Today's JAZZ playlist

I’m interested in these for an upcoming trip. Just want to make sure I understand. With my iPad, a WiFi connection and, say, Apple Music, I can run the vibe speaker and it sounds pretty good, correct? Should I use two speakers?

I personally would run two speakers as stereo via Airplay WiFi networking. But you can do one if that's all you want. Two sound much better and stereo is better than mono for most people, yes? Once you set these up as Stereo via the VIBE app, they stream in TRUE STEREO,

You need iOS so you can use Airplay (so your iPad works), and you need a WiFi NETWORK or the whole concept is defeated and you might as well use Bluetooth to one speaker. These speakers can do WiFi or Bluetooth.

You will need to download the VARO App and set TWO speakers up as Stereo if you want that. Otherwise, You can just connect to one speaker and do mono with one speaker, but TWO speakers give you true stereo once you set them up as stereo with the VARO app. Two Vibe speakers in stereo streaming sound amazing.

$19.95 is a steal for the Vibe speakers. I just ordered another pair because I had to for this bargain basement price. That's like 85 percent off retail. The Vibe are larger than the Sidekick. I travel with the Sidekick speakers. The vibe are going to be twice the size or more, but they sound a lot better (far more bass) than the Sidekick Varo speakers I travel with. The Vibe are more for the home, not necessarily for travel, but if you can pack them, then they are superior to the Sidekicks. The Sidekicks are smaller and thinner and fit in my backpack easily. I tend to travel light with a carry-on under seat bag and a backpack. So the Vibe would be too large for me, but if you can travel with them, they sound amazing and better than the Sidekicks. The only thing is the Sidekicks are water resistant, so you can use them outdoors. But for the money, you are better off with the Vibe since now they are the same blowout price. Plus, you may like the Vibe enough to use them at home somewhere when you are not traveling, and then you will be glad you have two so you can set them up for stereo Airplay in your home somewhere.

iOS Airplay to speakers like these sound fantastic compared to Bluetooth portable speakers. It's two different concepts. Unlike Bluetooth speakers, these speakers are basically for WiFi streaming (lossless) from your iPad or iPhone through a WiFi network to the speakers via Airplay, just like you would do with the popular Sonos speaker systems. You connect the speakers to the network via the VARO App, and then you stream to them via Airplay on your iPad/iPhone. The key is you need a WiFi Network to make them work correctly as I'm describing. You have to connect the speakers to the network first, then set them up as stereo via the VARO app that you can download via the Apple App store. Then play music and choose Airplay streaming to them via the Airplay selection on your iPad.
 
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No thread...yet. Might start one once I make a bit more progress. It’s an old (1914), three car garage with sliding barn doors and 12-14 foot vaulted ceilings. I more or less got the green light recently to transition it from garage/redneck storage to mainly be a listening room but it’s still a disaster area.

The only Klipsch I own are Fortes and these KG2s and neither pair are going anywhere. I love them both. The current incarnation of Return Of The Son Of The Garage System is AT/MCS-Akai-Klipsch.

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This little Akai GXC-39D top loader came with the Akai AA-1050 and I kinda dig it. It needs some work still.

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Love it. It will be a fun place to be. If I had a space like that I would choose old school West Coast speakers - JBL or Cerwins and go for lots of slam. P-A-R-T-Y
 
My QUADs have something like 0.01% distortion above 200hz, where it matters. I wouldn’t drive them with a SET that produces 10% distortion across the range, but that’s just me.

You know I’m a vocal jazz nut. The coherence and accuracy of the QUADs in the vocal range is simply unmatched, IMO. Heaven.

I am not an expert, but aren't QUADS in their own lane? In any case - one of the best systems I have ever heard had Martin Logan driven by tubes. My goals are immediacy, presence and realism. No, I am not one of those "band in the room" types lol - but I do strive for a certain sound. I am willing to sacrifice things like accuracy and neutrality if it gives me more of what I like. I pay zero attention to numbers and only trust my ears.

EDIT: After thought... how are the QUADS where bass is concerned? Bass would be the only issue I have surrounding E-stats. I prefer more slam and listen to music that goes well beyond 40hZ. The Martin Logans performed really well in this area.
 
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I personally would run two speakers as stereo via Airplay WiFi networking. But you can do one if that's all you want. Two sound much better and stereo is better than mono for most people, yes? Once you set these up as Stereo via the VIBE app, they stream in TRUE STEREO,

You need iOS so you can use Airplay (so your iPad works), and you need a WiFi NETWORK or the whole concept is defeated and you might as well use Bluetooth to one speaker. These speakers can do WiFi or Bluetooth.

