Cynthia in SF asked a great question in the comments for our post on streaming non-iTunes tunes.
OK, dumb question here - please don't be mean!!!
I have an iMac, Airport Express, and a wireless network, can I just hook up little speakers to the Airport Express and play music from my iTunes library that way? I used to have my stereo hooked up and do it that way. Since I moved, I have my Bose wave radio plugged directly into the iMac and I'm not using the stereo or Airport Express. I've never tried just speakers. Can I get rid of the stereo and just hook up speakers to the Airport Express? If so, any recommendations for a pair for $100?
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Cynthia,
Not a dumb question at all. The first thing to know is that all speakers must either have a receiver to get their power or be self powered. The best way to know if your speakers fit the bill is if they have a cable running from them with a mini audio jack at the end (the kind that your headphones have). That's what you need to plug into the Airport Express.
You've got multiple options here.
If you have regular speakers, the ones with speaker wires coming out of them that split into a red wire and black wire you'll need a receiver. You can then plug the receiver into the Airport Express using a RCA to mini jack cable and configure via your Airport software to stream audio straight to your receiver.
If you want to have speakers near your computer when you work you can invest in computer speakers that plug into your computer via either a mini jack or USB. Here are a few we've covered in the past.
Lacie's USB powered speakers for $60 
Genelec speaker and subwoofer for about $300 
JVC's $79 set 
top photo: danalipar
Not to be too much of a stickler for details, but its not a receiver that is needed to power the speaks, it is an amplifier. The thing that most people have in their living room includes a receiver, to receive and FM or AM radio signal, plus perhaps a pre-amp for a phonograph connection (since the record players output is distorted and needs to be modified before being amplified, or it will sound funny), CD connections, etc., and an amplifier, which, not surprisingly amplifies the electric signal for the speakers.
For the question at hand, it is possible to buy (or even build) an amplifier just for powering the speakers with out the AM/FM radio or other parts at all.
view lhc's profile
If she ends up buying something new and wants to keep it simple I would highly recommend looking into high quality powered spearkers from Audioengine (www.audioengineusa.com).
They make two sizes the A2 and the A5 and have gotten very good reviews. (search google or look at the links on their siteand you will find ones like this:
http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/speakers/lifestyle-desktop-and-portable/audioengine-a5)
The larger A5 speakers are actually really uniquely set up to use an airport express as they have a plug built in making the system very slick.
view jtdcg's profile
Sounds like she would be happy with a pair of decent PC speakers plugged directly into her Airport Express. I don't think getting an amp would be ideal unless she already has a pair of really good speakers or something.
view illegal danish's profile
Perhaps something like the T-Amp would be a good solution for a budget that's under a hundred bucks? I think
It may sound a little intimidating but the way I understand it you plug your speakers into the T-Amp which is connected to your airport express and listen to your itunes wirelessly or use third party software to listen to just about anything else wirelessly. Simple as that.
This way you can use any speakers that you may have.
http://www.thinkgeek.com/electronics/audio/9c60/?cpg=ab
view art's profile
lhc,
You could look into building a chipamp. They are inexpensive with decent sound quality.
http://www.chipamp.com/
view roger_lew's profile
P.S.
T-amp works if your speakers need less than 10 watts. The LM1875 chipamp delivers about 25 watts, and the LM3886 gives you 68 watts.
view roger_lew's profile
P.S.S.
I highly recommend playing music through your Airport Express. Being untethered from the speakers is wonderful. Especially if you already own it and you have a laptop.
AirTunes integrates seamlessly with iTunes. AirTunes also lets you play to simultaneously to multiple locations. Which is wonderful for parties. Instead of having music blasting in my living room, I can play it throughout the house at moderate volume while maintaining audibility.
view roger_lew's profile
1 more thing.
You can routinely find used wireless G Airport Expresses on ebay for about 60 bucks. I picked 2 of mine up this way. For streaming music wireless G seems to be adequate.
view roger_lew's profile
Check out Cambridge Soundworks at http://www.hifi.com. They sell multimedia powered speakers with their own built-in amps for very reasonable prices. I like the sound of their MicroWorks II speakers, for $149. http://www.hifi.com/store/category.cgi?category=mul_spk_csw&item=53CW0230AA002
If you want something more decorative, I also enjoy the sound of harman/kardon's striking SoundSticks: http://www.harmankardon.com/product_detail.aspx?cat=MME&prod=SOUNDSTICKSII&sType=C BestBuy carries them, though not online, and you can demo them at most Apple stores. They're available online from Amazon.
view sunspot42's profile