Streaming music is convenient, but there’s still nothing quite like playing a full album on vinyl. The challenge is combining that analogue experience with modern smart home audio. In this guide, I’ll show you how to build a DIY system that lets you stream your record player to AirPlay speakers like HomePods using a Raspberry Pi and Home Assistant.

This setup creates what I’ll refer to throughout as the Vinyl AirPlay Bridge — a simple, network-accessible tool that connects your turntable to your smart speakers.

What Is the Vinyl AirPlay Bridge?

The Vinyl AirPlay Bridge is a lightweight streaming solution that captures audio from your turntable and broadcasts it over your network to AirPlay-enabled devices. It includes a simple web interface where you can select speakers, control playback, and adjust volume.

It also integrates with Home Assistant, allowing you to automate playback — for example, automatically streaming to a HomePod when you start your record player.

What You’ll Need

Turntable Requirements

Your record player should have a built-in preamp or a line-out option. This ensures the audio signal is at the correct level for digital input.

My turntable of choice

USB Audio Interface

You’ll need a compact USB audio interface to capture the audio signal. The Behringer UCA202 is a popular choice due to its affordability and reliability.

Check out the Behringer UCA202

Raspberry Pi

A Raspberry Pi acts as the core of the Vinyl AirPlay Bridge. A Raspberry Pi 5 is recommended for best performance, along with a wired Ethernet connection for stability.

Raspberry Pi Starter Kit

My Code!

I’ve done most of the heavy lifting for you and have packaged the code that makes the magic happen along with a comprehensive readme with setup guide and a boilerplate service so it starts automatically on boot. You can find the code on my Github.

Network Setup

• Assign a static IP address to your Raspberry Pi
• Ensure all AirPlay devices are on the same network
• Use Ethernet where possible for lower latency
  
  Follow the instructions in the repository!

How the System Works

The Vinyl AirPlay Bridge captures audio from your turntable via the USB interface and processes it on the Raspberry Pi. It then streams that audio over your local network to any AirPlay-compatible device.

You access the system through a browser-based interface hosted on the Raspberry Pi. From there, you can:

• Select one or multiple AirPlay speakers
• Start streaming instantly
• Adjust playback volume

The interface automatically discovers available devices on your network, including HomePods and Apple TVs.

Setting Up the Vinyl AirPlay Bridge

1. Prepare the Raspberry Pi

• Install Raspberry Pi OS
• Connect the USB audio interface
• Update the system and install required dependencies

2. Install the Software

The Vinyl AirPlay Bridge runs on a Python-based application. After downloading the code, follow the setup instructions to install required libraries and dependencies.

3. Configure Auto Start

To ensure the service runs automatically, create a system service that launches on boot. This keeps the Vinyl AirPlay Bridge always ready to stream.

4. Access the Web Interface

Once running, access the interface by navigating to your Raspberry Pi’s IP address with port 5050 using HTTP.

From here, you can select your audio source and choose which AirPlay speakers to stream to.

Streaming Your Vinyl

Using the Vinyl AirPlay Bridge is straightforward:

• Open the web interface
• Select your AirPlay speaker
• Start playback on your turntable

The audio will begin streaming across your network with minimal delay.

Home Assistant Integration

One of the most powerful features of the Vinyl AirPlay Bridge is its integration with Home Assistant.

If your turntable is connected to a smart plug or contact sensor, you can use that trigger to automatically start streaming.

How It Works

• The Vinyl AirPlay Bridge exposes an API endpoint
• Home Assistant sends a POST request to start streaming
• You specify the target speaker and volume level

Example Use Case

When the turntable lid is opened, a contact sensor triggers an automation that instantly streams audio to a designated HomePod.

Optional: Siri Shortcuts Integration

If you’re not using Home Assistant, you can still control the Vinyl AirPlay Bridge using Siri Shortcuts.

