The reason your television has no Bluetooth and your hi-fi is gathering dust is not that either is broken. It is that Bluetooth has been evolving for nearly three decades while older equipment stopped receiving updates — and a small adapter closes that gap for a fraction of the cost of replacing anything.
From a tested field of 16 adapters, here is how to pick the right one, starting with the distinction that decides everything else.
Transmitter or receiver — get this right first
A transmitter (TX) takes an audio signal from a wired source and sends it wirelessly to Bluetooth headphones or speakers. It connects to a device's audio output by 3.5 mm jack, RCA or optical cable — and on hi-fi separates you may need a 6.35 mm adapter for the headphone socket. That is what lets you attach wireless headphones to an older television — or, plugged into an aircraft seat's headphone socket, use your own earbuds with the in-flight programme. Some transmitters serve more than one pair of headphones, which is the answer to watching television together late at night without disturbing anyone.
A receiver (RX) works the other way: it receives from your phone and passes the audio by cable into a device that has no Bluetooth of its own. Pair the phone to the receiver, run a cable into your amplifier's aux-in, and a good hi-fi becomes a streaming system.
Many of the better adapters do both, and the picks below note which.
Latency: the specification that ruins television
If the adapter is for an older television, look for aptX Low Latency, which keeps sound synchronised with picture. Be aware that this Qualcomm codec is no longer current — the modern standard for delay-free audio is LE Audio with the LC3 codec, so on newer equipment that is the pairing to seek.
Auracast, and why it changes the calculation
The most interesting recent development is Auracast. Where Bluetooth has mostly meant a point-to-point connection, Auracast works rather like a radio station: one device broadcasts, and any number of nearby receivers can tune in. That means television sound playing simultaneously through several wireless speakers or headphones.
Shopping for it means looking for four terms together: Bluetooth 5.3 or 5.4, LE Audio, and Auracast Broadcast. Connect the adapter to the television by optical (Toslink) or jack; on a PC many of these are recognised over USB as an external sound card. Headphones supporting LE Audio switch to Auracast reception either on the device or through their app, and where a headphone has no display for finding broadcasts, your phone serves as the remote.
Power, and one practical trap
Adapters need power, and the right arrangement depends entirely on where it lives. For use on a plane or with an old music player, an integrated battery is essential. In the living room, on a television or hi-fi, a battery is a nuisance — it will always be flat when you want it — and permanent power by USB from the television or a mains adapter is far better. Many devices do both, but not all, so check. Battery endurance varies enormously across the field: the longest-lasting adapter tested manages around 28 hours transmitting and 20 hours receiving, where rivals from well-known brands come in nearer half that — which is why a battery model bought for travel should be chosen on runtime, not size.
The trap worth knowing before you buy: connect an adapter to a television by optical cable and you often lose volume control from the TV remote.
The picks
Best overall — Ainostone BT17S. The winner: a device for all situations with a legible OLED display, intuitive handling and wide connection choice. It is a 3-in-1 — pair a phone to a non-Bluetooth system for streaming (RX mode), wire it to a television, player or games console to feed wireless headphones (TX mode), or send the same signal to two headphones at once — which in practice yields rather more than three usable scenarios. What settled the win is the second antenna, and the range figures show why: with a wireless headphone paired to the other adapters, testers could walk about 30 metres from the source — a good result in itself — while the BT17S managed 35 to 40 metres depending on the surroundings. Weaker single-antenna designs in the field managed only around 10 metres. At just 71.4 grams it is a genuine lightweight, which helps if it travels. It needs external power, so it suits fixed installations best. One buying note the source is explicit about: the BT17S is a recent successor to the BT17 and is largely identical in build and function to both its predecessor and the Soomfon adapter — useful, because the BT17S is in demand and frequently sells out.
Best for the car — Nulaxy KM30. If your car has no digital cockpit, this retrofits one: music streaming through the car radio, hands-free calling with a good microphone, and audio playback from USB, all driven through a generous colour display with plenty of settings and a flexible plug. The honest warning is the display itself — it can be distracting while driving.
Best portable — Ugreen Adapter 80893. An inexpensive gadget that fits any pocket and provides Bluetooth for up to two headphones wherever you need it, with an integrated battery and a flexible plug that avoids snagging. Two compromises: short battery life, and a comparatively mediocre microphone. UK-listed across the Ugreen adapter range.
Before you buy
Four questions. Transmitting or receiving? Old TV to wireless headphones is transmitting; phone to old hi-fi is receiving — and several here do both. Watching video? Then latency matters, so look for aptX Low Latency on older kit or LE Audio with LC3 on newer. Where does it live? Battery for travel, permanent USB or mains for the living room. And do you want several listeners? — dual-headphone pairing covers two, while Auracast removes the limit entirely.
Our best TV headphones guide covers what to pair with one, and our best HDMI cables guide the rest of the television connection.
