This turned the Apple streaming standard into a proper multi-room platform – it even added Siri integration into wireless speakers that never would’ve had it before, too. Apple HomePod mini The best AirPlay speaker you can buy Specifications Weight: 0.76lbs Dimensions: 3.3 x 3.9 x 3.9 inch / 8.43 x 9.79 x 9.79 cm Drivers: Full-range driver and dual passive radiators for deep bass and crisp high frequencies Supported connectivity : Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5, AirPlay Aux-in: No USB: No TODAY’S BEST DEALS View at Best Buy View at Walmart View at Staples Reasons to buy + Incredible sound + Sleek design Reasons to avoid – Needs Apple Music for full function – Siri and the smart home features need work Silent Earthling by Three Trapped Tigers sounds clear and crisp, despite the multiple layers of instruments circulating throughout the song.
With AirPlay 2, you can play any sound from an iPhone or iPad, or Mac computer – including YouTube videos and Netflix movies – on the Sonos One.
Naim Mu-So Qb The best AirPlay speaker for stylish homes Specifications Weight: 5.6kg Size: 210mm x 218mm x 212mm Drivers: 1 x Woofer, 2 x Mid-range, 2 x Tweeter, 2 x Passive Radiator Supported Connectivity: UPnP, AirPlay, Spotify Connect, Bluetooth aptX Ethernet: Yes Aux-in: Yes USB: Yes TODAY’S BEST DEALS Prime View at Amazon View at Walmart 122 Amazon customer reviews ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ Reasons to buy + Amazing looks + Full and vibrant sound + Small form factor Reasons to avoid – Setup isn’t seamless You might not have heard of it before, but Naim audio is a company that produces some of the most stylish connected speakers in the business, and we think the Mu-So Qb is the best they’ve put out yet. But even if you don’t have your phone in hand, this wireless speaker is still controllable using its sleek touch-screen which allows you to access internet radio stations, for example. Bowers & Wilkins Formation Wedge The best AirPlay speaker with an iconic design Specifications Weight: 6.5kg Size: 232 x 440 x 243 (H x W x D) Drivers: 2 x 25mm (1 in) double dome tweeter, 2 x 90 mm (3.5 in) FST midrange, 1 x 150mm (6 in) subwoofer Supported Connectivity: Apple AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, Roon Ready, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi Ethernet: Yes Aux-in: No USB: Yes TODAY’S BEST DEALS View at Best Buy View at Crutchfield View at Crutchfield Reasons to buy + Unique looks + Clever engineering + Big, wide soundstage Reasons to avoid – Limited connectivity
While it’s apparent where the music originates, there’s a much less pronounced ‘sweet spot’ than some less capable wireless speakers generate and the Wedge is an enjoyable listen, no matter where you are in relation to it. Sonos Arc The best AirPlay speaker for your TV Specifications Weight: 6.25kg Size: 1141.7 x 87 x 115.7mm (W x H x D) Drivers: N/A Supported Connectivity: Apple AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi Ethernet: Yes Aux-in: No USB: No TODAY’S BEST DEALS View at Sonos US & Canada View at Walmart Prime View at Amazon Reasons to buy + Dolby Atmos, TrueHD and Dolby Digital Plus + Discrete all-in-one soundbar + Amazing surround sound and music playback Reasons to avoid – Doesn’t suit every room
It then enhances the 3D soundscape using Dolby Atmos object tracks to bounce certain sounds off the walls around you so they feel like they’re coming at you from all angles. While all this might sound complicated, the Sonos Arc setup couldn’t be simpler, involving just a couple of steps on the smartphone app.
The minimalist cable connections and all-in-one system construction add to this no-fuss feeling and streamlined aesthetic – making it the best soundbar you can buy in 2021 that doubles up as a fantastic AirPlay speaker for your TV. Sonos Roam The best Bluetooth speaker with AirPlay Specifications Weight: 0.43kg Size: 168mm x 62mm x 60mm (H x W x D) Drivers: Two class-H amplifiers, one tweeter, and one midwoofer Supported Connectivity: Apple AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi Ethernet: No Aux-in: No USB: No TODAY’S BEST DEALS View at Crutchfield View at Walmart Prime View at Amazon Reasons to buy + Powerful audio performance + Easily portable design Reasons to avoid – Fairly pricey – Bass can be overwhelming The Sonos Roam is our pick for the best Bluetooth speaker on the planet, with a powerful sound, rugged design, excellent connectivity features, and smart home control. A bass-heavy audio performance makes it ideal for use outdoors, while a clever Automatic Switching feature means it’s easily used indoors, too – though audiophiles may dislike the overwhelming low frequencies and rhythmic handling.
