Top 7 Best Airplay Speakers 2021 Reviews

Top 7 Best Airplay Speakers 2021 Reviews

You are a fan of wonderful music and you like to listen to it in comfortable conditions. What could be better than the best Airplay speaker to stream your music from your iPad, iPhone, or even Mac? This equipment offers you higher audio rendering quality than other technologies, thanks to fewer data compression before transmission.

It is important to choose the best Airplay speaker because it must be compatible with the equipment you use and correspond to your living environment.

Top 7 Best Airplay Speakers 2021 Reviews

#1 Best Airplay Speaker Overall: Bose Home Speaker 500

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This model has a powerful app because it allows you to control the music you listen to from your phone. The Bose Home Speaker 500 has another prominent feature that is the built-in Bluetooth functionality. It will help you have more streamlined access to your music.

This product allows you to set up and establish a Wi-Fi connection in just a few minutes to save your time. It also comes with remote control.

This simple and wireless speaker is easier to use from a distance. You can listen to the same music in different rooms from wherever you are, thanks to the feature of adding other Bose systems. From our own experience, this AirPlay speaker model is the best airplay speaker because of its simplicity and performance.

Pros

  • Built-in Bluetooth functionality
  • Long-distance controllability
  • More streamlined access
  • High performance

Cons

  • Hard to connect with Wi-Fi

The Bose Home Speaker 500 wireless AirPlay can play music in all rooms of a house efficiently.

#2 Best Budget Airplay Speaker: Sonos Play:1

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Sonos Play:1 is the brand’s smallest speaker. But it does not mean the speaker cannot hit hard. The brand is famous for the superb sound quality at an affordable price. And once again it has passed the technical challenge with flying colors.

The Play:1 has a simple initial setup. It is convenient for people who are not computer experts. You can connect all of your iMac, iPhone, iPad, or other devices to your Sonos speaker consistently and seamlessly with the dedicated app. It only takes a few minutes.

The speaker is compatible with the Sonos Multiroom system placed as the best in the world.

Pros

  • Affordable price
  • Compact and lightweight
  • Simple setup
  • High compatibility

Cons

  • Outdated software

Whether it is the first speaker you want to build a new personal system with or an additional addition to an existing system, it works with excellent performance.

#3 Best Airplay Speaker for Excellent Sounding: Echo Studio

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Echo HomePod has seven tweeters besides the center woofer. It is perfect for you if you are looking for 360-degree broadcast sound precision. The voice assistant is excellent because it has no less than six microphones to pick up your voice and your commands. The aesthetic highlight of this device is its sobriety in line with Apple products.

The weak point of this speaker is that it is not intuitive to use. To change tracks or go back, double or triple taps on the top of the speaker. It will be necessary to rely on the Siri assistant to execute the most complex commands.

Pros

  • 360-degree broadcast
  • Excellent sound
  • Six microphones available

Cons

  • Non-intuitive use

The Echo HomePod wireless speaker is the ideal product for a wireless connection with the world of the famous Apple brand.

#4 Best Airplay Speaker for a Wide Range of Streaming Features: Yamaha MusicCast 20

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The MusicCast 20 from Yamaha is sober with its discreet round shape. This product has the advantage of being compatible with iOS / Android and Windows / Mac systems. It is convenient for you if you do not have Apple devices. Wi-Fi connection on all media is easy for this product.

You have the advantage of being able to play the same music in one room or others of your home thanks to the characteristic of its multi-room speakers. It is useful when many people are indifferent rooms and want to access the same audio file.

Pros

  • High compatibility
  • Strong Wi-Fi connection
  • Multiroom functions

Cons

  • Generic design

Thanks to another strong point of the device that is the free application, you can turn into a remote control, either your phone, your tablet, or your computer.

#5 Best Portable Airplay Speaker: Naim Muso 2

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The original Mu-so from British Hi-Fi company Naim was a true icon. It comes with an open soundstage and low bass. The second version offers many variants. It can process digital audio files up to 32bit / 384kHz (with rather eccentric down-scaling to 24bt / 88.2kHz) for high-resolution fanatics like FLAC users and TIDAL subscribers or Spotify Connect.

It has Bluetooth, digital optics, a USB port, and a 3.5mm mini-jack to bring music into the Naim. The speaker does not lack facilities either. Its crucial flaw is its price, but here we change the range and quality compared to previous models for the public.

Pros

  • Lightweight and compact
  • High efficiency
  • Versatile connectivity

Cons

  • High price

Hands down for the most portable speaker on this list for sound.

