So you’ve got a great soundbar in the lounge, some separates that handle music and sometimes double on home cinema duties in the same room, a separate system in your dedicated listening room, a kitchen speaker to keep your toe tapping while you cook and more speakers upstairs. Quite a set-up. But wouldn’t it be great if they could all work together on the same network?
Now they can, thanks to DTS Play-Fi. This whole-home audio platform lets you stream music, podcasts, radio and more from every compatible device in the home. Whether you’re using a popular music service, your TV, or even your turntable, you can quickly and simply stream the audio to every connected device in every room in your home without the need for cable spaghetti. Or you can create a wireless home cinema system using your Play-Fi-enabled soundbar or TV – the choice is yours.
The Play-Fi app is available for Android, iOS, Kindle Fire, Windows and TV devices. The platform recently won a bunch of awards at CES 2023, including the OMDIA Innovation Award, Twice Picks Award and the CES 2023 Innovation Award for Streaming.
Play-Fi has some new members of the family it would like you to meet. So come inside, fix yourself a warm drink and check out even more ways to listen.
Many brands, one family
One of the best things about DTS Play-Fi is that it allows devices from different brands to work together on the same network. You’re not tied into always buying devices from one company, giving you many more listening options to fit your budget, preferences and taste.
Case in point: the Loewe Klang bar3 soundbar. A powerful 3.1 soundbar, it’s a true all-rounder, whether you’re using it as your sole home cinema speaker, or adding it as part of a surround sound set-up.
Used alone, its 360 watts of power are more than enough to bring your movies, shows and games to life, and it projects 3D sound with extra height thanks to its Dolby Atmos tech. With forward-facing left, right and centre speakers partnering with not one but two integrated subwoofers, it creates a truly immersive, room-filling sound.
Using wireless, latency-free WDAL 2.0 technology (Loewe Wireless Digital Audiolink 2.0), the Klang bar3 can connect to extra front and rear speakers, automatically becoming the centre speaker to enable better speech intelligibility. And if you want to go wired with older active speakers or amplifiers, it has AVR connections, so you won’t need an expensive adapter.
But of course the feather in its cap is DTS Play-Fi, which lets the Klang bar3 work as a wireless speaker across a multi-room set-up, or directly with Play-Fi-enabled TVs.
Hi-res across multiple rooms
The Klang bar3 partners perfectly with the Loewe Klang mr Series. Comprising the klangmr1, klangmr3 and klangmr5 multi-room speakers, this lets you stream music in hi-resolution – a feature missing from many multi-room systems.
The klangmr1 is the baby of the bunch with 30 watts of total music power, while the klangmr3 has 150 watts and the klangmr5 has 180 watts. But whatever you’re listening to, be it music, podcasts, audio books, internet radio or something else besides, these speakers will do it justice, connecting not only over wi-fi but Bluetooth as well, for beaming content from a mobile device.
They don’t just sound superb, they look great too, with an elegant, understated look that will fit any interior. And they’re a joy to use – you can save and play your favourites with a simple tap on the glass touch panel, or control them using your voice. Partner them with the Klang bar3, sit back and enjoy the music.
The ultimate music streamer?
And if you want to add hi-res music streaming to any audio system? The Audiolab 7000N Play streamer is for you.
It builds on the highly acclaimed 6000N Play – two-time winner of What Hi-Fi?’s Best Music Streamer Under £500 Award – offering a significant step-up in both functionality and performance. But with an RRP of £549, it’s just £50 more expensive.
By combining the versatility of the DTS Play-Fi wireless audio platform with Audiolab’s sonic knowhow, it delivers a beautiful sounding network streamer that’s simple to set up and use. Smartphones. Tablets. PCs. Macs. NAS drivers. Music servers. They all play nice with the 7000N Play’s dual-band, dual-antenna wi-fi, and of course it connects to other Play-Fi-equipped devices (regardless of brand) to create a full-house multi-room system.
A new generation ES9038Q2M DAC (digital-to-analogue converter) connects directly to any amplified or powered speakers, while proprietary circuitry helps create a sound with ultra-low noise and high dynamic range. Hi-res audio? Why of course, you can stream up to 24-bit/192kHz over wi-fi and Ethernet cable.
An isolated power supply has a high-efficiency, low-noise toroidal transformer for optimum signal purity, while AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, and Works with Alexa support gives you even more ways to stream. Add a new colour display and you’ve got possibly the ultimate music streamer.
All the streaming services under one roof
But these devices and technologies are nothing without music to play on them. Play-Fi has an abundance of compatible music services, with Amazon Music Unlimited, TIDAL and Qobuz all offering gapless 24-bit/192kHz hi-res playback audio (which many other multi-room systems don’t support). Once you’ve filled your home with hi-res music in every room, you’ll never go back.
Still not sold? Play-Fi customers have an exclusive free 3-month trial to Qobuz, so they can try before they buy. Find out more here.