Its slick design means the Sonos Roam won’t look out of place in your home, while a rugged, waterproof and dustproof build and a decent battery life make it ideal for listening to music outdoors. Amazon Echo Studio The best AirPlay speaker for Alexa fans Specifications Weight: 7.7lbs Size: 206 x 175mm Drivers: 1 x upward-firing midrange speaker, 1 x right-firing midrange speaker, 1 x left-firing mid-range speaker, 1 x forward-firing tweeter, 1 x downward-firing woofer Supported Connectivity: WiFi, Bluetooth, Airplay Ethernet: No Aux-in: Yes USB: No TODAY’S BEST DEALS Prime View at Amazon Prime Low Stock View at Amazon Reasons to buy + Gigantic sound + Alexa smarts Reasons to avoid – Larger than your average Echo – 3D audio is a mixed bag
The Amazon Echo Studio might be the perfect answer, offering AirPlay 2 support alongside Alexa smarts. It’s a good option for anyone who’s low on space and can’t stretch to an upfiring soundbar or multi-speaker setup, as it can upmix stereo sources into a form of spatial audio.
Braun LE01 The best AirPlay speaker in a one-box solution Specifications Weight: N/A Dimensions: 700 x 271 x 99mm (W x H x D) Drivers: 3 x front-firing drivers, 2 x passive radiators and 3 x class D amplifiers Supported connectivity : Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2, AirPlay, Chromecast Aux-in: Yes USB: No TODAY’S BEST DEALS Check Amazon Reasons to buy + Refined sound and build quality + Apple AirPlay 2 and Chromecast streaming Reasons to avoid – Needs to be set up using Google Home – Basic app That’s a good thing, because the LE01 smart speaker comes with only Bluetooth 4.2; there’s no sign of aptX hi-res audio streaming. The Devialet Phantom I is a continuation of the French audio brand’s iconic range of wireless speakers, which come with powerful side-firing bass reflex ports that pulse in time to your music. The sound is nothing short of outstanding, and a good range of connectivity options – including AirPlay 2 – and an easy-to-use app make the Phantom I easy to recommend – if you have a lot of money to spare, that is.
This speaker packs a real punch, presenting a powerful, immersive sound, thumping bass, smooth mids and detailed trebles. You’ll just need a compatible system – check out brands like Sonos, Bowers & Wilkins, and Bang & Olufsen for wireless speakers that support the format.
Use Bluetooth accessories with your Apple TV
Make sure that you’re in range of your Apple TV and there isn’t interference in the area. Make sure that the software on your Bluetooth accessory and your Apple TV is up to date. Siri works on either remote as long as your Apple TV 4K or Apple TV HD is set up with a language and country or region that supports Siri.
Best Speakers for Apple TV 4K in 2021
There are a lot of great speaker options out there that can help you unlock the incredible Dolby Atmos audio quality that your Apple TV 4K is capable of.
Apple TV: 11 essential tips to master Apple’s streaming box
For instance, getting around the Siri remote can feel simplistic, but there are some hidden shortcuts that will surely make your life easier. It’s small, easily lost, and the trackpad that’s used to tap and swipe your way through the Apple TV’s interface can be frustrating. So, in an effort to make the most out of the situation, below are some of the gestures and tips we’ve learned from our time using the Siri remote.
Long pressing the Home button (the one with the TV icon on it) will bring up a slide over menu, where you can put the TV to sleep, change user accounts, view your HomeKit devices and camera feeds, as well as access AirPlay devices (more on this in a minute).
The next time you want to binge your favorite new series late at night without disturbing your partner, connect your AirPods to your Apple TV. All audio will be beamed from the Apple TV straight to your ears, letting everyone else around you get some sleep while you watch just one more episode.
If you have full-size HomePods, you can use the smart speakers to create a home theater sound system. Alternatively, if you only have a HomePod Mini, you can stream your Apple TV’s audio through the speaker for improved sound. There’s a few different ways of getting the home theater feature working, but here’s the gist: You’ll need an Apple TV 4K, and one or two of the bigger HomePod models.
Make sure the HomePod and Apple TV are located in the same room in the Home app on your iPhone or iPad. Whether you’re looking to play some casual games with a controller or watch a TV show without disturbing others late at night, Bluetooth is your best friend. The same goes for Bluetooth headphones, which is especially helpful to late night watching if you don’t want the sound of the television keeping everyone in the house up.
