Sonos just announced that AirPlay 2 is coming to “newer” Sonos speakers in July. Unlike using Apple Music on the HomePod, it will stream music from your phone instead of directly over the internet. However, unlike the HomePod, you will be able to control some of the AirPlay 2 music with Alexa. You can launch music on your iOS device in all the normal ways, including Siri. Essentially, Sonos’ software system is able to be aware of what is playing on your speakers, no matter the source. It’s a clever way to make AirPlay 2 a little more useful. Once the music is playing via AirPlay 2, you can use Alexa to pause, go to the next track, and even ask what’s playing. Another nice integration is that AirPlay 2 will be able to work with Sonos’ room systems, so you shouldn’t have to deal with setting up two completely different room systems. AirPlay 2 will work with the Sonos One, (second generation) Play 5, and Playbase (and, ahem, “future products”). But if you have older speakers, owning any of those newer ones will make AirPlay 2 work with all of them. “We’re going to continue to build systems, not disposable speakers.” Last year, Sonos promised it would add Google Assistant support to go alongside Alexa. The timeline for that launch was just a vague “next year.” We still don’t have a firm date for that, but we are still expecting it to come this year. Sonos would only say that “we’re deep into working with those guys.” Sonos speakers will eventually work with Alexa, AirPlay 2, and the Google Assistant. If you want to use them, you’ll have a couple options. The first option is to use your own digital assistant device like an Echo Dot or a Google Home, or, for AirPlay 2, just sling the music over from your phone. The second option is to get an integrated device directly from Sonos, like the Sonos One or the about-to-be-announced new Sonos soundbar. “We’re going to continue to build systems, not disposable speakers,” says CEO Patrick Spence. “We will remain fiercely open.” Sonos’ thinking here is that it wants to focus on delivering what it calls the “sonic internet.” That’s maybe a silly marketing term, but the reality behind it is that Sonos wants to be an agnostic translator between every music streaming service and every digital assistant.<doc-sep>Following the release of iOS 11.4 earlier today, Apple has updated its HomeKit website to acknowledge the availability of AirPlay 2, as well as to highlight upcoming third-party speakers that will support AirPlay 2… When it originally announced AirPlay 2 at WWDC last year, Apple touted a handful of speaker makers who had pledged to support the standard at some point in the future. Now, however, we have a more specific list highlighting the specific speakers from various manufacturers that will add support for AirPlay 2. The only AirPlay 2 speaker currently available, of course, is the HomePod. Sonos has pledged support for its Sonos One, Play:5, and Playbase. The company is also holding an event next week where we could learn more about its AirPlay 2 plans. One thing to note here is that the list currently on Apple’s website seems to only apply to speaker manufacturers who have announced which specific models will be getting AirPlay 2. Companies that have pledged eventual support, but not offered up specific model details, aren’t highlighted on Apple’s webpage but additional brands are shown in the image to the right: For instance, Apple touted that its Beats brand will offer AirPlay 2 support in a future speaker, but it’s not listed on Apple’s webpage just yet. Other brands that Apple said would support AirPlay but aren’t yet highlighted include Bose, Devialet, Dynaudio, Polk, McIntosh, Bowers & Wilkins, BlueSound, and Definitive Technology. (note Bose has an event on June 20th to announce new speakers) Here is the full list of speakers Apple features: Beoplay A6 Beoplay A9 mk2 Beoplay M3 BeoSound 1 BeoSound 2 BeoSound 35 BeoSound Core BeoSound Essence mk2 BeoVision Eclipse (audio only) Denon AVR-X3500H Denon AVR-X4500H Denon AVR-X6500H Libratone Zipp Libratone Zipp Mini Marantz AV7705 Marantz NA6006 Marantz NR1509 Marantz NR1609 Marantz SR5013 Marantz SR6013 Marantz SR7013 Naim Mu-so Naim Mu-so QB Naim ND 555 Naim ND5 XS 2 Naim NDX 2 Naim Uniti Nova Naim Uniti Atom Naim Uniti Star Sonos One Sonos Play:5 Sonos Playbase Meanwhile, Apple’s AirPlay 2 website highlights the features of the new standard, such as multi-room, stereo support, and more. AirPlay lets you effortlessly stream music, videos, and games from any Apple device to your favorite speakers or TV. And with AirPlay 2, your listening experience reaches a whole new level. Read more about AirPlay 2 and HomePod in our full coverage here. Subscribe to 9to5Mac on YouTube for more Apple news: FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More. Check out 9to5Mac on YouTube for more Apple news:<doc-sep>
Almost a year after it was first announced, Apple has finally released its updated AirPlay 2 multiroom audio streaming platform. The company has also posted a list of devices that users can expect to work with AirPlay 2, including speakers from Sonos, Bang & Olufsen, and Libratone as well as AV receivers from Marantz and Denon (spotted by MacRumors). None of the third-party speakers actually have AirPlay 2 yet; only Apple's own HomePod does right now. This is just Apple’s list of the initial devices that will eventually support AirPlay 2 once these companies release their firmware updates, which don’t really have any announced timetables yet. You really never want to be a situation where a Sonos product is your “budget” option The biggest problem with Apple’s AirPlay 2 list is how expensive all of these speakers are. The cheapest option on the list is the Sonos One, which costs $199.99. (You really never want to be in a situation where a Sonos product is the “budget” option.) Those prices only go up with luxury brands like Naim and Bang & Olufsen; their speakers reach the four- and five-digit range. Adding to the issue is the fact that, as of now, there’s no Apple-made option for AirPlay 2 like the Airport Express, which made it possible to add AirPlay support through a 3.5mm headphone jack to non-AirPlay devices. And given that Apple just announced that it would be discontinuing its entire AirPort range, I wouldn’t hold my breath that any AirPlay 2 version is particularly forthcoming, even as competitors like Google offer devices like the Chromecast Audio. The full list of speakers and receivers that will (eventually) support AirPlay 2 as of now is listed below, assuming you can afford any of them.