How to Hook a Computer Up to a Stereo

Listen to your digital library through stereo equipment.

So you've finally got your digital library assembled, tagged and organized on your computer's hard drive. Now if there was only an easy way to listen to it over the stereo speakers. Luckily, many simple methods connect the computer and stereo so you can listen to your music using the audio components of your stereo, even if neither the computer nor the stereo has an obvious connector.

Things You'll Need

• RCA red and yellow audio cables
• HDMI cable

Instructions

1. Hook up the computer to the stereo through the headphone jack. If the computer has a headphone jack and the stereo has an auxiliary input, this is the easiest route. Hook a male 1/8-inch to RCA adapter to the computer, and then run a set of RCA cables to the AUX input of the stereo. Turn the stereo on AUX and hit play on the computer. If your stereo has a 1/8-inch input jack (typically at the front of the stereo), buy a 1/8-inch male-to-male cable to hook them together.

2. Purchase a 1/8-inch tape adapter if your stereo lacks an AUX input, but has a tape player. Plug the male end into the computer's headphone jack and put the tape in the stereo. Select "Tape" as the source and press "Play" on the tape player.

3. Purchase a device that connects to the computer (usually through USB) and supplies a headphone jack or other connections to patch an audio signal if the computer lacks a headphone jack.

4. Use an HDMI cable if you have a computer with an HDMI output and a television or stereo with a HDMI input. The cable sends your computer's audio to the stereo using this cable.

Tips & Warnings

• Cables and devices are sold at retailers that sell home recording equipment.

• HDMI stands for High Definition Multimedia Interconnect, and can also be used to send hi-def video to your HDMI-compatible TV.

• Use Steps 1 and 2 to connect a stereo to any device with an 1/8-inch output -- MP3 players, personal CD players and compact recorders, for example

• Set HDMI output properties in Windows, via the "HDMI output system tray" icon. HDMI transmits an uncompressed audio, and is useful if your devices have HDMI connections.

• Check the volume before testing the connection.

• Use headphones to plug into the headphone jack to troubleshoot and make sure a signal is coming from the computer. If you plug in headphones and still hear no music playing, check the computer's audio settings to see if it is set to mute.

References

• KCRW.com: Stereo Hook-up