AirPlay v. Bluetooth Wireless Audio

ByMike Moffit

AirPlay v. Bluetooth Audio: Which one is for you?

AirPlay – AirPlay is a technology invented by and used by Apple to let users broadcast audio and video to WiFi-connected devices. (about.com)

Bluetooth – A wireless technology which allows ‘personal area networking’ – connection up to 100m between mobile phones, PCs and accessories such as headsets. (telecomsadvice.org)

Alright, we’ve started with defining the two wireless music options. AirPlay was created by Apple specifically in use with their devices, iOS as well as Mac & PC’s running iTunes 10. Meaning with a compatible iOS 4 device or higher, or a Mac or PC running iTunes 10 you can wirelessly push your music to an AirPlay specific device, such as speaker dock, home theater receiver, TV, or an AirPort Express.

As for Bluetooth, this technology has been an open protocol for many more years than AirPlay. Being open this means most devices we carry today have Bluetooth, be it your cell phone, PSP, Mac Computer, PC, iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, etc… The key to Bluetooth is it’s not an Apple exclusive. This means you can use other devices, like mentioned above. Now that we have the background down let’s figure out which one works best for a particular situation.

Uses, we all have different needs for our audio. Some are trying to fill a home with speakers in each room, while others are just trying to make the perfect living room set-up. Either way these two wireless audio options will work for one or the other.

Multiple Room
If you are looking to create a wireless setup for multiple rooms in your home the best option will be to use AirPlay. The reason for this is in it’s definition, “WiFi connected devices”. This means it’s using a WiFi connection to receive your audio. WiFi is a much larger signal than Bluetooth, meaning that a large or small home can be completely covered by WiFi. Either one strong router such as an AirPort Extreme should cover your home or it can even be strengthened by a repeater such as an AirPort Express. WiFi is no problem, most people already have it, now for speakers.

What speakers will you be playing too? Old ones, new ones, does wifi have to be built in? Answer: Yes and No? You can use an older receiver and speaker system simply by plugging in an AirPort express, this will allow your stereo to connect using the 1/8th inch audio jack to RCA. Apple has also begun licensing AirPlay to speaker manufactures such as iHome, JBL, Pioneer, and others. This means you can purchase an AirPlay enabled speaker for a room, simply plug into the wall, connect to your local WiFi, click your AirPlay on iOS or iTunes 10 and it should appear as a playable option.

A great advantage as well is that you will be able to play to multiple rooms simultaneously. For instance, while holding a dinner party you may want the same tunes playing in the kitchen and living room while people mingle back and forth. With AirPlay you can select both rooms and push the same audio to them. But wait the kitchen is so much louder than the living room, how can I adjust volume levels in each room? Easy, Apple has released the ability to control volume individually as well, meaning the kitchen can get bumped up a few so the cook can continue to rock. Now, you may be worried about the Mac with all your music being hidden deep in an office your fears are over, Apple has also produced a Remote App that allows you to control your iTunes library right from your iOS device, as well as select the speakers you wish to listen too. Lastly I’ll leave you with a great tip, with your iOS 4.0 device you can now also stream audio from App’s beside your iPod, maybe Pandora for instance, Last FM, or even your web radio stations such NPR. This is of course a very Apple oriented set-up, which is why we’re also talking about Bluetooth.

Single Room/Apartment/Office
Bluetooth will not be a great set-up for multiple rooms due to the fact it’s opposite of AirPlay and does not require a local WiFi connection to receive audio. Again most devices we carry have bluetooth capabilities, especially the smart phones we carry around, be it an iPhone, Droid, or even those Windows phones you can push your tunes to a Bluetooth speaker. This means Bluetooth speakers are better for single rooms, such as an apartment, at the office, or even out on the beach this summer. That’s right, imagine rocking out at the beach to all your friends favorite tunes no matter which smartphone they brought with them. You can still push your Pandora or Last FM from your iPhone to the Bluetooth speakers, just as you can with AirPlay, it actually is the same icon on your iOS device. As for computers same idea, Mac or PC with bluetooth will allow you to wirelessly push music, advantage here, you can push any audio, not just iTunes. As before when I said you could push Pandora, Last FM, NPR, and others that was from iOS devices only, on a Mac with AirPlay you can only push iTunes content. A great advantage that Bluetooth offers computers over AirPlay, especially for someone in an office or dorm room. Hop on your bed with your Macbook Pro and continue to push your tunes to the speakers on your desk. Or simply put a Bluetooth speaker under your 27” iMac for style points as well as a great sound upgrade.

Seeing the advantages and disadvantages of both you’ve now hopefully seen which one is for you. Let’s talk about price. As we know Apple products and software carry a small “Mac-Tax” for being so awesome and easy to set-up and use. This is no different with Apple’s AirPlay, when companies purchase this from Apple it means their product’s are going to raise in price as well. Comparing two similar models of speakers we saw a JBL w/AirPlay at $350 compared to a Creative Labs Bluetooth speaker for $129. Similar sound very different price. Again it’s not that AirPlay isn’t worth the money, especially for that multiple room set-up, but for traveling and around the apartment there’s Bluetooth which will save you some coin.

Final thoughts, it’s a very tough decision. These devices work very differently in different situations. If your Apple-house hold already AirPlay is most likely already being used. Otherwise if you’re a non-Apple fanatic looking to unplug, Bluetooth is the way to go. I hoped this has helped in your audio selecting process. Please e-mail me any questions.

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