Griffin Technology says its Twenty is now available. It’s an audio amplifier that incorporates the user’s Airport Express to capture the AirPlay stream, decode it, then play lossless amplified sound through attached speakers. It’s available for US$99.99 at store.griffintechnology.com/twenty-airplay-amplifier .
The Twenty boasts a zero-configuration audio set-up: the user plugs the AirPort Express into a built-in power connection and mounting platform on Twenty’s top panel. The Twenty then captures the AirPlay stream from iTunes and other AirPlay-enabled apps such as Pandora, Spotify, and last.fm, and sends Apple Lossless sound to the user’s speakers through its low-profile digital amplifier.
The Twenty is designed to provide docking with the original Airport Express but is compatible with any digital audio source including the new Airport Express. The audio amplifier features a 2.1 channel sound system with 20 watts output per channel and supports a powered subwoofer with an automatic active crossover at 80 Hz.