By sending a simple web request, you can create shortcuts to:

• Start streaming to specific speakers
• Control playback without opening the interface

Performance and Limitations

While the Vinyl AirPlay Bridge works well, there are a few considerations:

• Some latency is expected due to network streaming
• Wired connections significantly improve reliability
• Setup requires basic technical knowledge

This is not a plug-and-play solution, but it offers flexibility that commercial products often lack.

Final Thoughts

The Vinyl AirPlay Bridge is a practical way to combine analogue audio with a modern smart home setup. It lets you enjoy vinyl records while still taking advantage of distributed audio across your home.

If you’re comfortable with a bit of DIY and want more control over your audio setup, this is a highly rewarding project that brings together Raspberry Pi, Home Assistant, and AirPlay in a clean and functional way.

The post How to Stream Vinyl to AirPlay Speakers with Raspberry Pi and Home Assistant appeared first on Mark's Tech Blogs.

Products shown in this video

CTKIAUSB.2 Kit: https://ebay.us/LeJCYj

Facia and Cable Adapter Kit: https://ebay.us/GOfycE

Pioneer CarPlay Stereo shown in the video: https://amzn.to/4940A7B

Watch my Kia Picanto after marker stereo installation tutorial here

The post Fitting a CTKIAUSB.2 to use built in USB & Aux with after market radio in a Kia Picanto appeared first on Mark's Tech Blogs.

In this video I show you how to replace the stereo with an after market stereo. Note: This doesn’t retain the existing USB or Aux in, you’ll need to wire your own from your new stereo or use this kit to adapt the existing one.

The two products shown in the video are the Pioneer SPC-DA130DB CarPlay stereo which is an excellent product (review here) and the Kia Picanto car kit which includes a new fascia and all the cables you need.

Watch the walkthrough below:

The post Changing the stereo in a Kia Picanto (2011-2017) appeared first on Mark's Tech Blogs.

Prefer to see this visually? Check out our video.

Looking for the right parts? We have links at the end of this post!

Check Your Cables!

Before we talk about ordering spare parts check your drum cables for damage. You should check the cable going from your hi-hat pedal to the module isn’t damaged and that none of the pins on the drum module or connector are damaged. If they are this could be the cause. Unfortunately, the TD-1/TD-1K kick drum pedal doesn’t work with the hi-hat cable so you can’t test it that way!

If your cables are all good then there’s two things it could be but you need to start by taking apart the pedal…

Taking Apart the Roland TD-1 Hi-Hat Pedal

The Hi-hat pedal has a bolt at the lowest end (where your heel sits). This can be undone by gripping one side with some pliers and using either an allen/hex key on the other side or another pair of grips.

Once undone, remove the nut and washer and pull the bolt out the other side. You can now lift the pedal metal and rotate it to the side so you can access the insides (the metal is still attached by a spring which is why we recommend just twisting it round).

The Pedal Rubber

At the top of the pedal is a rubber foot held in by a screw. Undoing this screw will let you remove the rubber foot. These get stiff over time and using a Stanley knife to cut some small slots across the centre of this (5 or 6) will help loosen it but don’t cut them too deep. You can also buy replacement pedal rubbers online (links at the end).

If loosing or replacing this rubber doesn’t fix your hi-hat pedal you may need to replace the sheet sensor.

Replacing a Sheet Sensor

There are lots of different sheet sensors out there so you’ll want to use our links at the end to get the right one!

The sheet sensor (pictured above) is stuck under the rubber and connects to the jack input. To remove it first remove the cable from the jack input, this can be done by gently pulling it.

You’ll then need to remove the rest of the sheet sensor. As this is stuck with 3M adhesive you’ll need a pair or grips and will need to pull it quite hard. Make sure you’ve ordered a spare before doing this as you’ll probably damage the old part when removing it.

At this stage, you might want to remove the jack input by undoing the nut on the outside. You don’t have to but it’s easier to fit a new sheet sensor if you do!

To fit the new sheet sensor simply stick it down where the old one used to be then put the cable back into the jack connector. This should push in up to the black line on the ribbon. Be careful not to damage the ribbon!

Put it all back together!

