Auluxe AP2320 Airplay speaker announced for 2012 release

First revealed at IFA 2011, the Auluxe AP2320 Airplay speaker is still a few months away from being released as Auluxe is working towards a April 2012 release date for their first Airplay speaker.

The Auluxe AP2320 has an oval shape design that is made to fit in most places, regardless of setting and interior design. Little is known as of yet when it comes to the technical specifications of the system other than it will allow for AirPlay streaming and to create multi-room settings.

In their information Auluxe also puts emphasis on their use of natural materials and environmental technology development when it comes to their products.

How to set up your Libratone Live & Lounge

With Airplay speakers, like the Libratone Live and Lounge, starting to use them requires a little bit of set up to make them work over your home wireless network. Libratone has now launched a series of videos that guide you along the set up of your Airplay speaker.

They have also released a video showcasing the beauty of their Airplay speakers in their natural setting as part of your home interior. I have to admit that i have one of these very high on my "things to get in 2012" list.

You can see more videos at the Libratone YouTube channel.

Philips Fidelio Soundsphere DS6800W AirPlay speaker delayed in UK

It has been a few months since Philips revealed their range of AirPlay enabled speakers and most of them have now found their way onto the UK market, with the exception of the Soundsphere DS6800W.

The Soundsphere DS6800W Airplay speaker is the little brother of the Philips DS9800W, having half the output power (2 x 25W) and without the physical docking station to go with the pair of speakers. It does however still have the same unique design, although in a smaller package, but also with a significantly smaller price tag ($300 less in U.S).

Unfortunately for us living in the UK the Philips Fidelio Soundsphere DS6800W still has an unknown release date as confirmed by their PR team, so unless you are looking to get one from the U.S (perhaps through eBay) you will have to either go for the big brother in the Fidelio DS9800W or one of their other AirPlay speakers.

B&W Zeppelin Air lands TrustedReviews Home Audio Product of the Year

TrustedReviews.com recently announced the winners of the Products of the Year 2011 Awards and in the Home Audio Product Award the Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Air Airplay speaker dock took the glory.

The Zeppelin Air which received a 9/10 rating by the sites experts beat out some strong contenders, including the runner-up and highly regarded Arcam rCube, and third place finisher, Sonos Play:3.

It does not come as a surprise that the B&W Zeppelin Air landed the award as the speaker dock has a lot to offer, including AirPlay streaming, an iconic and by now legendary design, and of course, a high quality audio performance.

Hopefully Apple will get to the bottom of the reported issues with AirPlay on new iPhone 4S soon so we all can take full advantage of wireless audio freedom.

[source: TrustedReviews]

B&W Zeppelin Air joins Black Friday UK fun

Today is Black Friday, a day when millions of us will literally spend millions online, kickstarting the Christmas shopping. If you are reading this you are likely to be on the lookout for a good deal on the B&W Zeppelin Air, and today you are in luck, as both Apple UK and John Lewis online are offering the B&W Zeppelin Air with a £100+ discount.

Apple UK has made the Zeppelin Air part of their one-day Black Friday deal, discounting it by £101, taking the overall price to £397.99. John Lewis is matching that at least for today as part of their price match guarantee.

This is a great opportunity to get your hands on the iconic Zeppelin Air speaker at a good discounted price. I'm trying to find out if there are any other AirPlay speakers appearing in Black Friday deals today and will post whatever i find here on the site.

Teac CR-H700 reference series CD DAB receiver with Airplay

The Teac CR-H700 reference series is not an Airplay speaker, but rather a network CD DAB Receiver with support for AirPlay streaming, allowing you to connect any set of speakers that you like to use with the system, similar to the Denon CEOL and Marantz M-CR603.

Teac CR-H700 is a micro sized unit that offers plenty of listening options, including DAB digital radio, CD player that supports CD-R/RW discs, FM radio, Internet radio, and of course AirPlay streaming and DLNA support. In addition you can connect your iOS device or other portable media player through the USB connection.

