One of my wishes for Roon is a small, portable (headphone) setup for use around the house and outside. Awaiting the arrival of RoonSpeakers, a small DIY idea popped up: could an old iDevice be turned into a Roon zone?
Digging through my drawers turned up an old and dusty iPod touch 4th gen, running iOS6. Since Apple has banned all AirPlay receiving apps from App Store, a quick jailbreak was required. AirFloat appears to be the go-to app for AirPlay streaming, but while it does show up in Roon’s audio settings – it refuses to play.
AirPlayServer however does, with one limitation: once the iPod gets into its lock screen, hiccups arise. Setting the device to never lock leads to a flawless audio stream – if with less battery life since the screen is always on.
Anyway, for now: happily Rooning in the open air with my AKG and an old iPod touch.
This sounds brilliant. One question though please. How do you charge the touch while it plays? I have a couple of these but they have old batteries and by definition limited battery life.