Radio Garden http://radio.garden/listen/cfml-evol...-9-fm/LM2FV1QG

[sokyroadie]

I was never an audiophile, but now I despise ALL music and never listen, I know I am an outlier. Sorry for the thread drift.

[ChainNoise]

I use Spotify on my phone connected via bluetooth to play music through an amp and 2 bookshelf speakers. Works great for when I need to watch and listen to a YouTube diy for working on whatever it is that needs fixing. A good Bluetooth speaker would also be an adequate option and relatively cheap.

Spotify, IMO, is by far and away the best resource for finding new music. Create a playlist of a few songs of a different genre that you like, and Spotify will automatically play a series of songs that sound somewhat similar to what's in there. 90% of my favorite songs/bands have been discovered through Spotify. Another benefit is that you can download whatever playlists you want on your phone so that you don't need a connection to play them. Don't want to keep your phone tied up with it? No problem, open your browser and use your computer to play it. It makes organizing, finding, and listening to music SO much easier.

The only downside to Spotify is the need for a subscription for full access. I've never used the free version so I can't tell you what exactly is limited. But I literally use Spotify for a minimum of 3 hours every day in the car and at work. By far and away worth it to me.

[mstateglfr]

Altec HydraBlast speaker.
I turn it on, it connects, music plays.

My workshop is my half of the garage, so I am not interested in anything special/expensive/impressive.

[unterhausen]

Usually I listen to youtube music and wear headphones. My family has incredibly good hearing and I don't. Sometimes if I'm going to spend a lot of time in the garage, I listen to spotify through an old iphone dock fed from a discontinued amazon echo that only has a 2.5mm jack for output. I also have an amazon echo in the basement shop, but it has been unplugged for months. I have a firetv in there too, moving where it's mounted is today's project. So I often listen to music using the youtube app.

So far, I have gotten two TV's through the local buy nothing facebook group. There is something wrong with both of them, but it's minimal. I can't remember what's wrong with the one in the shop, it has never been apparent to me. The other one has a minor screen defect that's only evident when you are watching football or soccer. So I don't care.

Somewhat amusingly, it's pretty difficult to make music choices on the echos. Spotify can't decide if I want to listen to punk, music in Spanish, or music in Hindi. The music in Hindi is pretty entertaining sometimes. Weird when you get an earworm in a language you don't know.

[zmudshark]

I have a Plex Server that has most of my music, over 7TB. I use both Sonos and wired speakers (using Airplay through amp) in the house. In the garage I have some old Bose CPU speakers w/bluetooth adapter, they fine for garage.

For ease of use, I would add a pair of Sonos if I didn't have the old Bose speakers. Sonos sounds better, even to my half deaf, ringing ears.

[AngryScientist]

OK, google is failing me, mostly because I am overwhelmed by information:

If I get a standard "dumb" receiver to power speakers, what piece of hardware do I need to play Apple Music to plug into the receiver input?

Is there a name for this piece of hardware?

[pdmtong]

Originally Posted by AngryScientist

OK, google is failing me, mostly because I am overwhelmed by information:

If I get a standard "dumb" receiver to power speakers, what piece of hardware do I need to play Apple Music to plug into the receiver input?

Is there a name for this piece of hardware?

First you need to tell us the content source.

I would imply when you say "apple music" that means streaming content from the cloud. You are not trying to play a collection of ripped CDs or downloaded files that have been loaded onto a storage device/laptop.

All you need is either a bluetooth receiver that will take a signal from your phone and output dual RCA jacks into a stereo receiver AUX or a stereo receiver that actually has bluetooth built in.

Everyone here is using some variant of this setup. And depending on how you feel about money or sound, you can spend a little or a lot.

I use an old Airport Express to interface into my garage receiver. It shares the content via wi-fi which has some advantages over bluetooth in this setting.

The simplest thing is a bluetooth speaker.

[AngryScientist]

Originally Posted by pdmtong

I would imply when you say "apple music" that means streaming content from the cloud. .

My vocabulary is a little lacking here, for sure.

I pay for Apple Music. It's a streaming service just like Amazon Music or Spotify, etc.

For the garage, I would love to cut needing my phone out of the loop and just use a piece of hardware that interfaces directly with Apple Music, much like an Alexa device seamlessly plays from an Amazon Music account.

Something that can plug into an old school receiver powering old school speakers.

Does that make sense?

[zmudshark]

You are going to have to use your phone to interface with your old school system. I use a Belkin Airplay device on my old amp and speakers

[cgolvin]

Originally Posted by zmudshark

You are going to have to use your phone to interface with your old school system. I use a Belkin Airplay device on my old amp and speakers

Or use a computer, all you need is a cable to plug into the headphone jack with stereo jacks on the other side plugged in to one of the inputs of your receiver. Apple Music works on both Mac and Windows.

[reuben]

Bottom line, you need to match input and output - bmuetooth, USB, wifi, stereo jack, Airplay, etc. Could be hardware, could be software, depending on the receiver inputs. Or, put another way, how old school your old school receiver is. Unless you put some other hardware between your phone and receiver, but that kinda ruins a simple solution.

[tommyrod74]

Originally Posted by AngryScientist

OK, google is failing me, mostly because I am overwhelmed by information:

If I get a standard "dumb" receiver to power speakers, what piece of hardware do I need to play Apple Music to plug into the receiver input?

Is there a name for this piece of hardware?

Simplest and cheapest is likely just plugging a Chromecast into the receiver's HDMI port. Just cast from phone (or other device) to listen. About $25.

[zmudshark]

Originally Posted by cgolvin

Or use a computer, all you need is a cable to plug into the headphone jack with stereo jacks on the other side plugged in to one of the inputs of your receiver. Apple Music works on both Mac and Windows.

Seems like a phone would be easier than a hard wired computer.

[smontanaro]

Am I the only person who doesn't have a bunch invested in a workshop sound system? Here's the desktop on my "sound system." Mostly, it's off, but sometimes I will spin up a podcast or NPR, neither of which require awesome fidelity. I'm too old to hear the high notes anyway.