An A/V receiver is often the centerpiece of your home theater, acting as the wired middle-man between your television, speakers, and other audio and video equipment such as turntables, game consoles, Blu-ray players, etc. making for a nice integrated ecosystem. The thing that complicates that utopian, if complex, system from working is getting anything wireless working at the same time.
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There are multiple ways of streaming audio and video from your smartphone, but if you own an Apple product, you’re going to use AirPlay 2 to send content over Wi-Fi. And to do that with older hardware, you’re probably going to need an AirPlay receiver. We’ve selected options from all-new AirPlay-compatible A/V receivers to simpler devices for streaming to your existing stereo or speakers, so regardless of what you’re looking for, consider the selections we’ve put together below.
Best AirPlay receiver: Our top picks
Yamaha RX-V4A AV Receiver
1. Best AirPlay receiver overall
Enough HDMI, support for 8K, and AirPlay
$350 $500 Save $150
The Yamaha RX-V4A 5.2 Channel A/V Receiver covers all the basics for your home theater setup with four HDMI inputs, one HDMI eARC output, and support for AirPlay 2, Bluetooth, and voice assistants like Amazon Alexa.
- Compatible with Alexa and Google Assistant
- HDMI eARC
- You can play 8K content (if you have any)
- Doesn’t support Dolby Atmos
Yamaha’s RX-V4A 5.2 Channel A/V Receiver doesn’t offer a fully Dolby Atmos-compliant audio setup, but it’s got all the basics you need to watch and listen at your leisure. The RX-V4A has four HDMI inputs and one HDMI output with support for eARC (the specification that allows high-end audio and video and control inputs to travel over HDMI) and can handle both 4K and 8K content with HDR10+.
For wireless options, Yamaha’s included support for Bluetooth, AirPlay 2, and W-Fi MusicCast. And if you’re interested in controlling the receiver (and devices connected to it) with a voice assistant, the RX-V4A plays nice with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. There are more fully-featured receivers available, sure, but for access to AirPlay 2 and a respectable set of specifications, this Yamaha does the trick.
Sonos Amp
2. Best premium AirPlay receiver
Perfect for built-ins and Sonos devotees
The Sonos Amp is a high-end tool for powering audio devices, and bringing all of your A/V equipment into a wireless Sonos system. It’s an expensive way to AirPlay to your existing devices, and definitely a luxurious one.
- Banana clips
- Entry into the Sonos ecosystem
- Compatible with Alexa and Google Assistant
The Sonos Amp is specifically designed for wrangling audio, with the ability to connect to your TV with HDMI eARC, and a variety of older speakers over audio line in or banana clips, all with the goal of bringing your existing hardware (passive speakers can even receive 125W per channel from the Amp) into a wireless system of Sonos devices.
That means you’ll be able to control everything from the Sonos app, the capacitive buttons on the front of the Amp, or with voice assistants like Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa. Since all modern Sonos devices support Apple’s AirPlay 2, streaming content from your iPhone is as simple as tapping a few buttons. Now the Sonos Amp is by far one of the most expensive ways of doing this, but if you’re already invested in Sonos’ system, or specifically looking to loop in built-ins like wall or ceiling-mounted speakers, it’s one of the sleekest options out there.
Belkin Soundform Connect
3. Best budget AirPlay receiver
Plug-and-play AirPlay on any speaker
$89 $100 Save $11
Belkin’s SoundForm Connect is a simple adapter for connecting to devices over audio line-in or optical audio so that you can AirPlay to them from your iPhone.
- Multiple port options
- Super simple setup
- Affordable
For the simplest possible method of AirPlaying to your speakers, Belkin’s SoundForm Connect can connect to existing speakers and receivers to add a wireless method of playing audio. The device is essentially an adapter with a USB-C port on one side for power, and a 3.5mm audio line-in and digital optical audio port on the other.
Unlike some of our other picks, the SoundForm Connect won’t power a passive speaker – think bookcase speakers or something similar – but if you’re looking for the cheapest possible way to use AirPlay with the audio devices you already own, the SoundForm Connect is our go-to pick.
Denon AVR-S770H AV Receiver
4. A more flexible (and complicated) AirPlay receiver
More ports and support for more standards
$586 $649 Save $63
The Denon AVR-S770H 7.2 Ch Home Theater Receiver is a pricier A/V tool that has five HDMI inputs, support for Dolby Vision, and Dolby Atmos, on top of adding in AirPlay 2 support.
