If you like using the AirPlay technology developed by Apple that allows you to stream audio/video from iTunes to your Mac or with the help of apps on your iPod, iPad or iPhone to the AirPlay-enabled devices, you might want to consider building your very own AirPlay audio system.

When you are streaming content from iTunes you have the possibility to send audio/video content at the same time on multiple devices and you can control the playback from your iOS-running device by using the Remote app developed by Apple which makes it a lot easier to build a whole home sound system for a lot less money in comparison to a similar setup.

However, the bad news is that despite the fact that Apple has introduced AirPlay back in November 2010; on the market you won’t find that many audio systems that offer support for AirPlay so you might want to consider configuring your own system. If you own a stereo system, an iPhone/iPod speaker dock or a set of computer or powered speakers, you will only need to get the Apple AirPort Express Base Station for both analog and digital connections or you might consider the third generation Apple TV, along with a regular audio cable. After you have finished configuring the aforementioned AirPort Express or the Apple TV to be able to receive AirPlay streaming, the setup is very easy to accomplish. If the speakers that you have are using an analog audio connection, you should know that only the AirPort Express is going to work. You’ll have to use a regular analog cable that at the AirPort Express’ end has a 1/8-inch stereo miniplug, while on the other end it must have a left/right RCA or a miniplug.

If you own a speaker system, you can use the AirPort Express or the Apple TV. All that you have to do is use an optical cable which has to be hooked up to the audio output jack of the Apple TV / AirPort Express and to the audio system’s optical input. Keep in mind that the AirPort Express features a Mini-TosLink plug while the Apple TV features a standard TosLink connector. You’ll find the appropriate cable at just about any electronics stores. You will have the possibility of controlling the volume by using the volume control of the audio system or you might want to set the stereo system at a comfortable level and after that use iTunes for changing the volume. If you haven’t got a decent audio system at home, or if you have been considering purchasing one so that you can use it with AirPlay, you should know that there are lots of options available. We should mention that if you plan on using it mostly with AirPlay, you won’t need one that has all sorts of features. Needless to say, you can also choose the DIY route which consists of getting a compact and low-power amplifier, an AirPort Express and a set of decent bookshelf speakers. Depending on your choice of components, you might be able to save some serious money if you choose to build the AirPlay audio system on your own. In the second part of the article we’ll talk about amplifiers, speakers and the setup process so stay tuned.

If the extra bulk does not bother you, we would like to recommend a pair of full size headphones. They got this name due to the reason that these headphones fully cover or surround the ears so most of the models sound better in comparison to the lightweight models we’ve talked in the second part of the article. You should know that a lot of these full size headphones are extremely comfortable thanks to their ergonomic designs as well as the generous padding.

The bad news is that not all of these models have been designed in order to fit large heads so try to test this before buying them or opt for a store that has a good return policy.

You should know that these full size headphones fall into two distinct categories: closed or open. The first ones are capable of blocking out some of the external noise while at the same time keeping the music only to you so that it will not disturb those who are around you. As for the open models, there are letting more of the sound in and out. We should note that for these headphones to reach their full potential these require more juice than a regular jack is capable of providing on an iPhone, iPod, iPad or Mac. If you are interested in buying a pair of full size headphones, here are several models that you might want to take into account: Sennheiser HD 202, Grado SR60i, Beyerdynamic DT 235, Sony MDR-XB300, Sony MDR-V6, Shure SRH440, Sennheiser HD 280 Pro, Sennheiser HD 448, Klipsch Image One, Denon AH-D1001, Bowers & Wilkins (B&W) P5, V-moda Crossfade M-80, Audio Technica ATH-AD700 and the Skullcandy RocNation Aviator. Let’s move on to noise-cancelling headphones which will sample outside sound and after that will pipe in an inverse audio signal so that it can “cancel out” most of the monotonous external noise. Despite the fact that these headphones are not as good in terms of sound quality as in-ear-canal headphones, these models are easier to put on or off and at the same time they allow you to hear what is going on around you. You should know that these noise-cancelling headphones come in full-size, lightweight and canalbud models. Here are some suggestions in this segment: Bose QuietComfort 15, Bose QuietComfort 3, Audio Technica ATH-ANC7b, Klipsch Mode M40 and Monster Beats by Dr. Dre Studio.

