Finest audio system for iPhones and Apple Music: AirPlay audio system for Apple package

We’re placing the HomePod mini within the prime spot on the idea of its low price ticket, wonderful sound high quality and deep integration with Apple’s software program ecosystem – so long as you don’t thoughts being tied to Siri.

The HomePod mini can’t match the bass punch of the full-size HomePod, however the output continues to be much better than now we have any proper to anticipate at this dimension and worth. (Simply to reiterate, it’s a 3rd of the value and a seventh of the burden of its bigger sibling.)

For jazz, rock and classical we have been blown away by its clear, wealthy sound. And whereas it’s not fairly obtained the welly to deafen your neighbors with home music at 3 am, it does fill a room fantastically – particularly when teamed with a second mannequin as a stereo pair.

In case you’re deep within the Apple ecosystem and also you respect high quality audio, that is the sensible speaker for you: it would play your music fantastically and make TV watching a delight.

As with the HomePod mini, ease of setup is certainly one of its strongest options–plug within the HomePod and wave an iPhone vaguely in its course and an onscreen popup (on the telephone) will invite you to set it up. If there’s one other HomePod of the identical mannequin within the chosen room, you’ll be given the choice to hitch them as a stereo pair.

It sounds nice whether or not used as a single unit, or as a stereo pair, and it’s an excellent accompaniment to your Apple TV because it helps Dolby Atmos and Spatial Audio (the HomePod mini doesn’t). To seek out out extra, learn extra about how the HomePod compares to the HomePod mini.

The primary disadvantages of the 2023 HomePod are the excessive worth (3 times that of the HomePod mini) and the frustrations related to being reliant on Siri to regulate it. We actually need a HomePod with a display.

Roku is well-known for its vary of streaming media gadgets, which supply an inexpensive different to Apple’s personal Apple TV field. Nonetheless, the Roku Streambar goes a step additional by combining streaming options with a compact soundbar speaker and assist for Apple’s AirPlay 2 – and all for a extremely aggressive $129.99/£129.99.

The AirPlay assist and built-in dual-band Wi-Fi imply you could merely use the Streambar as a standard AirPlay speaker, utilizing AirPlay to stream music by way of Wi-Fi from any Apple system. It’s surprisingly highly effective for such a compact speaker, and greater than loud sufficient for taking part in music at residence or watching a couple of Hollywood blockbusters. It even supplies fairly good bass too, touchdown the bass guitar and crashing drums on Kate Bush’s The Massive Sky with actual influence (and Roku has just lately introduced a brand new vary of wi-fi audio system that additionally assist AirPlay 2, though we’ve not had the possibility to check these but).

Going past fundamental speaker mode, you too can use the HDMI port on the again of the Streambar to attach it to a TV or pc show, and this lets you stream video at as much as 4K decision out of your Apple gadgets as nicely. You possibly can even do away with your Apple gadgets altogether, and simply use the Streambar’s built-in streaming options to attach your TV or pc monitor to a variety of video providers–together with Apple TV+, Netflix, Disney+ and so forth. It additionally helps various music streaming providers too, corresponding to Apple Music and Spotify.

Admittedly, the low price of the Streambar signifies that it does lack a couple of superior options, corresponding to assist for Dolby Atmos, which you may get from Apple’s HomePod and in addition the Apple TV 4K. However, after all, the Apple TV field doesn’t embody a speaker, and the Streambar’s low-cost mixture of AirPlay speaker and music and video streaming options makes it an absolute discount at this worth.

When Sonos first launched the Period 100 it was positioned as a mid-range possibility that sat between the entry-level Sonos One and the imposing Period 300 with Dolby Atmos on the top quality. Nonetheless, the veteran Sonos One quietly pale away a couple of months in the past and the Period 100 has taken over as the brand new entry level for the Sonos vary of multi-room audio system, with a $249/£249 price ticket that makes it a superb different to the Apple HomePod at £299/$299.

