When I go in the shower I like to listen to music. All my music is on my phone. So I tend to listen to it via the phone speaker โ which is shit. I bought a dock that charged via USB โ and it was pretty good โ but you have to charge it so fuck that.
So ideally I’d have speakers in the wall or ceiling and be able to airplay to that room from my phone. That shouldn’t be too hard โ right?
- Apple Airport Express – ยฃ76
- Wall volume control – ยฃ25
- Amplifier – ยฃ24
- Speakers – ยฃ20
So for about ยฃ150 the room (give or take because you gotta buy a couple of cables) the shower room should play music for me. That’s probably about what you’d pay for a half decent dock โ but it’s more awesome because you’re building it yourself!
I set up a test to make sure it all worked. It couldn’t be much simpler. First set the airplay up to get on the wifi network and give it a name (I named it “Upstairs Shower“. Then plug it into the amp using a 3.5mm jack. Then wire the speaker to the amp. I’m using big grey mains electric cables just because it’s what I have lying around โ and cable is cable.
Then send some music to it via the iPhone/iPad/Mac/PC!
And bam! Music!
The speakers are decent. I’ve only tried it with a single speaker so far, and the volume is great โ but there’s not much bass. Turning the bass up too much on the amp gives some popping. But I’m having a shower โ I’m not opening a nightclub in there.
I haven’t totally decided yet โ but I think I want a volume control on the wall. You can adjust the volume with the phone but I don’t want to have to do that every time (I haven’t tested it โ each airplay device might remember its own volume so you might not have to).
So wiring the volume control up is easy. It doesn’t need any power โ you just put it between the speakers and the amp.
The intention is to hide the amp and the airplay in the loft and never have to mess with it every again, then have the volume control on the wall.
This amp is probably overkill for what I’m using it for โ but it does what I need it to do, the price is right and it’s a nice size too.
So now all I have to do is actually cut our holes and put it where I want it!
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