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Forums › Apple iOS and devices › Cheapest currently available airplay device?


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Topic # 116610 4-May-2013 14:33
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Friend wants itunes on their stereo etc from their ipad.

Now the airport express is all fancy its a little expensive. I know there are airplay compatible speakers, but is there anything that is just a basic box with wifi in and audio out available like the old airport express?




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  Reply # 811199 4-May-2013 14:46
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Airport express or Apple tv plus some speakers is probably cheapest?

Have been thinking along the same lines myself but obviously apple charges a bomb for this.

I like the thought that it is controlled via wifi rather than bluetooth, but that is the alternative.

The other alternative is a raspberrypi running a version of linux and an OSS Shairport implementation http://www.mafipulation.org

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  Reply # 811201 4-May-2013 14:51
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Pick up an older Airport Express they work well. I got a refirbed one of the apple site for $100 a few months back

 
 
 
 




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  Reply # 811211 4-May-2013 15:47
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Oh, they are old so it has to be from somewhere they can go into and pick it up, they are "scared" of shopping online since "someone will hack it and steal their identity".




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  Reply # 811220 4-May-2013 16:44
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If they are like that, then they would appreciate the ease of use of the Airport Express - it just works.
If they have HD TV and a receiver, an AppleTV may be better (that way they can share their photos/youtube etc on the big screen.

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  Reply # 811221 4-May-2013 16:45
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Apple TV has optical out so can plug into whatever stereo they want.

However, if it just audio they are wanting to do, there are plenty of cheap Bluetooth devices out there that pair just as easily as an airplay device. Oce you are paired the first time, you do it exactly the same as you do with airplay

Downside is that your ipad has to be within Bluetooth range of course, but upside is that it is ultra portable so you don't even have to be on your home wifi if you don't want to be.

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  Reply # 811222 4-May-2013 16:48
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Also AirPlay has better sound than Bluetooth.

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  Reply # 811225 4-May-2013 17:00
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There's several of the old model express units on TradeMe - even the A1088 b/g model is fine just for music streaming.

http://www.trademe.co.nz/computers/apple/peripherals/auction-587715779.htm

http://www.trademe.co.nz/computers/apple/peripherals/auction-588971008.htm



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  Reply # 811248 4-May-2013 17:43
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myopinion: Also AirPlay has better sound than Bluetooth.


Understatement of the year, but I understand that the recent ipads add support for aptx so it brings it up to an ok quality.




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  Reply # 811266 4-May-2013 18:12
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myopinion: Also AirPlay has better sound than Bluetooth.


Depends on how much of an audiophile you are IMO. If your stereo is cheapo, and you are listening to spotify or something then you really aren't going to notice any difference I would say.

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  Reply # 827112 28-May-2013 15:23
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I use apple tv for all my media and gaming through airplay.

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  Reply # 827139 28-May-2013 15:51
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richms:
myopinion: Also AirPlay has better sound than Bluetooth.


Understatement of the year, but I understand that the recent ipads add support for aptx so it brings it up to an ok quality.


How exactly does the intermediate data transfer method affect the quality of your digital music?

Does bluetooth not 'warm' the bits sufficiently well?

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  Reply # 827147 28-May-2013 16:01
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http://www.audyssey.com/blog/2011/09/airplay-vs-bluetooth

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  Reply # 827151 28-May-2013 16:09
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from further reading I understand bluetooth does an additional level of compression (most likely due to the lower bandwidth vs wifi).

which makes sense, but does that mean that your audio goes from digital -> analog > compressed analog -> analog -> out the speaker?



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  Reply # 827256 28-May-2013 19:31
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The SBC codec used by A2DP audio over bluetooth has atrocious quality. Varies a lot by what device you use, but IME its comparable to a 96-128k mp3 with the artifacts it produces.




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  Reply # 827275 28-May-2013 19:52
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My advice to the OP, buy an Airport Express for your friends second hand, on their behalf.
It should be the ideal solution.

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