For Hardware, You’ll Need
A Wi-Fi network: You’ll need the Wi-Fi network to stream music to the speakers. At least 1 Airport Express: You’ll need one for each set of speakers (you won’t need more than one Airport Express and one set of speakers per room — though you may find that not every room needs one. For instance, speakers in the kitchen or bedroom may make more sense than in the bathroom or formal dining room). If the speakers you’re using connect to Wi-Fi on their own and support AirPlay, you don’t need the AirPort Express. Speakers: Any speakers will do, really, as long as they sound good to you and have a standard audio minijack (this plug looks the same as a headphone jack). If the speakers aren’t battery powered, though, you’ll need to keep them close to an electrical outlet. An iPhone or iPod touch, updated to the latest firmware, to work as your remote control.
For Software, You’ll Need
ITunes 4.6 or higher. Mac OS X 10.4 or higher or Windows XP or Vista. Remote, a free app from Apple, available at the App Store (you can substitute other remote control programs if you like; Remote’s free and I like it, so I used it here).
Setting up Your Wireless Home Audio System
ITunes can stream music via Wi-Fi from your iTunes Library to any speakers in your house that are connected to an Airport Express base station (or that connects to Wi-Fi on its own and supports AirPlay. The instructions in this article apply to those devices, too). You can take this a step further, though, and outfit your entire house with Wi-Fi-connected speakers and control them all from a single remote. Here’s how.
Using Your Wireless Home Audio System
While this set-up isn’t quite as slick as a high-end home audio system, it can save you a lot of money and having to punch holes in your walls. Even better, you’ll be able to wow guests at your next party and you’ll enjoy the flexibility of sending music to any speaker in the house using your iPhone or iPod touch.