Finally, put your pedal back together, tighten everything, plug it in and your hi-hat should now be working!

Finding the Correct Parts

We hope this blog has been helpful. New sheet sensors and pedal rubbers for Roland TD-1 / TD-1K electronic drum kits are widely available but you’ll want to find the right part. Here are links to the correct parts from eBay and Amazon. Amazon is typically quicker but more expensive. Our spares from eBay came from China and arrived to the UK in 10 days.

Roland TD-1 / TD-1K Hi Hat Pedal Replacement Rubber on Ebay

Roland TD-1 / TD-1K Hi Hat Pedal Replacement Sheet Sensor on Ebay

Roland TD-1 / TD-1K Hi Hat Pedal Replacement Sheet Sensor and Rubber (pack) on Ebay

Roland TD-1 / TD-1K Hi Hat Pedal Replacement Sheet Sensor and Rubber (pack) on Amazon

The post How to fix a Roland TD-1 / TD-1K Hi-Hat Pedal appeared first on Mark's Tech Blogs.

1. Google Nest Protect – Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Alarm

Our first pick (and the most expensive option) is the Google Nest Protect. The Nest Protect from Google comes with wired or wireless options and costs around £95 for one or £239 for a pack of 3. Whilst the price tag is quite high it’s easily the best looking alarm on our list with a great modern look.

The alarm itself has a split spectrum smoke sensor to detect both fast and slow burning fires, it can send alerts to your phone, has a built-in light to light the way for you and the alarm itself can also speak. The CO sensor also means you’ll know if there are high levels of carbon monoxide in your home.

The smart features mean that wherever you are you can know about a potential fire or high levels of carbon monoxide at home. The app also let’s you know when the battery is low and Google claim that it checks itself over 400 times a day and with a built in steam checker you don’t need to worry about your shower setting off your alarm.

2. X-Sense Wi-Fi Smoke Alarm

Next up in our pick of the best smart smoke detectors is the X-Sense Wi-Fi smoke alarm. This is a more budget friendly option costing just £26 for one or £60 for a pack of three. It’s profile isn’t as slim as the Nest but it still looks pretty good.

This particular model uses the Smart Life / TUYA app which means it will work with various other smart home devices and is likely to be compatible with a Raspberry Pi and HomeBridge for more advanced users.

The X-Sense Smoke Alarm has a replaceable lithium battery and can send you alerts to the app and even allows you to temporarily silence the alarm (useful if you burn the toast!). Like the Nest Protect it has self-check functions and will let you know if there’s any problems or if the battery is running low. X-Sense say that it has rapid and accurate detection and a 85db alarm.

The only downside of this product is the lack of carbon monoxide detection but at £26 it’s a great price for a great product.

3. TUYA Smart Wifi CO Smoke Alarm

Our final pick is the Tuya Smart Wifi CO Smoke detector. This one retails at just over £10 making it super affordable. It’s also got a slim profile and nice white design and in our opinion is better looking than the Nest Protect.

Like all our other picks the Tuya Smart alarm connects via Wifi and can send alerts to your phone. Despite it’s low price it complies to EU standards and can detect both Carbon Monoxide and Smoke which makes it a great all-rounder. It will send alerts to your phone using the TUYA app and the platform means you should be able to use it with HomeBridge.

The Best Smart Smoke Detectors – Which to choose?

That’s our pick for the best smart smoke alarms. There’s not many out there but these 3 do the job well. If you’ve got the budget then the Nest is our favourite especially as it fits in nicely with Google’s Ecosystem however if you’re on a tight budget then the TUYA option is well worth checking out.

If you’ve enjoyed this post you might like my YouTube channel or our other reviews.

Best Smart Home Reviews is dedicated to bringing you the latest smart home advice and buying guides. We are not paid to promote any products we write about but if you use our links and make a purchase we will receive a small referrer fee from amazon.

The post Best Smart Smoke Detectors appeared first on Mark's Tech Blogs.