We’ve previously covered five common Apple TV problems (and how to fix them), but your best friend will almost certainly be the force reboot option. Built into your iPhone or iPad is the Apple TV remote app, and if you’re using your own profile to stream and watch shows, you’ll notice that your lock screen automatically displays controls. If you have any smart home devices that work with HomeKit, your Apple TV will act as a hub for them, and you can use the Siri remote to control your house.
As long as all of that is working, you should be able to press the Siri button on the remote and tell it to turn your lights on or off, or unlock a door — depending on what kind of HomeKit devices you have around your home. If you have any HomeKit compatible cameras, you can watch live streams or get alerts when someone rings your doorbell, for example, right on your TV. Just long-press the TV button, highlight and click the HomeKit icon to take control of your home. It’s easy to gloss over the TV app, but if you take the time to sign in to your TV provider and include all the streaming apps you use, it will become a helpful tool that will reduce the time you spend clicking around to pick up where you left off or finding something new to watch. If you need to quickly free up storage on your Apple TV, you could go through and delete each app individually from the home screen, which is painstakingly slow and cumbersome. Or you could go to Settings > General > Manage Storage to find a list of installed applications, organized from largest to smallest.
Bluetooth vs AirPlay: What’s The Difference?
With a plethora of wireless speakers out there using Airplay or Bluetooth, we thought explaining the advantages and disadvantages of both technologies will help you determine which suits you best. Bluetooth is a universal wireless platform that is found in a wide range of electrical devices that includes mobile phones, laptops, cameras, printers, household items and even cars. Despite both frequently being used for wireless streaming, Bluetooth and AirPlay actually operate using two completely different technologies. While not relevant for wireless music speakers, this is a popular method of streaming YouTube or other videos onto devices such as Smart TVs.
Best Speakers for Apple TV 4K in 2021
There are a lot of great speaker options out there that can help you unlock the incredible Dolby Atmos audio quality that your Apple TV 4K is capable of.
Best Apple TV Bluetooth Speakers: Amazing Audio Over Wireless for a Complete Entertainment Experience
Apart from this, a typical premium Apple TV speaker utilizes Bluetooth technology, which is probably the industry standard for wireless audio connectivity. Popular wireless speakers are generally portable with the presence of rechargeable batteries and are great for travel. With the advent of the latest stereo Bluetooth version and other modern wireless connectivity options such as AirPlay and Sonos, there is very minimal loss in audio quality. Check out the following compiled list of wireless speakers for Apple TV for helping you make your choice.
This is due to the fact that you get multitudes of features such as nine amplified drivers that give out clear dialogue, immersive sound effects and deeper lows. You get a special dialogue mode that makes it easier for you to understand every single word without having to mess around with volume levels.
The remote included is a universal one and lets you control both the system and most video sources connected to your Apple TV. No matter whether you are partying, exercising, or just relaxing at home, you can experience superlative bass and high frequency sound. These Bluetooth speakers for Apple TV come with elegant portable design made with aluminum out case and robust body.
This is compatible with all versions of Bluetooth and the integrated remote control lets you move through your track list and manage the volume effortlessly. The wired subwoofer with inbuilt woofers delivers incredible bass to just uplift your movie or TV show watching experience. This is another Bluetooth based wireless speaker with a 2.1 channel system of 60 W power perfectly suitable for Apple TV.
Other features such as Double BASS and Virtual surround sound give an extra dimension to your favorite movies.
wireless speakers for apple tv
With a dynamic tweeter and powerful mid-bass driver, enjoy accurate, room-filling sound, without sacrificing the space needed for a full Hi-Fi system.
Best AirPlay speakers 2021: wireless streaming for Apple devices
If you’re not quite ready to give up one technology for the other, then you’ll be pleased to note that most AirPlay speakers will also offer Bluetooth, so you won’t miss out on any functionality and it means you can use them with non-iOS source devices too. Despite its five-star rating (and the fact that it’s a belter of an AirPlay smart speaker) in March 2021 Apple announced it was discontinuing it to focus its efforts on the HomePod Mini – which is absolutely on our list. While the Apple HomePod Mini (below) comes with all the company’s signature technologies, if you want top quality sound from an AirPlay 2 speaker – and have the budget to stretch – it is well worth looking at the Naim Mu-so Qb 2nd Generation.
Capable of hi-res playback up to 24-bit/384kHz, the new Qb betters its predecessors performance with even greater clarity, precision timing and stunning dynamic range.
