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AirPlay 2 Speakers Compared: Sonos Move vs. Bose Portable Home Speaker
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Did you apply the firmware update in 2018? https://www.macrumors.com/2018/08/28/airport-express-firmware-airplay-2/
Apple TV 4K + AV receiver with HDMI control turned ON + a set of 15 years old speakers with 8" woofer would be my personal definition of "AirPlay 2 speakers". By keep updating the Apple TV it could be Airplay 3 speakers.
Maybe a HomePod or two for the living rooms, but that's it.
Wouldn't touch any of these craps knowing that those companies could stop supporting so-called speakers, and rendering them useless with a very limited lifespan.
Maybe a HomePod or two for the living rooms, but that's it.
Wouldn't touch any of these craps knowing that those companies could stop supporting so-called speakers, and rendering them useless with a very limited lifespan.
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I'm old enough to remember when "audiophiles" claimed, in all sincerity, that marking around the edge of a CD with a green highlighter improved its sound quality.
iTunes and Amazon Prime both play off a $49 Echo that streams to your SURROUD
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Thanks for the info!!
Unfortunately I have the earlier version set up which didn’t get the update.
i have a 2nd gen one somewhere in a box. Need to fish it out now...
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got the 2nd gen Airport Express out, updated the firmware.
Was able to test it steaming music from my phone to a Bose sound bar 700 and a stereo plugged into the airport express In another room.
Im impressed as the music was perfectly in sync!
Thanks again for this tip.
I might see if I can pick up a few more of these devices on eBay as this is the cheapest way to add AirPlay 2 to any existing stereo with an aux port!
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you have the right idea. Its what i do.
the only problem i have is i am not sure how to get the apple tv to turn on then get that to turn the amp on and start playing straight from my phone.
I have to turn on apple tv then turn on amp and then airplay to the apple tv
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I don't know how much are you familiar with AirPlay 2, so I'll just explain the whole thing. Hope it doesn't confuse you too much.
You can wake up your Apple TV by the physical remote, or iPhone TV remote. If your AV receiver and TV support HDMI Control, they will also be turned on simultaneously.
Or if you have Apple Music you can do haptic touch the Music tab on Control Center, scroll down and tap on your Apple TV tab, it will open iOS Music app, but it actually controls your Apple TV music (much like Spotify Connect if you're familiar with it).
So you don't even have to turn on and navigate your Apple TV manually, you don't even have to AirPlay music from your iPhone. Go to Music app (for your Apple TV on control center) then pick any songs you want, it'll stream right away.
Last option is you can always wake your Apple TV using Siri. Say it like "Play Taylor Swift top songs on TV" and it will respond by waking up ATV and play the songs right away. Siri integration and bidirectional control is actually one of my biggest interest in setting up the AirPlay 2 systems. I rarely use AirPlay 2 to beam away music from my phone or iPad. Too much battery drain.
If you happen to just use Spotify, well yes it may be a bit complicated since you have to open Spotify app on Apple TV and iPhone, then do Spotify Connect as usual. But still, no need for AirPlay.
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Every single time it's the same comment. Sonos and Bose are miles ahead than playing music from your phone or laptop or in-built speakers in the TV or a $79 JBL can. Sure, "audiophile" is being used way too much nowadays, but people keep missing the point. A fitting context here would be your aunt asking for advice on a good portable speaker for $300-$500 as you're into music. These are likely the best (sounding) option. Or will you tell her that she must listen to LPs on floating turntables or at least CDs on $1000 headphones?
Article: Audiophiles don’t care what a speaker costs.
“audiophiles”: reEeeEeeEeeEeBoseReEeeEeeEe
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“audiophiles”: reEeeEeeEeeEeBoseReEeeEeeEe
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Bluetooth is known the world over for its class leading audio fidelity.
EVERYONE is an EXPERT
Most could not pick apart little details in audio - I can’t get the finest details- like people who say they love great Italian food...like Olive Garden and their “amazing breadsticks” which are not made there...but I digress.
That said - I was unimpressed with my Sonos 1 and sold it.
