Escape M1 AIR

The Escape M1 AIR is not a speaker. It is a small streaming module that adds network audio to something that does not have it, handling files up to 24-bit/192kHz.

Escape is a Belgian maker of portable indoor and outdoor speakers, and the M1 AIR docks under the keypad of its P9 portable speaker to give that speaker Wi-Fi. It also works as a standalone streaming source connected to an ordinary hi-fi system.

Alongside AirPlay 2 it carries Chromecast built-in, Roon, Spotify Connect and Bluetooth 5.0.

What Apple Home actually does with it

This is an AirPlay 2 device rather than a HomeKit accessory.

• It shows up in the Home app as a speaker you can play to, and as an AirPlay target in Control Centre.
• You can assign it to a room and group it with HomePods for synchronised multi-room audio.
• Siri can send music to it by room name.
• It can be the audio output in a scene or an automation.

It is not an accessory you switch on or set the volume of from the Home app. Power, input selection and volume stay with the unit, its remote and its own app.

Before you buy

This is the cheapest way to make existing equipment work with AirPlay 2 and Apple Home, and it is worth comparing against replacing the equipment. A good amplifier with a streaming module attached will usually outperform a cheaper all-in-one that has streaming built in.

Roon support is unusual at this size and matters if you already run a Roon library.

The Eve Play does a similar job with a narrower feature set.

Specifications