At first look, the Period 100 does look similar to the unique Sonos One, with an upright cylindrical design that’s out there in black or white. It’s barely bigger than the Sonos One, although, standing 182.5mm excessive, 120mm extensive and 130mm deep. This permits the Period 100 to squeeze in an extra high-frequency tweeter, in order that it now homes two tweeters which can be angled out to the correct and left to unfold sound extra extensively than the Sonos One. It additionally features a bigger woofer than the Sonos One, to deal with the mid-range and bass and add just a little further energy as nicely.

This new design works a deal with and the Period 100 supplies excellent sound high quality for a comparatively compact speaker. The atmospheric harmonies of Enya’s Orinoco Circulate have a light-weight, shimmering sound, however the compact speaker has obtained some muscle too, and is well in a position to fill the room round me with Enya’s swirling cloud of sound. The dual tweeters present a crisp, clear sound for the digital loops that fly by the air, however that bigger woofer can even attain down and embrace the sluggish bass pulse and rumbling drums that enter as Enya’s multi-tracked vocals chant – “flip it up, flip it up”.

The one minor disappointment is that the Period 100 doesn’t assist Dolby Atmos or spatial audio. In case you’re a house cinema fan who actually needs Atmos then you definately’ll must pay just a little extra for options such because the Apple HomePod or the high-end Period 300. However, should you’re simply searching for a compact, high-quality speaker with wi-fi and assist for AirPlay, then the Period 100 delivers the products at a cheaper price than most of its AirPlay rivals.

Sonos’ Roam needs to be the smallest and most transportable AirPlay 2 speaker we’ve seen up to now.

Sonos’s authentic Roam sensible speaker was launched again in 2021, and it was the most effective transportable audio system we’ve ever seen, offering excellent sound high quality in a extremely compact design that additionally managed to squeeze in helpful options corresponding to wi-fi charging and even assist for Wi-Fi and AirPlay for Apple gadgets. The Roam 2 fine-tunes various options corresponding to its set-up and tuning course of, and supplies extra easy controls.

Accessible in a wide range of colours–together with purple, inexperienced, blue and plain previous black and white–the Roam 2 seems to be an identical to its predecessor. It’s 168mm tall, 62mm extensive and 60mm deep, and weighs 0.43kg. It’s not pocket-size, however it would match right into a backpack. It has a IP67 ranking water and dirt resistance, so it’s suited to the outside.

There’s no room for a big battery within the compact design, but it surely ought to final for as much as 10 hours with music at 50% quantity. It wants to face upright for wi-fi charging and the amount, playback and microphone controls sit on the highest, however you possibly can flip the speaker onto its aspect and lay it flat. A USB-C port on the again can be utilized for charging too. 

Roam 2 helps Bluetooth 5.2 and now has separate buttons for Energy and Bluetooth pairing, that are simpler to make use of than the fiddly multi-function button on the unique Roam. You possibly can press the Bluetooth button to pair by way of Bluetooth, however it is advisable obtain the Sonos app for iOS to be able to set the speaker up correctly. We encountered issues getting the speaker related to our Wi-Fi community and needed to spend time altering the Wi-Fi settings. However, as soon as that was performed, the Roam 2 labored rather well. Fortunate its assist for AirPlay made connecting it to extra Apple gadgets easy.

The Roam 2 gives nice sound high quality for such a compact speaker, particularly over a Wi-Fi connection. It did a superb job with Sturgill Simpson’s Sing Alongside, laying down the grinding, fuzzy guitars that kind the bedrock of the sound. On Billie Eilish’s Dangerous Man it achieved a reasonably respectable bass beat for such a small speaker.

Switching to Bluetooth triggered the sound to lose just a little readability–however that’s a limitation of Bluetooth fairly than the speaker itself, and the Roam 2 can go head-to-head with any transportable speaker of this dimension and weight. The Roam 2 actually punches above its weight relating to sound high quality and its sturdy and light-weight design is nice for outside use. 

