The best Wi-Fi Audio speakers and music systems of 2016

Wireless audio has been around for years, but in the past few years, we’ve seen a big spike in systems and products using Wi-Fi, instead of, or in addition to, Bluetooth. It makes sense, after all: Wi-Fi generally offers better sound quality than Bluetooth, while allowing the same basic convenience of using a smartphone, tablet or PC as a remote control to browse your music collection — or an online subscription or radio service such as Spotify or Pandora.

Sonos has long been the king of the hill in Wi-Fi audio, and it continues to go from strength to strength, with its focus on usability and support for online music services. But the market has been upended by Amazon’s family of Echo speakers, which combine wireless audio with voice control and home automation. Echo’s success has Google following with the similar Home speaker, and Apple may be next to jump into the ring.

But in terms of bang for buck, our favorite Wi-Fi music player remains the diminutive Chromecast Audio from Google. At only $35 (£30 or AU$49), the tiny streamer turns any stereo with an aux-in port into a wireless music system, with multiroom capabilities and 24-bit/96kHz playback for the audiophile crowd. If there were ever a threat to every other company that produces a multiroom system, this is it.

Besides Chromecast, Echo and Sonos, however, there are now — finally — plenty of other viable Wi-Fi audio options. From the Bose SoundTouch system, to Denon HEOS 1 and its optional battery pack, to the Raumfeld One S, Wi-Fi audio options are exploding. That includes plenty of traditional audio/video brands (such as LG and Sony) with sound bars and other devices that are compatible with the Google Cast Wi-Fi audio standard (similar to but frustratingly incompatible with Chromecast, so far).

With all that in mind, here’s a quick overview of the Wi-Fi speaker landscape, including some of the best buying options right now.

Before you buy

In the list below we’ve focused on the individual hardware we like. Before you take the leap, however, keep a few key points in mind:

• Make sure your prospective choice supports your favorite music and audio apps. Most products support Pandora and Spotify, but double-check first to be sure. Is your music stored in iTunes, Google Play Music or Amazon Music? You’ll still be fine with a Sonos (for instance), but other products may offer less than perfect support.
• Make sure your choice works with your devices and operating system. Nearly all of these products are compatible with Android and iOS, but with differing levels of compatibility. For instance, Chromecast Audio works with every app on Android, but only a smaller subset on iOS. Likewise, Sonos’ Trueplay tuning system works only on iPhones, not Android devices.
• Look at multiroom expansion options. Wi-Fi is better than Bluetooth for streaming music to multiple rooms in the home. If you’re interested in piping audio into two or more rooms, look at the prices and features of other products in the same product “family.” All Sonos products work together, as do Yamaha’s MusicCast, LG’s Music Flow and Bose’s SoundTouch products, to name but a few. Google Cast products are compatible across brands, but — weirdly — don’t yet work with Google’s own Chromecast Audio product.
• Note that better performance and features may be only a firmware update away. For better or worse, all modern connected devices are now works in progress. What you get out of the box isn’t necessarily the final result. The better companies are always tweaking and updating their products, delivering anything from small usability enhancements to game-changing new features. For instance, a 2015 software update to newer Bose SoundTouch units added Spotify and Sirius XM support, as well as compatibility with high-res FLAC audio files. And Google made good on its promise to add multiroom support to its Chromecast Audio product months are it debuted, making an already great product even better. In other words, a product that is hard to use today could be our most recommended tomorrow with the right software.