The Best AirPlay Speakers (2024) listen your fav music

The Best AirPlay Speakers have become a widely embraced standard for wireless audio systems, gaining increasing popularity. This technology finds its application in a diverse array of products, spanning from Apple’s own HomePods to third-party offerings such as Sonos. The rationale behind this growing preference is well-founded. Our extensive evaluations of AirPlay speakers, dating back to their initial introduction, affirm that they stand out as one of the swiftest and most user-friendly methods for configuring a multi-room audio setup, especially when utilizing Apple’s hardware.

The fact that there are so many options is great, but it’s also a double-edged sword for a few reasons. First, just because a speaker works with AirPlay doesn’t mean it’s good. We’ve had a lot of AirPlay speakers come through our listening rooms that fell short in important ways, like sound quality.

You should also be careful about which speaker you buy if you want to add it to a system you already have. Even if both speakers have AirPlay, mispairing them can make a big difference in how they sound and work together. If you want the best sound, you should always pair speakers from the same family, like a Sonos One with a Sonos SL or two Apple HomePod 2s.

Best AirPlay Speakers Comparison Table

Apple HomePod 2

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Apple’s best AirPlay speaker is the HomePod 2. It’s also one of the smartest things on this list that costs this much.When we tested the HomePod 2, we were surprised by how good it sounded and how easy it was to set up. Its smart trick, which none of the other speakers on this list can do, is to change its settings in real time based on where it is placed.

During our tests, we could hear the speaker changing its sound as we moved it from an open space to a spot next to a wall. The result was wonderful. The track “Trials Of The Past” by SBTRKT is hard for almost every speaker at this price to play in Apple Lossless. Even so, the Apple HomePod 2 did a great job of dealing with it, delivering clear sound that was blissfully free of the sibilance we hear on many other speakers.

 Sonos Era 300

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It seems like it’s no longer enough for the best wifi speakers to have good sound and a good range of features. Since Apple’s powerful HomePod 2, which came out early in 2023 and included spatial audio, the race has been on to see who could beat the big dog on the block when it came to putting the highly regarded technology into their own speakers.

The Era 300, which is more expensive than the HomePod 2, is Sonos’s attempt to beat Apple at its own game. With its unusual “cinched hourglass” shape, the Era 30 is definitely a bit harder to get used to than most of the brand’s more traditional designs. What can’t be argued about, though, is how well the five-star Era 300 does its job. In short, it is the best thing ever. 

Denon Home 150 Wireless

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The Denon Home 150 Wireless could be a good choice if you already have a Denon or Marantz HEOS (Home Entertainment Operating System) speaker or want to start a multi-room setup. The speaker has a dynamic tweeter and a mid-bass driver, which are made to make both high and low sounds louder. You can stream music using Wi-Fi, HEOS, or Bluetooth, as well as AirPlay 2. Even a USB drive can be plugged into the right port on the back.

The HEOS app works with Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon Music HD, Tidal, and many more streaming services. Once you’ve set them up, you can use the app to control them. Still like to turn on the radio? You can link up to three internet radio stations to the Quick Select buttons on top of the speaker using the HEOS app.

Marshall Uxbridge Voice

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The distinctive guitar cabinet-inspired designs of Marshall’s audio products serve as their trademark. Following the company’s tradition of providing a product that appears and sounds like it was created for audiophiles, the Marshall Uxbridge Voice is a speaker. The voice assistant integration of the speaker is one of its primary selling points, as suggested by its name. 

The Marshall Uxbridge Voice is undoubtedly one of the best smart speakers you’ll ever use, whether you choose Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa as your virtual assistant. Whether you’re on the other side of the room or trying to talk over your music, the speaker will be able to pick up your commands thanks to its dual far-field microphones.

Apple HomePod mini

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The HomePod mini is a great choice for anyone who wants to join the Apple smart ecosystem or who has an Apple Music subscription. It’s a lot cheaper than some people might think. For less than $100/£100/AU$150, it has powerful sounds and an elegant design. 

 The best thing about the HomePod mini for us is how well it plays music.

 It’s great for such a small speaker, and the price and sound quality seem to be just right. The bass isn’t too strong, the vocals don’t get lost in the mix, and when you pair two minis, the stereo experience is really immersive. There may be better-sounding speakers on this list, but the HomePod mini is definitely the best value and the best speaker to use if you want to build up your Apple ecosystem.

Naim Mu-So Qb 2nd Generation

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Naim Audio makes some of the most stylish connected speakers on the market, and the Mu-So Qb 2nd Generation is the best one they’ve made so far, in our opinion. When Kanye West’s 808s & Heartbreak is playing through Tidal, the Naim does a good job of controlling the low frequencies that sound cold and strange. Overall, the frequency range is well-balanced, with no area getting too much or too little attention. 

And with a song like Mogwai’s “Come On Die Young,” the Qb 2nd Gen. shows how well it can handle big and small changes in volume. It has a full set of connectivity options, including aptX Bluetooth, Spotify Connect, and AirPlay. This means that no matter what device you use, all of your music should work at its highest quality. 

Roku Streambar

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Roku is known for its line of streaming media players, which are less expensive than Apple’s own Apple TV box. But the Roku Streambar goes one step further by combining streaming features with a small soundbar speaker and support for Apple’s AirPlay 2—all for a very competitive $129.99/£129.99. Because it has built-in dual-band Wi-Fi and works with AirPlay, you can just use the Streambar as a regular AirPlay speaker and stream music from any Apple device over Wi-Fi using AirPlay.

 It’s surprisingly loud for such a small speaker, and it’s loud enough to play music at home or watch a few Hollywood blockbusters. Even the bass is pretty good, and Kate Bush’s “The Big Sky” sounds great with the bass guitar and crashing drums. Roku recently announced a new line of wireless speakers that also work with AirPlay 2, but we haven’t had a chance to test them yet.

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