You will need to download the VARO App and set TWO speakers up as Stereo if you want that. Otherwise, You can just connect to one speaker and do mono with one speaker, but TWO speakers give you true stereo once you set them up as stereo with the VARO app. Two Vibe speakers in stereo streaming sound amazing.

$19.95 is a steal for the Vibe speakers. I just ordered another pair because I had to for this bargain basement price. That's like 85 percent off retail. The Vibe are larger than the Sidekick. I travel with the Sidekick speakers. The vibe are going to be twice the size or more, but they sound a lot better (far more bass) than the Sidekick Varo speakers I travel with. The Vibe are more for the home, not necessarily for travel, but if you can pack them, then they are superior to the Sidekicks. The Sidekicks are smaller and thinner and fit in my backpack easily. I tend to travel light with a carry-on under seat bag and a backpack. So the Vibe would be too large for me, but if you can travel with them, they sound amazing and better than the Sidekicks. The only thing is the Sidekicks are water resistant, so you can use them outdoors. But for the money, you are better off with the Vibe since now they are the same blowout price. Plus, you may like the Vibe enough to use them at home somewhere when you are not traveling, and then you will be glad you have two so you can set them up for stereo Airplay in your home somewhere.

iOS Airplay to speakers like these sound fantastic compared to Bluetooth portable speakers. It's two different concepts. Unlike Bluetooth speakers, these speakers are basically for WiFi streaming (lossless) from your iPad or iPhone through a WiFi network to the speakers via Airplay, just like you would do with the popular Sonos speaker systems. You connect the speakers to the network via the VARO App, and then you stream to them via Airplay on your iPad/iPhone. The key is you need a WiFi Network to make them work correctly as I'm describing. You have to connect the speakers to the network first, then set them up as stereo via the VARO app that you can download via the Apple App store. Then play music and choose Airplay streaming to them via the Airplay selection on your iPad.

Thanks so much for all that info! Your fingers must be tired!
 
I’m interested in these for an upcoming trip. Just want to make sure I understand. With my iPad, a WiFi connection and, say, Apple Music, I can run the vibe speaker and it sounds pretty good, correct? Should I use two speakers?

One more thing. You need an easy access WiFi system with no "additional" Login page requrements. Some hotel WiFi networks, for example, take you to a "LOGIN" Page to officially sign up for their WiFi. This will NOT work with these speakers because there is no way to LOGIN with them. The speakers themselves need to JOIN the network. You do this via the Varo App. They can't join a WiFi network with a login page. A Password protected WiFi network is fine as the app lets a speaker join with password, but there is no provision for going to an additional LOGIN page after the password, like those in some hotels, to join a network.

When I travel, I use my Cellular HotSpot (a different phone than my iPhone) as the WiFi Network so that works fine. With your iPad, you could do the same if you have a hotspot on your cell phone. Or if you are in a place where the WiFi only requires a password and not a LOGIN page for acceptance, that's fine too.
 
Thanks so much for all that info! Your fingers must be tired!

I just wanted to make sure you understood how they work. Airplay is VERY different than Bluetooth, but the upgrade in Fidelity and Flexibility is WORTH IT!

You can't have three or four sets of Bluetooth stereo Speakers all playing in Sync throughout your home. You can with Airplay. You can stream one song to all your Airplay speakers at once throughout your home or office.

You can't be truly lossless with Bluetooth (although they say Apt-X is close), but you can go lossless with Airplay. The downside is you need a WiFi network to get Airplay to work. You don't with Bluetooth.

Bluetooth is peer to peer. Airplay is WiFi based. Two totally different platforms.
 
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I am not an expert, but aren't QUADS in their own lane? In any case - one of the best systems I have ever heard had Martin Logan driven by tubes. My goals are immediacy, presence and realism. No, I am not one of those "band in the room" types lol - but I do strive for a certain sound. I am willing to sacrifice things like accuracy and neutrality if it gives me more of what I like. I pay zero attention to numbers and only trust my ears.

EDIT: After thought... how are the QUADS where bass is concerned? Bass would be the only issue I have surrounding E-stats. I prefer more slam and listen to music that goes well beyond 40hZ. The Martin Logans performed really well in this area.

Yeah, the QUADs will need a sub for your hip-hop, forgot you were a fan. Problem is, there was never a sub that integrated well with them, though there were a couple on the market. When Ken Kantor was a member here, he mentioned an idea he had for a QUAD ESL-63 sub. If anyone could do it right, Ken certainly could. Sadly, he was driven away by the usual know-nothings here.

ML uses powered subs integrated into their speakers, I believe, so a tube amp could probably drive them without flabby bass.
 
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