DTS Play-Fi Expands ‘Works with Alexa’ Portfolio

There are plenty of forums covering music streaming, two-channel audio and wireless product discussions. Although the following story is not strictly home theater-delineated – which usually informs my choice as news editor – it seems that DTS Play-Fi’s pervasiveness and inclusion on an increasing number of AVRs makes the announcement relevant to our members.

In that context, DTS has announced additional DTS Play-Fi enabled products which are now Works with Alexa certified. Speakers that now meet Amazon’s criteria for certification include models from Aerix, Klipsch, McIntosh, Onkyo, Pioneer, Phorus, and Soundcast. Additional DTS Play-Fi products, including select sound bars and AVRs, will be upgraded with the functionality throughout the year.

Customers will be able control audio playback on Alexa compatible DTS Play-Fi products from another room using an Amazon Echo, Echo Dot, Echo Show or other Alexa-enabled device. By clicking on an Amazon account to a compatible DTS Play-Fi product, Alexa ‘will know the speaker by name,’ according to the company. Users will be able to use their voice to ask Alexa to play a song in a specific room or a group of rooms that have been linked to adjust volume, skip the track forward, mute, pause, stop the music, as well as other functions.

“DTS Play-Fi is excited to have built an open wireless multi-room audio platform that offers both integrated Alexa Voice Services (AVS) and Works with Alexa certification, giving consumers the most flexibility when it comes to voice control,” said Dannie Lau, general manager, DTS Play-Fi, at Xperi. “As more customers request and use voice control with Alexa, we will continue to expand support for Alexa in the DTS Play-Fi family of products to create a seamless experience for users.”

Once audio has started playing from an Alexa command, the DTS Play-Fi app can be used to add more products into a streaming session. Users will be able to link other DTS Play-Fi compatible speakers to a Works with Alexa certified DTS Play-Fi device, and use Alexa commands to the primary device to control playback across all connected devices.

DTS Play-Fi products that have received Works with Alexa certification include Aerix Duet, Klipsch Gate, Klipsch PowerGate, Klipsch RW-1, Klipsch “The Capital Three”, Klipsch “The Three”, McIntosh MB50 streaming audio player, McIntosh RS100, Onkyo P3 Smart Speaker, Phorus PS10 Smart Speaker, Pioneer F4 Smart Speaker and Soundcast VG10.

DTS Play-Fi technology enables lossless multi-room wireless audio streaming from music services including Amazon Music, Deezer, iHeartRadio, Juke, KKBox, Napster, Pandora, Qobuz, QQ Music, SiriusXM, Spotify, and TIDAL, and a host of Internet radio stations, as well as personal music libraries, on any supported product. In addition, DTS Play-Fi features advance streaming functionality like wireless surround sound, stereo pairing, music station presets, and audio/video synchronization.

DTS claims its Play-Fi ecosystem features the largest collection of products in the whole-home wireless audio space, with more than 200 interoperable speakers, sound bars, set-top boxes, and A/V receivers from audio brands including Aerix, Anthem, Arcam, Definitive Technology, DISH TV, Elite, Integra, Fusion Research, Klipsch, MartinLogan, McIntosh, Onkyo, Paradigm, Phorus, Pioneer, Polk Audio, Rotel, Sonus faber, Soundcast, SVS Sound, THIEL Audio, and Wren Sound.