guides

electronic

HOUSE
FOCUS SERIES

WIRELESS
AUDIO
Products, systems, tips
and tricks for selecting
the best wireless music
system for your home.

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WIRELESS AUDIO BASICS

An A-to-Z guide to having beautiful music in your house
without wiring.
Do you want more music in your house, but
dont want to run wires down the hall or
through the walls to get it? How about send-

Sonos Wireless
Music System

ing music outside without having to trench

your yard and pipe wires through conduits?
Oh, and of course you want access to your
digitally stored music collection and favorite Pandora stations, right? Then its time to
start shopping for a wireless music system. Here are some frequently-asked questions, with answers,
about wireless audio, plus a roundup of some great products, many of which have been thoroughly
tested by the Electronic House editors.

What does the term wireless audio mean, exactly?

Technically, an AM/FM radio is a wireless audio system, but today we generally mean a system that
is wirelessly connected to the audio source and usually can play back music from the Internet. These
products can be stand-alone players or components.Often theyre wirelessly controlled as well via a
smartphone or tablet app. Most of the products will still need power, so unless its a portable product
with a battery, then yes, technically you still need at least one wire to plug into a power outlet. Products like the Sonos Connect Amp, NuVo Technologies P200 player and WASP Audio LINK-Mount allow
you to connect your own speakers. Others, like VOCOs V-Zone+, connect to another audio system via
a digital or analog connection.

How is a system wirelessly connected?

Wirelessly, of course. Seriously, wireless is only part of the product. Some wireless music systems
include an Internet gateway device that needs to be connected to your home Internet router or switch.
The gateway wirelessly connects to the various receivers in the house (this is how both Sonos and
NuVo work) which may or may not require additional speakers, or may be connected to other components, such as a home theater pre-amp or receiver. Other products use a smartphone or tablet, connected by Bluetooth or AirPlay, as their gateway to the Internet.

What kinds of audio components can be wirelessly connected?

The audio components that connect to a wireless music system vary depending on the specific
product, and what you want to listen to, but most are capable of streaming music from Web-based
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Wireless Audio Basics

services (such as Pandora, Spotify
or vTuner) and locally stored music

NuVo Wireless Music System

files from a PC, networked hard drive

or smartphone/tablet. With the latter,
Bluetooth and Apples AirPlay are usually the wireless connection methods.
Some products are also able to con-

nect to components, such as a CD player and an external hard drive (via USB or network).

Is a wireless music system better than a wired music system? If so, why?
This depends on what you want out of your music experience. Wireless isnt always better, but its
usually easier to install. Also, with streaming services, you have access to almost any music you can
think of.However, few wireless systems can play high-resolution files (24-bit content support, a capability that the Wireless Speaker & Audio AssociationWiSAand its members are pushing forward),
so if high-res is important to you, you should look into more traditional hardwired solutions. On the
other hand, good digital signal processors (DSPs) and amp designs can enhance the audio quality of
wireless audio systems. And if the system is connected to another audio system, like your home theater system, the
external amp and speakers can have a
great impact on the sound quality.
The performance of wireless audio

Bluesound Music System

systems also hinges on the quality of

the network, which means network activity, network interference and bandwidth issues can all impact
reliability. If your music source is an online app coming from a smartphone, then what happens when
the phone leaves the room or runs out of battery power? Youll want to keep a phone charger handy.

Can a non-wireless product be converted into a wireless system?

Yes, somewhat. Nearly any audio device can be connected to a Bluetooth adapter or an Apple AirPort
Express. This will facilitate wireless streaming of music to standard speakers. Unfortunately, this solution will yield a listening experience that will be sub-par to that of a wireless multiroom music system,
but its a good option for upgrading a single-room player to wireless capability for $100 or less.
Speaking of affordability, most of the products and systems weve listed on page 9 (go to the manufacturers websites for more info) cost in the hundreds of dollars, not in the thousands like traditional
speakers and audio components. Theyre scalable, too, so you can start with one or two pieces and
add more products to fill your house as you go. Theres a good reason more and more companies are
riding the wireless audio wave. And it may be the right time for you to start surfin too.

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Can Your
HOME NETWORK
Handle Your Media?

