RCA stereo audio
A pair of round jacks, red (right) and white (left).

- Carries
- Sound only
- Signal
- Analog
Where you’ll find it
Stereos, receivers, powered speakers, turntables with a built-in preamp.
Common confusion
A turntable’s PHONO output uses the same plugs but is much quieter. See Phono.
Going from RCA stereo audio to something else
- 3.5 mm headphone / aux: RCA to 3.5 mm cable (no power needed).
- XLR: RCA to XLR cables (no power needed). Works for home use. You may need to turn the speaker volume up a little.
- Bluetooth: Bluetooth transmitter (needs power). Pair it with the speaker like a phone. Adds a small delay.
- Speaker terminals: Stereo amplifier (needs power). Passive speakers need an amplifier to make sound.
Getting something else into RCA stereo audio
- Optical audio (TOSLINK): Digital to analog audio converter (DAC) (needs power). Set the TV’s digital audio output to PCM or Stereo, or the DAC may stay silent.
- Coaxial digital audio: Digital to analog audio converter (DAC) (needs power).
- HDMI ARC / eARC: HDMI ARC audio extractor (needs power).
- 3.5 mm headphone / aux: 3.5 mm to RCA cable (no power needed).
- Phono (turntable): Phono preamp (needs power). Connect the turntable’s thin ground wire to the preamp’s GND screw to stop hum.
- Bluetooth: Bluetooth receiver (needs power).
- Speaker terminals: Line output converter.
Trying to connect something with RCA stereo audio? Describe your gear and get the exact parts.
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