Apple sells two Speaker – theHomePod and HomePod mini – but there are lots of different type of speakers that work on with iPhone , iPad , Mac and Apple TV out there to choose from that could provide better value for money .
There ’s a peck of choice with the verbalizer in this round up bid a wide form of features , glasses , designs and price tags . But we ’re here to guide you through the complexness and help you determine the best speaker system for optimal public presentation with your Mac and iOS devices whether you are act medicine from your library or fromApple Musicor another music pelt inspection and repair .
We look at a variety of speakers including multi - way speaker system systems , which are more popular than ever – especially as mobile devices like the iPhone and iPad permit us to carry our intact euphony library from elbow room to room , or connect tomusic streaming servicessuch as Spotify , Apple Music or Amazon Prime Musicwith a fast spigot .
Apple substance abuser are well off getting a loudspeaker system with AirPlay support , and all the utterer in this test offer AirPlay 2 support . AirPlay is utilitarian if you require to stream music from your iPhone to a verbaliser . We explain what AirPlay is and the feature film it bring after on in this article .
We ’ve tested out some of the good talker you could buy to habituate with your Apple product below , so learn on to find out which AirPlay verbaliser are good .
Best speakers for iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple TV 2025
HomePod mini
We ’re pose theHomePod miniin the top spot on the basis of its low price tag , first-class sound quality and deep integration with Apple ’s software ecosystem – as long as you do n’t mind being tied to Siri .
The HomePod mini ca n’t mate the bass punch of the full - size of it HomePod , but the output signal is still far good than we have any rightfulness to anticipate at this size and cost . ( Just to reiterate , it ’s a third of the terms and a one-seventh of the weight of its larger sibling . )
For malarkey , rock and serious music we were blown away by its clear , copious sound . And while it ’s not quite got the welly to deafen your neighbour with house euphony at 3 am , and you wo n’t fill a Greenwich Village hall with strait , but it does fill up a room attractively – especially when teamed with a second modeling as a stereoscopic picture pair .
Apple HomePod (2nd generation, 2023)
If you ’re deep in the Apple ecosystem and you appreciate quality audio frequency , this is the smart speaker for you : it will fiddle your euphony beautifully and make TV watching a pleasure .
As with the HomePod mini , easiness of setup is one of its strongest features – plug in theHomePodand waving an iPhone mistily in its direction and an onscreen popup ( on the headphone ) will call for you to set it up . If there ’s another HomePod of the same model in the selected way , you ’ll be yield the selection to get together them as a stereoscopic photograph brace .
It sounds outstanding whether used as a single unit , or as a stereoscopic photograph brace , and it ’s a great accompaniment to your Apple TV as it supports Dolby Atmos and Spatial Audio ( the HomePod miniskirt does n’t ) . To detect out more , read the HomePod compares to the HomePod mini .
The main disadvantage of the 2023 HomePod are the high price ( three metre that of the HomePod mini ) and the frustrations associated with being reliant on Siri to control it . We really want aHomePod with a screen .
Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Pro Edition
Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelinrange of Speaker first seem back in 2007 . The Zeppelin Pro Edition launched at the end of 2024 and looks almost identical to the Zeppelin introduced , so be careful to ascertain which simulation you are considering buying .
At $ 799/£699 , it ’s one of the more expensive AirPlay speakers presently available , but it really does turn in the trade good in term of profound quality .
The Zeppelin Pro Edition measures 210 x 650 x 194 mm and weighs 6.6 kilo . It ’s available in a sullen ‘ space Charles Grey ’ or ‘ solar amber ’ .
Unlike many one - man speaker organisation – include Apple ’s HomePod – the Zeppelin Pro Edition offer a full stereo system , with freestanding left and right audio channels , as well as a consecrate U-boat - woofer for handle humiliated frequencies . That ’s a standardized set - up to old Zeppelin models , but Bowers & Wilkins says the woofer and tweeter have been redesign for the Zeppelin Pro Edition for even estimable sound timber .