Audio Pro Addon C10 MkII Audio Pro adds Google Cast and AirPlay 2 to a winning recipe Specifications Dimensions: HxWxD (cm): 16.6 x 32 x 18cm Power: 2x20W + 40W Digital class D Features: wi-fi, multi-room, Bluetooth, Spotify Connect, Apple AirPlay 2 Connections: RCA, sub out TODAY’S BEST DEALS £349 View at Electricshop Prime £349.62 View at Amazon £359 View at Richer Sounds Reasons to buy + Levelled-up streaming support + Greater clarity + Cleaner and tighter bass Reasons to avoid – Lacks the fun of the original The 2021 update (sensibly titled MkII) to the three-time Award-winning Audio Pro C10 (below) adds AirPlay 2 and Google Cast to complete a multi-room home run – and snaps up a What Hi-Fi?
We’re happy to report that it’s still the case today – if £500 ($500) is your maximum budget, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a speaker that comes close to the Audio Pro C10 MkII. We sort of miss the fun leather handle and the sonic presentation of the original, but we can’t argue with three options for multi-room streaming (AirPlay 2, Google Chromecast and Audio Pro’s own slick and functional app) or the levelled-up grippy bass and improved hi-fidelity performance.
Audio Pro currently makes some of the best wireless speakers on the market and the Addon C10 is another impressive Award-winning model – even if it has been superseded by the MkII above.
Specifications Dimensions: HxWxD (cm): 17 x 8.8 x 8.8 Power: 20W Features: Bluetooth V4.2, Spotify, wi-fi, AirPlay 2, Chromecast, Google Assistant Connections: wireless only TODAY’S BEST DEALS £139.99 View at Acer UK Check Amazon Reasons to buy + Expansive sound + Packed with features + Premium design Reasons to avoid – No JBL Connect support – Fussy over placement An IPX7 rating means it’s fully waterproof (to a depth of one metre, for up to 30 minutes) and, once USB-C-charged, you’ll get eight hours of wireless music out of it. Apple HomePod Mini Apple’s new Siri-powered smart speaker is small but mighty Specifications Dimensions: HxWxD (cm): 8.4 x 9.8 x 9.8 Power: 20W Features: Bluetooth 5.0, Siri, Apple Music, AirPlay 2, music over wi-fi Connections: None TODAY’S BEST DEALS £69 View at John Lewis £89 View at argos.co.uk £99 View at O2 Mobiles Reasons to buy + Sophisticated, engaging sound + Substantial smart skills + Impressive music discovery Reasons to avoid – Limited third-party service support – Lacks a full control app
Get its swirling orb of coloured light up and running (when Siri is listening or processing) though, and you realise you’ve got a classy performer on your hands. From the moment we start playing music, it’s clear that the HomePod Mini comfortably outperforms its size and price, quite frankly embarrassing its direct competition with the sophistication and maturity of its sound. Specifications Dimensions: HxWxD (cm):25 x 29.6 x 20.6 Power: : 2x100W Features: Wireless integrated Linn DSM player, Exakt digital crossover Connections: Ethernet, USB, HDMI ARC TODAY’S BEST DEALS £2,690 View at Peter Tyson £2,999.99 View at Selfridges Check Amazon Reasons to buy + Wonderfully articulate + Luxury design + HDMI ARC for TV connection Reasons to avoid – No analogue inputs – No Tidal Masters support What’s striking is the stunning midrange clarity and low-end agility which make the Series 3 a sharp performer and far more insightful than its more affordable competitors, too. Specifications Dimensions: HxWxD (cm): 25.4 x 28 x 26cm Power: 2x40W tweeter + 2x40W midrange + 80W sub Features: wi-fi, multi-room, Bluetooth V4.1, Spotify Connect, Apple AirPlay, Roon Ready, DSP Connections: Ethernet TODAY’S BEST DEALS £749 View at Richer Sounds £899 View at Sevenoaks Check Amazon Reasons to buy + Detailed, balanced sound + Multi-room integration + Quality build Reasons to avoid – Limited B&W app – Expensive Roon-ready, this elliptical multi-driver speaker is one of the company’s Formation multi-room products and allows you to stream 24-bit/96 kHz hi-res audio through its tweeters, woofers and sub.
The Audio Pro C3 sports the same minimalist look that the Scandinavian company is known for, with textured surfaces and embossed leather carry handle, but the wireless tech adds a whole new dimension to your listening. Although we’re prepared to give it some good-natured ribbing for an aesthetic that abandons the trend of other Audio Pro speakers, the Drumfire is put together very well.
