Greatest AirPlay receivers in 2024

At a sure level in each dwelling theater aficionado’s life, they take into account buying an A/V receiver to handle connections and controls for all of their varied video and audio gear. A/V receiver may be the centerpiece of your property theater, a wired go-between between your audio system, tv, turntables, recreation consoles, Blu-ray gamers and extra, making one thing sophisticated, built-in and simpler to regulate. The one factor that always retains that utopian dream from working is getting something wi-fi working on the identical time.

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There are just a few methods to stream audio and video off of your smartphone, like Google’s Chromecast, however in the event you personal an Apple product, the simplest is utilizing AirPlay 2 to ship content material over Wi-Fi.

And to try this with older {hardware}, you are in all probability going to wish an AirPlay receiver. We expect the Yamaha RX-V4a AV Receiver is the most effective total choice for folks on the lookout for a very good receiver that helps AirPlay however we have chosen choices from all-new AirPlay-compatible A/V receivers to easier gadgets for streaming to your present stereo or audio system within the listing beneath, so no matter what you are on the lookout for, we should always have one thing that works for you.

Greatest AirPlay receiver: Our prime picks

Yamaha RX-V4A AV Receiver

1. Greatest AirPlay receiver total

Sufficient HDMI, help for 8K, and AirPlay

$350 $500 Save $150

The Yamaha RX-V4A 5.2 Channel A/V Receiver covers all of the fundamentals in your dwelling theater setup with 4 HDMI inputs, one HDMI eARC output, and help for AirPlay 2, Bluetooth, and voice assistants like Amazon Alexa.

Execs

• Appropriate with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant
• HDMI eARC
• You may play 8K content material (in case you have any)

Cons

• Does not help Dolby Atmos

Yamaha’s RX-V4A 5.2 Channel A/V Receiver would not provide a completely Dolby Atmos-compliant audio setup, nevertheless it’s obtained all of the fundamentals it’s essential watch and pay attention at your leisure. The RX-V4A has 4 HDMI inputs and one HDMI output with help for eARC (the specification that permits high-end audio and video and management inputs to journey over HDMI) and might deal with each 4K and 8K content material with HDR10+.

For wi-fi choices, Yamaha’s included help for Bluetooth, AirPlay 2, and W-Fi MusicCast. And in the event you’re eager about controlling the receiver (and gadgets related to it) with a voice assistant, the RX-V4A performs good with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. There are extra fully-featured receivers accessible, certain, however for entry to AirPlay 2 and a good set of specs, this Yamaha does the trick.

Sonos Amp

2. Greatest premium AirPlay receiver

Excellent for built-ins and Sonos devotees

The Sonos Amp is a high-end device for powering audio gadgets, and bringing all your A/V gear right into a wi-fi Sonos system. It is an costly method to AirPlay to your present gadgets, and undoubtedly an expensive one.

Execs

• Banana clips included
• Entry into the Sonos ecosystem
• Appropriate with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant

The Sonos Amp is particularly designed for wrangling audio, with the flexibility to connect with your TV with HDMI eARC, and quite a lot of older audio system over audio line in or banana clips, all with the objective of bringing your present {hardware} (passive audio system may even obtain 125W per channel from the Amp) right into a wi-fi system of Sonos gadgets.

Which means you can management every part from the Sonos app, the capacitive buttons on the entrance of the Amp, or with voice assistants like Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa. Since all trendy Sonos gadgets help Apple’s AirPlay 2, streaming content material out of your iPhone is so simple as tapping just a few buttons. Now the Sonos Amp is by far one of the costly methods of doing this, however in the event you’re already invested in Sonos’ system, or particularly seeking to loop in built-ins like wall or ceiling-mounted audio system, it is one of many sleekest choices on the market.

Belkin Soundform Join

3. Greatest funds AirPlay receiver

Plug-and-play AirPlay on any speaker

$89 $100 Save $11

Belkin’s SoundForm Join is an easy adapter for connecting to gadgets over audio line-in or optical audio to be able to AirPlay to them out of your iPhone.

Execs

• A number of port choices
• Tremendous easy setup
• Reasonably priced

For the best doable methodology of AirPlaying to your audio system, Belkin’s SoundForm Join can connect with present audio system and receivers so as to add a wi-fi methodology of enjoying audio. The gadget is actually an adapter with a USB-C port on one aspect for energy, and a 3.5mm audio line-in and digital optical audio port on the opposite.

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In contrast to a few of our different picks, the SoundForm Join will not energy a passive speaker — assume bookcase audio system or one thing related — however in the event you’re on the lookout for the most cost effective doable manner to make use of AirPlay with the audio gadgets you already personal, the SoundForm Join is our go-to decide.

Denon AVR-S770H AV Receiver

4. A extra versatile (and sophisticated) AirPlay receiver

Extra ports and help for extra requirements

The Denon AVR-S770H 7.2 Ch Dwelling Theater Receiver is a pricier A/V device that has 5 HDMI inputs, help for Dolby Imaginative and prescient, and Dolby Atmos, on prime of including in AirPlay 2 help.

Execs

• Extra HDMI ports
• 4K at 120Hz if you need it
• Dolby Atmos and Dolby Imaginative and prescient

In the event you want greater than what Yamaha’s A/V receiver can give you, the Denon AVR-S770H 7.2 Ch Dwelling Theater Receiver is a step-up in vital methods. With 7.2 channel encompass sound, Denon’s receiver helps Dolby Atmos for 3D audio, in contrast to Yamaha’s. The AVR-S770H additionally ships with 5 HDMI inputs (three that help 8K/60Hz content material and three that help 4K/120Hz content material) and one HDMI output.

