Old speakers - how to use again

[WitawatWatawit]

The main unit of my old stereo system is pretty much shot. The amplifier still works, and the radio, but the triple deck CD player and cassette part of it are locked up - and not worth getting fixed.

But the speakers are fine, except for one problem - they have the old single wire connection.

I have my laptop hooked up by HDMI cable to my smart TV, and that's how I watch most of my stuff - I listen through headphones or hook up a pair of cheap and inadequate computer speakers - via the headphone jack on the laptop.

But I would like to use my old speakers rather than thrown them away, if possible. (If not possible, then so be it.) But of course I can't connect them to the laptop.

Is there a solution to this? Hook up the speakers to the old amp (as per normal) and then somehow connect the laptop to the amp to drive the sound?

[RichCor]

The earphone/headphone jack on your laptop can send LineLevel audio to your amplifier. Just need to get a common MiniJack to L/R RCA cable long enough to connect the two (if that's what your amplifier takes as audio source input). This will work even if you are using the HDMI jack, as you can use Control Panel - Sound to select the playback port to use for audio out.

If you wanted to go High-Tech you could do it wirelessly with a Bluetooth Receiver Module connected to your stereo amplifier. Just a thought.

While you *could* connect the speakers directly to the laptop, the laptop built-in audio amplifier is really only powerful enough to run only earphones/headphones so an external amplifier would really be needed to give the sound level you're probably looking for.

Edited May 6, 2015 by RichCor

[WitawatWatawit]

Rich to the rescue again. That's the idea I was looking for. Will give that a go. Many thanks, Rich.

[Benjie]

Don't want to be that guy, but you can't connect directly from laptop to speakers (at all) , laptop to amp (via headphone to 2 Rca Jack as suggested) or laptop to headphones is fine.