iPod touch ipod Touch 6 and bluetooth/wifi speakers

[jrs22]

Right now I have a decent quality portable BT speaker that usually sits on my kitchen table. It's really handy for playing music or for the audio when I watch a video on my ipad. I just got an iphone so I want to devote my ipod touch 6 to music since it can now live in the kitchen. Here's the problem I need help with. I'm planning a gut remodel of my kitchen and I thought I'd buy stereo bluetooth/wifi speakers for music playback. I want to hang them so they'll be in a good location and won't need shelf space.

Should I be looking for speakers that work directly with my ipod, so they just need power, or will I need a receiver to operate them, so I'll need speaker wire? i'm really not sure where to begin and would also love suggestions about which speakers to consider. Top-of-the-line would probably be a waste because the kitchen will be almost entirely hard surfaces.

 

[cruisin]

I think that you are thinking of an amplifier and not a receiver. A receiver has a built in amplifier, but unless you need the multiple inputs that a receiver gives then you will be fine with just the amplifier.

I don't think the iPod will be able to power speakers directly (at least not well), as they are much larger then headphones so you will need the amplifier. Bluetooth speakers (and any type of wireless speaker plus those that come with a dock) have a built in amplifier.

If you are fine with staying with Apple products, then an Airplay speaker (WiFi based) will be better as it doesn't compress the signal. Bluetooth has to compress the audio and it slightly distorts the sound. Whether you can hear the difference or care about it is a different matter. Both wireless systems will work, so it is your choice.

If you have an existing sound system, then there are both Bluetooth and Airplay adapters that make your existing system wireless.

 

[jrs22]

Thanks cruisin, this is very helpful. It's been years since I bought a traditional system so I did forget the difference between amps and receivers. What I already own is too large for the one set of open shelves that I'll have in the kitchen so I figure my choices are traditional speakers wired to a modest-sized amp that'll fit on the shelf, with airplay built in or added on, or, more simply, a powered speaker. I've seen some complaints about speakers losing the connection after a period of unuse, and they'll probably be hard to reach, so I'll have to figure that out.