#6 Best Multi-Room Airplay Speaker: Libratone ZIPP

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The Libratone ZIPP is a wireless speaker and a perfect combination of portable design, modernity, and youthfulness. This wireless product gives your multi-room connectivity with exceptional sound quality. Thanks to its SoundSpace Link feature, you can connect up to six speakers via Wi-Fi.

The Libratone ZIPP has another strong point. It is the FullRoom technology that can be a discovery for you. It allows you to live the sound experience in 360 degrees. This product has an intuitive touchscreen control panel that facilitates the functionality of the speaker.

Pros

  • SoundSpace Link feature
  • Fast connection
  • Multi-room connectivity
  • Exceptional sound quality

Cons

  • Large size

If you are a fan of radio, then you have in your hands a product suitable for your needs. The Libratone ZIPP can memorize up to five online radio stations without difficulty.

#7 Best Airplay Speaker for Bass: Bowers & Wilkins Mini Theatre M-1

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This AirPlay speaker will divide people by its looks and exclude some by its price, but the Mini Theatre is Bowers & Wilkins when they offer a unique style, associated with a more powerful sound. It is available in two finishes: silver with a composite backbox, or black with a real wood backbox.

It diffuses the sound of the Mini Theatre far and wide without becoming vague or out of focus. There is enough sheer power to fill even large rooms with sound. Although the origin of the music is obvious, the sweet spot is much less pronounced than the one generated by some less powerful wireless speakers.

Pros

  • Unique design
  • Available in two finished
  • Wide-range connection

Cons

  • Expensive price

The Mini Theatre is pleasant to listen to with big bass.

Features to Consider When Choosing an Airplay Speaker

Airplay vs Airplay 2

AirPlay 2 appeared in the luggage of iOS 11.4 and iTunes 12.8. It allows manufacturers to rush into certification and receive the precious badge. AirPlay 2 is AirPlay on steroids. One of the significant advantages of this Wi-Fi technology is to group under the same banner products that are not necessarily from the same brand.

Music Streaming

One of the major reasons to switch to a Wi-Fi audio system is certainly the possibility of being able to listen on popular music streaming platforms such as Spotify, Deezer, and Napster. Of course, besides music, you will access other streaming services, such as radio and podcasts.

Compatibility

By connections, we mean the ability of the Airplay speaker to interact with other devices, both wirelessly and with physical cables. In the first case, besides Wi-Fi connectivity. Most Airplay speakers have integrated Bluetooth connectivity and other wireless connections such as NFC (faster than Bluetooth and present on most smartphones) and AirPlay for iOS products.

Portability

Of course, an Airplay speaker has the great advantage of portability. To work, it is sufficient that they are within the Bluetooth coverage. At a certain distance from the transmitting device, you can take your speaker wherever you want, whether it is on the beach or simply in the car.

Connectivity

To this question, we will always answer Wi-Fi. The advantages are many, especially from the point of view of audio quality. The file played with Bluetooth is in a certain sense compressed, making it qualitatively worse than a Wi-Fi product.

FAQs

Is AirPlay good sound quality?

It corresponds to the maximum playback power and is expressed in Watts. Of course, power is not synonymous with quality. We must consider this factor about the space you want to cover. For example, a good audio output power could be useful if you want to cover two rooms with a single speaker.

How do I make my speakers AirPlay-compatible?

Step 1: Open Control Center on iPhone or iPod touch or iPad:

  • On an iPhone X or later, or an iPad with iPadOS or later, swipe down from the top right corner of the screen.
  • On an iPhone 8 or earlier, or iOS 11 or earlier, swipe up from the bottom edge of the screen.

Step 2: Tap and hold the group of controls in the upper right corner, then tap the AirPlay button.

Step 3: Tap each speaker or TV that you want to stream the currently playing audio to.

What is the best whole-home audio system?

The Libratone speaker can well-match a young audience thanks to its aesthetic. It is a real highlight that they design the lower and upper parts with a satin white surface, an interchangeable cover, and a trendy mesh handle.

What is an AirPlay speaker?

The AirPlay speaker is ideal for people who own Apple devices. For others, classic speakers are fine. Otherwise, if you do not have this brand of equipment, you can properly install the system and achieve audio signal transmission fidelity.

Simple to configure, the Airplay speaker is intended for mass audiences who want to take their music with them and enjoy the superior sound quality. It is perfect to buy this type of product if you travel often or if you want to have a speaker handy throughout your home.

Final Words

The best Airplay speaker is perfect for all music lovers because of the comfort it brings. No more cables lying around everywhere thanks to the wireless function, you can access your audio files more easily away from cumbersome wires.

Bose Home Speaker 500 and Sonos Play:1 are the best on this list. These speakers are for Hi-Fi systems, what sound-bars are for home cinema. This multimedia innovation brings you the advantage of a simplified and easy distribution of your audio files.

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