Like old mannequin , the Zeppelin Pro Edition suffer Bluetooth with AAC for Apple devices , and aptX Adaptive for Android . There ’s also Wi - Fi with reinforcement for AirPlay 2 , which grant you to swarm wireless audio ( and Apple Music ) over your home connection from your Apple gadget . Using AirPlay with Apple gadget provide more bandwidth for high - quality audio files . The Zeppelin Pro also supports Spotify Connect , and Tidal and Amazon Music via an app .
Our only ill is that the Zeppelin Pro does n’t tender wired inputs , so you ca n’t connect it to a atomic number 48 musician or Hi - Fi .
The Zeppelin Pro Edition is one of the larger and more expensive AirPlay speakers . If you want a knock-down , high - caliber stereo speaker that supports AirPlay 2 this is a great alternative .
Roku Streambar
Roku is well - sleep with for its reach of teem media devices , which pop the question an low-priced alternative to Apple ’s own Apple TV loge . However , theRoku Streambargoes a step further by combining rain buckets characteristic with a compact soundbar speaker and support for Apple ’s AirPlay 2 – and all for a extremely competitory $ 129.99/£129.99 .
The AirPlay support and establish - in treble - band Wi - Fi mean that you’re able to simply use the Streambar as a established AirPlay speaker , using AirPlay to stream medicine via Wi - Fi from any Apple twist . It ’s surprisingly sinewy for such a compact speaker , and more than loud enough for toy music at home or keep an eye on a few Hollywood blockbuster . It even provides pretty good basso too , set ashore the sea bass guitar and crashing drums on Kate Bush ’s The Big Sky with genuine wallop ( and Roku has recently announced a new range of wireless speakers that also support AirPlay 2 , although we ’ve not had the opportunity to try out these yet ) .
pass away beyond canonic loudspeaker system mode , you’re able to also use the HDMI porthole on the back of the Streambar to join it to a TV or computer display , and this allows you to swarm video recording at up to 4 kibibyte closure from your Apple machine as well . you may even get rid of your Apple machine wholly , and just use the Streambar ’s built - in streaming features to connect your tv set or figurer monitor to a wide range of a function of picture service – includingApple TV+ , Netflix , Disney+ and so on . It also supports a figure of music stream services too , such as Apple Music and Spotify .
avowedly , the humble cost of the Streambar means that it does miss a few ripe features , such as support for Dolby Atmos , which you’re able to get from Apple ’s HomePod and also the Apple TV 4K. But , of course , the Apple TV box does n’t include a loudspeaker system , and the Streambar ’s low - cost combination of AirPlay speaker and music and telecasting cyclosis feature draw it an absolute bargain at this Mary Leontyne Price .
In 2024 Roku present the Streambar SE , which is a garish adaptation of the Streambar survey here . The larger Streambar Pro has been discontinued , but for now Roku seems to be continuing to deal the Streambar .
Sonos Era 100
When Sonos first introduced theEra 100it was lay as a mid - compass option that pose between the entry - tier Sonos One and the inflict Era 300 with Dolby Atmos at the top of the range . However , the veteran Sonos One restfully faded off a few month ago and the earned run average 100 has take over as the new launching detail for the Sonos range of multi - room speakers , with a $ 249/£249 price tag that makes it a good alternative to the Apple HomePod at £ 299/$299 .
At first glance , the Era 100 does look very similar to the original Sonos One , with an upright cylindrical designing that is available in black or white . It ’s somewhat large than the Sonos One , though , standing 182.5 mm high , 120 mm wide and 130 millimetre deep . This allows the Era 100 to squeeze in an extra eminent - frequency tweeter , so that it now houses two tweeters that are slant out to the right field and leave to spread phone more widely than the Sonos One . It also include a large woofer than the Sonos One , to handle the mid - range of mountains and bass and summate a petty excess big businessman as well .
This new intention works a treat and the Era 100 supply very estimable reasoned lineament for a comparatively compact utterer . The atmospheric harmonies of Enya’sOrinoco Flowhave a lighter , shimmer sound , but the compact utterer has catch some muscle too , and is easily able to occupy the elbow room around me with Enya ’s swirling cloud of sound . The duplicate tweeter provide a crisp , exonerated phone for the electronic loops that fell through the zephyr , but that larger woofer can also reach down and embrace the slow bass voice pulse and rumbling drums that enter as Enya ’s multi - get across vocals chant – “ turn it up , turn it up ” .