With 40W x 40W max power output the system should be perfect for home use, and an alternative for those that already own a good set of speakers and are not looking for a compact all-in-one speaker system.   With a price point in the UK at around £550 though you might want to consider getting an Airplay enabled AV receiver instead as there are alternatives for around the same price, giving you even more power. Both the Denon and Marantz alternative is also more affordable priced.

You can find more details on the Teac CR-H700 on their website.

B&W talks iPhone 4S Airplay poblems

First there was Libratone putting out a note to their customers about issues with AirPlay dropped stream with iPhone 4S, and now Bowers & Wilkins, maker of the famous Zeppelin Air speaker dock, are also confirming that they believe there is a bug with the new iPhone and AirPlay streaming.

B&W goes on to say that the issues seems to be one with Apple and not with the Airplay speaker manufacturers, and that it is an issue that need to be rectified by Apple. There recently was an update to iOS 5 to address some of the bugs that have surfaced, but it  does not look like it included an AirPlay fix. Bowers & Wilkins have notified Apple about the problem and that it is currently under investigation, but stresses that it is not yet confirmed that there are any issues with the iPhone 4S.

If you are experiencing any issues with dropped AirPlay stream with the iPhone 4S, make sure you air the issues on Apple's support forums. The more people that report them the faster we are likely to see the issue resolved.

[source: T3]

Update on which AirPlay speakers are available and where

I can't believe it is only about 4-5 weeks until Christmas and i still have loads of shopping left to do, and i got my eyes on a couple of AirPlay speakers, which i'm sure there are many others out there that do as well.

Over the recent month or so we have seen an increase of AirPlay speakers become available on the UK market, with more of them as well scheduled for an early December release. We do however find ourselves close to the peak of online Christmas shopping as we have moved into Black Friday week, with lots of retailers offering hundreds of great deals with discounts (yet to see a deal on Airplay speakers though).

To assist you in finding an Airplay speaker, you can check out our overview of top Airplay speakers, or see below for a list of Airplay speakers available from some of the top UK retailers online.

Amazon UK Airplay speakers

Here are some of the AirPlay speakers currently available through Amazon UK.

• Pioneer XSMC3 Multi-room system
• Philips DS3800W (28th November release)
• Philips DS9800W/10
• B&W Zeppelin Air
• Philips DS3880W (19th December release)
• JBL OnAir Airplay speaker dock
• JBL OnBeat Air speaker dock
• Pioneer XSMC5 Multi-room system
• Philips DS8800W/10
• Marantz MCR603
• Denon CEOL RCD N7
• Libratone Live & Lounge

Click here to see AirPlay speakers available at Amazon UK.

John Lewis Airplay speakers

Probably the retailer in the UK with most Airplay speakers available alongside with Amazon.

• Pioneer X-SMC3 Multi-room system
• Philips DS9800W/10 Soundsphere
• B&W Zeppelin Air
• JBL OnAir Airplay speaker dock
• Pioneer X-SMC5 Multi-room system
• Philips DS8800W/10
• Philips AD7000W/10
• Libratone Live & Lounge

Click here to see AirPlay speakers available at John Lewis.


HMV AirPlay speakers

They don't have a large selection of Airplay speakers available yet, but with their focus of personal electronics and large selection of speaker docks i would assume it is only a matter of time before they stock more Airplay speakers too.

• Altec Lansing inAir 5000

Click here to see AirPlay speakers available at HMV.

Play.com AirPlay speakers

Play.com has improved their selection of speaker docks and now even have a selection of Airplay speakers, including the following.

• Pioneer X-SMC3 Multi-room system

Click here to see AirPlay speakers available at Play.com.

Apple UK AirPlay speakers

Last but not least, the source of Apple AirPlay, Apple themselves sells a range of Airplay speakers through their UK online store and retail stores, including.

• B&W Zeppelin Air
• Philips AD7000W
• JBL On Air speaker dock
• Libratone Live
• Libratone Lounge

Click here to see AirPlay speakers available at Apple.com/uk.

