John Lewis couldn't help, can ph? Simple wifi speaker.

[Lefty]

I'm looking for a wifi speaker, spent 45 minutes in the audio department of JL and ended up walking out with 3x salespeople arguing amongst themselves about which would be best.

Basically, I want to stream Apple Music content from my phone to a stereo speaker. Simple as that. However, it's a big room (open plan house, 17m x 5m x 5m high so it needs to be decent sized and needs decent range.

Previous experience of Bluetooth hasn't been great for range - and I don't want phone calls or text alerts coming through on the speaker so wifi seems the way to go.

I don't need multi room functionality.
I don't want to download everything I listen to.
I don't want to lose any functionality of the Apple Music app
I want to easily and simply play from 3 or 4 different devices
Sound quality is gong to be limited by the quality of what I'm streaming from Apple Music sk no need for high end amps or anything like that

Budget is reasonably flexible, no more than £500 though, preferably more like £300-ish

Cheers
Lefty

[Phunk]

Another option is this:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/M1-AirMusic-AirPlay-WIFI...

It'll allow you to make any speaker / stereo with a aux in Airplay/WiFi compatible.

[igiveup]

How about 2 x Sonos Play 1's?

[mikef]

For a small room/hotel room I use a Bose Soundlink Mini 2

For a larger room a Marantz MCR511 (within a great built in Internet radio that you can control from your iPhone) plus Bose161 speakers - replace with speakers of your choice

I think a single Bluetooth/Wifi speaker is always going to be compromised in a larger room

[INWB]

Easy this

Bose Soundlink Mini 2. I have one for around the house when I'm just streaming and not in the lounge.

Sound is good enough, battery is good and it isn't that expensive.

[Digger]

igiveup said:

How about 2 x Sonos Play 1's?

Agreed. Setup as a stereo pair.

[megaphone]

An Apple Airport Express, has a audio line out, this can plug into any line in, I have one plugged into an old Hifi amp and stereo speakers, works really well.

[toon10]

For a smaller room and travelling, I have a Bose SoundLink mini. For the lounge I have a B&W Zeppelin. I paid £500 but I think they are closer to £350 now. Fantastic piece of kit but it does tie you to Apple as it uses AirPlay and a lightning dock. If i didn't have the B&W and had a bigger budget, the Naim muso would get my money.

[FlossyThePig]

We got our grandson one of these

http://www.johnlewis.com/store/john-lewis-spectrum...

He uses it with his iPhone 6 and is very pleased with it.

Perhaps it's too downmarket for you.

[Lefty]

FlossyThePig said:

We got our grandson one of these

http://www.johnlewis.com/store/john-lewis-spectrum...

He uses it with his iPhone 6 and is very pleased with it.

Perhaps it's too downmarket for you.

?

Did you read my OP? That's got 10m range. And it's tiny. It's nothing to do with downmarket or upmarket, it's simple functionality.


Thanks to everyone else for the input - the JL guys couldnt agree on what products would give full Apple Music functionality and what ones wouldn't. Nor could they demonstrate. I'm going to a small independent place during the week, hoping for better service!

[Nickbrapp]

igiveup said:

How about 2 x Sonos Play 1's?

You are locked into the sonos app though, Bose allow you to use any app though, so that's where my money would go. both have excellent sound quality.

[Lefty]

Yep, was looking at Bose Soundtouch but they couldnt get the Bluetooth to work!

Very surprised to be honest, usually the staff in there are excellent

[dxg]

Lefty said:

I'm looking for a wifi speaker, spent 45 minutes in the audio department of JL and ended up walking out with 3x salespeople arguing amongst themselves about which would be best.

Basically, I want to stream Apple Music content from my phone to a stereo speaker. Simple as that. However, it's a big room (open plan house, 17m x 5m x 5m high so it needs to be decent sized and needs decent range.

Previous experience of Bluetooth hasn't been great for range - and I don't want phone calls or text alerts coming through on the speaker so wifi seems the way to go.

I don't need multi room functionality.
I don't want to download everything I listen to.
I don't want to lose any functionality of the Apple Music app
I want to easily and simply play from 3 or 4 different devices
Sound quality is gong to be limited by the quality of what I'm streaming from Apple Music sk no need for high end amps or anything like that

Budget is reasonably flexible, no more than £500 though, preferably more like £300-ish

Cheers
Lefty

Raspberry pi, a little digital soundcard with amp - something from iqaudio would be ideal, wifi dongle (if using a Pi1 or Pi2), a professional-looking little case like pi-supply's shortcrust, shairport, and an hour of your time. Plus speakers - something like Q-Acoustics 3010is. In fact, just install a volumio image and you won't have to configure anything (apart from the usual wifi stuff) - it will all just work and can be configured through your browser - no command line stuff required.

Job jobbed for about £200; maybe £225. Perfect sound through the iqaudio (or hifiberry) add on card and those bookshelf speakers. Lovely little digital amps on them.

And if you want to get your hands dirty, you can set up bluetooth audio receiving too - although that's a bit more fiddly.

[BalhamBadger]

One of these:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sony-Portable-Wireless-Mu...

Has Airplay via wifi, bluetooth, ethernet, line-in, has a battery for occasional use and is well reviewed. If looking for more oomph there are punchier mains-only versions for more £££s.

[BalhamBadger]

BalhamBadger said:

One of these:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sony-Portable-Wireless-Mu...

Has Airplay via wifi, bluetooth, ethernet, line-in, has a battery for occasional use and is well reviewed. If looking for more oomph there are punchier mains-only versions for more £££s.

Bigger version: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sony-SRSX99-Multiroom-Spe...

[Monty Python]

This what you're after?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Neet%C2%AE-Wireless-Recei...

or this:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Veetop%C2%AE-HiFi-AirMusi...

Add your own choice of amp and speakers.

[gizlaroc]

Lefty said:

... it's a big room (open plan house, 17m x 5m x 5m high so it needs to be decent sized and needs decent range.

This is the killer.

You need a decent amp and big speakers, or you need a pretty decent amp, speakers and a sub to fill that room.

That may also keep it looking neat too.

As said above, simply buy one of the £20 units that gives you airplay and Android to plug into what you choose.

That size room will need £500 spending if you want it to sound half decent imho.


I know a few of the guys on the hifi forum have rated this...

http://www.whathifi.com/monitor-audio/airstream-a1...

Richer Sounds has it at £149.

http://www.richersounds.com/product/amplifiers-rec...


Add a pair of decent speakers or some smaller satellite speakers and a BK sub and you could have a really nice system that ticks all the boxes.

[Sheetmaself]

How about the new bower and wilkins zeppelin wireless

Seems to be very good and could get one a little over your £300 budget if interested. Would be brand new direct from bowers and wilkins.


http://www.whathifi.com/bw/zeppelin-wireless/revie...

Would be £375 if interested have the origional one and so good.

Edited by Sheetmaself on Tuesday 26th April 22:40

[Jez O]

Try and give one of these a demo- sound quality is very good. Not sure it will fill your room but then a decent amp and big speakers would have their work cut out in a space that size!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Monitor-Airstream-S200-Wi...

[UberMeister]

I had similar requirements and bought one of these:

http://www.superfi.co.uk/p-13145-audio-pro-allroom...

Very pleased with it!