Better routers and access points can improve the performance

of a wireless audio system.
How many of you have had the experience of cuing up a movie on Netflix or other streaming service,
and then instead of watching the movie, youre stuck staring at a buffering icon slowly creeping
across your screen? If youre lucky, the end result will be the high-definition version of the movie, but
too often network issues result in something less than HD.
The same thing happens with streaming musicthe audio pauses or stops completely, and the
experience of listening to your favorite music channel is ruined. Its enough to make you nostalgic for
FM radio.
This goes for IP-based home control systems, too. Without a properly performing network, the system will give you less than what you expected.
As more of our home entertainment devices rely on network connections for their content, the
more we need to pay attention to the networks that they run on.
When trying to identify the source of your network problem, its a
good idea to strip it down to the basics and try a process of elimination. You have to find the broken link in the chain, says Nick Phillips
of Pakedge, a maker of high-performance home network products.
As much as we want to blame Netflix or Spotify or whatever service
youre using, Phillips says these providers are pretty reliable, so the
issue is more often in your house.
Even our Internet service providers (ISP) are mostly reliable these
days, presuming youre getting the
bandwidth you need. After check-

Enterprise-grade networking products like

these from Pakedge can ensure fast, reliable
housewide travel of audio and video signals.

ing the Internet connection (simple tools like Speed Test, via its
app or website, can tell you what
your download rate is) you need to

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Can Your Home Network Handle Your Media?

start eliminating parts of your chain
to find the culprit.
If your network connections are
wired, then unplug all your Ethernet
connections and reconnect them one
at a time until you find which link is
the speed bump. Of course, this could
take a while if you have to restart your
Netflix movie each time.
More problems ensue when people

Wireless access points, like this one from Luxul, can help push A/V signals to
their intended destinations, but only if they are installed correctly.

use wireless for all their streaming

devices. In this case, try connecting to
a different access point or change to a wire-

less channel thats not being occupied by other devices in the area.
If your modem, router and wireless access point are all bundled into one product (which is typical
of the products supplied by ISPs), consider whether its placed in the best location for your home. It
may be fine to put a modem in the basement, but a wireless access point should be located at the
center of the house so it can effectively reach all of your wireless devices.
Wi-Fi extenders can help push signals to hard-to-reach places, but they can also cut your home
networks bandwidth in half.
Using Wi-Fi connections for entertainment products is convenient, but convenience can come at
a price. People are over-dependent on wireless, says Phillips. You cant control the airspace around
you, so you never know whats going to interfere with your Wi-Fi. Someone can turn on a microwave or
a baby monitor, or your neighbor could install a high-power access point that overpowers your area."
So, use wired connections when at all possible.
Say youve done that, but youre still having problems. Often the router is the first culprit, says
Brannon Young, director of systems engineering at Luxul. Most homeowners rely on the cheap routers
provided by their ISP, but Comcast, Verizon and Time Warner are in the business of getting the Internet to your house. Once its there, they consider their work done. These routers, as well as many of
the inexpensive devices found at mass market electronics stores, are not designed for heavy network
functions. When you start hooking up multiple Apple TVs, game consoles, wireless music devices and
a home automation system, a low-performance router can easily get bogged down.
Young compares the situation to driving a sports car on a lousy road. If you drive your Ferrari on
the Autobahn its going to perform great; but when you take it on I-70 your mileage may vary.
A smart practice is to upgrade to an enterprise-grade router thats designed to handle data more efficiently. Phillips says one thing to look for in a good router is processor capacity. A lot of consumergrade products are just single-core, low-speed. Better products have high-speed processors with more
capacity in a system-on-a-chip approach.

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Can Your Home Network Handle Your Media?

Another common characteristic of high-end
routers is a higher session count. Thats the
amount of applications the device can handle
at any given time, says Phillips.
Also be sure youre using gigabit-level
equipment. Gigabit routers and switchers
have higher throughput to enable data to
travel quickly its destination. Look for products with a backplane that can handle all
ports at full bandwidthit should be double
the number of ports on your switch or router.
For example, if you have an 8-port switch, it
needs to be able to support a data transfer
rate of 16 Gb/s.

