Introduction to Wireless Audio Accessory Reviews

“There are no strings on me!” That’s the whole point of going wireless with anything, right? In the category of Wireless Audio Accessories, we’ll be looking at items that specialize in transmitting your audio, sans cable, from Point A to Point B. In some cases, that’ll even include audio going to Point C, D and E simultaneously!

A number of manufacturers these days are actively developing and marketing systems that get your music from wherever it is that you keep it, and send it to wherever you want in your house. Of particular interest lately are wireless speakers that are networked and can stream audio from your computer or from online sources. Some are single units while others are complete systems with smartphone app control. Wireless transceivers that can send audio signals to surround sound speakers or subwoofers, where hard wiring is difficult or impractical, are also of interest. As this category is intimately tied to broadband and wireless transmission standards, be on the lookout for continued development and evolution as those standards change. Another thing to pay attention to is the user experience. How easy is it to interface with and use some of these products? Do they easily integrate into your lifestyle?

As reviewers we try to not only critically asses the sound quality of these items, but we will also examine their usability and, in many cases, their livability.

Wireless

AURALiC ARIES G1 Wireless Streaming Transporter Review

Not too long ago, I wrote a very favorable review of the ARIES G2, which represents AURALiC’s update to its wildly popular ARIES wireless streaming device series. The ARIES G2, which was seemingly designed with a cost-no-object mentality, is excellent in every respect but it carries a rather steep price tag of $3,899. Earlier this year, AURALiC released the ARIES G1, which is positioned at a more affordable price point of $2,199. Although the functionalities of the two products are the same, AURALiC understandably omits some features of the ARIES G2 to meet the price point. The review should give readers some ideas as to whether the ARIES G1 is a worthy addition to AURALiC’s ARIES family.

AURALiC ARIES G2 Wireless Streaming Transporter Review

AURALiC seems to go all out in revamping the company’s ARIES wireless streaming product family with the ARIES G2. Introduced last year in May 2017 at High End Munich 2017 event, the ARIES G2 has been available for sale in the US since December 2017. The features and specifications of the ARIES G2 are nothing short of excellent. Read on the review to know more about the performance of the product.

MartinLogan Forte Amp

MartinLogan Forte Amp Review

High resolution wireless playback using DTS Play-Fi and Apple AirPlay is combined with high-power in the MartinLogan Forte amp. Wireless streaming is easy to set up and use with the Forte amp. Compatibility with other manufacturer’s components and speakers allows the Forte amp to be used in any situation and home wi-fi. Superb sonics round out the Forte amp’s strengths.

bluesound-wireless-multi-room-music-system

Bluesound Wireless Multi-room Music System Review

Bluesound is a relatively new player in the world of wireless multi-room music system. Its products, however, demonstrate maturity way beyond the company's young age. The products from the Bluesound ecosystem reviewed here: the Vault, Powernode, Duo, and Pulse, instill quite a positive impression and excitement on the future trend of wireless music systems.

Wireless HDMI Round Up

Now that our TVs are thin enough we often want to hang them on a wall, and manufacturers keep pushing the limits of thickness year after year. CES this year saw the advent of OLED TVs that are just millimeters thick as they no longer need backlighting systems, and serve double duty as a cheese slicer with their razor-thin profiles.

Accell UltraCat HD HDMI Extender

During CEDIA 2011, one technology that caught my attention was HDBaseT. It provided a solution to the all too familiar cable clutter problem. Below is a picture that I took at their booth which shows a set of cables whose signals could all be transmitted over a single Cat5e/6 cable at distances up to 100m.

Earthquake Sound SWAT 2.4 Wireless Transceiver

Earthquake Sound has introduced the SWAT 2.4 Stereo Wireless Transceiver, which consists of a small transmitter and receiver that operate wirelessly up to 100 feet, sending a stereo audio signal, via the 2.4 GHz wireless network band. It is an ideal solution for sending a stereo audio signal from your receiver's Zone 2 stereo output to a hifi system in another room of the house, and it can also be used for the rear channels of your home theater setup, such that you no longer need to run a set of speaker cables to the rear of the room.

It comes with all the connecting cables necessary, as well as two 5 volt DC wall warts for power.

Monster PowerNet 200 and 300 Kits for Audio and Video Streaming Through Your House AC Wiring

Two years ago, there wasn't a single device in my home theater that required an internet connection. Speed ahead to today, however, and my home theater now needs more internet connections than the rest of my household. Two BD Live Blu-ray Players, a DLNA Receiver, a PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii, Tivo HD, and a plasma with Internet Widgets all want to be online for either content downloads, media streaming, firmware upgrades, or more, and many of these require a lot of bandwidth to work well. Monster Cable's PowerNet 200 and 300 packages allow you to connect your music and video server to your hi-fi system in another part of the house by using the household AC wiring.

Audioengine AW1 Wireless Music Transmitter/Receiver

So there you have it – how I solved my yearly summer outdoors music problem with a terrific economical device from Audioengine, the AW1. I hate to sound like an advertisement, but order one, give it a try, and send it back if you don't agree with me that it's a flexible, high quality, and very useful product.