Crystal Acoustics has announced what looks like a nifty bit of kit with the launch of the WiDAC Wi-Fi Audio Receiver. Using both Airplay and DLNA transmission, the WiDAC offers consumers the chance to turn any existing audio system into one you can wirelessly stream to from your smartphone, tablet or computer using Wi-Fi connectivity.

Building on the success of the company’s BluDAC – but with no increase on that product’s price of £59.99 – the WiDAC allows consumers to experience the benefits of streaming to your system over Wi-Fi, even if you don’t have a network.

With both Airplay and DLNA functionality on board, the WiDAC is compatible with iOS Airplay, Android DLNA and Windows, so you can stream music to your system over Wi-Fi no matter which device(s) you happen to own.

The bandwidth guaranteed by Wi-Fi transmission means that uncompressed audio can be reliably streamed to your system using WiDAC which will be an important consideration for many.

Simply connect WiDAC to your home network, and you can stream from bedroom to living room or from kitchen to office, even if the distances involved are quite large. This is a distinct advantage over Bluetooth, which realistically demands that your streaming device and receiver be within a few metres of each other.

On board is a Wolfson DAC so you can connect the WiDAC to your audio system via analogue interconnects but for those with a dedicated outboard DAC or high-end amplifier, the WiDAC has an optical digital output.