The only pocket-sized disappointment is that the Era 100 does n’t hold up Dolby Atmos or spatial audio . If you ’re a home cinema fan who really wants Atmos then you ’ll take to pay a small more for alternatives such as the Apple HomePod or the high - end Era 300 . But , if you ’re just looking for a compact , high - quality verbalizer with wi - fi and support for AirPlay , then the earned run average 100 rescue the goods at a lower price than most of its AirPlay rivals .
Sonos Roam 2
Sonos’Roamhas to be the smallest and most portable AirPlay 2 speaker unit we ’ve seen so far .
Sonos ’s original Roam fresh speaker was released back in 2021 , and it was one of the safe portable speakers we ’ve ever seen , render very skilful sound quality in a extremely compendious purpose that also managed to squeeze in utile feature of speech such as wireless charging and even support for Wi - Fi and AirPlay for Apple devices . The Roam 2 fine - tunes a number of features such as its lot - up and tuning process , and provides more square control .
Available in a variety of color – include red , greenish , blue and apparent old black and blank – the Roam 2 looks identical to its predecessor . It is 168 millimetre tall , 62 mm extensive and 60 millimeter abstruse , and weighs 0.43 kg . It ’s not pocket - size , but it will jibe into a backpack . It has a IP67 valuation urine and detritus resistance , so it ’s befit to the out-of-doors .
There ’s no room for a large assault and battery in the compact design , but it should last for up to 10 hr with music at 50 % bulk . It needs to fend upright for wireless charging and the mass , playback and mike controls baby-sit on the top , but you could turn the utterer onto its side and lay it flat . A USB - ampere-second port wine on the back can be used for charging too .
Roam 2 defend Bluetooth 5.2 and now has separate buttons for Power and Bluetooth pairing , which are easier to use than the fiddly multi - function push button on the original Roam . you could press the Bluetooth button to couple via Bluetooth , but you need to download the Sonos app for iOS in club to correct the speaker up right . We encountered problems become the loudspeaker system link to our Wi - Fi web and had to expend meter alter the Wi - Fi options . But , once that was done , the Roam 2 make really well . golden its support for AirPlay made connecting it to extra Apple devices straightforward .
The Roam 2 offer great sound quality for such a compact verbalizer , specially over a Wi - Fi connection . It did a beneficial job with Sturgill Simpson’sSing Along , laying down the grinding , fuzzy guitar that form the bedrock of the sound . On Billie Eilish’sBad Guyit achieved a pretty tidy bass beat for such a small speaker .
Switching to Bluetooth get the sound to drop off a little clarity – but that ’s a restriction of Bluetooth rather than the utterer itself , and the Roam 2 can go school principal - to - caput with any portable talker of this size and weight . The Roam 2 really punches above its exercising weight when it comes to sound caliber and its sturdy and lightweight aim is great for outdoor usance .
Sonos Era 300
Apple has been banging the metal drum for spacial audio recording for a few long time now , but Sonos really guide a step forrard with that engineering when it set in motion theEra 300 in 2023 . suitably enough , it also marked a new era for the Sonos range of multi - room speakers , with an entirely new design that was at least eye - get even if it was n’t perhaps as elegant as Sonos claimed .
Available in dark or bloodless , the bulky , hourglass design of the Era 300 is very much design for spacial audio , housing no less than six separate speaker driver , with reenforcement for Dolby Atmos when watch out films and video , or mind to spacial audio on Apple Music . There ’s one woofer and one tweeter on each side of the unit , which provide a wide stereoscopic photograph soundstage , while another tweeter on the front high spot vocals and duologue , or lead instrumental role . There ’s one more tweeter on the top , which is designed to fire speech sound off the ceiling to facilitate make a sense of superlative and space when listen to euphony or video that uses Atmos .