TIPS FOR YOUR

MEDIA NETWORK
1. Tell your CE pro exactly what kind of media
you want and how frequently you use it.
2. Use wired connections whenever possible.
3. Use commercial or enterprise network equipment rather than equipment supplied by your
ISP or carried by a big-box retailer.
4. Use VLANs to wall off some data from parts of
your network.
5. Use managed switches and Quality of Service
Settings to maximize your network for media
devices.

Unfortunately, many consumer products

dont list all the critical specs, so its important to consult with a trained custom electronics (CE)
professional about your network equipment. In addition to providing high-quality equipment, an experienced CE pro will be able to assess your needs better than anyone else. Some CE pros will set up
virtual LANs (VLANs) to segment some data away from the network to prevent network traffic jams.
Another common problem of routers is the need for them to be power-cycled occasionally. This can
be accomplished manually by unplugging the router and then plugging it back in, or your CE pro can
install a product to do this automatically or remotely.
For Wi-Fi, routers with beam-forming capability will focus media signals to your media players
rather than send the signal out omnidirectionally.
Also, wireless routers with multiple antennas will automatically select the best antenna to broadcast to an individual device.
Some products are going to be more bandwidth-intensive than others. Phillips says that Apple
TV is a particular offender because of the way it broadcasts datait uses a multicast protocol that
sends signals to everybody on the network, whether they should receive them or not. This creates
a lot of overhead data that can flood the network. Imagine a house with several Apple TVs, a couple
of online game consoles, a wireless music system and several smartphones or tablets, and you can
quickly see how both wired and wireless networks can get overloaded.
Media distributed within the house (rather than that coming from outside) from high-definition
video servers, such as those offered by Kaleidescape or Dune, or even stored on a network-connected
hard drive, can also bog down a network. The high-definition content must travel through the same
routers or switches as every other signal; it creates a lot of overhead for the system to handle. Again,
a CE pro with a strong networking background can ensure that you wont have problems when its time
to sit down and enjoy a movie.

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Can Your Home Network Handle Your Media?

If you have an IP-based home automation system, and today most use IP, a confused network can
result in signal latency or even devices dropping off the network completely.
So how much bandwidth is necessary? This will depend on your specific home entertainment
system and the number of streaming or downloading devices you connect to it (and how many will be
used at once). One high-definition stream from Netflix takes between 2 and 5Mb/s. If you plan to have
several streaming devices in the house all watching different movies, you better tell your ISP to give
you the biggest pipe they offer.

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5 Tips for Better

WIRELESS NETWORKS
by Bjrn Jensen

WIRELESS NETWORKING is a regular fact of life, but

there are many potential pitfalls to the ubiquitous,
routine installation of the necessary networking equipment. Heres a look at some of those risks and how to
avoid them.

1. Dont ever set your homes wireless access

points (WAPs) to the same channel (unless
you have a single-cell architecture) if they are
located close enough to each other to create
interference.
It gets easier to find open channels when using 5GHz
(for now, until 802.11ac becomes more common), but when equipment operates in the 2.4GHz range,
remember that there are only three non-overlapping channels in North America. T
hese are channels 1,
6 and 11. T
hink of multiple WAPs residing on the same channel as being akin to multiple meetings going on in the same room. Splitting up the channels is like putting each meeting in its own room. Its a
good idea to use a wireless spectrum analyzer such as Metageeks WiSpy to look at your environment
and so that you choose the right channels to use.

2. Know the polarization of your antennae.

For example, too often I see WAPs with bipole antennae laying flat in a one-floor home. T
hink of the
antenna as if its holding onto a doughnut through the center of it. T
his is how the Fresnel zone acts
within this type of antenna. In most of these antennas, the signal literally looks like a large doughnut
radiating outward in a circle from the pole. If its laying flat, the signal is mostly going up and down
and not side to side. If youre trying to reach an area on the secondfloor, then this position can work.
But if not, youre wasting valuable signal. Also keep this in mind when mounting your WAP, especially
as these days many come without external antennae. Of course, dual polarized WAPs are also available, and in this case you dont really have to worry about the positioning as much.

