Aperion's HAL: Wireless Audio Made Easy
When you think of wireless audio, you probably think of Bluetooth devices. Sure, a few other systems that we’ve checked out offer wireless sound capabilities, like the Sonos S5. And iPod users have a decent solution in the Audioengine W2. But what if you want something a little more flexible? Something that can take in any audio source offering a headphone port or minijack audio-out and transmit it cable-free?
That’s the promise of the Aperion Home Audio Link (HAL) System. What makes this dynamic duo so flexible is the ability to stream music from any audio source to any receiver or audio system. Now your computer, iPod, or MP3 player can transmit music throughout your entire 500 square foot apartment or even your house. For those who like backyard BBQ’s, the outside isn’t off limits either. When you purchase any additional HAL receivers, you can even stream to multiple rooms at the same time, from a single source.
With a range of 100 feet or more between the receiver and transmitter, you have quite a bit extra space compared with other systems like Bluetooth. It operates on the 2.4GHz frequency band, which can be a bit crowded, but we never experienced any conflicts or problems. The audio is uncompressed as well, so you’re not getting a lossy mess from your pristine audio sources.
We liked that the product is compatible with whatever kind of computer you have. You just plug into your USB port (or mini-jack/audio out + power) and play. HAL can transmit through most ceilings and walls, though they will cut down on the range of course. And be careful of exactly where you transmit to, or your neighbors might get sick of hearing William Hung’s version of “She Bangs, She Bangs”.
One great use for these is to instantly make your home theater setup wireless. Imagine that you have a wired subwoofer or powered speakers as part of your A/V system, but you’d prefer not to have speaker cables strewn about. Aperion’s device can help- simply connect one to your receiver and the other to the speaker or sub. And for those of you who are not technical, FREE lifetime support is offered. They might not be able to come over like the Geek Squad, but they will be able to troubleshoot if you do run into a minor snafu. One note: these won’t boost any signal and can’t fill in for an amplifier, so unpowered speakers and underpowered signals don’t work well.
We loved the size of the HAL units; they are small and easy to store in tight spaces or keep hidden away. The devices are easily paired and simple to setup, and being able to use USB to power them made them handier than other systems, though the USB cable is quite short and you might end up leaving the dongle, er, dangling a bit.
The fact that no static or hissing sound interrupted our smooth grooves made it all the more enjoyable, and the price is right for a transmitter/receiver pair at about $150. We were able to purchase this product directly from Aperion at or on amazon.com. And you can always easily add an extra receiver unit later, which can be purchased separately for $70.
