iHome makes AirPlay range 5 with iW5

Last week i wrote about the latest addition to the iHome AirPlay family, the iHome iW4 bedside alarm clock dock. Today however iHome has announced a fifth member to their iHome iW AirPlay range in smaller iHome iW5.

Last year at CES iHome present 3 AirPlay models of which one has made it to the market as per today, whilst the iW2 and iW3 has been hovering around in the twilight zone, until now. The two models have resurfaced with some improvements at CES 2012. The iHome iW2 is a smaller version of the iHome iW1, and comes without the rechargeable battery. The iHome iW3 has been re-engineered to house a rechargeable battery as well.

The iHome iW1 is also getting an upgrade in terms of availability in a white and silver chrome version. The iW2, iW3 and iW4 are also available on the two different finishes.

iHome iW5 as mentioned is the latest addition, and is a smaller and simpler Airplay speaker with interchangeable front speaker covers, giving you the ability to add some color to it. I will be back with more information on the iHome iW5 when available.

Hopefully we will see all these new iHome Airplay speakers in the market real soon.

[source: iLounge]

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]

Pure goes AirPlay with Contour 200i Air

Fans of Pure Contour speaker docks will be happy to hear that the company is ready with their first ever AirPlay speaker dock; the Pure Contour 200i Air.

The Contour 200i Air is however not all about AirPlay streaming as it also comes with docking station that supports docking and charging of all iOS devices, including the iPad.

With DSP audio amplifiers, dual 3.5-inch full range drivers, 35w power output (RMS), dedicated app, and a suggested retail price around £199 this could become a popular option in a growing AirPlay speaker market.

Hoping to be back with more information on the Pure Contour 200i Air, including UK release date soon.

[source: Pocket-lint]

iHome iW4 is the first Airplay enabled alarm dock

CES 2012 is just a few days away, but already we are starting to see companies releasing information about the new products they are displaying, including iHome with their latest AirPlay speaker dock; the iHome iW4 alarm dock with AirPlay technology.

Last year it was all about the iHome iW1 AirPlay speaker, with a couple of extra side distractions in form of iHome iW2 and iW3, which are yet to hit the market and there are doubts they ever will. This year the company is bringing their latest Airplay device in the iW4, which forms part of 3 new alarm speaker docks that will be shown off at CES.

Besides being AirPlay enabled, the iHome iW4 is a bedside unit that supports docking of all iOS devices, has dual alarm settings, FM radio, SRS TruBass sound enhancement, and packs about 20W of power, which should be plenty enough for the bedroom (or at least a normal size bedroom).

U.S retail price for the iHome iW4 is expected at around $270 and i'm waiting to hear back about UK price, but would expect it to be around £200, so on the pricey side for a bedroom alarm dock. I will be back with more details as soon as available, including expected retail release dates.

[source: iLounge]

Pioneer brings out two new AirPlay enabled network audio players

Pioneer has long been in the forefront when it comes to adopting Apple Airplay technology in their suite of audio visuel products, and the two latest models are the network enabled audio players Pioneer Elite N-30 and N-50.

Both the N-50 and N-30 Pioneer network audio players feature support for lossless audio streaming through Airplay as well as DLNA 1.5. The systems use ethernet connection to your home network, or you can alternatively buy a compatible wireless adapter (AS-WL300). A bluetooth adapter can also be purchased separately to enable streaming over bluetooth.

While the main features of both systems are its wireless streaming capabilities over Airplay and DLNA, both systems also have built in support for vTuner internet radio, giving you access to over 16,000 radio stations. The top model Pioneer N-50 comes with an armoured chassis for improved noise resistance, gold RCA jacks, Advanced Sound Retriever and Sound Retriever AIR for better quality compressed audio. You will also find that it has twin EL transformers and a 32-bit conversion processor that further improves  audio performance.

I will be back with more information on UK prices and availability, which on the other side of the atlantic is set at $499 (N-30) and $699 (N-50) respectively.

[source: iLounge]

Samsung delivering two AirPlay Audio Docks at CES 2012

Samsung will be revealing two new Audio Docks at CES 2012, both featuring docking support for both iOS and Galaxy devices, as well as streaming through Airplay, AllShare, and bluetooth.

The top model is the Samsung DA-E750 that comes with Samsung's own hybrid vacuum tube amplifier technology, combining the sharpness of a digital amplifier with the vacuum tubes audiophile rich and warm sound. This 2.1 speaker with a built-in subwoofer comes with some great expectations and 100w power output, all packed in a great looking polished wood finish.

Less features and power, but still the same good looking design, is the little brother in the Samsung DA-E670 Audio Dock. You still get the same streaming support across Airplay, AllShare and bluetooth, as well as docking support for a multitude of devices. Power output for the DA-E670 is 40W.

Pricing and availability is yet to be revealed for both systems, but i will be back with more information as soon as available.

[source: Marketwatch via Airplayspeakers]

Klipsch Gallery G-17 AirPlay speaker expected early January for UK

It looks like the long wait might soon be over for those of you that have been waiting for the Klipsch Gallery G-17 AirPlay speaker here in the UK.

In a reply to a tweet, Klipsch UK confirmed that they are expecting delivery of the G-17 soundbar in the coming week, and that it will launch sometime early in the new year.

The Klispch Gallery G-17 Soundbar has already seen some strong reviews from the techsphere, and i look forward to get a chance to test it out myself as well.

Apple AirPlay set to support Bluetooth 4.0 for connectivity enhancment

Whilst we have seen a decent amount of AirPlay enabled accessories, primarily AirPlay speakers and of course the Apple TV, the technology has not quite taken over the market since it was first announced over a year ago. However, with Apple announcing a new chip that will help manufacturers take advantage of AirPlay technology, the game might be about to change.

According to Japanese Apple blog, Macotakara, Apple has presented MFi manufacturers with a new certification chip that will make communication over AirPlay, wifi, and bluetooth between iOS devices and accessories better and more efficient. Part of the solution seems to be support for the new Bluetooth 4.0 standard, which is a low power consuming solution found in amongst other the new iPhone 4S and the latest Macbook Air.

Bringing a greater connectivity specter for iOS devices and accessories manufacturers should have a positive impact on the range of accessories to become available that will communicate wirelessly with iOS devices, and hopefully lower the cost of the technology, which has been one of the barriers to adoption of AirPlay technology so far.

It looks like the wireless future just got a bit brighter.

[source: Appleinsider]

Geneva Labs further AirPlay integration depends on module availability

Geneva Sound System have delivered some great iPod speaker docks over the years, including the award winning Geneva Sound Model M, but the only model that has so far been announced to receive Airplay streaming is the ultra high-end Geneva Sound Model XXL. Further Airplay integration into their other models, and future models, depends on AirPlay performance and module availability.

In a discussion thread on their Facebook page Geneva Labs confirm that future integration of Apple AirPlay technology into their sound system range depends on module availability, as has previously been reported as one of the issues behind delays in getting AirPlay speakers onto the market.

In addition they will be looking closely at AirPlay performance and quality. Perhaps a sign that they are aware of some of the issues that have plagued especially iPhone 4S users, experiencing audio drop outs over AirPlay with iPhone 4S. In another thread on their Facebook page they also talk about possible other wireless add-on's as an option instead of AirPlay technology.