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5 Tips for Better Wireless Networks

3. Dont slap a WAP on the back of a TV or install it in a rack.

Try your best to avoid anything that can cause RF interference, like having eight Sonos systems piled
on top of each other or even something as simple as a wireless Blu-ray player. You also want to avoid
light fixtures, electrical powerlines, A/C units, elevators, fish tanks, trees, and anything with lots of
metal or water, as these elements will block signals from getting through. Ideally, a WAP should be
mounted at least a couple of meters away from any possible RF interference and in line of sight of
what theyre to be connected to. Also, mount WAPs as high as possible.

4. Dont just use your laptop to test signal strength.

Try your best to test with the actual devices that will be used because each device has its own
power requirements, antenna polarizations and other nuances. At the very least, use your laptop as
well as some handheld devices to monitor the difference. One of the best tests is to use an iPhone
to connect. Apple handheld devices are notorious for having extremely poor signal strength.

5. Dont use your name as your SSID.

This is like broadcasting to the world, Hey this is my wireless network, now come and hack me! Also
avoid WEP encryption, since nowadays it can be hacked in mere minutes. If a legacy device requires
WEP encryption because it cant handle anything else, use MAC address filtering and put it on a secure VLAN that allows routing only to the device it needs to talk to.
Bjorn Jensen is owner of WhyReboot, a Miami-based company that specializes in the design and installation of
commercial-grade networks for home automation systems.

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15

Great Wireless
AUDIO PRODUCTS

NuVo Wireless Audio System

The Wireless Audio System combines dual-band Wi-Fi and MIMO to transmit up to
16 audio streams at once. And it can do this at 600kbps, says NuVo. Designed to
hook to the home network, the NuVo system can tap into music stored in iTunes
and Windows Media and stream services such as Pandora, Rhapsody and SiriusXM. The NuVo system includes three components: the two music players (P200
and P100) and a network gateway (GW100). Listeners can use a smartphone or tablet to control the units, via NuVos
free iOS and Android apps. Other features include support for up to 16 separate listening zones, aptX Bluetooth technology, and gold 5-way binding posts for connecting to stereo speakers. The P200 boasts 60 watts of power per channel, with the P100 doing 20 watts per channel (2 channels @8 ohms). nuvotechnologies.com

Bluesound Wireless System

The Bluesound music system, from PSB Speakers and NAD Electronics parent
company Lenbrook, uses Wi-Fi (or wired Ethernet) to distribute Internet-based or
locally-stored music to speakers all over your house, controlled through iOS or
Android apps. Each system connects to your homes network to communicate
to the Internet or to each other. There are four main products: The Node, Power
Node, Pulse and Vault, plus a speaker/sub combination called the Duo. The Pulse and Duo are networked speaker
products, while the Node and Power Node (which includes a 50-watt amp and subwoofer output) let you connect
the system to your own speakers. The Vault is unique in this product category, as it features a CD-ripper with a 1TB
hard drive for storing your digital music in MP3 or lossless FLAC formats to then stream. bluesound.com

Bose SoundTouch Wi-Fi

Based on 802.11g Wi-Fi, the SoundTouch music systems allow users to stream music
from the Web or from a stored collection. The units also include Apple AirPlay, and Bose
plans to add music services like Deezer, iHeartRadio and others. Products include the
SoundTouch 30 Wi-Fi, designed for larger spaces; the SoundTouch 20 Wi-Fi, a more compact unit for smaller rooms; and the SoundTouch Portable Wi-Fi, a book-size speaker
that has a rechargeable lithium-ion battery. On top of each unit are six simple preset buttons that can be pressed and
held to preset a station, Pandora channel or playlist from a PC or iDevice. They have a front-facing OLED screen that
gives feedback on what song or Internet radio station has been selected using metadata, and each speaker comes
with an IR remote. A control app for iOS, Mac, Android and Windows is also available. bose.com

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16 Great Wireless Audio Products

