How to connect a turntable to a Wi-Fi speaker like Sonos

Yes. You need one more piece of equipment.

What you need

1. RCA cable (usually attached to the turntable) Look for: RCA stereo, keep the ground wire $0–$10
2. Phono preamp Look for: Phono preamp (MM) $25–$100, needs USB or wall power
3. RCA to 3.5 mm cable Look for: 2 RCA male to 3.5 mm male $5–$10
4. Line-in adapter made for your speaker Look for: Line-in adapter for your exact speaker model $20–$30

Connect it like this

1. Turntable (no built-in preamp)Phono (turntable) out
2. RCA cable (usually attached to the turntable)
3. Phono preampPhono (turntable) in, RCA stereo audio out. Needs power.
4. RCA to 3.5 mm cable
5. Line-in adapter made for your speaker3.5 mm headphone / aux in, Speaker USB-C line-in out
6. Wi-Fi speaker with USB-C line-inSpeaker USB-C line-in in

What to know

Difficulty

Moderate

Cost

About $50–$150 if you buy everything new

Sound

Full quality

Lag

None noticeable

Extra power

Yes, the converter needs USB or wall power

Why this works

A turntable without a built-in preamp puts out a very quiet signal. A phono preamp boosts it to normal level. RCA stereo audio and 3.5 mm headphone / aux can pass the same signal through different plugs, so an adapter cable is enough. No power needed. 3.5 mm headphone / aux and Speaker USB-C line-in can pass the same signal through different plugs, so an adapter cable is enough. No power needed.

Before you buy

• Connect the turntable’s thin ground wire to the preamp’s GND screw to stop hum.
• Generic USB-C to 3.5 mm adapters are made for headphones (sound out) and do not work as an input. Use the line-in adapter your speaker maker sells for that model.

Good to know

• A PHONO/LINE switch on the back means the preamp is built in. Set it to LINE to plug into normal inputs.
• Some Wi-Fi speakers take sound only over Wi-Fi from an app and have no wired input at all. Check the back for an AUX jack or a USB-C port that the maker says supports line-in.