How to Connect Wireless Speakers to Onkyo Receiver (2 Methods)

Onkyo has a high reputation for making some of the best AV receivers for home theatre systems. The receivers can process and amplify audio signals to louder levels on most speakers including wireless speakers. If you have some wireless speakers and you want to get the best audio quality from Onkyo receivers, you’ll need to connect the wireless speakers to the receiver. 

So, how do you connect the speakers to the Onkyo receiver? You can connect wireless speakers to the Onkyo receiver by using a Bluetooth or WiFi connection. Turn on the Bluetooth mode on your Onkyo receiver and allow it to pair with your wireless Bluetooth speakers. For a WiFi connection, you’ll need to connect compatible WiFi speakers like Sonos speakers to a Sonos Connect in order for it to connect successfully.

Fortunately, Onkyo receivers work with both Bluetooth and WiFi speakers so you can decide how you want to connect the speakers to the receiver depending on what type the wireless speaker is. In this guide, I’ll be explaining how to connect your wireless speakers to the Onkyo receiver using both Bluetooth and WiFi connections. So if you are ready to learn more, read on for further details. 

How to Connect Wireless Speakers to Onkyo Receiver

What is the Difference Between Bluetooth and WiFi Speakers? 

Now that you know that you can connect wireless speakers to the Onkyo receiver, let’s consider which type of wireless you can connect to the receiver. 

Wireless are of two types: the Bluetooth-enabled and Wi-Fi-enabled. 

If you are wondering what the difference between these two is, it’s simple. 

The bluetooth speakers connect to your other bluetooth-enabled devices such as smartphones and computers directly while the WiFi speakers connect to your input devices via your home WiFi network. 

It is possible to have a speaker which has both connection options and that is really great since you can easily connect it whichever way that you wish. 

Usually, you’ll connect bluetooth speakers to the Onkyo receiver that is bluetooth-enabled. 

If your receiver is WiFi-enabled, you can connect your WiFi speakers to it. 

How Do I Connect My Wireless Speakers to Onkyo Receiver?

The commonest way to connect your wireless speaker to an Onkyo receiver is by Bluetooth connection. 

Bluetooth-enabled devices are common nowadays so that’s probably why this method is on the rise. 

However, you can also connect your WiFi-enabled wireless speakers to the Onkyo receiver over your WiFi network. 

Connecting by Bluetooth is quite easier although you may achieve better sound quality on your speakers when you connect over WiFi. 

Method 1:Using via Bluetooth 

As I said earlier, connecting your wireless speakers via Bluetooth is simpler and faster. 

Most Onkyo receivers have an in-built Bluetooth feature which you can easily activate by pressing a Bluetooth button to initiate pairing with other Bluetooth-enabled devices. 

For some models of Onkyo receivers, you will have to adjust some settings on your receiver in order to pair with your Bluetooth speakers. 

The user manual that comes with the Onkyo receiver usually provides some instructions on Bluetooth connections for your particular model, so you can refer to it for further assistance. 

Generally, if your receiver has the Bluetooth button on its front side, you will need to press it and put it in pairing mode. 

Make sure to turn on the Bluetooth mode on your speaker as well and keep it the speaker not far away from the receiver.

You will then see Pairing or anything of that sort on your receiver, which is an indication that the receiver is trying to pair with your Bluetooth speaker. 

Once the pairing of the two is complete, test out some music on the speaker to see if everything is working properly. 

If your receiver demands that you pair the wireless speakers manually, here is how to do it: 

  1. Turn on your Bluetooth speaker and put it in Bluetooth mode.
  2. With the receiver’s remote, go to the Action Center and select the Connect icon at the bottom corner. This will open a menu for you to choose from.
  3. Choose Bluetooth to turn on the receiver’s Bluetooth. 
  4. Allow your Bluetooth speaker to pair with the receiver and once the pairing is over, you’ll be able to stream audio to your wireless speakers. 

Also Read:

Ways to connect a Bluetooth device to PS4 

How Do Wireless Speakers Work with a Receiver

Method 2: Connecting via WiFi 

When it comes to connecting wireless speakers to a receiver using a WiFi network, there is a bit of a limitation. 

You can not just use Onkyo Receiver with any WiFi speaker. The limitation has more to do with branding rather than WiFi technology. 

Although WiFi technology allows you to connect WiFi speakers to AVRs, companies prefer to keep users in the brand’s circles, so Onkyo Receiver can only be used with brands such as Sonos WiFi speakers. 

For you to connect the wireless speakers to the receiver successfully, you’ll need to ensure that all the devices are connected to the same WiFi network. You’ll also be required to use a Sonos Connect in the system since you can not connect the speakers directly to the Onkyo receiver.

You can follow the steps below if you want to connect your WiFi Speaker to the Onkyo receiver: 

  1. Turn on the Sonos speakers, receiver, and Sonos Connect. 
  2. Connect all the devices to the same WiFi network in your home. 
  3. Using the Sonos app on your smartphone, create a Sonos system that includes the speakers and the Sonos Connect.
  4. Connect one end of the RCA audio cable that came with the Sonos Connect into the output port of the Sonos Connect and then plug the other end into the input of the Onkyo receiver.
  5. On your Onkyo remote, press the Setup button and navigate to Hardware.
  6. Scroll down Works With Sonos and then press the Enter button.
  7. Go to Input Selector and toggle to choose the input port that you plugged the RCA cable into. 
  8. Go to Connected Devices and choose Sonos Connect from the list of devices that are connected to the same network as the receiver.
  9. Go to Output Zone and then select which zone on the receiver that you want to play the music on. You can choose from the Main zone, Zone 2, or Zone 3. 
  10. If you want the receiver to automatically turn on anytime you use the Sonos speakers, you go back to Hardware, navigate to Power Management, and set the Network Standby to On.
  11. To set the Volume level on the receiver, go to Audio Adjust on the Main menu, followed by Volume, and then set the Volume Display to Absolute.
  12. Navigate to the Power On Volume and then adjust the volume to any level of your choice. This volume will be the volume level that the receiver will be at when it automatically turns on. 

Once you are done, play any music from your Sonos app and route it to the receiver. The Sonos Connect will begin to play music via the Sonos speakers. 

Bluetooth Connection is not Working with Onkyo Receiver

There may be times when your Bluetooth speakers will fail to connect to the Onkyo receiver. 

In such cases, the speakers will not pair up with the receiver and this can be frustrating. 

Fortunately, there are some tips available that may get the issue fixed when you apply them. 

First of all, make sure that your Bluetooth speakers are within the range of the receiver. Get the wireless speakers closer a bit to the receiver to see if the connection will work. 

If it doesn’t, restart your speakers to see if it works. You can turn it off and unplug it from its power source. Replug it back after a few seconds and turn it on.

Restarting it this way should help save the situation. 

Final Thoughts 

Onkyo receivers are popular for being in the audio industry for a long time. Besides being able to connect to wired speakers, the receivers can also connect to wireless speakers. 

Since wireless speakers involve Bluetooth or WiFi speakers, you can either connect the wireless speakers to the Onkyo receiver via Bluetooth or WiFi connection means. 

Connecting the wireless speakers via Bluetooth connection is a simpler and easier method. It involves turning the Bluetooth feature on your receiver and the speakers and then allowing the two devices to pair up. 

The WiFi connection seems a bit complicated but the steps in the article should be able to guide you to achieve your aim successfully.

Be mindful that if you want to use the Onkyo receiver over a WiFi network, you will need both Sonos speakers and Sonos Connect. Other brands of speakers may not work with the Onkyo receiver at all.

Josephine

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