Soundcast Melody
Ideal for extending musics reach outdoors, Melody is an omni-directional
Bluetooth wireless speaker. Weighing just 9 pounds, its compact enough to
hit the beach or sit by the pool. Also, because it has Bluetooth, it can stream
music wirelessly right to the speaker from any smartphone, tablet or PC. Even
better, the Melody has a water- and UV-resistant, all-weather plastic enclosure. It also features four bass radiators and four high-performance full-range
speakers to belt out 360 degrees of sound. Other features include a sturdy
handle, a 3.5mm input, and a rechargeable battery that promises up to 20
hours of playtime. It comes with an AC adapter, a 12-volt car adapter, and a
USB charging cable. followmelody.com

Bowers & Wilkins A7

The A7 is an all-in-one speaker system that includes Apples wireless AirPlay technology. Wrapped in a contemporary industrial
design, the A7 employs built-in Class-D amplification that drives
two 1-inch B&W Nautilus tweeters, two 3-inch midrange drivers
and a single, 6-inch woofer. Rated frequency response is 40Hz
to 36kHz. The A7 also includes DSP processing to handle signal
management, 24-bit/96kHz digital-to-analog converters (DACs)
that augments the quality of wireless music streams and the AirPlay technology. Control of the speaker system is accomplished
via an iPhone, iPad and iPod running iOS 4.3.3 or greater. bowers-wilkins.com

VOCO V-Zone+
V-Zone+ is a wireless music and video receiver that provides quick access
to music (and videos) and wirelessly streams them throughout your home
using a smartphone or tablet. Connect the V-Zone+ to any stereo, powered
speakers or TV and start streaming. The unit is configurable as a Wi-Fi
hotspot and has a built-in music server that automatically finds music
when an iPod, MP3 player, or USB hard drive is plugged into one of the two USB inputs. You can download
the VOCO Controller to use voice control for accessing and selecting your stored music, Internet radio,
streaming services and YouTube. myvovo.com

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16 Great Wireless Audio Products

Sonos Ecosystem
The Sonos ecosystem includes a variety of wireless speakers (even a soundbar, the PLAYBAR) and audio
components that talk to each other through the gateway Bridge. The PLAY:1, PLAY:3 and PLAY:5 speakers
can be used individually or paired for stereo playback of all your digitally stored music and streaming services the Sonos system doles out. You can add a Connect amp to bring the wireless audio goodness to an
existing stereo system via analog and digital outputs. The Sonos Controller App
choreographs the wireless playback,
letting you use a smartphone or tablet to
select sources and songs, group rooms
together and queue up playlists.
sonos.com

Samsung Shape
The wireless speaker and multiroom audio system features two devices: the M7
speaker and the WAM250 hub. The speaker can connect to a wireless network
and run a suite of streaming music apps, and it includes Bluetooth and NFC connectivity. Two M7s can be set up as a set of stereo speakers, or you can just play
stereo from a single speaker. To extend the system beyond one room, the M7 hub
connects to a router via Ethernet to function as a music gateway that can send
music wirelessly to any M7 speaker. By using the Shape app (iOS or Android), you
can stream music throughout the house or just to individual M7 speakers. With
the hub installed, you can access a handful of music apps including Pandora, TuneIn Radio, Amazon Cloud Player and Rhapsody. samsung.com

WASP Audio LINK-Mount

Standing for wireless audio solution products, WASP Audio puts your traditional speakers (on-wall or freestanding) on a wireless platform through a
universal wall-mount installation bracket. Transmission works over a tri-band
chip that can be used to find uncluttered signals over 2.4GHz for wholehouse, or 5.2/5.8GHz for in-room applications. The LINK-Mount can set up
at distances as far as 60 feet and once the product is installed, a custom
electronics pro can easily hook up the brackets 50-watt Class D monoblock
amplifier to power a mounted speaker. waspaudio.com

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16 Great Wireless Audio Products

Bang & Olufsen Immaculate Wireless Sound

Bang & Olufsens (B&O) new Immaculate Wireless Sound system uses the Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS) multi-channel open wireless audio standard
from the Wireless Speaker and Audio Association (WiSA). As a result, B&O says
its branded speakers and televisions will reproduce 24-bit, uncompressed music
at native sampling rates wirelessly using the 5.0GHz to 5.8GHz DFS range to
avoid interference from other signals. The new standard claims to overcome the
latency and error problems associated with low-end wireless speaker solutions.
Lip synch issues due to compression-induced latency have also been eliminated.
B&O will be using microchips from Summit Semiconductor to comply with the
standard. bang-olufsen.com

