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Nabu Casa Releases Home Assistant Connect AUX-2

The $69 box-shaped device lets older stereos and amplifiers join modern smart home setups.

Updated on Nov. 11, 2026 in Home Entertainment

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Nabu Casa released the $69 Home Assistant Connect AUX-2, a box that links older stereos and amplifiers into modern smart home audio systems. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Would you buy a $69 device to make your older electronics smart?

Nabu Casa has released the Home Assistant Connect AUX-2, a $69 box-shaped smart home device. It supports RS-232 serial connectivity along with Bluetooth, Z-Wave, USB, PoE, and Wi-Fi.

Why it matters

Many modern smart home systems exclude older working electronics because those devices were not designed to integrate with today's platforms. The AUX-2 offers a way to bring that equipment into a connected setup without replacing it.

The AUX-2 is priced at $69 and includes RS-232 serial, Bluetooth, Z-Wave, USB, PoE, and Wi-Fi connectivity. Its USB port can act as an expansion for compatible adapters, though the source does not detail independent performance testing.

The players

Nabu Casa

Nabu Casa is the company behind Home Assistant, an open-source smart home platform, and it manufactures the Connect AUX-2 device.

The details

The AUX-2 allows older stereo systems and amplifiers to connect to modern multi-room audio setups. It can be placed on an entertainment center and connected to an older stereo and television.

Timeline

  1. The Connect AUX-2 became available for purchase on November 11, 2026.

Roadmap

The AUX-2 extends the Home Assistant platform by adding a hardware bridge for legacy serial-controlled equipment. It sits within a broader effort to pull older audio and home electronics into open smart home ecosystems.

Owners of older stereos and amplifiers can connect that equipment to a modern multi-room audio setup for $69 rather than replacing it. Buyers should confirm that their existing devices use RS-232 or a compatible interface before purchasing.

The takeaway

If you own older audio equipment with serial control, check its connection interfaces before buying a new system. The AUX-2 may let that equipment keep working inside a modern smart home.

Further reading

For more on connecting older audio gear, see Home Entertainment coverage.

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Would you buy a $69 device to make your older electronics smart?