1. The SwitchBot Smart Switch Button Pusher

The Switchbot smart switch button pusher is the most expensive item in this article costing £25 but is the most versatile and requires zero wiring. This little bot connects to your phone via bluetooth and let’s you set timers and remotely control it’s little arm from your phone.

You can use it with pretty much anything that has a button and it even works with on/off switches thanks to it’s accessory and switch mode. If you want voice control and out of home control you’ll need to buy a Hub Mini but we love these little bots because they’re simple to install, have a great app and incredible battery life and work well. The only downside is that in switch mode they struggle with stiffer switches.

2. The SONOFF Mini

Next up is the SONOFF mini which we’ve been using on bathroom extractors to make them smart. The SONOFF Mini sits on the cheapest end of the spectrum and costs just £12 (or as cheap as £8.70 each if you get the 3 pack).

The SONOFF Mini requires some wiring and goes between your live supply and your device. It’s pretty easy to wire (SONOFF recommend 2.5mm wire) and is surprisingly small. You connect to it using your phone initially and then it connects to your home wifi. It gives you app control, support for voice assistants such as Alexa and (for $10 a year) IFTTT support. If you use Homebridge on a Raspberry Pi you can even easily get Apple HomeKit support.

We like these because they’re cheap and work well however you need to think about where you have space for it within your home wiring before picking one up.

If it’s an electrical device such as a lamp you want to make smart you might want to check out the SONOFF Basic.

Making a “dumb” switch smart

Making your “dumb” switches smart has never been easier and the two items we’ve mentioned above will allow you to make everything smart from your coffee machine to your bathroom extractor fan. We love making dumb things smart because it saves on waste and saves you money. What are your top tips for adding automation to existing products?

If you’ve enjoyed this post check out our other reviews.

The post How to make a dumb switch smart appeared first on Mark's Tech Blogs.

1. You’ll need to make sure your Apple Watch and Mac Mini are both linked to the same Apple ID.
2. On your Mac Mini go to System Preferences and click ‘Security and Privacy’
3. Under the ‘General Tab’ you’ll see a tab that says ‘Use your Apple Watch to unlock apps and your Mac’. Tick this.
4. Close system preferences

From now on once you’ve logged in for the first time using your password when you lock your screen you’ll be able to unlock it instantly with your Apple Watch. You can also use your Apple Watch when your Mac Mini requests permission to install apps. You can’t use it for everything but it’s a pretty useful feature.

Why Would you want to unlock your Mac with your Apple Watch?

If you have a secure password on your Mac (and you really should have…we like Password Generator for helping us choose secure passwords) then typing it in every time you want to unlock your Mac can be tedious. The Apple Watch allows you to unlock your Mac meaning that all you have to do is enter your password to log in the first time you turn on your Mac and then your Apple Watch can do everything instantly.

Much like Apple’s recent ‘Unlock your iPhone when wearing a mask using your Apple Watch’ feature we think the Apple Watch is becoming an incredibly useful companion device to Apple’s other products.

So, what else would you like to see Apple allow you to do with your Apple Watch to make all your Apple products continue to work together? Let us know in the comments.

The post Mac Mini Apple Watch Unlocking appeared first on Mark's Tech Blogs.

One of the frustrating features both the Watch smartphone app and wallet app on the Apple Watch itself lack is the ability to re-order your payment cards however it’s actually pretty easy to do.

1. Open up the Watch App on your phone and go to ‘Wallet and Apple Pay’
2. Once there click ‘default card’. At this point you need to know the order you want your cards to be.
3. Let’s say you have 3 cards, one is blue, one is grey and one is pink. We want the grey to be 1st, the pink 2nd and the blue 3rd.
4. Step one is to select the blue at the default card. If you double tap on your watch to activate payment mode you’ll notice this card is now first.
5. Next, back in the Watch app select the pink card as the default payment. (Again, if you check on your watch you’ll now see the pink card is 1st, followed by the blue one).
6. Finally, back in the Watch app select the grey card.
7. Go into the Wallet on your Watch and you’ll see that the cards are now in the order you want. Simple!

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