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.

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]

Geneva Sound Model XXL to include AirPlay streaming

Geneva Sound System have confirmed on their Facebook page that their coming Geneva Sound Model XXL will feature AirPlay functionality when it arrives in early 2012.

The Geneva Sound Model XXL is the top model in the series of speaker docks. It is actually more of a piece of furniture than anything else, as you can see from the picture. It comes packed with 700w of digital power, powering 7 speakers and a 12-inch subwoofer.

Based on the listing on the Geneva Sound website, the Model XXL will set you back a hefty £2,499 when it becomes available.