Pretty Fly for a WiFi

As a small interlude from my photography gear posts I thought I might add a quick post about something completely different.

For a while now I’ve been looking for a simple audio solution for in the kitchen. We had a cranky old portable radio/CD player in there that needed a thump every now and then to work.
In my office listen to music either through iTunes Match or TuneIn app on the iPad. All piped though an AV receiver and monitor speakers on my desk.
The living room is catered for with a nice AV setup and AppleTV for connectivity to various devices which left the kitchen/2nd sitting room with nothing.

My brief was simple. A small speaker system that could sit unobtrusively in the kitchen and play from any AirPlay device.

After some searching I found that JBL had a new product called the SoundFly. A small speaker system that filled my brief, and then some. I’d assumed that I would at least need a transformer or battery powered setup but the SoundFly went one better. It plugs directly into and 110/220vAC wall outlet. No wires, no cables. Perfect. Available in AirPlay or Bluetooth connectivity, just about any portable device can play though the SoundFly. The SoundFly ‘only’ offers 2 x 10w but to my untrained audio ear the sound quality is fabulous and more than enough power to drown out the noise of an active kitchen.
JBL also have a handy free App, JBL OnBeat. It isn’t an essential but it offers a simple interface to iTunes Match or other music stored on your device.

Winning points as far as I’m concerned.

• No cables at all.
• € 100,00 cheaper than a similar Sonos setup
• JBL Pedigree

A short video test to compare the audio out of the iPad Mini and the JBL SoundFly Air.
Recorded with a Nikon D800 and hotshoe mounted Rode Video mic linked direct to the camera.