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]

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]

Philips Fidelio SoundAvia and Primo AirPlay speakers announced

Philips is extending their already strong Fidelio range of speakers with two new AirPlay speakers in the Philips Fidelio AD7050W SoundAvia and Philips Fidelio DS9100W Primo at CES.

There is not a lot of details around the two new systems yet, but it is believe that the AD7050w will feature a similar design and features as the already launched Philips AD7000W.

As far as the DS9100W Primo goes, it comes with a wooden finish and backfiring passive radiators, not unlike the Fidelio DS9/10 and Fidelio DS9000W speaker docks. It also features the Philips Soundcurve technology for clearer sound.

Both systems are expected out around April time this year. I will be back with more details and price for each system when available.

[source: Techradar]

Klipsch brings 3 new AirPlay speakers to CES

The Klipsch Gallery G-17 AirPlay speaker has barely made it onto the UK market as the company is set to reveal their future airplay plans at CES, including 3 new AirPlay models that will come out during 2012.

The three new Klipsch AirPlay speakers are the Klipsch Console, Klipsch Stadium, and Klipsch RoomGroove Air. All of them can stream through AirPlay, but also feature direct USB connection for charging your iOS device or play using different audio sources.

Klipsch RoomGroove Air comes with dual 1-inch tweeters and 2.5-inch woofers, and is the smallest of the new Klipsch Airplay speakers.

For those looking for high-end performance, the Klipsch Stadium provides dual 1-inch horn-loaded tweeters and 3-inch midrange woofers. Add in the 5.25-inch subwoofer and you have a powerful system on your hands.

The Klipsch Console acts as a multifunctional 2.1 audio system, featuring plug n' play for television, music and movies. In addition to AirPlay streaming it comes with HDMI optical and USB. This bad boy is for the home theatre enthusiast as it features dual 90" x 60" Tractrix Horns with 1.75-inch titanium dome, high compression drivers, 10-inch woofers, and a 12-inch non-resonant woven fibreglass subwoofer.

The Klipsch RoomGroove Air and Stadium are expected out in fall 2012, with the premium Console sometime during the winter.

[source: theverge]

Ferrari by logic3 with two AirPlay speakers - does super cars equalsuper speakers?

One of the big Apple related stories yesterday at CES was the partnership between premier supercar brand Ferrari and speaker dock / headphone manufacturer Logic3, resulting in a line of Ferrari by Logic3 products.

Whilst the two Cavallino and Scuderia collections feature 9 headphone models and 4 speaker docks, it is the two premiere AirPlay speaker docks that caught my attention.

The top model Cavallino GT1 Air draws inspiration from the classic GT cars, where quality and style reigns supreme. The speaker dock looks great with its black and silver finish, and of course the prancing horse logo. Inside there is plenty to get excited about as well with a class HD amp with 250W RMS power fueling the speaker set up that includes a 6.5-inch subwoofer. In addition to AirPlay streaming this Ferrari comes with a retractable docking station for iOS devices and Bluetooth streaming for those non-Apple gadgets. Expected release date is around April with a retail price for the Cavallino GT1 Air AT&T £599 (£100 less for the version without AirPlay).

The second of the Ferrari by Logic3 AirPlay speakers is the Scuderia FS1 Air, taking a more F1 inspired approach featuring the famous yellow Ferrari badge and a red line running through it. It remains stylish, but in my opinion has more of an edge to it.

Inside the 2.1 speaker set up you will find passive bass radiators and a 120W class HD amp. It is not quite as powerful as the other model, but otherwise it has more or less the same features, including docking station for iOS devices and Bluetooth streaming to go along with AirPlay.

The Scuderia FS1 Air is also expected out in April time with a retail price around £499.

Now let's just hope that the sound from these speakers can live up to the humming of a Ferrari engine.

[source: pocket-lint]

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.

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.

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.

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.

JBL turns OnBeat speaker dock into AirPlay speaker with JBL OnBeat Air

The IFA 2011 in Berlin has been one long AirPlay festival with several new systems and speakers getting announced for release in the coming month or so, including the JBL OnBeat Air speaker dock.

JBL by Harman has already delivered one AirPlay speaker dock to the market with the JBL OnAir Wireless, which has received some luke warm receptions as one of the earlier AirPlay speakers to be released. Now it looks like JBL has taken a look at their already popular iPad speaker dock line-up, and basically added AirPlay functionality to the excisting OnBeat speaker dock, although i'm still waiting on confirmation as to the detailed specification of this new system.

