The Home Assistant Connect AUX-2 is a small $69 box that pulls devices without any smart features into Home Assistant. Nabu Casa, the company behind Home Assistant, launched it on 11 November as a “smart home multi-tool”: it streams music to an existing amplifier or speaker, controls TVs and amplifiers over a serial port, and doubles as a Bluetooth proxy. It is part of the “No device left behind” push, in which Home Assistant wants to keep older equipment useful instead of replacing it.
Bring old speakers and amplifiers into multiroom audio
Audio is the AUX-2’s headline feature. It has a single combined audio output that detects whether you plug in an analog or an optical cable. The digital output also handles lossless music such as FLAC. You pair the AUX-2 with Music Assistant, which brings streaming services and your own music library together. Thanks to the Sendspin protocol, an old hi-fi amplifier can then play in sync with other speakers in your home. According to Home Assistant, you can group several AUX-2 units, or combine them with speakers such as HomePods or Sonos.
Control your TV and amplifier over RS-232
The AUX-2 also has two serial ports with 3.5mm connectors. They are mainly meant for RS-232, the serial standard that many TVs, amplifiers and projectors still support. That lets you control an LG TV locally through Home Assistant’s serial integration, for example, without the cloud. You will often need an adapter cable to DB9, RJ11 or mini-DIN, though, and some devices require you to enable serial control in their settings first. For RS-485 and Modbus, used by some solar and climate equipment, you add a USB adapter. There is also a Grove connector for sensors you read through ESPHome.
Bluetooth proxy, PoE and Z-Wave
The AUX-2 is also the first Bluetooth proxy Home Assistant has designed for the job, with an upgraded antenna. Once added, it discovers nearby Bluetooth devices without extra configuration. You power it over USB-C or Power over Ethernet, and the makers say it never uses more than a watt or two. You can plug a Connect ZWA-2 into its USB-A port, so your Z-Wave adapter can sit on the network in a better spot in your home. Zigbee through a Connect ZBT-2 works as well, but is not officially supported yet. Thread does not work over the network, because the protocol is too sensitive to latency. Home Assistant also recommends a wired connection over Wi-Fi.
Price and availability
The Home Assistant Connect AUX-2 costs $69 in the US and €59 in Europe, and Nabu Casa says it is available worldwide from 11 November through the usual Home Assistant resellers. The firmware is open, so you can also install alternatives such as Squeezelite or Snapcast. If you already run Home Assistant, also read what’s new in Home Assistant 2026.11 with its Marketplace and Matter cameras. Full details are in Home Assistant’s official announcement.
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