The big bottom portion of the Drumfire houses a 20cm subwoofer powered by a 200W Class D amplifier to pump bass into the room. Specifications Dimensions: HxWxD (cm): 25.5 x 25.3 x 34.3 Power: 3000W Features: Bluetooth, wi-fi, Spotify Connect, AirPlay 2, UpNP Connections: Optical cable TODAY’S BEST DEALS Check Amazon Reasons to buy + Huge sound for its size + Rhythmically good fun + Innovative technology Reasons to avoid – Lacks some subtlety Packing huge amounts of power inside a sleek cabinet complete with side-firing drivers, it can go louder than the average motorbike and thankfully sounds much sweeter on the ears.
Best Airplay Speakers for Apple TV, Apple TV 4K of 2021: Connect Apple TV to External Speaker
These speakers are featuring AirPlay, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth so comfortable for indoor and outdoor stations. It will give you impressive sound quality and high-grade bass.
Once you look at the given list and do final which speaker will be giving you lively and lovely entertainment. So read ahead and move your eyes to the best Airplay Speakers for Apple TV.
It comes with feature access to online music services, internet radio by connecting directly to your home Wi-Fi network. The company offers this multi-room speaker model in two different colors likely Gray and black.
So you can stream your iOS device and Apple TV audio wirelessly by doing enable Airplay. Furthermore, it works as a water flow with all Apple devices likely iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch.
The best AirPlay 2 speakers: Top Apple and iPhone connected speakers
It’s been a few years now since Apple’s AirPlay 2 finally became a reality, yet it’s safe to say that a lot of consumers are still almost tearful with gratitude. Finally, Apple created a viable method of getting some whole-house, multi-room, wireless functionality from a whole host of speakers, TVs and the like. AirPlay 2’s big advantage is multi-room audio – so you can beam to multiple speakers at the same time. If you want to combine outstanding audio quality with absolute convenience, all over your home, just keep reading.
The good news is that the HomePod Mini, while not quite on a par audio-wise with its bigger brother – offers a great gateway to an AirPlay multi-room music setup. While the Mini doesn’t reach the dizzy heights of the original HomePod for sound quality (and neither should it with a $99 price tag), it’s a smart speaker that – unlike the similarly sized variants from Google and Amazon – can be used for much more than digital assistance and smart home controls.
Or just ask Siri to play music on any of the other HomePods in your home, or get the assistant to skip track, turn up the volume or any other hands-on instruction you don’t want to use your hands for. Siri performs the usual smart duties too, whether that’s controlling your HomeKit-connected tech or delivering your latest news briefing.
Inside the One (which looks like almost all the Sonos speakers that have gone before it) there are a pair of Class D amplifiers, one to power the single tweeter and one to drive the mid/bass driver. Bass and treble can be manually adjusted too, in case you don’t trust an automated process.
Given the way it looks, it’s not surprising there has been a lot of comparing and contrasting going on between the Sonos One and the (discontinued) Apple HomePod. The original Mu-so by British hi-fi company Naim was an absolute powerhouse, with a wide-open soundstage and very serious bass.
Oh, we guffawed at the price tag – but that was the only major downside of an otherwise world-class wireless speaker. The design is likely to divide opinion more than the sound, because a) Naim’s speaker is huge and heavy to the point that you won’t want to move it when you’ve found it a home, and b) it looks virtually identical to the product it replaces. The black grille is standard, but you can chuck yet more money at name and score a ‘terracotta’, ‘olive’ or ‘peacock’ alternative for a little more pizazz. There’s also the Mu-so smartphone app, but it’s not as good as it should be – it gets the job done, but initial set-up (for example) could be a lot more straightforward.
It can handle digital audio files up the 32bit/384kHz standard (downscaling to a rather eccentric 24bt/88.2kHz) for the high-resolution fanatics – FLAC users and TIDAL subscribers, we’re looking at you in particular. Judged purely on audio quality, it’s hands-down the best speaker on this list – and with Bluetooth, digital optical, USB and 3.5mm analogue methods of getting music into the Naim, it’s not short of facilities either.
It has Alexa and Google Assistant built in, just like the Sonos One, and (of course, as it’s in this guide) has AirPlay 2 to boot. Well, first and foremost you have to keep in mind that Beam has been primarily designed to assist with TV sound – that’s why Sonos has been so keen to pack as much technology as possible inside.
It boasts four racetrack mid/bass drivers and three passive radiators for additional bass, all driven by five Class D blocks of amplification.
