"Woah! Did you just change the song with your phone without it being plugged into anything?!"
Why yes, yes I did.
Wireless music technology is here and it's an incredible way to impress your friends and make life a little easier. Let's take a look at several wireless streaming music solutions for your Apple devices, including Apple TV, Sonos and Bluetooth speakers.
iTunes & Apple TV
Apple’s Remote app allows you to wirelessly control iTunes on your Mac/PC, as long as the two devices are on the same WiFi network. This allows you to play music on your computer from anywhere in the house. This is arguably the most cost-effective solution since it only requires a computer, a WiFi connection and, optionally, any speakers you already have.
The Remote app can also control your Apple TV. The prerequisites are the same - both devices must be on the same WiFi network.
Remote is available as a free download from the App Store. The app itself is beautiful and features a colorized, blurred interface that matches the album artwork of whatever is playing. You can browse your entire iTunes library and select songs to add to your listening queue right from the app.
Download the Remote App for FREE
Sonos
Sonos is a system of HiFi wireless speakers. It unites your digital music collection in one app that you control from any device. You can play what you want in every room over a dedicated wireless network, or on your home's WiFi conntection. You can control the volume of each speaker in your Sonos system as well as dedicate different songs to different speaker groups - right from your iPhone.
The feature that makes Sonos shine is their rock-solid wireless connection. Users experience little to no dropouts and short buffer times. The speakers themselves sound incredible, arguably better than most Bose systems. You can always purchase a Sonos CONNECT or CONNECT:AMP to add your current stereo system into the mix.
The only downside to using Sonos is that you're limited to using the Sonos app for music. As of now, there is no way to stream audio from your device that is not integrated into the Sonos Controller app without directly plugging your device into a Sonos speaker. The app has many streaming music services built in, but you cannot - for example - watch a YouTube video on your iPhone and have the sound streaming over the Sonos system. By plugging a Sonos speaker into an AirPort Express router via auxillary cable, you can make your Sonos system AirPlay-compatible and solve the forementioned problem.
Sonos components are premium speakers, but you absolutely get what you pay for. The sound is incredible and the Sonos wireless system is unparalleled.
AirPlay
AirPlay is Apple's built-in wireless music and video streaming technology. There are several ways to implement AirPlay in your home or business.
The first option uses an AirPort Express - a wireless router made by Apple. The AirPort Express has an 1/8" audio-out jack, so you can connect your own speakers to it and instantly stream any audio from your phone via AirPlay.
The second is Apple TV, which lets you stream audio and video directly to your TV through AirPlay. If you have a home theater setup, this is a great way to wirelessly stream music to it.
Thirdly, you can always purchase AirPlay enabled third-party speakers. We carry the Nocs NS2 Air Monitors. These speakers have AirPlay technology built-in and boast a power output of 70W. You can pick up the Nocs NS2 Air Monitors for $449.
AirPlay technology is another cost-effective solution. The Apple TV and Airport Express are just $99 each and both work using your existing media setup.
Bluetooth Speakers
While the Remote app, Sonos and AirPlay all use a WiFi connection, some audio solutions use Bluetooth as means of wirelessly streaming audio content. There are hundreds of wireless Bluetooth speakers on the market today. Most of these tend to be smaller, ultra-portable speakers that have rechargable batteries. With Bluetooth speakers, you can easily listen to tunes while doing yard work or add some music to a nice relaxing day at the beach or park. Here at CityMac, we carry the following Bluetooth speakers.
Braven 570 | HD Wireless Speaker | Speakerphone | Phone Charger | 10 hours battery-life - $119.99
Braven 600 | HD Wireless Speaker | Speakerphone | Phone Charger | 12 hours battery-life - $149.99
Braven 625s | HD Wireless Speaker | Speakerphone | Phone Charger | 16 hours battery-life - $179.99
Braven 650 | HD Wireless Speaker | Speakerphone | Phone Charger | 20 hours battery-life - $189.99
Braven BRV-1 | Weatherproof HD Wireless Speaker | Speakerphone | Phone Charger | 12 hours battery-life - $179.99
Braven 850 | 20W HD Wireless Speaker | Speakerphone | Phone Charger | 20 hours battery-life - $279.99
Big Jambox | Speakerphone | Phone Charger | 15 hours battery life - $299.99