# Sound bar for iPad?



## barryd (May 9, 2008)

One of my neighbours (lovely old lady) has asked me to find her a sound bar for her iPad. There are loads of these on ebay, Amazon etc. I think she just wants one that plugs into the headphone socket but just wondered if anyone could recommend something. Not too expensive. forty quid, something like that I suppose.


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

Why plug in and not blue tooth? 
What's the difference between a sound bar and a speaker?


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Well I mentioned blue tooth or wireless and she thinks it will be a fiddle and she might be right. Great while they work

I dont think there is much difference Jan. She just saw someone with one at one of her choir sessions. I think maybe a powerful single blue tooth speaker might be better but I Dont really know as its not something I bother with. Dont even have a tablet. If I want to make some proper noise I have massive PA system and a Marshall Amp that can literally move the furniture.


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## dghr272 (Jun 14, 2012)

I use Apple AirPlay from my iPad and phone paired to my Bluetooth capable speakers at home and to a sound bar in the motorhome when away, dead easy.

https://www.lifewire.com/how-to-use-airplay-on-the-ipad-4103775

Terry


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## dghr272 (Jun 14, 2012)

JanHank said:


> Why plug in and not blue tooth?
> What's the difference between a sound bar and a speaker?


Sound bar has stereo capability, a normal single speaker is mono.

Terry


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Thanks

The Air play thing looks a bit complicated for her. We are talking seriously technically challenged here.


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

dghr272 said:


> Sound bar has stereo capability, a normal single speaker is mono.
> 
> Terry


I have a single speaker, not sure if it's at home or in the van so can't check the make. It is both blue tooth or plug in stereo, powerful, has an SD card slot. There are a lot of single speakers that are stereo.


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

KISS ………………….. you know it makes sense.

Ray.


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## dghr272 (Jun 14, 2012)

JanHank said:


> I have a single speaker, not sure if it's at home or in the van so can't check the make. It is both blue tooth or plug in stereo, powerful, has an SD card slot. There are a lot of single speakers that are stereo.


And that's why I qualified it by mentioning "normal single speaker"

Terry


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## dghr272 (Jun 14, 2012)

barryd said:


> Thanks
> 
> The Air play thing looks a bit complicated for her. We are talking seriously technically challenged here.


For a speaker connection it's really not, just pair it once then just select airplay each time you want to play through the speaker.

My technophobe better half can manage it and she has issues with the SkyQ buttons and her mobile phone. :surprise:

Terry


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## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

surely the whole point of an iPad is it's portability?

If so having anything connected to it by a wire will be a considerable encumbrance and since whatever you get can only be connected via the headphone socket it can't be powered by the iPad, as opposed to a USB powered, clip on, computer sound bar. Bluetooth would be best.

It is simple to use and will pair to the speaker/s automatically once it's been done for the first time. All she'll want to do is maybe to turn the bluetooth off in her iPad when it's not in use to save the battery. Much better than wires.

Looky here: https://www.cnet.com/news/best-portable-mini-bluetooth-speakers-of-2019/

I'd want one with batteries you can change rather than USB rechargeable ones. Then I could put a spare in any time and keep listening.


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Thanks. Your right. Blue tooth is probably the way to go. This looks good. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tribit-MaxSound-Bluetooth-Exceptional-Waterproof/dp/B07LGKLFFW

Lasts 20hrs and USB rechargeable in 3 apparently. Presumably you could just leave it plugged in to the USB port or even a 240v socket with a USB charger plugged in.


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

Who's a clever girl then, told you that didnt I :grin2: Well I suggested it anyway.


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## rogerblack (May 1, 2005)

That one you picked looks OK, Barry, but have a look at this one too:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07PP5VSJ5/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I bought one a few weeks ago and am amazed at the sound quality and bass response.

Once paired it automatically finds whichever of the various Bluetooth sources is used - I have it paired with my laptop, Amazon Fire tablet, Fire stick and Samsung Android smartphone.

It also has an AUX input socket in case she really doesn't get on with Bluetooth, plus it has a micro-SD card slot so I can play tracks directly from that without using any external source. It's waterproof so I can use it in the bathroom when showering in the morning, driving Mrs B mad with my old OMD albums. And I can't believe how long it lasts between charges.


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## dghr272 (Jun 14, 2012)

barryd said:


> Thanks. Your right. Blue tooth is probably the way to go. This looks good. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tribit-MaxSound-Bluetooth-Exceptional-Waterproof/dp/B07LGKLFFW
> 
> Lasts 20hrs and USB rechargeable in 3 apparently. Presumably you could just leave it plugged in to the USB port or even a 240v socket with a USB charger plugged in.


Once it's switched on and paired with the iPad just swipe up the screen to display the music options and select it from there, my Sonos speaker is called Family Room, simple.

£99:99 invoice on the way. :grin2:

Terry


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## Spacerunner (Mar 18, 2006)

I bought a cheap £30 sound bar from Currys. It has Bluetooth, optical, hdmi and ordinary headphone connections. I use it on the bedroom tv and it works just fine. Even got its own remote control.


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## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

barryd said:


> Thanks. Your right. Blue tooth is probably the way to go. This looks good. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tribit-MaxSound-Bluetooth-Exceptional-Waterproof/dp/B07LGKLFFW
> 
> Lasts 20hrs and USB rechargeable in 3 apparently. Presumably you could just leave it plugged in to the USB port or even a 240v socket with a USB charger plugged in.


The iPads we've had didn't have USB ports Baz. I'm fairly sure none do. Even if they did I think powering speakers would drain the iPad battery very quickly. That's why I'd want ordinary batteries.

That jobbie looks very nice. It'd suit me for banging out a bit of loudish music and it would be great for listening in the shower but I think I wouldn't want to carry something that big around. Does you old lady listen to Rock in the shower?

Probably not, but what she wants to use it for and where she wants to use it would have quite an influence on whats best I think. I have a little Bose which will fill a good sized room over conversation no problem, but I wouldn't want to carry it around.


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

rogerblack said:


> That one you picked looks OK, Barry, but have a look at this one too:
> 
> https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07PP5VSJ5/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
> 
> ...


Thanks. Ive sent her that one as well. This one by the sound of it can pair with more than one device at the same time the other one cant and you can pair it up with more speakers not that she will want to do that.

Thanks again for the replies.


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Just a thought but could I put my guitar through one of these or will it be a "back to the future" moment. :lol:


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## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

With a big jack to little jack adapter and using headphones I'd expect that you could. I don't see why not. The machine won't care what the source of the signal is I expect.


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

erneboy said:


> With a big jack to little jack adapter and using headphones I'd expect that you could. I don't see why not. The machine won't care what the source of the signal is I expect.


It was a joke really but I can put my guitar through anything really as I have a USB interface.

I missed your post above Alan about the USB socket on the iPad and the size of the speaker. Good point about the USB but I guess a 240v plug in charger would sort that. Those speakers above though are really quite small. When you watch the video you can hold one in one hand.


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