Apple has been banging the drum for spatial audio for a couple of years now, however Sonos actually took a step ahead with that know-how when it launched the Period 300 in 2023. Appropriately sufficient, it additionally marked a brand new period for the Sonos vary of multi-room audio system, with a completely new design that was no less than eye-catching even when it wasn’t maybe as elegant as Sonos claimed.

Accessible in black or white, the cumbersome, hourglass design of the Period 300 could be very a lot designed for spatial audio, housing a minimum of six separate speaker drivers, with assist for Dolby Atmos when watching movies and video, or listening to spatial audio on Apple Music. There’s one woofer and one tweeter on all sides of the unit, which offer a large stereo soundstage, whereas one other tweeter on the entrance highlights vocals and dialogue, or lead devices. There’s another tweeter on the highest, which is designed to fireside pontificate the ceiling to assist create a way of peak and area when listening to music or video that makes use of Atmos.

Like most Sonos audio system, the Period 300 makes use of dual-band Wi-Fi (2.4GHz/5.0GHz) to connect with your private home community, and in addition helps AirPlay 2 to be used with Apple gadgets and different AirPlay-compatible audio system. However, in contrast to earlier Sonos audio system, the Period now helps Bluetooth as nicely, in order that it will possibly present a fast and straightforward wi-fi connection for cell gadgets and computer systems when required. You may as well purchase an adaptor that gives a wired connection (though it’s annoying that this prices an additional $19/£19, given the speaker’s hefty $449/£449 price ticket).

The Period 300 can earn its preserve, although. The Dolby Atmos assist works rather well on the opening scene of Blade Runner, creating an actual sense of motion because the hovercar flies over the Los Angeles skyline, and there’s a satisfying bass rumble to the bursts of steam and flame that erupts into the air.

It does a superb job with spatial audio on Apple Music too, particularly with Ringo’s deft percussion on the Atmos mixture of Come Collectively by the Beatles. The bongos skip evenly by the air and the bass guitar glides ahead with a swaying, sinuous rhythm. There’s actual weight behind the guitar riff that leads into the refrain, however the Period 300 can nonetheless select gentler particulars such because the shimmering cymbals and rhythmic keyboards. Admittedly, it’s one of many dearer AirPlay audio system presently out there, however the highly effective and atmospheric sound of the Period 300, and assist for Dolby Atmos, make it a superb different to dearer soundbar techniques for music and watching video.

It sounds higher than most transportable audio system this dimension, however nonetheless sounds clipped at excessive volumes and a few controls are just a little opaque.

The Beats Capsule is far improved over earlier variations, but it surely has a couple of faults that we’d like to see addressed within the subsequent revision.

Beats’ iconic “capsule” form is useful to hold round, matches anyplace a water bottle would go, and sits nicely on a desk or equally flat floor. You will get one in basic Beats colours—black, purple, or champagne.

When at relaxation the audio system are tilted 20 levels upward, which is an effective way to challenge the sound extra instantly at you. 

The Capsule is IP67-rated, so is ought to be secure on the seaside, beside a pool, or within the rain. A silicone outer wrap helps stop bumps and dings, whereas including weatherproofing.

Alongside the highest, you’ll discover quantity buttons, a middle multi-function button, and an influence button. They’re far sufficient aside and labeled clearly sufficient that it’s simple to hit the correct one with out paying shut consideration.

Within the again is a single USB-C port that can be utilized for charging or as an audio enter, with assist for lossless audio (not that the Capsule has the sound high quality to do it justice). It even reverse-charges with a triple-tap of the ability button so it may be a form of energy financial institution to your telephone.

Beats says the battery will final 24 hours. We will verify it will possibly simply run all day with out recharging.

With a single woofer able to 90 % extra air displacement than the woofer within the Beats Capsule+ and a paired tweeter, the brand new Beats Capsule sounds OK. Like all transportable audio system with a cylindrical design it lacks low-end oomph. There’s extra bass than you’d anticipate, however nonetheless lower than you want. It does get fairly loud, however at excessive volumes, there’s a clipped or restricted really feel.

There’s a microphone to allow speakerphone or voice assistants, but it surely doesn’t have a lot in the best way of noise discount to guard from robust wind or close by freeway noise.