Korus Wireless Speakers

Launched by Core Brands, Korus delivers music from your smartphone or tablet to speakers throughout your house. Korus comprises two wireless speakers, the V400 and larger V600. The products employ 2.4 GHz SKAA technology, which is billed as a much
better alternative to Bluetooth because of its quality of service
(QoS), low latency and multizone capabilities. Both the V400 and
V600 have dual side-firing tweeters. The V600 takes six D batteries (not included) for roughly 90 hours
of continuous playback. The V400 must be plugged in for power. Typical range for the SKAA speakers is
around 65 feet, and is playback capable of 480kbps quality. You need to plug a dongle, or Baton as Korus
calls it, into the source for the speakers to communicate; Korus provides USB, Lightning and 30-pin Batons.
korussound.com

Russound XStream
The XStream X5 is an all-in-one streamer, web-based controller and
digital amplifier (50W x 2). It streams audio over a 802.11n wireless
network and features an Ethernet port if a hardwired connection is
preferred. The antennas on the rear of the product are detachable
and can be remotely mounted if needed to extend the signal up to
20 feet. Each X5 unit also features a 12v DC trigger connection and an IR output, ideal for controlling a TV via
the My Russound smartphone/tablet app. Digital audio inputs (coaxial and optical) for a local audio signal
and analog RCA line out allows the signal to pass through to a beefier amplifier or A/V receiver.Theres also a
subwoofer output for those who want extra bass. Up to 16 X5 zones can be installed, and the companys IPbased control protocol makes the XStream compatible with popular automation systems. russound.com

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16 Great Wireless Audio Products

Control4 Wireless Music Bridge

The Wireless Music Bridge is a small accessory product for owners of
Control4 home automation systems. Its purpose is to get music from
iPhones, Android tablets and other little wireless devices into the home
A/V system via Control4. It has no built-in streaming services, radio or
hard drives, but the WMB supports Bluetooth, Apple AirPlay, and DLNA,
which covers pretty much any kind of smartphone or tablet, and sends
its music over the Bridge. The WMB connects to the network, in most cases via the home systems Ethernet
switch (it can be connected via Wi-Fi too). Once its configured in the Control4 Composer program, its ready to
play. And you dont need to have a Control4 remote, touchscreen or app to make the WMB workyou just need
the device that holds your music (or music services). control4.com

Klipsch Stadium
This wireless music system was designed to commemorate the
partnership between Klipsch and Live Nation. Its a slick tabletop
system that promises to deliver big stadium-style sound from a
compact package, which includes brushed aluminum cabinetry
with soft-touch accents. It has Wi-Fi, AirPlay and aptX Bluetooth,
so you can stream up a storm using your preferred wireless
method. The Stadium also has plenty of Klipsch goods, including the companys Tractrix Horn technology,
Linear Travel Suspension (LTS) tweeters, and midrange drivers with Faraday Rings. Other features include an
amplifier that can deliver 400 watts (peak), a frequency response rated at 26Hz to 24kHz (+/-3dB), and an output of 112dB. klipsch.com

CasaTunes Multi-Room Music Servers

Designed to work seamlessly with most A/V receivers, CasaTunes Music Servers offer many music playback
options. For instance, you can stream music to three wired rooms with five wireless rooms. If its a big house
to fill, theres a system that can support up to 24 wired and 10 wireless rooms. CasaTunes says each system
can distribute music to both wired and wireless speakers, via AirPlay, multichannel amps and multizone
A/V receivers. Opt for a different playlist in every room or rock
them all to the same tune. The system can be controlled via
the companys iOS, Android and BlackBerry apps, as well as a
web browser or keypad. Tap into tunes from a music library on
a computer, phone or tablet, as well as the popular streaming
services built into CasaTunes. casatunes.com

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Thank you for downloading this Focus Series Guide on Wireless Audio
Please visit www.ElectronicHouse.com for other downloadable guides like this, and
to find even more related content like these recommended audio articles below.

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