So while it absolutely fits the bill as far as AirPlay 2 convenience and corking cinema sound are concerned, it’s not the first speaker you should think of if premium music playback is your goal. The fiercely elliptical shape allows the five-driver speaker array to create a convincing stereo image from a single enclosure – plus, of course, it makes the B&W look a bit like a high-end lampshade. Beneath that ribbed, contoured full-width grille are two tweeters, two FST midrange drivers and a central woofer – they’re powered by a total of 240 watts, which makes the Wedge plenty powerful enough for most real-world applications.
As well as AirPlay 2 compatibility, the B&W has aptX HD Bluetooth reception, Spotify Connect, and is Roon Ready – so there are options here for everyone from the casual user to the hi-res hi-fi head. As far as audio performance is concerned, all of Bowers & Wilkins’ hard work has paid off, and in some style. DEtail levels are high, there’s ample bass heft and extension, and those five drivers work very sympathetically – there’s a unity and balance to the Wedge’s presentation that’s by no means a given in products of this type.
The Formation Wedge may have all the functionality of any other reasonably expensive wireless speaker, but it makes such a strong aesthetic statement – especially in the sliver/white finish – that it’s possible some people will buy into it on looks alone.
Ikea’s Symfonisk speakers put Sonos sound tech inside Ikea-built furniture. The range is as much about fitting in with your decor as it has sound quality, with both bookshelf and table lamp Symfonisk speakers already available.
For 2021, the furniture giant unveiled the Sonos Ikea Symfonisk Picture Frame with Wi-Fi Speaker, which is designed to be hung or leaned up against the wall. While there’s Ikea branding front and center, setup and control is the same as any other Sonos speaker.
In addition, you get AirPlay 2 support, so can beam audio from your Apple devices directly to the speaker without even having to touch the Sonos app.
Quite a few of the speakers in this list make a big deal about their ability to produce ‘true’ stereo sound.
They can’t, of course – even if they receive stereo information, and even if they deliver it in a nice, wide manner, it’s still originating from a single source. And, of course, the fact that this is a stereo pair makes positioning them for optimum sound just a little bit more exciting that just plonking a speaker on a shelf.
Smooth and full-bodied, but deft and detailed at the same time, these little boxes are capable of frankly unlikely scale and dynamic variation. They’re punchy, they’re refined, they’re alert to the finest details… and, of course, they’re capable of serving up a much more convincing impression of stereo sound than any of the other speakers in this list. Ignore what an incredible faff setting them up is (the KEF app is no one’s idea of a finished article) and instead concentrate on the results.
A decent budget option, The latest (and smallest) Marshall smart speaker went live back in 2020 with a Sonos One rivalling price-tag.
Designed to resemble the company’s iconic amps, the Marshall Uxbridge Voice doesn’t have the trademark vinyl covering of its pricier siblings; instead it’s a smooth finish alongside that all-familiar salt and pepper fret, with the Marshall logo front and centre. Up top there are three rockers for physically customising the sound – volume, bass and treble and you can also tweak further using the useful, if somewhat basic, Marshall Voice app. The speaker itself is Bluetooth, as mentioned (4.2 if you’re wondering) and is both Apple AirPlay 2 and Spotify Connect compatible. The bass is there, especially if you use a relevant pre-set EQ, but it overshadows the treble at loud volumes.
A super stylish bookshelf speaker, the G10 is wrapped in a woven fabric that comes in either dark or light grey. It can, of course, be used as a regular bookshelf speaker, but there’s also a fixture on the back that can be used to attach it to a wall bracket or – and you better get yourself to Ikea – a ceiling rail. In terms of audio quality, it certainly doesn’t let down its brand’s heritage; with a 3-inch long-throw woofer, a 1.25-inch Balanced Mode radiator tweeter, dual 4.5-inch passive radiators, and a 52-watt Class D amp, there’s plenty of power on board, wherever you decide to mount it. Streaming stick specialist Roku’s Streambar is a compact smart soundbar that measures than half the length of the company’s previous TV speaker: 14 inches compared to 32.
On the back is an HDMI port, which is the lifeline between your TV, and your audio and visual smarts. The Roku Streambar is a brilliant sounding speaker for its diminutive size and it does a great job in smaller rooms and adds a lot of depth to the audio arrangement. If you playback music from your iPhone or iPad with your TV on, the Roku will also display album art.
That’s not it for music streaming though, the Streambar also acts as a Bluetooth speaker and is compatible with with Spotify Connect and Google Casting.
The standard brought a number of big updates to Apple’s AirPlay platform, the biggest being multi-room audio. Sure, you may know the basics of AirPlay – you can ping music from your iPhone to your Apple TV – but have you ever gone beyond that?