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"are designed to offer a premium audio experience" Really? Premium audio experience? Not using lossy Bluetooth, compressed, typically playing crappy streamed content, and for the first time in 100 years of audio development, retrograding all the way back from stereo to mono. This is not a premium audio product. It is product for noobs who value convenience over quality. It is a product for the instanoodle generation who know no better, or don't care. Yes - it is better than listening to your iPhone's speaker - but by its very design, it is the very antithesis of a premium audio experience. If you want a premium audio experience: (a) stereo - not mono, (b) wired speakers (not compressed or lossy Bluetooth), (c) no MP3s, and no lossy formats, (d) CD-quality as an absolute base minimum --- high-res SACD preferred or high-res downloads or analog vinyl (for suitable content)
Good video.
I wouldn't pay hundreds for a speaker I can't even physically plug a source into, but maybe that's just me. Would it kill them to at least make the USB port support audio input? It's there already. Just use it!
With that said I think the Sonos looks nicer.
I wouldn't pay hundreds for a speaker I can't even physically plug a source into, but maybe that's just me. Would it kill them to at least make the USB port support audio input? It's there already. Just use it!
With that said I think the Sonos looks nicer.
A true audiophile, as you define it, will not even listen to digital streaming music because that is an affront to sound quality on every level. Have fun with your wired, refrigerator-sized Polk Audio speakers playing back 128kb streams. 😆
Total BS.
This is pretty sad excuse for a review since it said practically nothing and audiophiles aren't about to buy either one of these.
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Incorrect on both counts. Tidal and Qobuz are high res and plenty of audiophiles use both. if you don't know what you are talking about, and you don't, maybe not tell other people they are saying BS.
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Heh, you have no idea at all. Airplay 1 is fine and Airplay 2 has no latency. If you are having Airplay issues it's your network.
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Incorrect on both counts. Tidal and Qobuz are high res and plenty of audiophiles use both. if you don't know what you are talking about, and you don't, maybe not tell other people they are saying BS.
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Heh, you have no idea at all. Airplay 1 is fine and Airplay 2 has no latency. If you are having Airplay issues it's your network.
Airplay is far superior to Bluetooth in general. Siri is rated right behind google (BY, YOU KNOW PROFESSIONALS) and only because it lacks integrated shopping like google which is a meh for me, and way ahead of Alexa. This article only compares 2 speakers, not the universe of speakers. Not sure why the rage
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Gone are the days when we rate speakers based on actual measured performance. Instead we get "sound great".
I’m not sure about any of these speaker systems. I bought a Bose SoundTouch for about 500 dollars three or four years ago and it sounds great but has supposedly been ready to get AirPlay 2 for over a year, meanwhile the buffering is terrible and I had to buy a TP-Link Ethernet over power system to run a wire to it because the Wifi reception on it is not up to par at all (even though there is plenty of WiFi strength where it sits). Bluetooth streams sound terrible compared to AirPlay streams and I am tired of things like speakers becoming out of date due to wireless technological changes. A true audiophile worthy system will sound as good in twenty years as they do today and won’t become useless bricks like these speakers do. I should replace my Bose but I have a hard time throwing away a speaker system that cost 500 dollars such a short time ago.
The hilarious wannabe audio internet experts are in full force, always causing a grin. Half down reading the article I figured I'd amuse myself by seeing how many posts it'd take to see the 'Bose bashing' occur; sooner than I thought, but no less than expected.
The engineering in their products is second to none. I've owned everything under the sun and while I type this on my Mac Pro w/ Paradigm Millenia speakers and sub for near-field listening and production, I have a Lifestyle system that measures down to 28Hz with authority and absolutely garners a level of detail and surreal 'there' imaging and sound staging that I've only heard certain higher end speakers able to pull off; the full range driver design - when done properly - is one of the best in the world; guess what, that's literally all Bose does.
I've said it once and I'll say it again, the only speakers I'd ever really consider upgrading to are the Bowers & Wilkins 800 Diamond series - hours upon hours of listening to those make me drool, but I've had fun listening to my Bang & Olufsen, Klipsch, NAD powered KRK monitors and Spica's in the meantime.
Anyone remember the days clueless PC users hated on Mac? Welcome to reality "audiophiles" - Bose is top in their field. There's even tons of amusing reports and reviews of "No more am I a Bose Basher" on the internet, more everyday.
I'll leave you all with this: https://kenrockwell.com/audio/bose/acoustimass-16.htm
And their new stuff only sounds even better.
