The problem is, when shopping for an AV receiver, which do you look for and why? In the Bluetooth vs Apple Airplay questions, several factors determine the best way to go. Bluetooth Audio and Apple AirPlay Streaming present two competing choices. Older Sonos speakers can be grouped with one of the If you like to stream wireless music to a desktop speaker or even an AV receiver, there are two ways that are very popular. New Sonos One, Sonos Beam, Sonos Playbase and Sonos Play:5(2nd generation) are supported. TuneBlade is a simple tray utility that lets you stream system-wide audio to AirPort Express, Apple TV, AirPlay enabled speakers and HiFi receivers, and to AirPlay audio receiving applications such as ShairPort, XBMC/Kodi and TuneAero.This is a 100 free video player that is best suited for Mac platform. Cisdem VideoPlayer for Mac. Supported media formats: videos in MP4, AVI, WMV, FLV, MKV, MTS/M2TS, H.265/264, VP8/9, WebM. 5K Player Interface Playing media files is the primary feature of 5KPlayer , and it has been made solid in support for a vast multitude of video music formats like MKV, MP4, MOV, FLV, AVI, etc., and video resolution. 5KPlayer is an HD media player, AirPlay streamer, iDevice screen mirroring recorder and Internet download manager all in one.Finally, we’ll draw some conclusions.The conclusions you draw will largely be determined by the personal electronics devices you use in your home. Next, I’ll summarize my thoughts on which you may want to lean towards and why. At the top of our list comes: Which one offers higher resolution audio and better playback quality? I want to break down Bluetooth vs AirPlay and explain what makes each tick.
Initially developed for devices within close proximity, eventually, Bluetooth migrated to other devices. Bluetooth audio streaming is even making its way into garages in the form of smart power tools.Bluetooth was initially created for use with keyboards and mice as a means of allowing them to connect wirelessly. AV receivers also nearly all include some form of Bluetooth audio connection. You will find it on all modern laptops, tablets, and smartphones (both Android and iOS). Bluetooth audio, however, is nearly universal and most certainly platform-agnostic. Leave the room with a Bluetooth source and you will likely hiccup the music or cut it off altogether. Introducing the aptX CODECThat started to change with the introduction of the new aptX codec. The format simply wasn’t designed to transmit audio greater than MP3 fidelity. Initially, speakers and audio devices using Bluetooth typically provided lower-quality audio. High-end audio stayed mostly on the radar—for a bit. WiFi Not NecessaryBluetooth also doesn’t require a local Wi-Fi network. Initially pairing all but required a four-digit code, tons of patience, and lots of prayer.Lately, Bluetooth 4.0 and later devices licked this final hurdle, making Bluetooth considerably more convenient to use and a much simpler format to enable at-will. The other thing that improved over time was pairing. This is a far cry from the sparkling “mono-tastic” sound of early Bluetooth earpieces. It lets you send a stereo audio signal, letting you listen to your music wirelessly. The profile I’m generally concerned with is called Advanced Audio Distribution Profile, or as it’s commonly referred, A2DP.A2DP is the stereo profile typically associated with Bluetooth speakers, headphones, and headsets. That makes it all things to all people…or at least all types of devices. It doesn’t include manufacturer-specific product licensing fees.Possibly most confusing, Bluetooth includes a ton of “Profiles” or implementation methods. Additionally, you can add Bluetooth to almost any audio device quite inexpensively. AirPlay also buffers the stream for 2 seconds. It sends stereo audio at 44.1kHz with AES encryption. The Apple Lossless codec (AAC Lossless) is what makes up the audio streams. The strength of the AirPlay protocol for audio is that it uses UDP for streaming audio which has a low overhead. It requires a wireless network in order to function. An Overview of Apple AirPlay StreamingThe Apple AirPlay network streaming system works atop Wi-Fi. Old goan konkani songs free download mp3You can really place AirPlay devices almost anywhere in a home or office—even if the controller or source device is a significant distance away from the output device.The downside in using Apple AirPlay vs Bluetooth, of course, is that it is an Apple-only protocol. Since AirPlay uses Wi-Fi and not Bluetooth, it provides a significantly better range. It tracks that data efficiently, so you get quick and accurate album art, play duration, and feedback controls. Airplay vs Bluetooth on RangeAirPlay sends metadata along with the audio stream. Since it sends the original source exactly as transmitted, AirPlay has the added benefit of using the destination devices to individually control the volume. As a result, it provides pristine audio quality. This is a very cool feature that is rare in the market for systems that aren’t wholly locked down (like Sonos or other whole-home audio systems). In this way, you can enact a “Party Mode” whereby the same music is sent and synced to multiple individual speakers in your home or office. Party On…Party ModeI’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that AirPlay has a unique feature whereby iTunes can control multiple AirPlay-enabled speakers and control both the source and volume for each. You can extend Wi-Fi networks almost indefinitely with the knowledge that distance actually does reduce the bandwidth or throughput capabilities due to cabling and other factors. As a proprietary system, manufacturers of AirPlay-enabled speakers and other AV equipment pay a licensing fee to Apple to use the technology and make it available in their products.* AptX streaming technology requires licensing, but Bluetooth itself requires no special proprietary licensing fee on a per-product basis.** This is a measured bandwidth number reflecting a particular 802.11n Wi-Fi network configuration and may vary.*** The number given is a generally accepted average distance to an access point for 802.11n. Best Airplay Media Streamer Tv To StreamThe great benefit not mentioned above is that the appleTV uses an HDMI port to send the music to my home audio system…and then to my TV. Airplay is great yet has its moments of disconnecting, yet rare. Although i ditched iphones and went back to Samsung, i still have an ipad that is dedicated to music and use the airplay. I’d mention Windows phones, but, honestly, they have such a small market share I feel like I’d also have to talk about Palm OS and RIM.Which streaming format do you use, or which suits your needs better? Drop us a comment below—inquiring minds want to know!I have been using apple tv to stream Spotify music through my reciever amp for years. Smartphones and tablets have either both (iOS) or Bluetooth (iOS and Android). However the app on the the stereo is much more prehistoric and not nearly as easy as using my ipad to navigate music. Oh and my reciever is a Dennon that when connected to the wireless router can stream spotify songs directly to it. Not sure if chromecast would do somethimg similar. I wish android developed this type of technology. To add, any youtube video or any video for that matter is routed through my stereo and TV….making it fun for those youtube party nights. To my ears AptX and Airplay/DLNA are neck and neck with Audio Quality and that to me is the bottom line. Both have their advantages and disadvantages. Yet one could certainly buy an old iphone 4 and an apple tv for less than 200 bucks and have a dedicated high quality streaming music systemI have used both AptX and Airplay (DLNA) extensively on fairly high end vintage receivers/amps and newer AV Receivers. Via DLAN on an Android, you can’t just stream anything via DLNA. The problem is, only Apple iPhones or iPads or iPods have seamless Airplay transmission so that you can steam ANY audio to Airplay.
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