I have an old stereo system (CD, Radio, Amp and Mini disc combo) that just sits gathering dust since all my music is now on the iPod/phone/pad. However the speakers are half decent.

So what I’m after is something to receive the music wirelessly (AirPlay?) and power the speakers. A quick search gives lots of really expensive options but I’m not bothered about top end stuff. Just something to make sound come out. Does anything exist for less than £100, preferably nearer £50.

Loads of FM transmitter modules to plug in to your ithings, then tune in on the tuner? Cost from about a fiver up?

Have you got aux in on the setup?

Airport express supports airplay and has a line out.

Apple airport express (£79) plugged into your existing amp you’ll then be able to send your music wirelessly from phone or iPad.

Squeezebox

Download the server software for free, and if you have an iPhone or Android you can find apps to control it and act as additional players. In fact you could forget the Squeezebox itself altogether if you like.

The downside is the earlier models are hitting end of life. Not a problem if you’re not into latest features and are happy just playing your tunes, but you know… Means there are bargains to be had though.

Helpful forum too.

Airport express hooked into the amp.
EDIT beaten by er, quarter of an hour

Airport express is an option but ideally I’d like something standalone so I can chuck the old unit. CD bit of it is broken and analog radio is last century stuff.

Ideally just a dumb unit to power the speaker.

I’ll have a look at squeezebox but will that work without a server/NAS/laptop powered up?

There are a few Airplay compatible stereos out there from the likes of – amongst others – Bowers & Wilkins. A quick search on Amazon et voila

[EDIT] – oops, perhaps this is a bit above budget, but if it’s just amp/speakers you can get something around £100 with Airplay support e.g. this

We use one of these plugged into the aux input of a NAD amp.

Available here

Simply drop the iPod onto it and play the music. It is not wireless but it is within your budget and it charges your pod while it plays.

Yeah, but the amazon search doesn’t come up with anything for a non stupid price.

I’ve re-read the OP and missed the actual question, as have others I’ve noticed 🙂

The OP wants an amp that can power his existing speakers but also receive audio from iDevice.

sonos do an amp, but it’s mega bucks…

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The OP wants an amp that can power his existing speakers but also receive audio from iDevice.

Bingo.

I’m beginning to think it doesn’t exist at the price I want though. I’d be better off binning the speakers and getting a simple set of Airplay speakers.

Bit crap that you can buy speaker with built in Amp and airplay receiver for <£100 but not the same kit with two speaker outs instead of the speaker.

You could try looking for something like this, maybe second-hand:
http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/9258310.htm?cmpid=COJUN&storeId=10151&_%24ja=tsid%3A11674%7Cprd%3A3086088&referredURL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.argos.co.uk%2Fstatic%2FProduct%2FpartNumber%2F9258310.htm&referrer=COJUN
It’s a DAB Micro system with iPhone dock, although it won’t have the AirPlay.

although it won’t have the AirPlay

Don’t go down this route. AirPlay is ace and it means one less remote control cluttering up your house. The iDevice gives you control of your ENTIRE music library if you use iTunes Shared Libraries as well as giving you wireless streaming audio from the likes of Spotify apps.

As a regular use of AirPlay (I have Apple TV plugged into my stereo) I can’t imagine going back to docking/plugging in my iPhone.

If I were you I’d either use your existing amp or – if you can save a few pennies – get a cheapish amp and plug in an Airplay receiver such as Airport Express or Apple TV. Bear in mind Apple TV is only £20 more and you get video/photo streaming too.

Just found this, but you’d need Airport Express as well

http://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/griffin-twenty-audio-amplifier/

As an aside,

With these AirPlay type devices, what happens when you change phones? I appreciate how massively unlikely it is that an iPhone owner might one day sully themselves with something else, but are you locked in to an Apple hardware client or is it platform agnostic?

stilltortoise – That does look very cool and the closest to what I’m after. Might be a two stage thing, airport express and existing amp, then one of them so I can chuck the old amp with broken CD player.

Cougar – AirPlay is apple only, hence Apple TV and AirPort express are apple only. A lot of the 3rd party systems contain multiple different standards though. But yes – not have an iDeveice, madness!

You’d have thought they’d have learned their lesson with AppleTalk. (-:

Cool, cheers for the clarification.

With these AirPlay type devices, what happens when you change phones? I appreciate how massively unlikely it is that an iPhone owner might one day sully themselves with something else, but are you locked in to an Apple hardware client or is it platform agnostic?

Solutions exist to stream from Android devices to the Apple universe. I use Double Twist Airsync to stream music and video from my htc to Apple TV, but it doesn’t support Airport Express yet. There’s a couple of other packages- Twonky and Honey something-or-other which do though, I think.