AirPlay is evolving quickly, rivaling the likes of Chromecast for casting videos, and Sonos for multi-room music. First launched waaaaay back in 2004 – but called AirTunes at the time and pretty limited by today’s standards – AirPlay as we know it now wasn’t announced by the Cupertino giant until 2010.
And you don’t need to be on a common Wi-Fi network to get it working; Apple devices are clever enough to find each other without sharing an SSID. The receiver is the device that relays what’s being sent, for example video on an Apple TV or music on an AirPlay enabled speaker. AirPlay 2 is Apple’s recent update to the platform, announced alongside iOS 11 back in June 2017. Multi-room audio is the big feature that everyone has been waiting for, but there are several small quality-of-life improvements that make things much easier as well.
If you’ve got a bunch of AirPlay speakers, Apple TVs and the like you’ll see a menu pop up where you select the receiver you want to hear your music on. Say you were playing a lot of Dua Lipa, but your friend wanted to get their Ariana Grande on, they could just start queuing up their own songs.
The music will keep playing on the speaker and you can still accept and take the call on your phone. Confusingly, you’ll sometimes see an AirPlay icon appear when you’re watching a video and you’ll click it to find that only the audio is sent over. On your Mac, you can do all the iOS bits and bobs – i.e. sending over audio and video to recipient AirPlay devices – but it’s limited to native Apple apps like iTunes, QuickTime and Safari. However, load the same YouTube URL on Chrome and the option is gone (replaced by a Chromecast logo, the sneaky so-and-sos). Basically, it’s only really good for static or slow moving pages – so as a second screen for your Tweetdeck, email, document editing and that sort of thing. From the AirPlay logo in iTunes, you can select multiple speakers and have them all playing in harmony. Once upon a time, Apple TV was the only way you could stream video to the television from an iOS device using AirPlay. The likes of Samsung, Sony, Vizio, Philips, Roku and LG are all involved – you can check out a full list of compatible AirPlay 2 TVs here. AirPort Express was Apple’s networking accessory, but the company is bringing that product to the end of its life. The AirPort Express did have an audio-out 3.5mm jack on the back, which you could plug into existing stereo systems.
Then, when you selected the AirPort Express on the AirPlay drop-down mirror it would, in turn, play the music through those speakers. This is especially great for home cinema setups where you want some booming sounds to go with your rewatches of The Last Jedi. Obviously Apple wants you to buy a HomePod and we’d recommend grabbing one of our top picks, but there are almost 200 speakers that are AirPlay 2 compatible.
Best AirPlay Speakers 2021: Great HomePod Alternatives
But we’re here to guide you through the complexity and help you find the best speaker equipped with AirPlay 2 for optimal performance with your Mac and iOS devices. The voice technology in question is Amazon’s Alexa, but Sonos has released a software update that adds support for AirPlay 2: it’s now compatible with Apple’s HomePod and allows you to stream music and audio from any app on your Mac computers or iOS mobile devices. The Sonos One is essentially an updated version of the existing Play:1 speaker, but the addition of internal microphones and the Alexa technology bumps the price up to £199/$199. Our only minor criticism here is that the One can’t quite reach some of the really high frequencies – such as Roger Taylor’s shrieking falsetto on Queen’s Somebody To Love.
The Link Portable is rated IPX7 for water resistance so it can handle some rough weather when you’re outdoors, and its rechargeable battery can last for up to eight hours at a time. The Link Portable can be used with Bluetooth when you’re away from home, but when you’re indoors you can connect to your Wi-Fi network and use it either with AirPlay for Apple devices or Google’s Chromecast for Android.
The cylindrical design of the speaker works well, helping it to beam music all around and create a satisfyingly full sound, despite its relatively modest 20W output. In contrast, the Link Portable is able to bring a light touch to Prince’s delicate falsetto and the tinkling piano on 3 Chains Of Gold. There’s a dramatic touch of Queen bombast halfway through the song, and the Link Portable does a good job of capturing all the detail in Prince’s multi-tracked harmonies, before ending with a flourish and wailing like crazy on the final shrieking guitar solo.
It could, perhaps, deliver a little more impact with the deep bass on my favourite Billy Eilish tracks, but it’s still a good performance from such a compact and affordable speaker.
And, with its lightweight design and support for both Bluetooth and AirPlay 2, the Link Portable is a really versatile speaker that is at home both indoors and outdoors. The Roam is a real mini-marvel, measuring just 168mm high when you stand it upright, 62mm wide and 60mm deep, although you can also lay it flat on the ground or on a desk or table if you prefer.
