Smart Features: Every AirPlay 2 speaker has some level of integration with Siri, but we made sure to pick some speakers that work with other smart assistants, too. That’s because AirPlay 2 requires an active Wi-Fi connection, which isn’t guaranteed at public places like the beach. Portability: All of the speakers in this guide are relatively small, so you’ll be able to move them around your house without much of a hassle, but none are truly wireless. This is an especially useful feature now that Apple has announced you can set third-party music streaming services like Spotify as your default choice. You can ask Siri, Apple’s smart assistant, to play songs through an AirPlay speaker without touching your phone. It allows you to stream music to multiple speakers at the same time without installing a third-party app, or rooting around a complicated settings menu. With AirPlay 2, you can stream CD-quality music instead of having it get compressed. What Is AirPlay 2?ĪirPlay 2 is a wireless streaming technology developed by Apple to offer a better experience than what you’d get using Bluetooth. It’s worth pointing out that most of these speakers support both wireless formats, so you can play music from all of your devices on the same speaker.

We’ve rounded up the best AirPlay 2 speakers you can get right now, and recommend you consider them before getting a Bluetooth speaker. Most wireless speakers use Bluetooth, but iPhones, iPads, and Macs can stream music using AirPlay 2, an Apple developed technology that bests Bluetooth in a few key ways. Over the last few years wireless speakers have gone from niche to normal, so much so that many devices can’t connect to a wired pair without an adapter. If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Rolling Stone may receive an affiliate commission.

Best wireless speakers for imac