Bluetooth or AirPlay? Have MacBook Pro/iPhone4/iPad

Question

I would like to:
1) Play content from my iPhone 4 through external stereo speakers
2) Play content from my iPad through same
3) Play content on my MacBook Pro
As of now I have no external speakers.  I watch movies/videos on all three, play albums in lossless mostly from my MacBook Pro, and listen to Internet radio on any of those 3 devices.
I've read about Bluetooth speakers and AirPlay speakers. Assume for now that I won't need to play content from any non-Apple approoved devices.
Can anyone say which one, Bluetooth or AirPlay would be the best way to go just using all these Apple products?
Randy

Answer 1

You don't necessarily need an Airport Express for Airplay.  There are speaker systems which support Airplay.  AppleTV supports wifi based airplay and can play music from Apple Macs, iPad and iPhone though mirroring a notebook/desktop monitor will not be available until Mountain Lion.  I have from time to time mirrored my iPad to my TV using my AppleTV.  The AppleTV has wifi built in as do the AirPlay-enabled speakers.
The only time I needed an Airport Express was when I wanted to play music from my iPad, iPhone or Macs on my hi-fi stereo system.  The Airport Express can operate as an AirPlay device and has a combined headphone and optical audio output port.  I used the optical output then a converter to digital coaxial (TOSLink) which was I needed for the back of my amplifier.  And, voila, my stereo was AirPlay enabled.
Now, back to your original question.  AirPlay or Bluetooth.  There are a lot of discussions out there on this topic.  Some argue that the fidelity of the music is better on Airplay (wifi) but I wouldn't know.  What I do know is that AirPlay requires that the source and target be on the same wifi network.  That works for me when I am home.  But when I travel I have a small Bluetooth based speaker (Jambox - though I have heard the new Philips speakers are quite good as well).  They are small and I don't need to us a network.  This would also apply if you wanted to take speakers with you to the park or wherever.
The one other thing I run into is AirPlay signal drop.  This very rarely happens when going through the Airport Express to my hi fi system or when going to an Apply TV (which is also HDMI-wired into the amp for my surround sound system).  But when I try to us my Bowers Wilkens speakers it is common for the signal to be dropped.  Very frustrating.  It even has me looking for a different set of BT-based speakers to replace the B&W.