The engineering in their products is second to none. I've owned everything under the sun and while I type this on my Mac Pro w/ Paradigm Millenia speakers and sub for near-field listening and production, I have a Lifestyle system that measures down to 28Hz with authority and absolutely garners a level of detail and surreal 'there' imaging and sound staging that I've only heard certain higher end speakers able to pull off; the full range driver design - when done properly - is one of the best in the world; guess what, that's literally all Bose does.
I've said it once and I'll say it again, the only speakers I'd ever really consider upgrading to are the Bowers & Wilkins 800 Diamond series - hours upon hours of listening to those make me drool, but I've had fun listening to my Bang & Olufsen, Klipsch, NAD powered KRK monitors and Spica's in the meantime.
Anyone remember the days clueless PC users hated on Mac? Welcome to reality "audiophiles" - Bose is top in their field. There's even tons of amusing reports and reviews of "No more am I a Bose Basher" on the internet, more everyday.
I'll leave you all with this: https://kenrockwell.com/audio/bose/acoustimass-16.htm
And their new stuff only sounds even better.
This is only my own personal feeling but, for what it's worth, for serious use these speakers are not real contenders. Apple had a wonderful solution in Airplay through Airport Express. They have allowed this to wither on the vine and finally killed it. They deserve credit for continuing to support their routers but, eventually, the party will be over.
At the moment it's possible to enjoy extraordinarily good sound with much higher quality and larger active speakers connected wirelessly or wired to Airplay. Other manufacturers such as Bluesound are producing new units at outrageous prices but Apple could be doing owners of 3rd party speakers a favour by continuing the development of an AEX type unit and perhaps even extending the parameters of what's possible wirelessly through these devices.
They choose not to and that tells us a lot about the market. There are simply not enough people who are genuinely so interested in the best sound married to more expensive hardware to continue development.
In truth I think this is such a missed opportunity. The HiFi high end is still such a confused, over-complicated mess. So called high end is often about snake oil.
The products reviewed here are fine as far as they go but, despite many years of searching, I've found nothing at sensible prices to fulfil my own needs once the Airport Express dies.
At the moment it's possible to enjoy extraordinarily good sound with much higher quality and larger active speakers connected wirelessly or wired to Airplay. Other manufacturers such as Bluesound are producing new units at outrageous prices but Apple could be doing owners of 3rd party speakers a favour by continuing the development of an AEX type unit and perhaps even extending the parameters of what's possible wirelessly through these devices.
They choose not to and that tells us a lot about the market. There are simply not enough people who are genuinely so interested in the best sound married to more expensive hardware to continue development.
In truth I think this is such a missed opportunity. The HiFi high end is still such a confused, over-complicated mess. So called high end is often about snake oil.
The products reviewed here are fine as far as they go but, despite many years of searching, I've found nothing at sensible prices to fulfil my own needs once the Airport Express dies.
I was seriously considering the Move to compliment a (still unpurchased) Sonos sound bar as our sound bar is crap and we want speakers on our porch. I was previously going to mount some permanent speakers and use an old Airport Express to airplay. Anyhow, another video I watched about the Sonos Move says the Move cannot be used as a surround speaker with a sound bar.
#Next
Hopefully those speakers I was previously considering have gone on sale. I already have the airport express.
#Next
Hopefully those speakers I was previously considering have gone on sale. I already have the airport express.
There are MANY steps between phone speaker and listening to analog through wired speakers, with marginally diminishing difference between...
Quote - "More than 2 years after promised by Bose, they still have not delivered AirPlay 2 for their SoundTouch speakers, so I'm extremely wary of buying any of their products again - extremely poor software division within that company."
It would really help if Airplay was to become open source. It's really too good for the technology to be distributed by license. Getting Airplay in your device is entirely down to whether Bose want to pay for a license for each and every unit sold.
I recently had a similar experience with CarPlay and Honda. In the US, CarPlay is included on many Honda models but Honda UK don't include it on the very same cars as they won't pay for the license.
It would really help if Airplay was to become open source. It's really too good for the technology to be distributed by license. Getting Airplay in your device is entirely down to whether Bose want to pay for a license for each and every unit sold.
I recently had a similar experience with CarPlay and Honda. In the US, CarPlay is included on many Honda models but Honda UK don't include it on the very same cars as they won't pay for the license.