Should choose speaker technology using AirPlay or Bluetooth ?

If users are interested in listening to music with a Mac device or using an iPhone, users can consider purchasing a wireless speaker device with two technology options: AirPlay or Bluetooth. Many Apple devices support playing audio through external speakers using both of these technologies, but what makes the difference between those two connections?

Difference between AirPlay and Bluetooth

AirPlay and Bluetooth are both wireless technologies that allow users to listen to music from their phones. In this case, I’m talking about streaming music from a Mac, iPad, or iPhone device to the wireless speaker. AirPlay also allows users to stream movies on Apple TV, while Bluetooth is used for some tasks such as creating an Internet connection through an Android phone, but it will not allow users to stream videos.

AirPlay is a proprietary technology developed by Apple that works and works through a wifi connection. So, if the iPad and the speaker with AirPlay technology support connect to the Wi-Fi network in the home, users can stream music without encountering any difficulty. Bluetooth connectivity was developed by Ericsson, and this wireless technology is being used widely in all types of devices. However, Bluetooth can transfer data between different devices without the need for a wifi connection

Performance

When it comes to sound quality, AirPlay will hold the advantage as it uses a lossless audio data transfer protocol to maintain quality, while Bluetooth doesn’t. This means that users will get higher quality sound without fear of loss of quality during data transfer while using an AirPlay connection. Another advantage of AirPlay is that it uses a wifi connection, which means that users can keep their iPhone in their pocket and move anywhere in the house without losing connection quality. Although there is a Bluetooth Class 2 standard that allows devices like the iPhone to connect to other devices within 10 meters, this does not always happen because it depends on the quality of the device. antenna, house layout, and other factors.

However, Bluetooth works without relying on a wireless network, making the connection mobility better. This also means that, if users want to move out to the park to enjoy music, for example, AirPlay is not the right choice, instead users need to use a wireless speaker device. Bluetooth connectivity will be better. If users intend to equip wireless speakers to mount around the house, using the AirPlay connection will be an advantage as it can easily transmit audio to many people if the user is using iTunes. (iOS does not provide this function), use the iOS Remote app to control iTunes on the computer if the user wants to customize more complex settings.

Meanwhile, Bluetooth speakers are limited by only being able to set up and connect to a single speaker. If the user establishes a connection for a set of desktop speakers or buys a pocket speaker, the user can carry it with him wherever he is, and using Bluetooth connectivity will be no problem, But if you want better quality in-house sound, the fact that users equipped with speakers using the AirPlay connection will respond better. One issue that some users using AirPlay connection has reported, is that its content buffer seems slow. This is particularly common on loud but low-powered speakers when they frequently skip tracks or change albums. By fine-tuning the options and using higher powered equipment this can be avoided.

Price

But what users can see, AirPlay technology is a standard Apple technology, so products equipped with this technology are often more expensive than other products. Currently, there are a lot of prices on the market for different speaker devices, but the prices for the AirPlay speakers will be on average higher than those using Bluetooth connectivity.

It is difficult to make a direct comparison between different types of speakers, but users can get an overview regarding which connection technology each speaker uses to find the difference between them. . The article will give examples with some types of speakers for user reference.

* The first is the Pure Contour 200i speaker priced on the homepage at 199 Euro, 36 watts capacity, 14.6 inch in size, and uses a power socket to provide power. It also includes a dock that uses a 30-pin connector to connect to an iPhone or iPod. The Pure Contour 200i speaker received a 5-star rating on Amazon, the BBC Music Magazine website also gave it a 5-star rating, while the PCWorld site gave it a 4-star rating at 80%. With such a rating, this is a very appreciated speaker device.

* Philips Fidelio P8BLK / 37 is priced at 249 USD, is a Bluetooth speaker with a much smaller size than that of Pure. In fact, its rechargeable battery can store enough for users to listen to music continuously for 8 hours, helping to improve portability. This speaker has a good rating of 4.5 stars on Amazon, and especially the low price.
* If users want to spend even more money to get speakers for higher sound quality, speakers using AirPlay Libratone Zipp connectivity up to £ 299 will be an attractive choice. It delivers up to 360-degree sound and up to 4 hours of continuous use when wirelessly transmitting (or 8 hours using the USB port or 3.5mm jack), allowing users to use the AirPlay connection to listen to music. anytime, anywhere on the go. On Amazon, the rating for this speaker is also quite high (reaching 4 stars) for further comparison of its portability.

* The above price is compared to the JBL OnBeat Rumble speaker. Offering 50 watts of output power combined with subwoofer, Lightning connection for iPhone or iPad mini, this is a very powerful speaker device. However, it’s less portable than the Zipp because it doesn’t have a built-in rechargeable battery and needs to be plugged into a power source to use it. The rating for speakers on Amazon is 4.5 stars, which shows that a large number of users really love the quality of the sound it delivers.

* And of course there are a few other options that give users the ability to use via AirPlay or Bluetooth, depending on usage needs, such as the Cambridge Audio Minx 100, priced at $ 449 for great flexibility. , is rated 4 stars on Amazon, although its sound quality is not really impressive.

Conclusion
Depending on the needs of users that users can buy for themselves which type of speaker is most suitable. If you care about sound quality, AirPlay will be a perfect choice, but if you need maximum portability, Bluetooth will take priority. If the user wants to listen to music through an Apple device but also uses an Android phone with them, a Bluetooth speaker provides the flexibility that users need.

Source: Makeuseof