But switch to something a bit noisier, and there’s a crisp crunch to the jangling guitar riff on Blondie’s One Way Or Another that will really get the mood going at a BBQ or an outdoor music event. The bass could be a little firmer, but that’s asking a lot from such a tiny little speaker, and at this price the sturdy design and clear, detailed sound of the Roam make it an absolute bargain. The sweet spot for us, though, is the mid-range Citation 300, which costs £349.99 in the UK – but isn’t widely available in the US, as Harman thinks that the minimalist ‘Scandi’ design of the speakers is more suited to European tastes. The smart design includes other features too, such as a small touch-sensitive control screen, which allows you to adjust volume and other settings, and even displays album artwork for the music that you’re playing. The clarity of the sound is immediately obvious, with Roger Taylor’s swooping falsetto cutting sharply through the air on The Kiss, from Queen’s Flash Gordon soundtrack. At the other end of the spectrum, the size and weight of the speaker means there’s real body to the sinister, threatening electronic bass on You Should See Me In A Crown by Billie Eilish. Originally launched in 2007, the Zeppelin was the first hi-fi-quality speaker system for the iPod, and really helped to boost that device’s credibility amongst audiophile music fans. But on the inside, the Zeppelin has been completely redesigned, with a pair of high-frequency tweeters and mid-range woofers located on each side of a central sub-woofer, while the entire unit is powered by a roof-rattling 240W amplifier.
At the other end of the spectrum, the Zeppelin delivers the bouncing bass on Bad Guy by Billie Eilish with a firm, taut sound that immediately gets you tapping your foot.
That range includes several speakers that support AirPlay 2, as well as soundbars for use with your television, specialist hi-fi receivers, and even a turntable for super-hipsters listening on vinyl.
The MusicCast 20 stands just 186mm high, 150mm wide and 130mm deep, but it creates an attractive, open soundstage that allows Enya’s Only Time to float gently through the air in my office, and it pulls out all the details in the light percussion and the ethereal chanting harmonies. In fact, it’s the higher frequencies that reveal the speaker’s only real weakness, with the shrieking falsetto and mariachi horns of Knights Of Cydonia by Muse sounding a little underpowered.
And, more recently, the company has also started to expand into the audio field, collaborating with the hi-fi specialists at Devialet to make its first speaker, called the SoundForm Elite. There are two versions of the SoundForm Elite available, though – one that works with the Google Assistant for voice control, and one that has AirPlay 2 and Amazon Alexa – so make sure you buy the right one. The compact design is great if you want to have the speaker sitting on your desk while you’re working, allowing you to listen to some music whilst also charging your iPhone and keeping an eye on calls and text messages. There’s also a nice warm tone on vocals and higher frequencies, which is very effective for delicate acoustic ballads such as The Blower’s Daughter by Damien Rice.
And, to be honest, the SoundForm Elite does look a little expensive when compared to some of the newer AirPlay speakers that are now available – so watch out for some discounts during the Black Friday holiday period. Even so, the compact design and built-in charger of the SoundForm Elite are really useful, and should earn it a place on a lot of desks for people who are now working from home.
That’s because this tasteful table lamp also houses a high-quality speaker system – complete with support for AirPlay 2 for multi-room audio. The lamp part of the Symfonisk is controlled by a simple On/Off switch on the side, which operates separately from the speaker, so you don’t have to turn them both on at the same time. They sound good, obviously, and Libratone was also one of the first companies to support Apple’s AirPlay streaming software several years ago. The Zipp speakers also included features such as Bluetooth streaming and ye olde 3.5mm audio connector that Apple’s own HomePod lacks.
That might raise questions about the future of the company and issues such as technical support for its products – but it also means that you can now buy models such as the Zipp 2 at much reduced prices. In fact, some speakers only provide apps for iOS or Android mobile devices, which means that you can’t even play music from iTunes on a Mac.
Released to coincide with the HomePod launch, AirPlay 2 has also been licensed to a number of well-known manufacturers, which means there’s now a wide range of compatible speakers available. At the other extreme, some really expensive hi-fi systems in the pipeline offer AirPlay 2 support for audiophiles and home cinema buffs.
These options give you flexibility: you can spend heavily on a really high-quality speaker for your living room, for example, while opting for a less expensive model in the kitchen.
Use Apple TV to play audio throughout your home
You can connect one or two HomePod speakers to Apple TV 4K to enjoy room-filling stereo sound. Note: This setting routes all sound, including navigation clicks, from Apple TV to your HomePod. For the best surround sound, place HomePod (2018) within 10 inches of a wall and as close to the center of your TV as possible.
Be First to Comment