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Speakers with built-in Airplay?


mjzee

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I've not found good ones that are also not expensive. Personally I use the Audio Engine A2 (the small ones) and then just hook them up to an Apple Airport Express or the last gen Apple TV. Great speakers, and the airplay box is not too expensive (about the same as the upcharge for airplay speakers)

Edited by psu_13
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Those look sweet.

On November 7, 2015 at 6:23:33 AM, psu_13 said:

I've not found good ones that are also not expensive. Personally I use the Audio Engine A2 (the small ones) and then just hook them up to an Apple Airport Express or the last gen Apple TV. Great speakers, and the airplay box is not too expensive (about the same as the upcharge for airplay speakers)

 

12 hours ago, Eric said:

I also use the Apple Airport Express in several rooms - have done it this way for several years.  I either plug into powered speakers (also the A2s), a DAC or an integrated amp.  Works like a charm.

Some Amazon reviews said the bass response on the A2 is a little lacking.  Do you find this to be true?

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I don't think they are any more limited than other small speaker systems, but I am not much of a bass enthusiast. I enjoy the fact that they are self-powered so I don't have to fuss with yet another box in my life.

I have the A5s set up downstairs on my TV and they have more oomph, but are much larger.

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  • 2 weeks later...
On November 7, 2015 at 6:23:33 AM, psu_13 said:

I've not found good ones that are also not expensive. Personally I use the Audio Engine A2 (the small ones) and then just hook them up to an Apple Airport Express or the last gen Apple TV. Great speakers, and the airplay box is not too expensive (about the same as the upcharge for airplay speakers)

Do these connect to the Airport Express via USB or via an optical audio cable?

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Having been fiddling around with all this for the last 5-6 years, it seems that Bluetooth, not Airplay, will be the dominant mode to stream music from a mobile device to powered speakers.  It seems there are many more devices (speakers) that are designed to received audio input via Bluetooth (particularly using the aptX compression technology).  I noticed that Audio Engine has introduced a higher end speaker (the HD6) that permits streaming directly via Bluetooth.  

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  • 4 months later...
21 hours ago, mjzee said:

I'm now thinking it doesn't make sense to buy speakers with built-in Airplay, because of the danger of obsolescence.  Much better to use a separate Airport Express or AppleTV that can be upgraded or swapped out as needed.

I think you'll be happy with this.  I've got it running in five rooms  :tup

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  • 1 month later...

Here's another little wrinkle to consider.  Amazon is selling devices that claim to be compatible with AirPlay.  I tried an AudioCast (aka Veetop Wireless DLNA Airplay Music Receiver Adapter), which sells for $41.99 - much cheaper than an Airport Express.  It did indeed connect to my network, appeared in iTunes, and I was able to include it in my stream to multiple devices.  However, it did not stream exactly in sync with my other devices - it was about a half-second off, producing an awful echo effect.  I wonder if this might also happen with powered speakers that incorporate AirPlay.  For example, Polk Audio makes one (AM6119-A) for $249.  But if it won't play the stream in sync with other devices...

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  • 1 month later...

Latest update.  Apple now has the 3rd generation Apple TV for $69, so I bought one.  It has an optical out, so I'm looking for powered speakers with an optical in.  The Vanatoo Transparent One has some outrageously good reviews, but I've never heard of the brand.  There's also the similarly-priced Klipsch R-15PM.  Klipsch still has a great reputation, even though they've been owned for awhile by Logitech.  

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  • 5 months later...
  • 5 months later...

I've found an amazing bargain: GGMM E3.  Great price ($90 or so), with built-in AirPlay support.  Got one today in blue, and it sounds really good for a small, standalone speaker.  Documentation says if you get two, it will play stereo.

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