People looking for a quick way to play music from their Apple products throughout their home often default to the HomePod lineup, but the company's smart speaker is far from the only option available. Though certain features — like Siri and smart home controls — are limited to the HomePod, others are available on a few different products. The standard that allows for the quick casting of music to the HomePod, AirPlay, is found on many other speakers on the market. For users that care more about music playback than having a voice assistant, buying an AirPlay-enabled smart speaker can be a better alternative to the HomePod.
AirPlay brings a few different key audio features to the table. Speakers with AirPlay connectivity can be used to play multiroom audio and shared music queues in perfect sync. Alternatively, these speakers can play completely different music in each room. These are heavily-marketed HomePod features, but they're found on a slew of third-party speakers. In fact, users can view the entire list of AirPlay-enabled speakers on Apple's website. The list includes reknowned names in the music space, including Bang & Olufsen, Bose, Harman, JBL, and Sonos.
The Top 3 AirPlay-Enabled Speakers
So, in a long list of AirPlay-enabled options, which are the right speakers to buy? Since AirPlay is a standardized connection format, all AirPlay speakers will have similar methods of connection and playback when used with Apple devices. As such, the choice of which speaker to buy is made based on other factors — like price, sound quality, and other connection options.
Sonos One — $219
People looking for a true HomePod alternative should look to Sonos for a smart speaker. Sonos equipment is known for its great sound quality, and its speakers have had AirPlay functionality for a while. While it doesn't have Siri, some Sonos speakers do have other voice assistants available. A good place to start is the Sonos One, an AirPlay-enabled smart speaker priced at $219.
JBL Link Music — $119
Buyers that don't want to shell out a few hundred dollars for an AirPlay-enabled smart speaker will likely enjoy the JBL Link Music. It has just about everything — AirPlay, WiFi, Bluetooth, Google Assistant — and it retails for $119. The speaker also routinely goes on-sale, and at the time of publishing, the gray option was just $39.99 on JBL's official website.
Bose Smart Speaker 500 — $379
A more premium option is the Bose Smart Speaker 500, which will work well for users trying to build out a far-reaching home audio experience. Like Sonos, Bose also offers soundbars and other equipment that can be used to facilitate whole-home audio. But at $379, the Bose Smart Speaker 500 has the extravagant features too — like a small screen that can display album art and other information.
Though HomePod is a great option for some users, there are plenty of other choices with Apple's AirPlay technology available.