App Review: SoundWire

Let me start off by saying that this app solved a major problem that started after I got married. Usually when it’s time to go to sleep, I like to watch something. It usually helps me fall asleep, unless it’s a new series that I want to see more of. It is a terrible idea to start a new series before bed, because if it draws you in, you’re going to want to watch more. Anyway, after I got married, I couldn’t watch anything unless the audio was completely off or so low that only dogs could hear it. This is where SoundWire came to my rescue.

Setup

SoundWire is a simple, yet effective app that streams the sound from your PC to your Android device. It’s extremely simple to set up, and it’s extremely simple to use. There are two versions out there: free and full (paid). Once you install the app, you’ll actually need to go to your PC and download the server client. After you install and run it, head on over to the app on your tablet or phone. As long as you both are on the same WiFi network, you can click on the SoundWire image at the top. It’ll automatically find the server on your network, and it’ll start syncing the sound from your PC. It’s that easy.

Now, it is possible to use it over 3G/4G, but it’s going to be extremely hit or miss depending on your connection. Also, it’ll eat your data up quickly, so you might want to stray away or be on one of the lucky few who have good unlimited service.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Unlimited audio streaming
• Great compression codecs
• Very low latency use (unless downloading a file or you have several other devices attached to your network)
• Excellent sound quality
• You can save what you hear to an MP3 or WAV
• No ads (on Full version)

Cons

• (Free version) 10 minute free trial of their awesome Opus audio compression 
• (Free version) Every 45 minutes, the app announces itself by name.
• (Free version) Displays ads
• Rarely there’s latency issues when there’s absolutely nothing else using the network
• Has an old outdated style from the Gingerbread era

Conclusion

So what can I say, I love this app. I use it nightly now, and it has been a blessing. I highly recommend this app and suggest that you purchase the full version for the compression, no interruptions, and no ads!  The only problem is that the app costs $3.99, so that might be a negative to some folks.

The server is compatible with only Windows (XP, 7, 8) and Linux.

Get the Full version here:

Get the Free version here: