While it is probably a tad premature to write off wired loudspeaker systems; I can only imagine how the nice people at Monster and AudioQuest would feel about that, the reality is that for the non-audiophile world who could care less about $1,000 loudspeaker cables, the future has arrived.
Wireless loudspeaker systems are not new, but the flexibility to control them (including multi-room systems) has made major advances in the past 24 months and with a lot of people schlepping around their music collection on their smart phone or tablet, the future looks rather bright for wireless loudspeaker systems. Legrand has been actively involved in the home technology sector for years, so CEDIA 2011 seemed like the perfect place to introduce the brand new airQast Wi-Fi loudspeaker system.
The airQast system (available in December for $329.00) was not only designed for the home environment but for commercial and retail spaces as well. The product is designed to wirelessly deliver high-quality audio and blend into almost any environment.
Legrand’s airQast system will allow users to select and play music, adjust volume levels, create playlists, and stream radio services from any smart phone or tablet. Once you install the system, you only need to download the free airQast Controller app from either the iTunes App Store, or the Android Marketplace, and then connect to a wireless network. The rear panel of the airQast system will also allow users to connect another digital source.
The airQast might also be the ideal outdoor system for those people who don’t want to run cables through the exterior walls of their home, yet want to enjoy music while they grill and entertain. For the price, one almost has the perfect wireless loudspeaker system when working in the garage (and you don’t want to miss one second of the baseball game) or when on vacation at the cottage. A most interesting proposition to say the least.
For more information:
