Griffin's Twenty amps up AirPlay for Apple's AirPort Express

Griffin's upcoming Twenty accessory is an audio amplifier that uses an AirPort Express to capture the AirPlay stream, decode it, then send the lossless, amplified sound through speakers.

David Carnoy Executive Editor / Reviews

Executive Editor David Carnoy has been a leading member of CNET's Reviews team since 2000. He covers the gamut of gadgets and is a notable reviewer of mobile accessories and portable audio products, including headphones and speakers. He's also an e-reader and e-publishing expert as well as the author of the novels Knife Music, The Big Exit and Lucidity. All the titles are available as Kindle, iBooks, Nook e-books and audiobooks.

Expertise Mobile accessories and portable audio, including headphones, earbuds and speakers Credentials

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David Carnoy

Jan. 9, 2012 7:16 a.m. PT

LAS VEGAS--Griffin's Twenty goes to 20--amps per channel, that is.

This funky Apple AirPort Express accessory basically turns any set of speakers into AirPlay-enabled speakers, or, as Griffin puts it:

"Twenty boasts a zero-configuration audio setup that streams Apple Lossless sound from iTunes or any other AirPlay-enabled app (Pandora, Spotify, etc.) to the user's speakers via a low-profile amplifier."

The Twenty can sit on a flat surface or be wall-mounted (click to enlarge). Griffin

It's also worth noting that the Twenty comes equipped with a power connection and is wall mountable. It features a 2.1-channel sound system with 20 watts output per channel and also supports a powered subwoofer with an automatic active crossover at 80Hz.

The Griffin Twenty will be available later this year, though there's no word yet on pricing (we'll add it to the post as soon as we get it). For now, you can sign up for an e-mail alert on Griffin's Web site when the Twenty becomes available. You can also get additional info there.