There are essentially three ways to connect a Victrola suitcase turntable to external speakers.
Method 1: Connect Victrola to wired powered speakers
Method 2: Connect Victrola to wireless Bluetooth speakers using a Bluetooth adapter
Method 3: Connect Victrola to traditional passive speakers using an amplifier/receiver
We’ll explore each method in detail below.
Don’t forget to check out my Best Speakers for Victrola article as well.
Method 1: Connect Victrola to wired powered speakers
The simplest and most reliable way to connect external speakers to a Victrola is connecting powered speakers using a RCA signal cable.
The RCA connectors on the back of the Victrola output a line-level analog music signal that is compatible with all powered speakers. You will not need a separate phono preamp or anything like that.
Powered speakers are speakers with the amplifier built into the speakers cabinet so no separate amplifier or receiver is needed.
This is a very simple and cost effective solution that is ease to set up and easy to use.
You simply connect the turntable to the RCA inputs on one of the speakers with a RCA cable as shown on the picture above. If you use stereo speakers, you then connect the two speakers to together with the speaker cable that comes with the speakers.
You then connect both devices to power and you are ready to play records.
Using external powered speakers enhance the sound quality from the Victrola a lot. You can read more about that in my Victrola Review and Best Speakers for Victrola articles.
Method 2: Connect Victrola to wireless Bluetooth speakers using a Bluetooth adapter
Event tho the Victrola Journey is marketed as a Bluetooth turntable, it doesn’t connect to Bluetooth speakers.
(Update: The new Plus version has Bluetooth output and connects wireless to Bluetooth speakers without an adapter.)
The Bluetooth functionality of the Victrola can only be used to connect music sources like iPhones and computers to stream digital music through the speakers in the Victrola.
The Victrola doesn’t come with Bluetooth output or Bluetooth transmitter functionality that would be needed to connect Bluetooth speakers.
There is however a way to get around this.
We can use a separate bluetooth adapter (transmitter) that connects to the Victrola RCA outputs and send the music wirelessly to Bluetooth speakers.
I bought the TaoTronics Bluetooth 5.0 Transmitter Receiver with Codec Display to test this myself and it works beautifully.
(Another good options is the ZIIDOO Bluetooth 5.0 Transmitter and Receiver.)
I didn’t even have to read the instruction manual. I simply connected the adapter to my Victrola, turned it on in transmitter mode, put my Edifier R1280DBs in Bluetooth mode, and the music played wireless from the Bluetooth speakers straight away.
No hassle at all.
Based on experience, Bluetooth pairing and connection can however be a bit tricky sometimes. It might be a good idea to keep the instruction manuals for the adapter and speakers handy. Just in case.
I think the wired connection we looked at in method 1 is preferable to Bluetooth wireless connection is most cases.
Bluetooth speakers cost more than non-Bluetooth speakers, in a RCA cable cost much less than a Bluetooth adapter. In fact, the RCA cable is probably included with the speakers you buy.
So there is money to save on choosing wired powered speakers as shown in method 1 above.
The cabled connection is also more reliable than Bluetooth. It works every time. Bluetooth connections, on the other hand, can sometimes loose connection. And cause headaches.
But if you want to go Bluetooth, then a Bluetooth adapter is the solution for you.
Method 3: Connect Victrola to traditional passive speakers using an amplifier/receiver
A third way to connect speakers to Victrola turntables is to use an old fashion stereo amplifier or receiver that drives traditional passive speakers.
In other words, connect the Victrola to a traditional home stereo.
We do this by using the RCA outputs on the Victrola and a standard RCA cable.
When doing this, we must remember to connect the Victrola to one of the line-level inputs on the amplifier or receiver.
Line-level inputs are usually labeled CD, DVD, AUX, LINE, Tuner, Tape, etc.
We must not connect the Victrola to an input labeled PHONO.
PHONO inputs are only compatible with turntables that don’t include a phono preamp.
The Victrola does, however, include a phono preamp and shall not connect to a PHONO input on a amplifier or receiver.
The signal output from the Victrola is way too strong and will overload the PHONO input.
Conclusion
In this article, we have explored three ways to connect a Victrola suitcase turntable to different kind of speakers.
I hope this was helpful to you and that you can use this information to find your way to use external speakers with your Victrola.
If you have further question on this topic, don’t hesitate to contact me.