Last but certainly not least, you can buy a pair of Bluetooth stereo headphones which will allow you to stream audio from recent Macs, iPhone 3G (or later), any iPad and iPod Touch (2G or later). You should know that the vast majority of these stereo Bluetooth headphones also work as headsets so you have the possibility to switch between voice and music features without any complications. If you are running at least iOS 4.2, you can control the music playback with the help of Back, Forward, Play/Pause buttons on the headphones themselves. Here are some models that have these controls incorporated: Sennheiser MM 100, Plantronics BackBeat 903+, Jabra Sport and the JayBird Sportsband Bluetooth Headphones. As you can see, there is a lot of variety when it comes down to purchasing a pair of headphones for your iOS device so make sure that you analyze all of your options before making a final decision.

We begin the second part of the article by talking about earbuds which is the type that it comes bundled with all iPhones and iPods. These sit loosely in your outer ears and they manage to be compact and affordable, but they do not produce an impressive sound quality.

The ones that Apple offers with the iPhone and iPod are pretty decent so you won’t be getting a significant upgrade in terms of quality if you replace these with another model. If you still want to do this there are several models of earbuds that you might want to consider, such as the Yuin PK2, Sennheiser MX 580, Maximo iM-290 iMetal and the Sennheiser/Adidas Sports PMX 680i which are in fact earbuds that feature a neck band for exercise.

Moving on to another type of headphones, the in-ear-canal models which are also known as canalphones. These are using either silicone or foam eartips, which will fit snugly and deep in the ear canals. Much like earplugs, these are capable of blocking the external noise so these are recommended for noisy environments. You should know that these are able to produce a great sound quality, but lots of people consider in-ear-canal headphones as being uncomfortable, while the best models are quite expensive. Some examples that you should analyze in this category are: Future Sonics Atrio, Etymotic Research hf3, MEElectronics A151 and the Ultimate Ears TripleFi 10 from Logitech which will set you back a whopping $420. Regarding canalbuds, you should know that these are occupying that middle ground between in-ear-canal models and earbuds. In the last few years these have become quite popular and most of the models feature smaller eartips which usually are staying inside the ear canals ends rather than sitting deep inside them. The high quality models are in most cases better than earbuds when it comes down to noise isolation and audio performance, but canalphones manage to do a better job in these areas. We have to mention that these canalbuds are usually more comfortable in comparison to true canalphones due to the reason that these will not sit too deep and they do not fit so tightly. In addition, such models are also more affordable. Here are some examples in this segment: Denon AH-C560R, Spider, Realvoice, Nox Audio Scout, Maximo iP-595 iMetal and the iLuv iEP515.

Let’s talk about the lightweight headphones which are usually reasonably priced and quite portable. These are using larger drivers than canalphones and earbuds, while the earpiece is larger and is resting against the outside of your ears. There are some lightweight models in this category which feature a thin headband which will go behind or over your head, while some of the other lightweight headphones have a small clip on the earpieces which will slip over your ears, making them a more suitable solution for those who do a lot of exercising. You will also find various models that can be folded which makes them better for travelling. Here are some recommendations for lightweight headphones you should take into account: Sennheiser PX 200-Iii, Grado iGrado, Koss Porta Pro and Sennheiser HD 238i. Join us for the third and final part of the article where we will talk about full-size headphones as well as noise-cancelling headphones and Bluetooth stereo headphones.

If you are searching to improve the sound quality of your iPhone, iPod or iPad, a pair of headphones will do the trick if you know what to choose. In the same way, a high quality set of headphones should be on your shopping list for those moments when you want to listen to your favorite music on your Mac privately. The thing is that you have so many options to choose from and there is a lot of variety in this segment, while at the same time you don’t have that many chances of testing the headphones yourself to find out which one is better.