Good news is that the JBL OnBeat Air will still have the same docking facilities as its 1.0 model, and price wise it will be at the more affordable range of the AirPlay speaker market at around £200 when it comes out sometime in October. In fact, it is already being listed at Amazon UK, but without any price or release details.

Altec Lansing inAir 5000 see the light of day

An Apple AirPlay speaker has been in the pipeline for a while now from the legendary audio manufacturer, and today the revealed their Altec Lansing inAir 5000 AirPlay speaker to the world.

Based on the pictures and the information available it looks like Altec Lansing is prepared to take the game directly to both B&W and Philips, delivering what looks like a very stylish and accomplished AirPlay speaker in the inAir 5000.

The lines are smooth and the black finish against the metal trimmings gives it that high-end feel that we are seeing from many of their main competitors as well. Inside the unit Altec has put 3 amps that drive the tweeters, mid-range drivers, and subwoofers. According to Altec Lansing, the whole system is designed to limit any soundwave obstructions and delivered a room filling best in class sound experience. Altec has the experience to potentially pull that off, but we won't know until we get a chance to listen to the system itself.

The Altec Lansing inAir 5000 is available from amongst other Amazon UK and HMV at around £430.

[source: WhatHiFi via iPodRepublic]

Sony SA-NS500 Portable Homeshare with Airplay support

It has been a busy day in the world of Apple AirPlay, with some new announcements from IFA 2011 in Berlin in regards to Philips Fidelio Airplay speakers, and a new arrival in the Loewe Air Speaker. Another established brand that is now joining the AirPlay speaker market is Sony with their Sony SA-NS500 Portable Homeshare speaker.

Sony has for long been delivering some of the best iPod speaker docks in the market, and it is nice to see them embracing Airplay streaming as well with SA-NS500 speaker. The design is different and they have been able to fit in 4 drivers and a subwoofer inside the relative small frame, as well as rechargeable battery that provides up to 5-6 hours of playback time. As well as AirPlay it is also reported to support DLNA streaming for those without Apple AirPlay devices.

Like so many other AirPlay systems it also supports multi-room set up and is designed to deliver a 360-degree sound experience.  According to Thisismynext.com which has had a chance to play around with the prototype, the sound experience it delivers is surprisingly 'full and loud'.

The Sony SA-NS500 Portable Homeshare Airplay speaker is expected out in October with a US price of $399, so likely around the £300-350 mark here in the UK.

Loewe Air Speaker with AirPlay coming in October

German audio brand Loewe has announced the release of their first Apple AirPlay speaker with the minimalistic and stylish Loewe Air Speaker.

As well as packing some good power into the Air Speaker with dual subwoofers, tweeters, and mid-range drivers, totaling 80W (RMS) power output, they have added some color options and customization to the system as well.

The base of the 'box' will be available in black and silver with a strong aluminum finish, whilst the top introduced some colorful replaceable panels that they say will be available in the entire RAL spectrum upon request. It is nice to see that they are incorporating some form of personalization into a system that with its design is already quite adaptable to settings and interior design.

Add in features like multi-room support, USB connection, and AUX-in, and you have a serious contender for the likes of B&W Zeppelin Air and Philips Fidelio Soundsphere DS9800 when the system arrives in October.

Price of the Loewe Air Speaker in the UK will be around £699.

[source: Loewe / WhatHiFi / iPodRepublic]

AQ Audio announces AQ Smart AirPlay speaker November release

UK based AQ Audio has through their website announced their first ever Apple AirPlay speaker in the sub £200 AQ Smart AirPlay speaker, a truly wireless speaker.

With the AQ Smart AirPlay speaker they have delivered one of the most affordable AirPlay speakers announced in the market to date, and it is a portable speaker as well, running off a rechargeable battery supporting up to 10-hours of playback when connected through Apple AirPlay, and 30-hours when in 'holiday' mode (connected using AUX input).

AQ Smart AirPlay speakers feature two built in drivers that are supported by patented ultra efficient digital amplifier, providing a total output power of up to 25W (2 x 13W) RMS. When you have two of the speakers in the same room you also automatically get the option of left/right mode for a better stereo sound experience. There is also multi room support, and ALL ROOM technology that enables sound wave dispersion for a true full room sound.