- More HDMI ports
- 4K at 120Hz if you want it
- Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision
If you need more than what Yamaha’s A/V receiver can offer you, the Denon AVR-S770H 7.2 Ch Home Theater Receiver is a step-up in significant ways. With 7.2 channel surround sound, Denon’s receiver supports Dolby Atmos for 3D audio, unlike Yamaha’s. The AVR-S770H also ships with five HDMI inputs (three that support 8K/60Hz content and three that support 4K/120Hz content) and one HDMI output.
The receiver has most of the other bells and whistles you’d want too. There’s Dolby Vision and HDR10+, with Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and AirPlay 2 for wireless connectivity. And if you are building a system with passive speakers, the Denon AVR-S770H also passes 80W through its various channels. The overall package is pricier than our top receiver pick, but a good bit more flexible too.
WiiM Pro
5. Best for both AirPlay and Chromecast Audio
More capable than Belkin’s model
$149 $169 Save $20
The WiiM Pro Receiver is a tiny box that adds AirPlay 2, Chromecast Audio, and more to the speakers and receivers you already own, just by plugging them in.
- Every wireless streaming option you could want
- Coax cable
- Ethernet port
The WiiM Pro Receiver is a more capable and expensive alternative to Belkin’s SoundForm Connect. It’s a compact device that adds AirPlay 2, Chromecast Audio, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, and Amazon Music Casting to your speakers and receivers without having to entirely switch out what you already own.
For ports, you’ll be able to connect things over an Ethernet port, optical audio, and coax cable, with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi built-in to fulfill the WiiM Pro’s streaming capabilities, and USB-C for powering it. The box-y device has capacitive devices for controlling playback, but after setup, most of your interactions will be handled through whatever app or device you’re streaming from.
The bottom line: What’s the best AirPlay receiver?
AirPlay is one of Apple’s more ingenious software features for wirelessly casting media, but to take advantage of it you’d need to use speakers, receivers, and displays that are already built to support it. If you’re not made of money, the best way to take advantage of AirPlay 2 is looping in an AirPlay receiver.
Yamaha RX-V4A AV Receiver
Editor’s Choice
$350 $500 Save $150
If you’re looking for something to serve as the central device of your home theatre, the Yamaha RX-V4A 5.2 Channel A/V Receiver can catch inputs through it’s HDMI ports, pass them out to speakers and other devices, and integrate AirPlay 2 in the centre of it all, so even your current speakers can get in on the wireless streaming goodness.
If you’re primarily interested in audio, the Sonos Amp could do an even better job bringing existing built-in audio devices and your TV into a wireless Sonos system. That makes it easier to add more high-quality Sonos speakers whenever you’re ready, and take advantage of AirPlay 2 and controls through voice assistants.
For the job of adding AirPlay to an older speaker, the Belkin SoundForm Connect is more than up to the task. All you need to do is plug in your speaker and USB-C power, and it should be read to receiver AirPlay streams.
How we picked AirPlay receivers
Pocket-lint has used and reviewed multiple devices with built-in AirPlay functionality, and surveyed the A/V market to determine what to look for out of a good receiver and good AirPlay device. We tried to make picks that both support the latest version of Apple’s streaming standard, and the latest video and audio specifications whenever possible (Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, and the like), to make sure you’re making purchases that will last a while without needing to upgrade.
Our final list tries to account for the two possible uses of an AirPlay receiver: both as a straightforward way of adding AirPlay functionality to a device, and as a replacement for an existing receiver you might already have sitting under your TV or turntable.
Do I need a full A/V receiver to add AirPlay?
If you’re just concerned about playing audio, spending money on a giant A/V receiver with dozens of HDMI ports probably isn’t going to be necessary. There are smaller boxes that can achieve the same goal of making your older speakers AirPlay-able without costing you hundreds of dollars. But if you’re building a home theater system, maybe talking to multiple surround sound speakers, streaming boxes, and game consoles, then something a little more complicated and expensive will be necessary.
When should I use an AirPlay receiver?
AirPlay receivers are really only necessary if the device you’re trying to AirPlay to doesn’t already support the feature. In most cases, that means older TV and speaker systems, especially ones that are built-in and not easily replaced.
Does an iPhone work as an AirPlay receiver?
Apple currently doesn’t allow you to AirPlay content between iPhones, but you can AirPlay content to any MacOS device provided it’s running at least MacOS Monterey. If there’s a larger set of speakers or display connected to your computer that could work just as well as AirPlaying to a home theater setup.
Does Roku have AirPlay?
Modern Roku streaming sticks and boxes do support AirPlay. You can check Roku’s website for a list of compatible devices. If yours is supported, as long as it’s connected to the same Wi-Fi network that the device your AirPlaying from is connected to, you should be good to go.
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