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]

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.

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.

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".

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]

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]

Philips Fidelio AD7000W has arrived in UK

The fourth member of the Philips Fidelio AirPlay family has arrived in the UK as the Philips Fidelio AD7000W goes on sale at amongst other John Lewis and Amazon UK.

The Philips Fidelio AD7000W is one of the more affordable AirPlay speakers from Philips, taking inspiration from their more traditional Fidelio range, but without the physical docking station, instead relying completely (almost) on AirPlay streaming.

Design wise it looks a bit similar to a Bose SoundDock. The front is in black mesh with the back in a black plastic finish. Making it stand out is the brushed aluminum top cover, giving it that additional edge that we all want when spending hard earned money on an AirPlay speaker. Even the onboard controls are minimalistic, with well integrated power button and volume controls situated at the top of the back, and all other inputs also situated at bottom back of the system. Those include USB for connecting an external dock, power connection, and aux-in.

The output power of the Fidelio AD7000W is at the lower end compared to some of its more expensive Philips AirPlay speaker cousins, but that is also reflected in the price. The sound performance is however reported to be of normal Philips quality, so i guess it is down to how much power you need for your use, and how much to expect for the price. I will be able to give you more detailed sound performance/experience once had a chance to test the system hands-on.

Audyssey representing the Lower East Side with Audio Dock Air

Audyssey might be best known for providing high quality audio components to other manufacturers, but their first ever iPod speaker dock in the Audyssey SOM got great reviews, and now they are representing a new borough with their first ever AirPlay speaker; the Audyssey Lower East Side Audio Dock Air.

The Audyssey LES Audio Dock Air is a square box with a slight retro feel to it, but inside it is packed with the company's expertise to deliver the best possible audio experience from the system that is relying on wireless streaming from iOS device, iTunes and other compatible media players using Apple's Airplay technology.

On the outside the LES Audio Dock Air only has minimal features that include a volume knob, headphone jack, and 3.5mm line-in. On the inside however you will find two 1-inch tweeters, two 3-inch midrange drivers, and two 4-inch passive bass radiators, all taking advantage of the Audyssey Smart Speaker Technology.

The Audyssey Lower East Side Audio Dock is expected to start retailing in November, so there is still a chance to get your hands on it before Christmas, with a price tag around $400, which for the UK market likely will be around £350.

I hope to be back with a full review once the systems becomes available here in the UK.

[source: Audyssey]

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.