The weatherproofing, comparatively loud quantity, and implausible battery life all make this a extremely nice inexpensive speaker for hanging out by the pool. The $149.99/£149.99price is cheap, too. You simply must handle your expectations for getting nice sound high quality out of just a little transportable speaker like this.

If you need one thing highly effective that may additionally enterprise outside sometimes, then the A15 from Audio Professional is a extremely good possibility. It’s barely dearer than Apple’s HomePod, however its transportable design and connectivity options make it much more versatile than the HomePod (there’s additionally a smaller mannequin, referred to as the A10 which prices simply $250/£149 however isn’t transportable because it lacks an inside battery).

The A15 is kind of giant, measuring 8.1 x 11.2 x 5.3 inches (206 x 286 x 137mm), and weighing in at a reasonably hefty 2.2lb (3.4kg). Nonetheless, it’s nonetheless gentle sufficient to hold from room to room, or out into the backyard when the summer time comes alongside, and there’s a bass port on the again of the speaker that doubles up as a deal with in an effort to rapidly choose it and head outside while you need to.

The sensible cloth cowl can also be rated IPX2 for water resistance, to make sure that it will possibly deal with the occasional burst of rain. Battery life is sweet too, lasting for eight hours at full blast, or 11 hours at 50% quantity. The A15 helps dual-band Wi-Fi with AirPlay 2 for Apple gadgets, Google Forged for our Android buddies, in addition to Bluetooth and a 3.5mm connector for wired audio.

You’ll must obtain the Audio Professional app to attach the A15 to your Wi-Fi community, however after that it really works identical to another AirPlay speaker, permitting you to play any music or video out of your Apple gadgets. It sounds nice too, with the massive speaker offering a agency, pulsing bass on Low’s Reduce. There’s an icy readability to the haunting metal guitar, but additionally heat too, on singer Alan Sparhawk’s softly spoken vocals. And, should you actually need to go to city at party-time, the A15 even has a connector for hooking it as much as an exterior sub-woofer too.

Most AirPlay audio system have a compact, all-in-one design, similar to Apple’s HomePod. Nonetheless, these compact audio system don’t present excellent stereo separation, and there are a lot of individuals who might have a correct two-piece (2.0) speaker system that basically exhibits how stereo audio is supposed to sound. Edifier’s S1000W is an efficient stereo system for musicians who’re recording their very own songs, or for podcasting or video-editing that includes audio enhancing work. And, after all, it sounds nice for simply listening to your favourite music too.

The 2-piece S1000W prices $449.99/£399.99 – which is quite a bit cheaper than shopping for two HomePods and utilizing them for stereo. The 2 audio system are solidly constructed, with a horny wooden end, which additionally helps to scale back vibrations that may have an effect on the sound high quality. They stand 7.8 x 13.6 x 11.6 inches (345 x 198 x 295mm), so that they want a reasonably large desk or shelf, however we have been in a position to stand them on both aspect of our workplace iMac’s display with out an excessive amount of hassle, so that they’re nicely suited to audio work for musicians or different content material creators.

All of the controls are positioned on the right-hand speaker, which incorporates a formidable variety of each wired and wi-fi enter choices. There are 3.5mm, RCA, optical, and coaxial connectors for gadgets corresponding to CD gamers or turntables, and you may rapidly swap between inputs utilizing the distant management included within the field. And, for wi-fi audio, the S1000W additionally helps Bluetooth, dual-band Wi-Fi, and AirPlay 2 for streaming from Apple gadgets. The S1000W supplies a thumping 120W complete output, and I used to be solely in a position to set the amount stage to round 50% earlier than I began to fret about annoying the neighbors. And it’s not simply loud – the sound high quality is nice too, with the sturdy audio system offering a agency, rhythmic bass when taking part in Billie Elish’s Dangerous Man, mixed with clear, exact vocals and better frequencies.

