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]

NOCS NS2 Air Monitor speakers with AirPlay

First of all, Scandinavian countries have brought us some great sound systems over the years, including recent AirPlay contributions from B&O and Libratone (both Danish). The latest AirPlay contribution however comes from neighbour Sweden and new audio system provider NOCS. Meet the NOCS NS2 Air Monitors.

Instead of providing the now standard all-in-one solution the NOCS NS2 Air Monitors consist of two speaker monitors with AirPlay technology. NOCS have also gone different with materials, as the cabinets are hand-built rubber coated, the woofers are Kevlar reinforced, and they are using silk dome tweeters.

The active speakers are powered by a Class D amp with 70W peak power output, which is decent for the price range of this AirPlay speaker. The woofers are 3-inch with dual magnets, and tweeters are 3/4-inch silk dome.

NOCS NS2 Air Monitors are available in a variety of colors, including red, orange, black, white, yellow, and industrial grey. In the UK they are available from Amazon listed at just over £300.

[source: NOCS]

Audyssey Audio Dock Air set for April European launch

It has been a while since Audyssey first announced their first AirPlay speaker dock in the Lower East Side Audio Dock Air, and finally it is ready for the market.

US consumers can get their hands on the new AirPlay speaker pretty much straight away, while us here in the UK and Europe will have to wait another month, with European models reported to be shipping towards end of April.

Read more from the press release here or check out earlier coverage of the Audyssey Audio Dock Air.

Apple releases iOS 5.1 with AirPlay improvements

Although yesterday was mostly about the new iPad with Retina display, Apple also released iOS 5.1 with bug fixes and improvements, including for AirPlay streaming.

There has been several reports following the launch of the iPhone 4S about AirPlay streaming issues, including reports from AirPlay speaker providers such as Libratone and B&W.

Following the iOS 5.1 announcement Libratone has posted on their facebook page that especially iPhone 4S users should update to iOS 5.1 for improved AirPlay performance.

Have you updated to iOS 5.1? If so we are interested to hear from you about AirPlay performance following the upgrade. Please leave comments below to share your experience with the rest of the AirPlay community.

GUNN Audio ready to bring some Aussie AirPlay action

I have never heard of GUNN Audio before, but today i came across the brand as this Aussie entrepreneur is getting ready to tackle the wireless speaker market, including AirPlay speakers towards the second half of the year.

Brady Gunn is the master mind behind these new speakers, as this Sydney entrepreneur is focusing on the  future of audio products, which he (and i agree with him) is all about getting rid of wires and delivering high quality wireless audio. That means that we might not be talking about small size speaker docks, but rather high-spec tower speakers that provide plenty of audio gusto.

To start with the brand is set to deliver a few solutions that include docking station and bluetooth, but AirPlay home theater systems are on the cards for later this year. And it looks like this Aussie has got his eyes set on the UK market as well.

[source: NewsMaker]