Can I make a Non AirPlay Speaker into an enabled one using Airport Express ?

[augustya]

Hi Guys,

I wanted to know I am planning to buy a Speaker System which is non AirPlay, it has Auxillary input and Optical input can I use an Airport Express to attach to it and make it AirPlay enabled ? Please see the attached pictures of the input that the speakers has and the output the Airport Express has ! Will this work ? I have my doubts that though it appears theoretically to work I may not actually work ?

 

[DJLC]

Yes, it should work fine. You'll just need a mini-to-mini audio cable to go in between, and the speaker may include that.

 

[augustya]

Yes, it should work fine. You'll just need a mini-to-mini audio cable to go in between, and the speaker may include that.

Well I hope it will indeed work and nit just end up appearing that it will work theoretically ? Because no one seems to be taking complete responsibility of it and say it confidently that it will work, neither Apple nor the Speaker Manufacturing Company ! Are we sure this would work actually ?

 

[0924487]

You can even use a Linux or Unix plug to get AirPlay and Time Machine backup

 

[augustya]

My Concern is, on paper it also looks workable in theory ! But will it actually work in real life ?

 

[DJLC]

My Concern is, on paper it also looks workable in theory ! But will it actually work in real life ?

I feel it would be misleading to tell you "yes, it will definitely work" just because I don't have the latest gen Airport Express + I don't know what specific speaker product you're looking at. But that being said, it appears from your screenshot that the speaker has a standard analog in port in the form of a mini jack. The latest gen AirPort Express definitely has a standard analog out in the form of a mini jack and can function as an AirPlay speaker destination. So as long as the speaker indeed has standard analog in and you have a mini to mini audio cable to go in between, it will definitely work as an AirPlay speaker.

Hope that helps clarify! Based on the information you've given, 99% chance of it working great in my opinion. But without putting my hands on that specific speaker and AirPort model, I'm not going to say 100%.