Keep checking back as we will update with more Airplay speakers as and when they become available on the UK market.

Denon DNP-720AE Network Audio Player with AirPlay

Denon has got more than just Airplay enabled AV receivers in their arsenal, including the DNP-720AE Network Audio Player that is now available with a free AirPlay upgrade (until 31st December).

This networked audio player for Denon is made to work with other Denon products, although it will work with any other amp as well, but will come to best use when stacked together with sibling products for that complete Denon visual look and audio performance. What you get with the Denon DNP-720-AE is the ability to pretty much stream from any wireless source, either through AirPlay or DLNA, Internet Radio, Napster, Last.fm etc. There is USB connection for wired iOS device compatibility or to play from USB stored audio files as well, and FM/AM radio for those that are still old school.

My main issue with the Denon DNP-720AE Network Audio Player is the price at around £429. Unless you already have a good quality amp or a stack of compatible Denon products, you might be better off getting an AirPlay enabled AV receiver, like the Denon AVR-1912 which is about the same price.

You can find out more about the Denon DNP-720AE on their website.

House of Marley One Foundation AirPlay speaker dock - hope i'm not waiting in vain

The House of Marley first teased us with their top model One Foundation speaker dock with Airplay technology back at CES 2011, but since then it has been a waiting game, and at least for us in the UK it will be sometime 2012 before we get to play with the HoM One Foundation speaker.

Fingers crossed that it will be early 2012 and we don't end up with another iHome iW1 situation, as there are some good reasons as to why the One Foundation Airplay speaker should be a popular alternative in the Airplay speaker market.

First of all with its FSC-certified wood front panel it looks the part of a high-end home speaker dock, and yes, it does also feature a docking station for your iOS device so you can dock and charge while playing your Bob Marley tunes as well.

Secondly, House of Marley have packed some good technical specifications into the One Foundation speaker. DSP sound processing 1-inch aluminum dome 5-inch tweeter and subwoofer that outputs 100w (RMS) should hopefully bring both a good audio quality as well as plenty of room filling sound. If they have done as good a job on their speaker docks as they have on their headphones, including the House of Marley Stir it Up headphones, then i have no doubt the One Foundation Airplay speaker will sound great.

So House of Marley, in the words of your founding father Bob Marley "I don't wanna wait in vain for your love".

Russound AirGo brings AirPlay to the outdoors

Weather proof outdoor speakers might not be for everyone, but for those that are interested, Russound are bringing AirPlay to the outdoor speaker market with their new AirGo wireless speaker.

While most Airplay speakers these days have AirPlay technology built-in in form of a BridgeCo chip enabling the wireless streaming over Wi-Fi, Russound have chosen to go down the AirPort Express route, integrating a weather proof slot for inserting an AirPort Express in the AirGo speaker. AirPort Express adapter handles all the technology side of Airplay streaming, and can be used with pretty much any speaker/sound system in the market that has a 3.5mm line-in for example.

There are other portable Airplay speakers in the market, like the iHome iW1 or the AQ Smart speaker, but the Russound AirGo is the first permanent outdoor speaker with AirPlay that can handle the different weather conditions. It does not come cheap however, as the AirGo alone is priced at $399 / £320 and you have to add another $99 / £77 for the AirPort Express adapter.

[source: theverge]

Bang & Olufsen readies BeoLit 12 Airplay speaker

The hot news in the Airplay world today is that Bang & Olufsen seems ready to release their first Airplay speaker in the B&O BeoLit 12, which is just making its way through FCC approval.

Not much is known about the Bang & Olufsen BeoLit 12 yet, and it is difficult to tell much from the one image that seems to be available of the new system so far, but i can't help but get just a little bit excited about Bang & Olufsen joining the Airplay market.

What is known so far about the BeoLit 12 is that it features Airplay streaming technology, Wi-Fi + Ethernet connection, USB, and 3.5mm line-in for those without the ability to stream wirelessly. As soon as more information becomes available on the BeoLit 12 i will update you all.