Compared to speakers, headphones do not differ that much when it comes down to features because all you can do with them is plug them in, put the earpieces on/in your years and then play your favorite tunes. What set these headphones apart are their sound quality, comfort and type. You should ignore the specifications of the manufacturers since there is no standard testing methodology for the frequency response of headphones. In addition, many of the vendors have the tendency to exaggerate with the specifications.

So, instead of relying on reading the specifications of the manufacturers, you should try and test the headphones yourself if you can, and if not, read reviews of such products from worthy sources. Just like speakers, those quality headphones are capable of reproducing the audio with a good balance between the treble, midrange and bass frequencies, thus being able to preserve detail and provide a rich and full sound.

As far as the functionality of the headset and the inline control modules, lots of the available headphones nowadays feature an inline module right on the cable with a microphone as well as one or more remote control buttons. Some of the recent models feature dedicated volume up and down buttons, while the microphone can be used not only for talking on the phone, but also for giving Voice Control and Siri commands, as well as making voice recordings. Don’t forget about the fit and comfort of the headphones since unlike a lot of other electronics devices, you will actually be wearing the headphones so it is very important how well the headphones fit your ears, head as well as ear canals.

Buying a high quality pair of headphones can be a difficult thing to do since not a lot of retailers have good headphones and fewer will allow you to test the products in the store, especially when it comes down to testing the in-ear-canal headphones. What can you do? We recommend that you purchase from a retailer that has a good return policy so that if you are not satisfied with the headphones you bought, you can return the product and get your money back or choose another model of headphones. Regarding availability, there are thousands of headphone models available which vary in audio quality, style, price and features. Almost all of them will fit in one of the following categories: earbuds, canalbuds, in-ear-canal, full-size, lightweight, noise-cancelling and wireless. Join us for the second part of the article where we will be describing all of these different types of headphones so that you can make a better decision when you are at the store or buying online.

With the arrival of iOS 5, Apple has introduced iMessage which if you did not knew is a new capability of an iOS-running device’s Messages application that is capable of sending text, video and picture messages to other iPhones without having to count against the messaging plan offered by the carrier which can turn out to be quite pricey. The good news is that iMessage will work with any device that runs on iOS 5 so those of you who are using an iPod Touch or an iPad can benefit from this new feature. Even though right from the start iMessage is very useful, we are going to provide some tips which will make the feature even more handy.

You should know that this new iMessage can indicate you when the recipient of the message has read it. Keep in mind that this option – which is called Read Receipts - is turned off by default. If you want to turn this feature on, you will have to fire up the Settings app and after that scroll down until you can find Messages. Tap on it and then the only thing left to do is to slide Send Read Receipts to the On position. After activating it, you will be notified when the recipient has read your message.

Also in the Settings menu you will find somewhere lower in the list a button called Receive At. If you tap on this button you will be able to set all of the e-mail addresses that you have at which you would prefer to receive these iMessages. You will be asked to confirm all of the e-mail address that you write and you will have to select the link inside in order to prove that you are the owner of that e-mail address that you have just entered. This is a great method so that those who want to reach you will still be able to do this through iMessage so all of the messages that you receive will arrive in the same location. You will also notice a Caller ID function which you can use for dictating from where the iMessage will appear as being sent. If you are using an iPhone, it can be from your phone number or it can be from an e-mail that you have connected you iMessage account with. Obviously, your iPad does not have a phone number, but it’s still able to show the messages that were sent to and from an e-mail address linked to iMessage.

We should mention that when you are writing a new iMessage to your family or friends, you’ll have to make sure that you use their e-mails rather than their phone numbers whenever you can. By using an e-mail for your iMessage Caller ID, you can be certain that all of the messages are 100% synchronized on all of your devices that are running on Apple’s iOS. If you haven’t tried iMessage before, you might want to give it a go as it is a convenient way of staying in touch with your friends and family, and at the same time it can save you some money.