Is AirPlay here to stay?

I'm confident you'll be good for 10+ years.

It would be good if the B&O gives u a set of WIRED jacks so they can function as normal speakers, not tied to Airplay, as needed.

lupend88 said:

I apologize if this sounds like a dumb question, but I'm debating spending nearly $3K an AirPlay speaker from Bang & Olufsen (link below).

I'm asking because if I spend this much money on a speaker, I want to be able to use it for 10+ years.

Do you think AirPlay technology will stick around for a long time, preferably a loooooong time?

Click to expand...

Good question. Might be worthwhile to shoot off an email to the Apple CEO and ask him if Apple is long-term committed to Airplay.

3k speakers. Wow.

lupend88 said:

I apologize if this sounds like a dumb question, but I'm debating spending nearly $3K an AirPlay speaker from Bang & Olufsen (link below).

I'm asking because if I spend this much money on a speaker, I want to be able to use it for 10+ years.

Do you think AirPlay technology will stick around for a long time, preferably a loooooong time? lol



http://www.beoplay.com/Products/BeoplayA9#just-add-music

Click to expand...

Forgive me for asking, but don't you think investing $3000 in a mere speaker is an exorbitant choice?

I am more of an audio guy than an Apple guy.

If there is no wired hookup, I would not do it.

We all know in 3 yrs there will be Airplay 2.0 and then Airplay 3.0....then everyone with "the original Airplay" will lose support, updates, etc...

I didn't look at the speaker link, but I would just buy a B&O receiver and wired speakers with airplay...just to be safe.

This is coming from the guy with a 2k 3D TV...other than looking awesome in the glasses, all they are good for is collecting dust...

617aircav said:

3k speakers. Wow.

Click to expand...

Until one gets to 10k and it's made to order and a tech shows up with white gloves to install and calibrate...

Read the link kinda fast but it seems like it has wired connectors too.

I think airplay will be around for awhile but wouldnt be surprised if down the road, apple found a really silly reason to change the specs of airplay to prevent usage on older tech. In those cases you can buy an updated airport express or something and wire it up without too much trouble.

^+1.

In one swoop, 30-pin out, Lightening in, all 30-pins accessories to the museum. Just saying.

AirPlay is here to stay, but personally I'd invest in a wired speaker, hooking it up to a receiver and use an AirPort Express that is optically connected to the receiver.

Who can even say with any certainty that the iPhone platform will be around in ten years considering the platform itself is only 6 years old now? Even the Blackberry phone is only 10 years old (and almost certainly will NOT be around in 10 years).

I'm not a doom-and-bloomer who is convinced disaster looms at every product introduction, but 10 years is a long time.

NewbieCanada said:

Who can even say with any certainty that the iPhone platform will be around in ten years considering the platform itself is only 6 years old now? Even the Blackberry phone is only 10 years old (and almost certainly will NOT be around in 10 years).

I'm not a doom-and-bloomer who is convinced disaster looms at every product introduction, but 10 years is a long time.

Click to expand...

AirPlay is actually older than the iPhone and was released in 2004.

Merkie said:

AirPlay is actually older than the iPhone and was released in 2004.

Click to expand...

Thanks, didn't know that.

lupend88 said:

I apologize if this sounds like a dumb question, but I'm debating spending nearly $3K an AirPlay speaker from Bang & Olufsen (link below).

I'm asking because if I spend this much money on a speaker, I want to be able to use it for 10+ years.

Do you think AirPlay technology will stick around for a long time, preferably a loooooong time? lol

http://www.beoplay.com/Products/BeoplayA9#just-add-music

Click to expand...

Looking at those speakers I can understand why you like the looks of them. I hope you have listened to them before deciding on them.

AirPlay should be around for a long time. And even if Apple updates the AirPlay protocol , it should still be compatible with the the current AirPlay speakers.

And worst case there is a line in you can use according to the web page you linked so at the least the speakers will still be useable even if something (which I doubt) happens to AirPlay.

I'd also ask yourself if YOU want to be using airplay and apple 10+ years from now. That's just too tight of an ecosystem for me personally.

NewbieCanada said:

10 years is a long time.

Click to expand...

Phones, yes, but speakers, people tend to keep for a long time. There just isn't big innovations with speakers every 12 months.

I was going to start a similar thread like this not too long ago. What do you guys think about auxiliary jacks? What is their highest potential? It's amazing that they've been around as long as digital audio has been evolving.

1. I suspect that most people that believe this is a lot of money to spend on speakers have never heard great home speakers.

2. The OP wants to keep the speakers for 10+ years. Ironically, most of the people commenting on this post will buy 5 $700 phones during that same time period (yes, the phone costs you that much whether you're paying the amount outright or subsidized over time). At the end of the 10 years you will have an outdated phone and great speakers will still sound great.

Mrbobb said:

Phones, yes, but speakers, people tend to keep for a long time. There just isn't big innovations with speakers every 12 months.

Click to expand...

I meant phones. I know the speakers will still be working, but in ten years Apple could be a memory.

NewbieCanada said:

I meant phones. I know the speakers will still be working, but in ten years Apple could be a memory.

Click to expand...

For sum1 with so many Apple toys, must say, u are non-believer? ^)

Mrbobb said:

For sum1 with so many Apple toys, must say, u are non-believer? ^)

Click to expand...

I'm a non believer in many things. I'm sure when Blackberry was on top its fans couldn't conceive of a day when BB wouldn't be around - just a few years later it's hard to imagine they're still in business. If I could predict 10 years out, I'd tell you what stocks to buy.

Mrbobb said:

^+1.

In one swoop, 30-pin out, Lightening in, all 30-pins accessories to the museum. Just saying.

Click to expand...

30-pin lasted 10 years, and you can still use most of those accessories with an adapter.