The Best AirPlay Speakers Ditch the wires and fill your home with sweet sound with these top-notch Apple AirPlay-enabled speakers. AirPlay, Apple’s wireless audio streaming technology, is a solid option for anyone tired of connecting and disconnecting iDevices to their speakers. And with the introduction of the new Lightning connector on the iPhone 5, iPod touch, and iPod nano, wireless streaming is an even better choice, as we have yet to see speaker docks adopt the new proprietary connector. With AirPlay, you can stream music from one source to multiple speakers in various locations, provided that they’re all on the same Wi-Fi network. AirPlay works with iPhones, iPods, and iPads as well as over iTunes from a PC or Mac. AirPlay also transmits track metadata, such as the artist, album, and song title. And with iTunes, you can set volume levels for individual wireless speakers. In addition, you can stream music from internet radio and music services like Spotify, Pandora and Mog. So why choose AirPlay over Bluetooth for wireless streaming? Bluetooth used to have a reputation for poor sound quality, although that has largely been eliminated with the latest Bluetooth speakers. Instead, the difference is in features. Bluetooth wireless speakers can only connect to one device at a time. In addition, you have to be within direct range of the device, 33 feet is the theoretical limit, but in practice it rarely exceeds 20 feet even with a clear line of sight. Bluetooth is compatible with almost every mobile device, but AirPlay is strictly Apple – and thus only compatible with iOS devices, Macs, and Windows PCs running iTunes. AirPlay-compatible speakers and AV receivers connect to the source device via Wi-Fi, where tapping an icon allows any audio to stream effortlessly. If you’re tied to a lot of Apple products already, you’ll definitely want to give AirPlay a look. The compatible speaker systems are generally pretty expensive, but they also provide stellar audio performance. And as with most Apple-associated products, the speaker systems feature minimal and elegant design elements that are sure to fit in with the rest of your Apple ensemble.
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Sonos & Jambone: Two to Consider Sonos: The Sonos family of products is in a category of its own. Designed from the ground up as a multiroom audio system, Sonos products use a proprietary wireless mesh network to communicate among one another. Rather than streaming audio from the iPhone (or iPad or iPod Touch), Sonos instead uses those devices (as well as Android phones) as a remote control. The audio source instead comes from “the cloud” – Sonos works with nearly every service out there, including Mog, Pandora, Spotify, Sirius XM, Last.fm, Slacker, Rdio, Songza, TuneIn Radio, Rhapsody, iHeartRadio, Wolfgang’s Vault, Aupeo, and Stitcher – and it can also pull your iTunes library from a networked PC, Mac, or NAS drive. Unfortunately, it’s not compatible with iTunes Match, but it will work with Amazon’s similar Cloud Player – if you want to take the time and effort to move your music collection there. Prices range from $299 for the Play: 3 (with built-in speaker) to $499 for the Connect: Amp (add your own speakers).
Jawbone Jambox JAMBOX delivers stunning hi-fi audio in a portable wireless speaker so compact you won’t believe it when you hear it. Unlike other portable speakers, JAMBOX is powered by a pair of proprietary, highly sophisticated acoustic drivers, unmatched in their ability to produce extreme high (tweeter) and low (woofer) frequencies from a single, ultra-small dome speaker. They work in concert with an innovative moving-wall passive bass radiator and airtight enclosure to deliver shimmering highs and thumping lows that you can literally feel - the richest sound all in the palm of your hand.
It Only Gets Better With Time JAMBOX is the only speaker in the world that gets smarter every time you plug it in. Just sync it with MyTALK, Jawbone’s industry-first online platform to download apps, software upgrades, and the latest features - including LiveAudio™, an immersive three-dimensional listening experience. Jambox’s integrated intelligence allows you to personalize it to your specific preferences. No other speaker on the planet is intelligent and updateable - but then again, nothing else is quite like JAMBOX.
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