Is the Bose SoundLink Air their first AirPlay speaker?

Scouting FCC filings can often be an early source of information about things to come, such is the case for what could be Bose first AirPlay speaker in the Bose SoundLink Air.

Whilst there is very little information in the findings about what exactly the speaker is, based on the 'Air' extension to the name and it featuring WiFi support built-in, there is a good reason to believe that this could be an AirPlay extension of their recent Bose SoundLink bluetooth speaker.

I will be back with more information about the possible Bose AirPlay speaker as and when it is revealed fully.

[source: Engadget]

Pioneer with three new AirPlay speakers

Pioneer already have a few AirPlay systems in the market, including AV receivers and all-in-one sound systems, and now they are adding a series of compact AirPlay speakers to their portfolio as well.

The three new AirPlay speakers from Pioneer includes the top model XW-SMA4 (£350), the splash proof XW-SMA3 (£300) with rechargeable battery, and the compact XW-SMA1. All of them have dual 3-inch woofers, a 1-inch tweeter and a central bass reflex port. The top model also have an additional tweeter and a 4-inch subwoofer. All are powered by class D amp and supports streaming over both AirPlay and DLNA.

Pioneer has also added Wireless Direct technology so there is no need to be connected to a wireless router to stream your music to the speakers.

All of them will become available around August/September this year.

[source: ipodrepublic via WhatHifi]

ITV Player iOS App adds live streaming and AirPlay

ITV has updated their ITV Player iOS app to support live streaming of ITV1 and ITV2 for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch, as well as adding AirPlay mirroring functionality.

Strategically this latest update to their app comes just in time for the EURO 2012 which they share the broadcasting rights to together with the BBC.

I have yet to test out the AirPlay mirroring from the app, which allows you to share the screen to your Apple TV or AirPort Express adapter, but that as far as i'm aware is only available for iPad 2, iPad 3, and iPhone 4S. I will be testing it out with an iPhone 4 later and report back on whether or not it worked.

[source: WhatHifi]

Pure Contour 200i Air goes on sale and AQ Smart goes on pre-order

The wait is finally over when it comes to the Pure Contour 200i Air speaker dock as it goes into wider retail here in the UK, including with John Lewis, Currys and PC World, retailing at just under £200.

Pure's first AirPlay follows in the footsteps of already successful iPod speaker docks in the Contour range, and at this price tag could well turn out to be the budget Airplay speaker of choice for many out there.

AQ Audio is also hoping to carve themselves a niche in the budget AirPlay speaker market as their first Airplay speaker in the AQ Smart finally goes on pre-order through their website. It has taken them a while since it was first announced, but hopefully it will be worth the wait. The price tag is set at £199.95.

playGo AP1 AirPlay receiver seeks funding on Kickstarter

So far in the world of Apple AirPlay we got all-in-one AirPlay speakers, AirPlay enabled AV receivers, and AirPort Express adapters, but we might get a stand alone AirPlay receiver soon as well if the playGo AP1 is successful in securing funding on Kickstarter.

The playGo AP1 is a stand alone AirPlay receiver that can be used to AirPlay enable an amplifier or powered speakers. Inside it features high-end 32-bit Burr-Brown PCM102 digital-to-analog converter (DAC) and support for 24bit/96kHz audio files for high definition sound. All is packed into a small design, reminiscent of the Apple Time Capsule.

playGo AP1 is also said to support DLNA streaming, and Microsofts new Play To wireless solution. At the moment the project still needs to secure more funding, but there is still plenty of time to get this to the market. You can find out more about the playGo AP1 on their Kickstarter page.

Libratone releases firmware upgrade for Live and Lounge speakers

Libratone today announced the release of firmware 2.0 for their AirPlay enabled Live and Lounge speakers.

This new firmware upgrade is said to improve AirPlay connectivity and reduce speaker start up/boot time. You can see a full overview of upgrade features here.

Bang & Olufsen announces BeoPlay A8 AirPlay speaker dock

When Bang & Olufsen first announced their BeoSound 8 speaker dock well over a year ago, the only thing i really missed was the ability to stream music. Now it looks like the guys in Denmark has listened as they have announced their B&O BeoPlay A8; an AirPlay version of the BeoSound 8.

The new BeoPlay A8 features the same iconic design and speaker set up as the BeoSound 8, including dual 5-inch woofers and 3/4-inch tweeters, powered by Class D amplifiers (70W woofer and 35W tweeters). There is still the ability to dock your device, but this upgrade is all about the addition of AirPlay streaming, allowing you to enjoy the music from your iOS device without docking with the speakers. Based on the information on their website it also looks like the BeoPlay A8 supports bluetooth streaming, possibly through a line-in adapter.

This is the second AirPlay speaker announced from the Danish audio manufacturer, as earlier this year they announced their portable BeoLit 12 AirPlay speaker. It looks like Denmark will be the source of high-end AirPlay speakers as it is also the home of the Libratone Live and Lounge.

Release date for the BeoPlay A8 is yet to be announced, but expected retail price is likely going to be up towards the £900-1000 mark as US retail price is expected to be at $1149. I will be back with more exact details when available.

[source: BeoPlay via iPodRepublic]

Native AirPlay streaming comes to AirFoil Speakers Touch 3

Rogue Amoeba’s AirFoil has taken the step into the big league by now adding native AirPlay streaming to their AirFoil Speakers Touch 3 app through an in-app purchase, providing you with the ability to stream to pretty much any iOS device.

AirFoil started off being a way to stream non-iTunes audio to Airport Express mini-router before the first app was released allowing you to stream audio from your Mac to your iOS device. Now you can stream audio not only from your Mac but also from your iPad with native AirPlay, allowing you to have one of your iOS devices connected to your non-Airplay enabled sound system and stream audio to it from your other devices.


Always nice to see options for making existing systems AirPlay friendly. The AirFoil Speaker Touch app is available from the iTunes App Store for free, but the in-app purchase for native AirPlay costs £1.99.


[source: CultofMac]

Loewe Air Speaker arrives at John Lewis

At last years IFA event the announcement of the Loewe Air Speaker was amongst my favourites. Since then months have passed with little information, but finally we are starting to see the iconic AirPlay speaker available for sale here in the UK, including from John Lewis.

The Loewe Air Speaker is small and square, but i find the design refreshing and different compared to so many other speaker docks and sound systems out there. Its compact size aside, it is packed with dual woofers, mid-range speakers, and tweeters, delivering a combined power output of 80W.

It does not come cheap though as you would have to shell out £649 to get your hands on one at John Lewis.

CeraAIR Two AirPlay speaker with style and power

I have to admit this is the first I hear about Ceratec, but with the CeraAIR Two AirPlay speaker they have definitely made a good first impression.

The soundbar style design is quite versatile as the system can stand horizontally on a shelf, or you can mount it either vertically or horizontally on a wall. The color options should also help ensure a good fit for most tastes as the CeraAIR Two is available in black, silver, white, gold, or any RAL color upon request.

Although the CeraAIR Two speaker has AirPlay as a leading feature, targeting iOS market, it is packed with other great features as well. You can access Internet radio, YouTube, and other audio files wirelessly or through a RJ45 cable. You can also input tv audio or connect a cd player, in case you want to go old school. The system also supports connection to external subwoofer, as well as the ability to adjust bass output. With a total power output of max 200W (2 x 64 watts bass mid-range, 2 x 32 watts) from a Class D amp the CeraAIR Two should be powerful enough for most home set ups. The speaker set up consists of two bass-midrange speakers and two high end tweeters.



[source: Ceratec]