Audio Pro Drumfire D-2 W: Powerful AirPlay speaker with impressive sound

The Audio Pro Drumfire D-2 W delivers powerful, room-filling sound with AirPlay and high-res streaming, but limited wired inputs and portability may put some buyers off.

- CLIFF JOSEPH

The Swedish company Audio Pro makes a range of attractive speakers that combine smart Nordic design with impressive sound quality.

We've reviewed its new W generation, which focuses on wireless audio, with AirPlay 2 and other streaming features that make it particularly well suited to Apple users.

NEW FEATURES

The W model is a wireless-focused update rather than a full redesign, including the following features:

> AirPlay 2 support for Apple devices and multi-room audio

> Dual-band WiFi (2.4GHz and 5GHz) for improved streaming

> High-resolution audio up to 24-bit/96kHz over WiFi

The company’s product names can be a bit confusing at times, often collapsing into a jumble of alphanumeric code names that make it rather tricky to find the exact model that you need. For instance, the Drumfire D-2 W that we review here is the latest model, but the previous Drumfire D-2 model is still available, so you need to look out for that W suffix to make sure you buy the latest model because they look the same.

And just to complicate things even further, you can buy the Drumfire D-2 W on its own for $425 (fave.co/4eikq3y)/£350 (fave.co/4utu0Wt), and simply sit it on any convenient desk or shelf. However, you can also buy it as part of a larger two-piece system called the Drumfire II W (see what I mean about those names?), which costs $700/£600 and includes a big, fat floor-standing subwoofer to really pump up the bass. That’s a little over the top, though, so we tested the D-2 W on its own, as it provides a good alternative to Apple’s HomePod.

In short: The D-2 is the older model, the D-2 W adds AirPlay and improved wireless streaming, and the Drumfire II W adds a separate subwoofer for deeper bass.