Air Tunes -- Airport Express only?

[phinsman]

I've been trying to research the Air Tunes thing, because I'd really like the idea of putting speakers throughout the house. I have a question or two about it that I haven't really found an answer to in my searches.

My first question is this...are there any alternatives to the Airport Express? $129 is quite a bit for just the ability to put speakers somewhere. I have my iMac wired, as well as most of the house, so I don't really need it to be wireless.

That brings up another question...anybody know a good place to buy the Airport Express cheaper, besides eBay? Again, I can't get past the thought of paying over $100 just to place a pair of speakers somewhere.

Thanks very much. I'm new to the Mac after years with (of course) Windows, and a few years with Linux as my main system at work and home.

Dale

 

[symphonix]

Airtunes is currently only available on the Airport Express. I'd like to point out that I think the Airport Express is Apple's single most under-estimated product ... its an 802.11g router at a price-point that competes well with all the other 802.11g routers out there, but is compact, self contained (whereas all the others use a power brick), has a built in print server and digital audio streaming using a lossless codec and with both analog and optical-digital out. It fully supports PCs and Macs. I'm surprised it hasn't sold better.

I like mine mostly for Airtunes, but also for the fact that I can move my iMac anywhere in the house and have Internet access.

That said, there are a lot of other options out there, like the SoundBridge, but most of these are just as expensive. You could get an electrician to put in audio-points to pipe the sound through on a cable, but this is more expensive than the Express and is not digital. An FM transmitter is an option as well, and many of these are available, but this is also lossy in terms of quality. You can look at putting in network cables to another computer, or a Tivo-like device, but by that stage you might as well just buy the Express anyway.

The only reasonable cheaper option is to use an Mp3 player to "sneaker net" your music from your Mac to your living room. ;-)

 

[phinsman]

Airtunes is currently only available on the Airport Express. I'd like to point out that I think the Airport Express is Apple's single most under-estimated product ... its an 802.11g router at a price-point that competes well with all the other 802.11g routers out there, but is compact, self contained (whereas all the others use a power brick), has a built in print server and digital audio streaming using a lossless codec and with both analog and optical-digital out. It fully supports PCs and Macs. I'm surprised it hasn't sold better.

I like mine mostly for Airtunes, but also for the fact that I can move my iMac anywhere in the house and have Internet access.

It does sound like a good deal for all it has...I just wish the Air Tunes component was somehow separated since I already have both a router and a wireless access point.

That said, there are a lot of other options out there, like the SoundBridge, but most of these are just as expensive. You could get an electrician to put in audio-points to pipe the sound through on a cable, but this is more expensive than the Express and is not digital. An FM transmitter is an option as well, and many of these are available, but this is also lossy in terms of quality. You can look at putting in network cables to another computer, or a Tivo-like device, but by that stage you might as well just buy the Express anyway.

I actually did look into getting the electrician we had working on our house last weekend install speaker cable, but the whole setup just wasn't really what I was looking for. I'm not really an audio geek or anything...it was just something my wife wanted, to be able to listen to music from our computer anywhere in the house.

The only reasonable cheaper option is to use an Mp3 player to "sneaker net" your music from your Mac to your living room. ;-)

Now there's an idea!

Thanks for the info, Symphonix.

Dale

 

[doemel]

Airtunes is currently only available on the Airport Express. I'd like to point out that I think the Airport Express is Apple's single most under-estimated product ... its an 802.11g router at a price-point that competes well with all the other 802.11g routers out there, but is compact, self contained (whereas all the others use a power brick), has a built in print server and digital audio streaming using a lossless codec and with both analog and optical-digital out. It fully supports PCs and Macs. I'm surprised it hasn't sold better.

BUT (and that's a huge but) the AX's range is a joke compared to other B/G routers/access points. I love my AX but I am fed up with the limited range so I have decided to get me a Linksys WRT54G and try to get a WDS network going with the two, including Airtunes. There's How-Tos on the net, but I have yet to try it out. I'll post my results here in the forums since I haven't found any other entry on the subject yet.

The AX is a fine product but, as many (if not most) wireless routers it has its shortcomings. As long as you don't need high range it's fine. Plus there has been quite a few reports lately of failing AX. Mine ist still running fine after more than 2 years of constant use.