AirFly Review: Connect AirPods To ANY Device?
© Brady Snyder
Physical media is making a comeback. In 2020, vinyl was the largest seller of "pure album" sales. A pure album is an album purchased digitally or physically, and this does not include streaming services. In this context, that means that most people that enjoy music will usually stream and own physical copies of music.
True-wireless headphones are the cheapest and most popular they've ever been—it's impossible to walk through New York City without seeing tens of AirPods, Powerbeats Pro, Galaxy Buds, and various smaller earphone models. So what happens when you want to connect bluetooth headphones to a record player? An MP3 player? Older computer? Even the latest Nintendo Switch models?
© TwelveSouth
TwelveSouth thinks they have the answer in the Airfly (pictured in title photo) and the Airfly Pro (pictured above), a bluetooth transmitter directly marketed for AirPods, hence the name. I've got my hands on a mid-tier turntable (AT-LP60), a modified iPod Classic, the Airfly, the Powerbeats Pro, and AirPods Pro. I'll be testing the standard Airfly, retailing for just $29.99, in these situations marketed by TwelveSouth themselves.
Testing the AirFly with the iPod Classic and Nintendo Switch
© Brady Snyder
It's easy to jump right to the most practical application of vinyl and CDs, but let's start small. The iPod Classic and Nintendo Switch both have internal DACs, or digital-to-analog converters. Digital sound, and thus music, is coded in numbers which are arranged in a way that produces a specific sound. A DAC is needed to convert those numbers back into an analog format, that is, audible sound that you can hear through headphones. This means it'll be a much easer task for the AirFly to transmit something that already has a DAC.
So how does it work? Let's start with the pairing process. You'll hold down the only button on the AirFly to put it in pairing mode, and then you'll put the headphones in pairing mode. This'll very based on model, but on the AirPods Pro have a button on the back that you hold down for up to 5 seconds to enter pairing mode. After a few seconds, they're paired. One important thing to note: the AirPods must remain in the case while pairing every time you use them, and they won't work properly if they're in your ears before connecting.
© Brady Snyder
The sound quality is as perfect as you can get through bluetooth, I hear everything in AirPods that I do with my studio-quality ATH-M50x's. The volume, on the other hand, is significantly decreased—I'd guess that through the transmitter can get to about 75% of their full volume.
The Powerbeats Pro on the other hand had a significantly louder max volume through the transmitter than the AirPods, and that's a trend that'll continue throughout the review. The larger profile of the Powerbeats Pro, and larger speaker driver, probably explain this. I'll offer a different reason, though: The Powerbeats Pro have volume rockers on both sides, meaning you can control the volume in the headphones themselves, while the AirPods Pro require the device to control volume. While using the Powerbeats Pro, I can control the volume on the headphones and on the iPod, resulting in a much louder volume.
All in all, the experience is pretty great. The only problem is that the portability you gain by having truly wireless headphones is lost by having a long cable and a small, but noticeable transmitter attached to your iPod. I found myself reaching for wired earbuds rather than deal with the hassle. While the AirFly did come with a short cable, it was just long enough for the AirFly to dangle around constantly, and it stopped working a few months after purchase.
The Nintendo Switch, though, is the perfect application for this. It doesn't need to fit in your pocket. I actually think using and adhesive like command strips to secure the AirFly to the Switch with a short, high-quality 3.5mm male-to-male cable would make a great lightweight portable Switch experience.
Testing The AirFly With A Turntable
© Brady Snyder, Taylor Swift, and UMG
The tougher and more practical task for the AirFly will be connecting and transmitting from a turntable, or record player. In various comprehensive test, there's two distinct situations that offer two different conclusions.
If your record player has a 3.5mm headphone jack output, you're good to go. 9 times out of 10 this means the player has some sort of analog output and amplifier built in, and the AirFly can convert this right to digital audio in your headphones. As with the iPod, volume is slightly decreased on the AirPods Pro and just about full on the Powerbeats Pro
If your record has RCA outputs, those thick white and red cables you might remember from old televisions or speakers, the AirFly won't work right out of the box. Ironically, this is the exact example shown in AirFly's promotional photo above. These record players, which can be new or old, don't have internal amplifiers and require powered speakers or headphones. As a result, you'll only get 20-30% of your headphones' max volume when connected directly to the record player.
© Brady Snyder
If your record has RCA outputs, those thick white and red cables you might remember from old televisions or speakers, the AirFly won't work right out of the box. Ironically, this is the exact example shown in AirFly's promotional photo above. These record players, which can be new or old, don't have internal amplifiers and require powered speakers or headphones. As a result, you'll only get 20-30% of your AirPods' max volume when connected directly to the record player. I've gotten as high as 50-80% volume on the Powerbeats Pro with only one connected, since one earphone requires less power than two.
© Brady Snyder
There is a solution though, and a simple one at that. All you have to do is put a powered amplifier between the record player and the transmitter. This'll amplify your sound, allow you to control the volume, and more. Better yet--it costs just $20 on Amazon—and I've got it tested and working here. It's pictured above next to an AirPods Pro case for size comparison.
© Brady Snyder
Just plug your record player into the right side, and your transmitter into the left, and turn the knob to the right—and you're listening to records wirelessly. This amplifier even has a battery, so you can charge it with a micro USB cable and use it anywhere.
Despite the extra hurdle due to the RCA cables and the lack of a built-in amplifier, this method works great! In some situations, the amplifier even allows a higher maximum volume than you'd usually get on AirPods or Powerbeats Pro.
Should You Buy The TwelveSouth AirFly?
That depends. If you're looking for a portable solution, this isn't a great product. Having a detachable cable is usually a plus, but for portability, this adds bulk. It's definitely not easily pocketable while connected to another device.
As for stationary solutions, like a record player or a Nintendo Switch, this might be the best you can get for around thirty U.S. dollars. It's very easy to set up a solution that allows you to connect to your turntable or Switch in just minutes after the initial setup. Walking around the room, house, or apartment while wirelessly listening to vinyl is a very enjoyable experience.
Pros: Great battery life, simple pairing process, multiple device support, detachable cable
Cons: Low volume in some use cases, micro USB charging, low quality included cables, difficult to pair headphones when other devices are nearby.
Overall Rating: 4.0/5 — It gets the job done for most people, and for the price, the cons are manageable.
All in all, if you're looking for a way to listen wirelessly to anything with a 3.5mm aux cable, the TwelveSouth AirFly is the most compatible, easiest to use, and cheapest bluetooth transmitter specifically engineered for AirPods.
DISCLAIMER: I paid for every item in this review at full price and have had no communication with the sellers about my thoughts, opinions, etc. I do not receive compensation or commission for the included links in this article.