[source: WG]

Libratone updates their iPhone App with new features

Libratone have announced that they have released an update to their iPhone App that is used in conjunction with their two Airplay enabled speakers; The Libratone Live & Lounge.

Some of the new features in the updated Libratone iPhone App includes the ability to adjust the sound directly from the App, and choosing between six different audio settings; Easy listening, Soft and Comfortable, Rock the house, Jazz club, Movie time and Live concert.

With the Libratone Airplay speakers now available here in the UK, i'm sure the updates to the iPhone App will come in handy.

iPhone 4S has issues with Airplay speakers

If you own an iPhone 4S and an Airplay compatible speaker/sound system, then there is a chance that you have experience a drop in the audio stream, as iLounge is reporting that an Airplay speaker developer has confirmed issues with streaming from the new iPhone 4S.

Libratone, the manufacturer of the iconic Libratone Live & Lounge Airplay speakers, are writing the following on their troubleshooting page.

"Users of the new Apple iPhone 4S may experience both short and prolonged AirPlay audio drop-outs from time to time, and this issue seems to be occurring on all AirPlay-enabled speakers (from Libratone and other vendors alike). We are working actively with Apple and other speaker manufacturers to resolve this issue and will update our FAQ when we know if the solution is related to the iPhone 4S and/or the firmware for our Libratone speakers. In the meantime we urge you to use other iDevices or a Mac/PC to stream music to our speakers."

 Now it is not unusual that there can be occassional drop-outs in audio stream between an iOS device and an Airplay speaker, but the issue seems to be consistent and severe when it comes to the iPhone 4S. As always there has been no public announcement about this from Apple, but according to this article Apple is working with Airplay speaker developers in finding out the cause of this problem.

Are you an iPhone 4S owner and have experienced issues with audio drop-outs or other streaming problems with an Airplay device? Then please leave a comment below and share your experience with the wider world.

LG ND8520 speaker dock with Airplay revealed in CES Innovation Honorees

It looks like CES 2012 will have some strong Airplay systems present, including a new one from LG in the LG ND8520 Airplay enabled speaker dock.

The system is featured in the Audio Component category of the CES Innovations Honorees list for 2012, and besides the information available there, very little is know about the system. Good news is that we are looking at a system with an untraditional and iconic design. It actually reminds me a bit of an all black rubix cube with its square boxed design. it is also a fairly powerful system with its 2.1-channel speaker set up and 80W of output power.

I will be back with more information on the LG ND8520 Airplay speaker dock as soon as it becomes available.

[source: CES]

Libratone Live snags "Best of Innovation" CES 2012 in Personal Electronics

Danish cashmere clad Airplay speaker; Libratone Live have snagged the "Best of Innovation" CES 2012 award in the personal electronics category. This is great news not only for Libratone but also for the Airplay speaker market.

A few other Airplay speakers also received honors in the audio component category, including the Altec Lansing inAir 5000 and the Philips Fidelio SoundRing. A new Airplay enabled speaker dock was also featured, the LG ND8520 iPod docking speaker, a 2.1-channel 80W speaker with a physical docking station, compact design, and Airplay streaming.

You can see the full list of CES 2012 Innovation Honorees here.

Airplay speakers are for Android devices as well

While Apple AirPlay is an Apple technology developed primarily for use with iOS devices and licensed accessories, it is not exclusive. Luckily there are plenty of smart people out there that makes magic happen on Airplay even for Android device owners.

There are a few Android app options that creates work-arounds to enable Airplay streaming, but Eye-C Taglist app is the first app that can stream music from an Android device to an Apple Airplay speaker or device, as well as any DLNA supported sound system. Now things are getting exciting.

The Eye-C Taglist app for Android and iOS devices allows you to create and share "taglists" out of music, photos, videos etc on YouTube, SoundCloud, Picasa, Facebook, or even their own music libraries.  It is perhaps no surprise that the team behind Eye-C has people onboard that used to work on iTunes team, as well as people used to develop for connected home systems.