Like most Sonos speakers , the epoch 300 uses dual - band Wi - Fi ( 2.4GHz/5.0GHz ) to join to your base web , and also supports AirPlay 2 for use with Apple gadget and other AirPlay - compatible verbaliser . But , unlike previous Sonos speakers , the Era now supports Bluetooth as well , so that it can provide a agile and easy wireless connection for mobile equipment and figurer when required . you’re able to also buy an adaptor that provide a pumped connection ( although it ’s teasing that this costs an extra $ 19/£19 , give the speaker ’s hefty $ 449/£449 damage shred ) .
The earned run average 300 can earn its keep , though . The Dolby Atmos backing exercise really well on the opening scene ofBlade Runner , creating a material signified of bowel movement as the hovercar flies over the Los Angeles skyline , and there ’s a satisfying basso grumble to the bursts of steam and flaming that push through into the air .
It does a good chore with spatial sound on Apple Music too , specially with Ringo ’s dextrous percussion on the Atmos mix ofCome Togetherby the Beatles . The bongos skip lightly through the air and the bass guitar glides forward with a swaying , sinuous rhythm method . There ’s real weight unit behind the guitar riff that moderate into the refrain , but the Era 300 can still nibble out gentler particular such as the shimmer cymbals and rhythmical keyboard . Admittedly , it ’s one of the more expensive AirPlay talker currently available , but the powerful and atmospheric sound of the Era 300 , and support for Dolby Atmos , make it a good choice to more expensive soundbar systems for music and watching video .
Beats Pill
It sounds better than most portable speakers this size , but still sounds clipped at high loudness and some control are a little opaque .
TheBeats Pillis much meliorate over previous versions , but it has a few fracture that we ’d lie with to see addressed in the next rewrite .
Beats ’ iconic “ birth control pill ” embodiment is handy to contain around , fits anywhere a water bottle would go , and sits well on a mesa or likewise flat surface . you’re able to get one in Greco-Roman Beats colors — fateful , red , or champagne .
When at relaxation the verbalizer are tilted 20 degrees upward , which is a big way to project the sound more flat at you .
The Pill is IP67 - rat , so is should be safe on the beach , beside a pool , or in the rainfall . A silicone polymer forbidden wrapper helps prevent gibbosity and nick , while adding weatherproofing .
Along the top , you ’ll see volume buttons , a center multi - function button , and a power push button . They ’re far enough asunder and tag clearly enough that it ’s well-fixed to hit the proper one without paying close attention .
In the back is a single USB - C embrasure that can be used for agitate or as an audio stimulus , with support for lossless audio ( not that the Pill has the sound character to do it Department of Justice ) . It even overturn - charge with a triplex - spigot of the power button so it can be a sort of power bank for your sound .
pulsation says the barrage will last 24 minute . We can confirm it can easily run all day without recharging .
With a individual woofer capable of 90 percent more air displacement than the woofer in the Beats Pill+ and a paired tweeter , the Modern Beats Pill sound all right . Like all portable loudspeaker system with a cylindric design it lack low - end oomph . There ’s more bass than you ’d bear , but still less than you need . It does get pretty trashy , but at high volume , there ’s a clipped or limited feel .
There ’s a microphone to enable speakerphone or voice assistant , but it does n’t have much in the agency of disturbance step-down to protect from impregnable wind instrument or nearby main road interference .
The weatherproofing , comparatively loud volume , and antic battery life-time all make this a really great low-cost speaker for hang out by the pool . The $ 149.99/£149.99price is reasonable , too . You just need to manage your expectations for getting great well-grounded quality out of a fiddling portable speaker like this .
JBL Authentics 300
We ’ve looked at theJBL Flip 7,which launched in spring 2025 , and they are good , but they lack AirPlay . Tucked away in a quiet turning point of the JBL internet site the companionship has a range of wise utterer , call Authentics , which include both Wi - Fi and living for Apple ’s AirPlay .
There are three speakers in the range , starting at $ 349.99/£238.99 for the entry - stratum Authentics 200 , go up to $ 699.99/£529.99 for the top - of - the - cooking stove Authentics 500 . However , the sweet spot for us is the mid - range Authentics 300 , which has the most versatile conception and costs $ 449.99/£249.99 , although you may find oneself them cheaper .
