J'adore le Décor

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A High Tech Solution for Your Vintage Speakers

I owe my husband an apology.  For years I’ve begged him to toss his big bulky 1980’s speakers in favor of a pair of more “manageable” and of course, aesthetically pleasing ones.  He refused.  And boy am I glad he didn’t listen to me! 

Little did I know, a bit of clever placement and a simple $20 piece of technology from Logitech was all I needed for the perfect compromise.  The best part is that I never had to sacrifice the bohemian chic eclectic style I enjoy so much in order to make it happen.

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My "Aha!" Moments and Logitech's Easy Bluetooth Technology

I’ve spent years lugging those clunky black speaker boxes (and the accompanying receiver) from one part of our small home to the next- desperately trying to make them work.  But no matter where I set them, they always struck me as rude interruptions to a room’s flow.  

During my recent One Room Challenge makeover I had an “aha!” moment when I realized I needed something to hold up the lamps and typewriter behind my sofa.  I had just gotten rid of a few furniture pieces and didn’t want to buy anything new.  Suddenly those speakers didn’t seem like such a burden anymore.  They were the exact height I needed.  This new location also meant that, with the use of the speaker system’s remote control, we could start enjoying them again with ease- while keeping them hidden from sight.  

Since I was already at it, I decided to include my guitar amp, sound effects receiver, microphone and necessary cords to the mix.  I can’t begin to express my excitement over the convenience of this set up!  No more rummaging around in the basement to find all this stuff when I need it for practice or for a gig.  And since it’s holding up the décor that means it’s always “working” for me.  Good stuff.  

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Satisfied with this new arrangement, I thought, “What if I could somehow convert these analog speakers to Bluetooth?”  Enter “aha!” moment number two.  A bit of research landed me on Amazon where I purchased the device below by Logitech.  It’s a simple mechanism that turns analog speakers into Bluetooth enabled powerhouses.  Now, we can stream music from our smartphones and tablets directly to the speakers. THE best $20 bucks I’ve spent this year y’all!

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The Sound Experience - An Audiophile’s Dream

Despite my aversion to ugly speakers, I really am an audiophile at heart.  As a child my parents always played soulful music through full, hi-res speakers that filled the entire house.  The sound experience is inexplicably surreal. 

It might surprise you to know that vintage speakers produce a sound that is far superior to a lot of the newer devices on the market today.  No, newer doesn’t always mean better. This is apparently something that my husband already realized about his speakers. Logitech’s easy-to-install, one click pairing gives us both what we want.  Set up was a breeze at about 10 minutes.

IMPORTANT NOTE: We turn our Logitech connection on/off with the flip of a light switch. But if you’re one who likes to leave bluetooth devices enabled, I strongly recommend purchasing ELK-912B Power Relay to accompany this device. The reason? The wireless connectivity of this device is super strong, with a long-range of up to 50 feet (15 meters). Wow! This means that when your phone rings, unless you’ve disabled the bluetooth, this little baby will hi-jack your calls, sending them blaring through the speakers. The power relay helps to divert that.

Kuddos to The Husband for sticking to his guns on this one! Now we can enjoy great music in cool surroundings. Happy wife, happy life!

Please tell me in the comments below:

  • Did you know you could convert analog speakers to bluetooth?

  • Have you ever used Logitech’s products before?

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