The receiver has many of the different bells and whistles you’d need too. There’s Dolby Imaginative and prescient and HDR10+, with Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and AirPlay 2 for wi-fi connectivity. And in case you are constructing a system with passive audio system, the Denon AVR-S770H additionally passes 80W via its varied channels. The general bundle is pricier than our prime receiver decide, however a very good bit extra versatile too.

WiiM Professional

5. Greatest for each AirPlay and Chromecast Audio

Extra succesful than Belkin’s mannequin

$149 $169 Save $20

The WiiM Professional Receiver is a tiny field that provides AirPlay 2, Chromecast Audio, and extra to the audio system and receivers you already personal, simply by plugging them in.

Execs

• Each wi-fi streaming choice you could possibly need
• Coax cable
• Ethernet port

The WiiM Professional Receiver is a extra succesful and costly different to Belkin’s SoundForm Join. It is a compact gadget that provides AirPlay 2, Chromecast Audio, Spotify Join, Tidal Join, and Amazon Music Casting to your audio system and receivers with out having to completely swap out what you already personal.

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For ports, you can join issues over an Ethernet port, optical audio, and coax cable, with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi built-in to satisfy the WiiM Professional’s streaming capabilities, and USB-C for powering it. The box-y gadget has capacitive gadgets for controlling playback, however after setup, most of your interactions shall be dealt with via no matter app or gadget you are streaming from.

WiiM Amp

6. A less expensive different to the Sonos Amp

Modernize your older speaker setup

The WiiM Amp can remodel older passive audio system into sensible audio gadgets, including in AirPlay 2 and entry to voice assistants like Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant.

Execs

• Port choices like HDMI Arc, Optical in, USB, and Sub out
• 4 60W at 8 Ohms or 120W at 4 Ohms connections
• Help for Spotify Join, AirPlay 2, Alexa Solid, and extra

Cons

• You may should get comfy utilizing a companion app

In the event you’re on the lookout for the capabilities of the Sonos Amp at a extra approachable value, the WiiM Amp will get you many of the manner there, and features a bodily dial besides. As an amp, performing as an AirPlay receiver is secondary to the WiiM Amp’s essential objective of powering and controlling audio from passive audio system (assume dwelling theater built-ins, bookshelf audio system, something that must be powered actively), however it could possibly do each.

There are a number of ports for connecting audio system, your TV, sound bar, and even a USB onerous drive stuffed with music if you wish to, however what makes the WiiM Amp particular, like the opposite gadgets on WiiM’s line, is simply how a lot performance it could possibly add to a speaker. On this case, help for AirPlay 2, Spotify Join, Chromecast Audio, Tidal Join, and extra.

The underside line: What’s the most effective AirPlay receiver?

AirPlay is certainly one of Apple’s extra ingenious software program options for wirelessly casting media, however to make the most of it you’d want to make use of audio system, receivers, and shows which can be already constructed to help it. In the event you’re not made of cash, the easiest way to make the most of AirPlay 2 is looping in an AirPlay receiver.

Yamaha RX-V4A AV Receiver

Editor’s Selection

In the event you’re on the lookout for one thing to function the central gadget of your property theater, the Yamaha RX-V4A 5.2 Channel A/V Receiver can catch inputs via it is HDMI ports, cross them out to audio system and different gadgets, and combine AirPlay 2 within the heart of all of it, so even your present audio system can get in on the wi-fi streaming goodness.

In the event you’re primarily eager about audio, the Sonos Amp may do a fair higher job bringing present built-in audio gadgets and your TV right into a wi-fi Sonos system. That makes it simpler so as to add extra high-quality Sonos audio system everytime you’re prepared, and make the most of AirPlay 2 and controls via voice assistants.

For the job of including AirPlay to an older speaker, the Belkin SoundForm Join is greater than as much as the duty. All it’s essential do is plug in your speaker and USB-C energy, and it ought to be learn to receiver AirPlay streams.

How we picked AirPlay receivers

Pocket-lint has used and reviewed a number of gadgets with built-in AirPlay performance, and surveyed the A/V market to find out what to search for out of a very good receiver and good AirPlay gadget. We tried to make picks that each help the most recent model of Apple’s streaming normal, and the most recent video and audio specs each time doable (Dolby Imaginative and prescient, Dolby Atmos, and the like), to be sure you’re making purchases that may final some time with no need to improve.

Our ultimate listing tries to account for the 2 doable makes use of of an AirPlay receiver: each as an easy manner of including AirPlay performance to a tool, and as a substitute for an present receiver you may have already got sitting beneath your TV or turntable.

Do I want a full A/V receiver so as to add AirPlay?

In the event you’re simply involved about enjoying audio, spending cash on a large A/V receiver with dozens of HDMI ports in all probability is not going to be vital. There are smaller containers that may obtain the identical objective of constructing your older audio system AirPlay-able with out costing you tons of of {dollars}. However in the event you’re constructing a house theater system, possibly speaking to a number of encompass sound audio system, streaming containers, and recreation consoles, then one thing a bit extra sophisticated and costly shall be vital.

When ought to I take advantage of an AirPlay receiver?

AirPlay receivers are actually solely vital if the gadget you are attempting to AirPlay to would not already help the characteristic. Typically, meaning older TV and speaker techniques, particularly ones which can be built-in and never simply changed.

Does an iPhone work as an AirPlay receiver?

Apple at present would not will let you AirPlay content material between iPhones, however you’ll be able to AirPlay content material to any MacOS gadget supplied it is working at the very least MacOS Monterey. If there is a bigger set of audio system or show related to your laptop that might work simply in addition to AirPlaying to a house theater setup.

Does Roku have AirPlay?

Fashionable Roku streaming sticks and containers do help AirPlay. You may verify Roku’s web site for a listing of suitable gadgets. If yours is supported, so long as it is related to the identical Wi-Fi community that the gadget your AirPlaying from is related to, try to be good to go.