The Authentics 300 is beautifully design , with a sturdy wooden locker and a crowing , low-set grille on the front that founder it an intentionally retroactive look . It ’s fairly big , standing 195 mm in high spirits , 342 millimetre all-inclusive and 180 millimeter cryptic , and it weighs in at a hefty 4.9 kg . Even so , it ’s still intend to be a portable verbaliser and – unlike the other Authentics verbaliser – it include a rechargeable stamp battery that lasts for around eight hours . There ’s also a stout metal carrying hold , so it ’s easy to pick the speaker up and carry it from room to board at home base , or out into the garden when the summer finally make it .
Inside the speaker system are two 25 mm tweeter , and a buirdly 133 mm woofer , along with a large passive bass radiator on the undersurface of the talker to help give the basso a bit of a boost . There ’s a book telephone dial on the top panel , along with separate control for aline Treble and Bass , but the cellular inclusion of wi - fi and support for AirPlay means that you’re able to also easy manipulate the verbalizer from any Apple devices , and the JBL One app also includes an eight - striation Equalizer that provides more precise restraint over the sound .
Getting start is a firearm of cake , as the JBL One app ab initio apply Bluetooth to connect to the verbaliser and then guides you through the unconscious process of connecting to your dwelling house connection , using either wi - fi or the Ethernet port settle on the back of the speaker . There are two microphones built into the speaker , although these only work out with Alexa and the Google Assistant , but there ’s a Mute button that allow you turn the mics off if you prefer to keep things private .
good quality is great , and the Authentics 300 lets the bass guitar on Blondie’sRapturebounce along with a relaxed , infective vigor . There ’s a bright , well-defined feel on the chop rhythm guitar , and the tympan and pleximetry of the late , great Clem Burke are as taut and precise as ever . And , with 100W output , the verbalizer has more than enough world power to get things give way at a BBQ or house - political party . Our only underage complaint is that the USB - vitamin C port wine on the back of the utterer does n’t provide a pumped up audio input – although there is a 3.5 mm connector on the back of the loudspeaker system if you want a wired joining .
Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin
We mention the new for 2024 Zeppelin Pro above , but for nowBowers & Wilkinscontinues to trade the 2021 Zeppelin so you may find it at a good discount . Just be aware that while we celebrated this models terrific reasoned caliber when it came out , the New manakin boasts even better sound .
Available in either Midnight Grey or a silvery Pearl Grey , this Zeppelin look very similar to the 2024 Zeppelin Pro and its predecessors , with the optic - get ellipse intent that gives the speaker its name .
On the inside , this Zeppelin has a pair of high - frequency tweeter and mid - range woofers place on each side of a central sub - woofer , while the total building block is powered by a roof - rattle 240W amplifier .
The Zeppelin supports AirPlay 2 , along with Bluetooth and Apple ’s AAC codec and the AptX Adaptive codec that is used on many Android devices , and Spotify Connect too .
At $ 799/£699 this model has the same ( eminent ) price as it ’s predecessor , but as it is phased out it ’s likely to see cost drop .
How to choose an AirPlay speaker
There ’s a lot to think about when buying an AirPlay loudspeaker system so make indisputable you read this buying advice before splashing the cash .
Music streaming & compatibility
Having your favorite music postdate you around your home is large , but formal multi - room speakers often have significant limitation . Many , for example , will only work with a special phone number of streaming service that are built into the apps provided by each manufacturing business .
As you might bear , most will work withSpotify , whileTidalandDeezeralso get a lot of reenforcement . But for some cause , Sonos is one of the few manufacturers of multi - room loudspeaker that also supportsApple Music . In fact , some speakers only ply apps for Io or Android mobile devices , which means that you ca n’t even play euphony from a Mac .
The other big problem with conventional speakers in the yesteryear was that you have generally had to buy them all from one manufacturer when piece a multi - elbow room apparatus because rival speakers were ill-sorted and would n’t work together .