I'm sure Apple is also happy about this, even though Android and Google is the arch-enemy, as having Android device owners craving Airplay enabled systems ensures that more audio and video manufacturers will start focusing on delivering Airplay enabled devices to support the streaming hungry public.

You can find out more about Eye-C Taglist app here, or download it for Android or iOS here.

[source: Gizmodo AU]

What happened to iHome iW2 and iW3?

Back at CES 2011 at the beginning of January, iHome presented the tech world with not one, but 3 different Airplay speaker models; the iHome iW1, iW2 and iW3. 10 months later we still only have the iHome iW1 on the market. What happened iHome?

As Airplayspeakers.com notes, the iHome iW2 made a brief appearance on Amazon.com before quickly being removed again, besides that there is very little information to find on any of the two missing iHome Airplay speakers. Even iHome does not seem to want to share much information on them, perhaps in fear of making customers once again wait for nearly a year before the announcement of the first one and it actually reaching the market.

If i were to speculate, it could also be that iHome have chosen to put the other two systems on the backburner while they wait to see the response to the iHome iW1 and the other Airplay speakers in the market at the moment. Knowing that Apple is charging more for Airplay technology and that even getting hold of the technology to implement in devices can be a bit tricky, it could be that iHome is just quietly letting these two systems disappear on the radar. I'm sure they are not missed by many others then those of us following Airplay speakers closely.

Fear not though as there are some good Airplay speaker options in the market already at a wide price range starting around £200.

Gear4 AirZone Series 1 joins the AirPlay speaker market

Gear4 have announced the coming release of their Gear4 AirZone Series 1 AirPlay speaker dock, showing that they are keeping up with their competitors in delivering the latest Apple technology for the masses of music streaming hungry consumers out there.

Gear4 have long been a popular choice amongst iPod and iPhone owners that are looking for affordable quality speaker docks, alongside the likes of Sony and Logitech, which both have announced their AirPlay speakers in the Sony SA-NS500 homeshare airplay speaker and the Logitech Air Speaker. With the Gear4 AirZone Series 1 they are once again looking to bring an affordable solutions to a market that is largely dominated by high-end high-price systems.

On first look one almost gets the impression that Gear4 have taken a leaf out of the iHome iW1 Airplay speaker with their AirZone Series 1, as it got a similar design. Gear4 have been clever and added a physical docking station as well that even allows you to dock your iPad with the unit, and there is a 3.5mm aux in connection for those media players that does not support AirPlay streaming or docking.

Gear4 have also added a built in FM radio to go alongside what is likely to be access to a myriad of internet radio stations as well given its AirPlay technology and WiFi connectability.

Gear4 did not add AirPlay to their recently launched series of officially licensed Angry Birds speaker docks (shame as Airplay and birds fit together!) so it is nice to see that their first AirPlay speaker will be released soon. In fact it is scheduled for a end of November release date and priced at £199 here in the UK.

I will be back with more information about where you can buy the Gear4 AirZone Series 1 Airplay speaker as soon as it is released.

[source: Gear4]

Libratone Live and Lounge Airplay speakers arrive at johnlewis.com

Some good news for those that are fans of Danish design and wireless speakers, the Libratone Live & Lounge have finally arrived here in the UK, including with John Lewis online as well as in the Apple store and through third party sellers on Amazon UK.

Whilst the Libratone Airplay speakers don't come cheap, with the Live starting at £599.95 and the Lounge starting at £1,099 (depending on color option), both of the speakers are unique in their design with their cashmere wool finish, making them look very high-end. Both of them also pack plenty of power and the FullRoom technology ensures that one speaker delivers a room wide sound experience, almost regardless of placement. For the greatest performance it is recommended to place the speaker about 20cm from a flat wall, allowing the sound to bounce of the walls to create a 360-degree sound.

As mentioned, these are not the cheapest of AirPlay speakers in the market, but they are amongst the more stylish, and feature high on my own wishlist at least.