The AQ Smart AirPlay speaker from AQ Audio will be available in November priced at £199.

[source: AQ Audio]

iHome iW1 arrives at Amazon UK + end of august release date

Just days after the last update on the progress of the iHome iW1 AirPlay speaker, information has come out that iHome plans to release the much awaited (nearly a year) AirPlay speaker on the 31st August.

A quick scan of Amazon UK website shows that the iHome iW1 has arrived, but currently listed as 'out of stock'. I expect that to change in the coming days.




With a price point at around £300 it is amongst the cheaper AirPlay speakers announced to date, but time will tell if it also provides value for money as there are some strong alternatives around the same price class (read Sonos).

Altec Lansing wireless AirPlay speaker announced

Altec Lansing is the latest audio manufacturer to join the AirPlay team as they have announced through their website that an Altec AirPlay speaker is in the pipeline.

According to iPodRepublic.com they have confirmed through their Facebook page as well that the Altec AirPlay speaker will be launched in time for the all important holiday season/Christmas. This means that we could definitely be looking forward to some heavy AirPlay speaker promotions soon as there are already several new AirPlay speakers announced to be released in the coming months. Hopefully we will never see delays like with the iHome iW1 again!

As for the Altec Lansing wireless AirPlay speaker, little information is available on it yet, but their site confirms that it will feature a tri-amp system with two tweeters, two mid-range speakers and a subwoofer, so no run of the mill system.

Denon rolls out black Ceol Noir AirPlay mini hifi

One of the first AirPlay enabled audio systems on the market was the Denon CEOL RCD-N7, an all white mini hifi system. Now they are giving the system a facelift through a second color option in the all black Denon Ceol Noir.

With the exception of the color change, which in my personal opinion makes the system look more upscale, it is largely the same system. The Denon Ceol Noir features a CD receiver with 2x65W (RMS) total power output, AirPlay streaming through the built in wifi or ethernet connection, network streaming (DLNA, FLAC, Napster and Last.fm), AM/FM radio, internet radio, and a USB connection for connecting other external audio sources. For those that still like to have the option to dock your iPod or iPhone for charging while listening there is a good old fashioned docking station at the top of the unit as well. A truly versatile system.

You can also choose to match the system with the all black Denon SC-N7 speakers or just use your own favourite speakers.

The Denon Ceol Noir will be available in the UK/Europe in September with an expected retail price of £500. I will be back with more information as soon as it becomes available.

Sounds like September will be a busy month for AirPlay speakers as it is also the time that Libratone Live and Lounge will be released, as well as more of the Philips AirPlay speakers.

[source: iPodRepublic]

Libratone launches two AirPlay speakers: Libratone Live & Lounge

Danish audio manufacturer Libratone has today announced the September release of two new Apple AirPlay enabled speakers in the Libratone Live and Libratone Lounge.

Whilst the Libratone Live is a tower speaker similar the Libratone Beat that was launched last year, the Libratone Lounge is a soundbar that is designed to go with your television set, whether on a stand or mounted on the wall.

The Libratone Live will retail at £599 when it is released in September. As far as i know the inital launch will be with Apple Stores and Apple Online. Besides being AirPlay enabled it has also been upgraded to 150W through a set up that includes five dedicated amps powering a 5-inch woofer, dual 3-inch drivers and 1-inch ribbon tweeters.

The Libratone Lounge soundbar will be amongst the more expensive AirPlay enabled systems in the market with a retail price of £1,099, expected to be available through Apple flagship stores and online to start with. While not reproducing a surround sound experience like some other soundbars in the market, it comes packed with high quality components that combined results in 150W of power from a set up that includes an 8-inch inverted woofer, dual 4-inch midrange drivers, and dual 1-inch ribbon tweeters.

The prices above is for the slate grey model of the speakers, but you can also pay a bit extra and get the cashmere cladded version in blood orange, vanilla beige, blueberry black and lime green.

A dedicated app is also expected to be released in September that will assist you in getting the optimal sound from the Libratone speakers based on room setting and placement of the speakers.

Got to hand it to the Danes, they know how to design speakers that makes an Apple fan drool slightly!

I will be back with more information about the Libratone Live & Lounge.

[source: Libratone]