Solution #4 is what I've had in place for over three years now, an Airport Express base station connected to my A/V receiver. The Airport Express is a hybrid device unlike anything else on the market. It can function as:
- wireless bridge
- wireless access point
- USB print server
- iTunes client
... or a combination of the above. It's the same form factor as the power supply for a Mac laptop. Given it's compact size, I've seen tech-savvy travelers use one to convert a hotel wired network connection into an in-room wireless network. For our purposes you will need a Connection Kit ($39) for an audio hook-up to your A/V receiver. I went with a TOS-link optical cable for the best sound available.
So your Airport Express connects to your network, either wired or wireless, and then to your A/V receiver via the connection kit. You configure it via a free utility from Apple called, appropriately, the AirPort Utility and enable "AirTunes" on the device. The Airport Express then magically appears in iTunes running on any system on your home network (Mac or Windows!). Look in lower right-hand corner of the iTunes window. You now have the choice of routing the audio from iTunes to the remote speakers, namely your A/V receiver.
My set-up has all of my music stored on my Netgear ReadyNAS Duo which happens to include a built-in iTunes server. Any laptop or desktop on the network can see the server and then access stored songs from within iTunes. With the Airport Express in place, I can then route the audio to the A/V receiver.
Pluses:
- Low cost - a used AirPort Express can be had for as low as $30. Add a good quality Connection Kit for $39 and you have a solution for under $70.
- Can also double as an access point or wireless bridge to extend your wireless network.
- Includes a USB port for connecting a printer as a network print server.
- Wired and wireless network connectivity.
Minuses:
- Still requires an active computer running iTunes to select and play songs.
- Audio only.
- Set-up, via the AirPort Utility can be confusing given all of the options
- Quality issues have arisen for the newer 802.11n models.
Cost: $69 - $140
Summary:
I use this solution and it works really well ... but ... I still want to get rid of that laptop or PC running iTunes. Why doesn't my A/V receiver include this?
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