Let’s tell you How to give a second life to your old mini or micro systemso that you can reuse it, especially its speakers. Thus, if you have one at home or see one that is quite cheap second-hand, you should know that it may be better for you to reuse it than to buy a sound bar for your TV or speakers for your computer.
Let’s start by telling you about the limitations you will have if you want to do this, such as limited audio formats or no network access. Then, we’ll tell you what you’ll need and how to proceed.
These are the limitations
The first limitation that you are going to find is in some audio formats. If you connect the mini system to a device such as a TV or computer, you can play almost all types of files, although you will not have support for Dolby Digital, DTS or Dolby AtmosFor example. What you will have is support for great audio quality, since the speakers are connected.
The other limitation will be in the connectivity that your chain supports. The safest thing, being a few years old, is that you do not have support for USB-C or HDMI, and possibly not WiFi or Bluetooth support either.
Mini chains that are a few years old will surely be limited to analog audio inputs by RCA-type coaxial cable, and it probably has two different inputs, one for the left speaker and the other for the right. The speakers you bring may also be connected to the micro system via a specific speaker cable.
This is what you can do
If your TV has support for RCA coaxial cables, there is no problem, because you just have to connect them to the micro system, and then the speakers to it. But not all TVs have this support, and of course your computer will not have it. For these cases, there are two solutions.
The “easy” solution is to opt for a 3.5mm jack cable. Many TVs and some computers may have one of these connectors, the headphone jack for life, and many micro systems may also have an input to use them. Then, on the device you will have the option to output the audio to speakers or headphones. If your chain doesn’t support it, there are 3.5mm jack to RCA cable adapters, another good option.
However, the best option is to buy a DACespecially if you want to reuse the mini system on a computer. These are small boxes that are responsible for converting digital audio into analog. This means that you can connect your computer or TV to the DAC via USB, and after the DAC the RCA cables come out.
In fact, you can even use DACs as intermediaries for other PC speakers you have, because they usually improve the sound a lot. This is how I told you back in the day when I explained to you how to improve the sound of your computer.
The negative part here is that DACs have a cost. I use a Fiio K7 with support for Hi-Res audio, and Its price is about 200 euros. You can also buy others for less than 100 or less than 50 euros in stores like Aliexpres, they will also work for you.
There are many models and many prices, and it all depends on the use you want to give it. Some DACs even have Bluetooth support, which will add this connectivity to your micro system.
Regardless of the method used, once you have connected your TV or computer to the micro system, then turn it on in the INPUT options choose the auxiliary or the one designated to input sound from another device you have connected.
Reusing speakers is not easy
Reusing only the speakers of a micro system without the device itself and its electronic part is a little more complicated. This is only possible if the speakers have passive filters for the frequency range already installed inside them.
Almost all speakers are two or more ways, with at least one driver for treble and another for bass-midrange. For everything to sound correctly, the speakers need to send the corresponding frequency range to each driver through prior filtering.
These filters can be passive with a filter made up of capacitors, resistors and coils, or electronically active. The normal thing is that the technology to be able to do this is within the microchain itselfso separate speakers sometimes won’t do.
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