TL;DR
Nabu Casa has launched the $69 Home Assistant Connect Aux-2, a compact device that adds connections such as Bluetooth, audio output and serial control to a Home Assistant setup. A hands-on test found it straightforward to configure and successfully used it to connect Bluetooth temperature sensors and play music through wired speakers. Serial control and Sendspin speaker grouping were not verified in the test.
Nabu Casa, the commercial side of the Open Home Foundation, has launched the $69 Home Assistant Connect Aux-2, a compact device that adds connection options for Bluetooth sensors, audio equipment and serial-controlled devices. In a hands-on test published by The Verge, the device was easy to set up and worked as a Bluetooth bridge and audio output, while its serial-control capability remained untested.
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The Aux-2 is about the size of a deck of cards and includes 2.4GHz Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Ethernet, USB-A and USB-C, along with an audio jack, a Grove port for peripherals and two RS-232 serial ports. Its USB connection can also accommodate a Nabu Casa Zigbee or Z-Wave antenna when a Home Assistant hub is poorly placed for wireless coverage.
The Verge’s tester used the Aux-2 as a Bluetooth proxy to connect Govee temperature and humidity sensors to Home Assistant. The sensors appeared after their batteries were installed, and the reviewer reported that they remained connected through three walls and a refrigerator. The setup addressed a home-monitoring problem in which earlier Zigbee sensors had regularly lost connection in a garage fridge.
For audio, the tester connected an amplifier and existing in-wall speakers, then configured Music Assistant, software that runs on Home Assistant hardware and can play music from supported services to configured outputs. The reviewer said the process took less than half an hour, excluding time spent connecting the amplifier. The Aux-2’s audio jack provides a way to use older audio equipment rather than relying only on networked speakers.
Adding Connections to Home Assistant
The Aux-2’s appeal is that it can help bring equipment that lacks modern smart-home connectivity into a Home Assistant setup. A Bluetooth proxy can extend the reach of compatible sensors, while audio output offers a route to existing powered speakers or an amplifier. USB support for Zigbee and Z-Wave antennas may also help users place radio hardware somewhere more effective than next to their main hub.
That could reduce the need for separate devices for each task, though the review does not establish that the Aux-2 replaces dedicated hubs or accessories in every setup. Its benefits depend on the user’s hardware, Home Assistant configuration and the integrations available. The test is evidence that two functions worked for one reviewer, not a guarantee that all supported devices will be equally simple to connect.
The product also reflects Home Assistant’s effort to make its open-source platform easier to use. In this test, an on-screen setup flow helped configure ESPHome and enable Bluetooth proxying. That matters to potential users who might value Home Assistant’s flexibility but have avoided adding it to their main smart-home system because of setup time and maintenance.
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Built on ESPHome Integrations
The Aux-2 is based on ESPHome, an open platform used to build and configure devices based on ESP boards. According to the report, the Aux-2’s functions rely on existing Home Assistant and ESPHome integrations rather than requiring a separate system for every connection type. The reviewer connected the device to a computer by USB-C, installed current firmware in a browser, entered Wi-Fi credentials and completed the remaining configuration in Home Assistant.
The device’s different capabilities are at different stages of readiness. The report says the serial integration was developed earlier in 2026, while Music Assistant and Sendspin, which support the audio feature, are in active development. Sendspin is described as a whole-home audio standard intended to group speakers using different protocols under some conditions. The reviewer had not managed to get that grouping working during the test.
““unsurprisingly useful and surprisingly easy to set up””
— The Verge reviewer
Serial and Speaker Grouping Untested
The hands-on account covers only a few days of use and does not verify every advertised capability. Most notably, the reviewer had not tested serial control, so the report provides no practical results for connecting TVs, receivers, solar inverters or other RS-232 devices. Nabu Casa’s product capabilities should not be read as proof that every device will work without additional setup.
The reviewer also did not get Sendspin speaker grouping working. Sendspin was still in development, and the report does not establish whether the difficulty came from the setup, the standard’s current state or another issue. The reviewer likewise said they would like the Aux-2 to appear as an AirPlay or Spotify Connect target, but had not confirmed whether that was possible with their configuration. Long-term reliability, broader compatibility and the price and availability of accessories were not detailed in the account.
Further Testing Will Settle Compatibility
Further testing would need to establish how reliably the RS-232 integration controls real equipment and how many devices can be configured without custom work. The state of Sendspin and its ability to group speakers across protocols also remains a point to watch as development continues. Nabu Casa’s launch establishes that the Aux-2 is available as a product; the supplied report does not give a broader rollout schedule or a date for updates to the audio features.
For now, prospective buyers can compare the Aux-2’s ports and supported Home Assistant integrations with their own equipment. The hands-on results support its use as a Bluetooth proxy and wired audio option in the reviewer’s setup, while other uses still require confirmation through further testing.
Key Questions
What is the Home Assistant Connect Aux-2?
It is a $69 device from Nabu Casa that adds connection options, including Bluetooth, audio output, USB and RS-232 serial ports, to a Home Assistant setup.
What worked in the hands-on test?
The Verge reviewer configured the Aux-2 as a Bluetooth proxy for Govee sensors and used Music Assistant to play music through an amplifier and in-wall speakers.
Was serial control tested?
No. The reviewer said they had not yet tested the RS-232 serial-control feature, so its performance with TVs, receivers or solar inverters was not established in the report.
Can the Aux-2 group different speakers together?
That remains unclear. The reviewer did not get Sendspin grouping working, and the report says the standard was still in development.
Source: theverge.com
