03-06-2008, 05:15 PM

I just bought my first Mac this week and got it in my hands yesterday. Im pretty excited. Already started up a .Mac account and Im pumped to get all my photos/videos organized, etc...

One thing I have always wanted to do is run some speakers outside to my backporch where we hang out and grill sometimes. My original plan was to just run some extra speaker wire out to our gazebo. But now that I have the macbook, I was thinking of doing it differently.

Someone told me to get airport express and run wireless speakers outside that will sync with my itunes on my macbook.

can someone give me some more information on how this works. What kind of speakers will I need? Can I use this for not only my new outside speakers but my main stereo system in my house?

03-06-2008, 05:39 PM

On one end you have a macbook. On the other end is an airport express. You play music from your macbook iTunes library. You specify that you want it to be played via AirTunes. The music gets wirelessly streamed to the Airport express. On the Airport express is a standard headphone jack (not sure if it's optical as well). You plug in your speakers there and sound comes out of them.

Now you can either have a direct link, or you can also have the airport express > wireless router > Macbook.

However, note that there have been complaints about poor range on part of the Airport Express which results in breaking of music (it's not Wifi "n" yet). Make sure you have a return policy.

Not sure about playing music simultaneously over two speaker Airport express'.

03-06-2008, 05:47 PM

thanks, that clears it up for me. I didnt want it to run simultaneously on 2 separate systems. I just thought it be nice to run to the outdoor speakers and also to indoor stereo system. But doesnt have to be at same time


btw, any first hand comments on the "range" and other quality issues would be greatly appreciated.