Apple could be very eager on getting folks to purchase two of the second-gen HomePods to be able to use them for stereo music, or for watching movies and movies which have a soundtrack that makes use of the Dolby Atmos encompass sound format. That’s not the one possibility for movie buffs, although, and there are many soundbars that assist each AirPlay 2 and Dolby Atmos, together with the Denon House 550.

The House 550 prices $649 within the US, which is barely dearer than a pair of HomePods ($598), but it surely’s much more versatile relating to connecting to non-Apple gadgets and becoming into a bigger residence leisure system. And, within the UK, the value is £599 (in comparison with £598 for 2 HomePods).

As talked about, the House 550 helps dual-band wi-fi with assist for AirPlay 2, but additionally contains Ethernet for wired networks too, together with Bluetooth and a typical 3.5mm connector for non-Apple gadgets. It has two 4K HDMI ports for connecting to a TV, and an optical audio connector for older TVs that don’t assist HDMI.

The Denon app lets you join the House 550 to your community for AirPlay streaming, or you should utilize the distant management that’s included within the field to rapidly swap between AirPlay, Bluetooth and different audio sources.

The big soundbar – 25.95 x 2.95 x 4.72 inches (650 x 120 x 75mm) – produces an equally giant sound, with deep, pulsing bass on The Orb’s Prime Evil, and a nervous, manic power on the rattling percussion. And, switching into Dolby Atmos mode, it really works a deal with on the opening scene of Blade Runner, with a dramatic bass rumble on the bursts of flame that leap throughout the Los Angeles skyline. It additionally creates an actual sense of motion as Harrison Ford’s hover-car zooms ahead out of the display and the sound pans easily over to my left-hand aspect.

Bowers & Wilkins’ Zeppelin was a landmark product for Mac customers – and it’s nice to see it again once more.

Initially launched in 2007, the Zeppelin was the primary Hello-Fi-quality speaker system for the iPod, and actually helped to spice up that system’s credibility amongst audiophile music followers. Just a few years later an up to date Zeppelin was additionally one of many first audio system to assist Apple’s AirPlay software program for streaming audio over Wi-Fi. Nonetheless, the Zeppelin was left behind when Apple launched AirPlay 2 – with its new assist for multi-room music – so it was discontinued a couple of years in the past. However now, with little or no fanfare, B&W has launched a brand new model of the Zeppelin that provides assist for AirPlay 2, together with various different new options too.

Accessible in both Midnight Gray or a silvery Pearl Gray, the brand new Zeppelin initially seems to be similar to its predecessors, with the eye-catching oval design that offers the speaker its title. However on the within, the Zeppelin has been fully redesigned, with a pair of high-frequency tweeters and mid-range woofers positioned on all sides of a central sub-woofer, whereas your entire unit is powered by a roof-rattling 240W amplifier.

As talked about, the brand new Zeppelin now helps AirPlay 2, together with Bluetooth and Apple’s AAC codec and the AptX Adaptive codec that’s used on many Android gadgets, and Spotify Join too. My solely minor complaints are that the Zeppelin solely appears to work with 2.4GHz Wi-Fi, and it’s fully reliant on Wi-Fi or Bluetooth for streaming, with no wired inputs for connecting to gadgets corresponding to a CD participant, or perhaps even an previous iPod.

The sound high quality, although, is terrific, with the massed harmonies of Queen’s Any person To Love ringing out brilliant and clear, and a energetic, ringing tone on Roger Taylor’s shrieking falsetto and crashing cymbals. On the different finish of the spectrum, the Zeppelin delivers the bouncing bass on Dangerous Man by Billie Eilish with a agency, taut sound that instantly will get you tapping your foot. It simply fills the room with sound even at simply 40% of most quantity, so the Zeppelin might be nice for getting the social gathering going over Christmas and the New Yr.

It’s a little dear, at $799/£699, however that’s solely barely dearer than Apple’s AirPods Max, and the Zeppelin is definitely higher worth for cash. What’s extra, its room-filling sound and AirPlay 2 assist imply you possibly can share its wonderful sound high quality with everybody in your house.