AirPlay vs AirPlay 2
The talker market changed dramatically in 2018 with the release of Apple ’s update AirPlay 2 computer software . Released to cooccur with the originalHomePodlaunch , AirPlay 2 has also been licensed to a number of well - known manufacturer , which think there ’s now a wide range of compatible speaker uncommitted . In fact , every model in our top 10 works with AirPlay 2 .
The first version of AirPlay , released back in 2010 , was like a souped - up version of Bluetooth , allowing you to rain buckets audio from any app on your Mac or Io equipment to any AirPlay - compatible speaker and rid you from reliance on the manufacturer ’s apps . AirPlay also habituate a Wi - Fi connection , which means a higher bandwidth than Bluetooth and better level-headed tone – not to observe long range .
The simplicity and versatility of AirPlay is large , but – like Bluetooth – its original version was only design to function with one speaker at a time . AirPlay 2 takes Apple into the multi - room market , with the power to stream music to several speakers in unlike elbow room . ( or else , you cancreate a HomePods stereoscopic photograph pairin the same room . )
But the real biz - record changer with AirPlay 2 was interoperability , the ability to link together loudspeaker from different manufacturers for the very first time . This intend you canmix and match speakersaround your abode – pick , for instance , a HomePod as your primary aliveness - room verbaliser , a Sonos in the chamber , and a portable verbalizer for drinking in the garden – and have them all associate up to fiddle music simultaneously .
Which version of AirPlay is supported?
The crucial thing to remember is that there are now two types of AirPlay loudspeaker . Some old models will use the original version of AirPlay – which is limited to streaming medicine to one speaker at a fourth dimension – but new speakers ( and certainly all the speaker in this article ) focus on AirPlay 2 . Some will have the AirPlay logo on the publicity , but this does n’t specify whether it ’s AirPlay or AirPlay 2 . It ’s therefore important to discipline which version is supported by any speaker before buying .
Given that AirPlay 2 has been around for three year , it would be surprising to see a maker liberate an AirPlay 1 speaker right on now , but it does n’t injure to watch . You do n’t want to get caught out .
It ’s also deserving cite that some older AirPlay speakers can be upgraded to do work with AirPlay 2 as well . Libratone ’s newfangled Zipp 2 uses AirPlay 2 , but it ’s possible to download a software program update for the old first - propagation Zipp speakers that adds support for AirPlay 2 . unluckily , that ’s not the case with all AirPlay speakers , and some models are stuck with canonical AirPlay .
Sound Quality vs Price
The fact that Apple licence both AirPlay and AirPlay 2 to other manufacturers has other advantage too . Namely , the option to choose from a wide of the mark range of ( often lower - cost ) third - party speakers from ship’s company like Sonos and Ikea .
At the other extreme , some really expensive hi - fi systems in the word of mouth offer AirPlay 2 support for audiophiles and home celluloid buffs . These options give you flexibility : you could spend heavily on a really high - calibre speaker for your bread and butter room , for example , while prefer for a less expensive model in the kitchen .
Indoors and Outdoors
Some manufacturers leave more specialized Speaker too , such as soundbars that you’re able to use with your TV , or sub - woofers that can provide a bass hike for parties , or for sound personal effects when watch films .
Some even let in rechargeable batteries and lightweight , portable design so you may pluck them up and carry them from way to room – which is certainly cheaper than buying a unexampled speaker for each room – or take them out into the garden for a barbeque .
Connectivity
Connectivity is another key issue . The HomePod has been criticised for trust on Wi - Fi for cyclosis , with no choice for speedy and easy Bluetooth streaming for Android and other non - Apple gadget . It does n’t have a 3.5 mm audio connection either , which would countenance you to utilise it with a candela player or other audio devices .
Fortunately , many AirPlay and AirPlay 2 speakers provide a greater range of connectivity , allowing you to play music from a wider chain of equipment than the HomePod . Sonos has even annunciate it will be releasing an AirPlay 2 amplifier soon that can organise the centerpiece of a serious place entertainment system .
In other tidings , AirPlay 2 is here to stay .
