Simplest AirPlay Speaker

[Wegmans]

Hello all,

Can anyone recommend the simplest and most reliable airplay speaker? I have only used Bluetooth speakers and find them to be less than ideal as far as connectivity is concerned. I want to be able to play music from my phone and then easily play something from my laptop without fidgeting through menus or the speaker itself. Ideally I would have it out of reach because there's no need to touch it once you have it where you want it!

I have a Libratone but it is so unreliable I'm not very trusting of the technology. It also "lags" behind video and gets out of sync.

Thanks in advance!

 

[nnoble]

Hello all,

Can anyone recommend the simplest and most reliable airplay speaker? I have only used Bluetooth speakers and find them to be less than ideal as far as connectivity is concerned. I want to be able to play music from my phone and then easily play something from my laptop without fidgeting through menus or the speaker itself. Ideally I would have it out of reach because there's no need to touch it once you have it where you want it!

I have a Libratone but it is so unreliable I'm not very trusting of the technology. It also "lags" behind video and gets out of sync.

Thanks in advance!

I bought a Denon and would do so again without hesitation.

 

[techwarrior]

I use Apple TV connected to Soundbar (living room), AppleTV connected to Onkyo receiver (family room) and Airport Express connected to an Aux port on a Bluetooth speaker for outdoors. With this configuration, iTunes can output to these three, plus my Mac simultaneously to give me whole house audio. The AP Express can either be connected via Ethernet, or set to "Extend" my WiFi network without Ethernet. I use Ethernet, and the WiFi is optional on this unit if you don't need additional coverage if it is connected by Ethernet.

 

[robgendreau]

Get a Chromecast for music. Apple's Airplay relies in part on Apple's routers, which are doomed. You can then use Rogue Amoeba's Airfoil to stream anything from your Mac to the Chromecast. Or use AllCast on your phone (it can't play DRM protected iTunes music though IIRC). And, depending where your music is stored or if you use Pandora, Spotify, etc, it might be better to invest in say an Amazon Echo or Dot. WAY better than Airplay unless you're locked into itunes.

 

[Wegmans]

I bought a Denon and would do so again without hesitation.

Thank you for the suggestion. I see they have a black friday deal going on so I may take the plunge!
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I use Apple TV connected to Soundbar (living room), AppleTV connected to Onkyo receiver (family room) and Airport Express connected to an Aux port on a Bluetooth speaker for outdoors. With this configuration, iTunes can output to these three, plus my Mac simultaneously to give me whole house audio. The AP Express can either be connected via Ethernet, or set to "Extend" my WiFi network without Ethernet. I use Ethernet, and the WiFi is optional on this unit if you don't need additional coverage if it is connected by Ethernet.

Thanks for your reply. Sounds like you've got everything figured out!

 

[ActionableMango]

Apple's Airplay relies in part on Apple's routers, which are doomed.

I've use Airplay for years without any Apple routers.

In fact, I've used Airplay in a car where there was no router at all (by using an ad-hoc wi-fi network between two devices, an iPhone and a portable Airplay speaker from Pioneer).

 

[ignatius345]

Get a Chromecast for music. Apple's Airplay relies in part on Apple's routers, which are doomed.

There's AirPlay support built into plenty of devices that are not made by Apple. Just because Apple may be reconfiguring its router business hardly means they're about to abandon a core standard of their ecosystem.

 

[ActionableMango]

It also "lags" behind video and gets out of sync.

Airplay can do that too. There is inherent lag when using a wi-fi speaker. The application has to be coded correctly to be aware of the lag information and correct for it by delaying the video output by the same amount of time. Most of the popular video-based apps will do this, such as those from Apple, Netflix, Hulu, etc.

But many apps do not compensate for that, and certain types of apps cannot do that because it wouldn't work right to have delayed video (such as games).

 

[macjunk(ie)]

Looking at the way Apple is going, Airplay might get shelved today or tomorrow. Chromecast is a better choice. Cheaper as well. Black Friday deal has it going for 25 apiece. I use this and it works flawlessly.

 

[Wegmans]

Airplay can do that too. There is inherent lag when using a wi-fi speaker. The application has to be coded correctly to be aware of the lag information and correct for it by delaying the video output by the same amount of time. Most of the popular video-based apps will do this, such as those from Apple, Netflix, Hulu, etc.

But many apps do not compensate for that, and certain types of apps cannot do that because it wouldn't work right to have delayed video (such as games).

Thanks for your reply. It's good to know (though unfortunate) that there could also be lag over WiFi.

 

[Teon]

thanks to the author, I'll buy myself a audio circuit
it will also be convenient!