Apple Airport Express optical cable to AV Receiver?

[gloomrider]

Hey squeezebox fans!

Hard technical data is sometimes really hard to find at Apple. Can anyone tell me if I'm playing an Apple Lossless track over the wireless to the Airport Express and on to the AV receiver via optical cable, am I getting the same stream as I would with an optically attached CD player?

Thanks in advance.

[gloomrider]

Bump!

[LesPaul666]

Yes, indeed...as long as your receiver can decode PCM(very likely). A staple of my setup for many years now(well, 3 anyway...).

[ROLO46]

If you have a Dac then input to 24bit. this is what the mac runs tunes at.
Much smoother than 16bit.

[gloomrider]

If you have a Dac then input to 24bit. this is what the mac runs tunes at.
Much smoother than 16bit.

My AV receiver (Denon 3806) is capable of better than 44/16, but it never reports better than 44/16 from the optical stream from the Airport express.

Is there a way to tell itunes to send the signal as 24 bit to the airport express?

[LesPaul666]

Sorry, I think it only does 16 bit, 44.1khz from the optical output of the unit, unless there's something I'm missing here.

[gloomrider]

Sorry, I think it only does 16 bit, 44.1khz from the optical output of the unit, unless there's something I'm missing here.

That's what I thought as well. Since the assumption is that all the material will be coming from iTunes, 44/16 is probably fine.

Hey LesPaul666, are you familar with a product called "Airfoil"? It will allow to use the Airport Express for more than iTunes:

http://www.rogueamoeba.com/airfoil/

[LesPaul666]

That's what I thought as well. Since the assumption is that all the material will be coming from iTunes, 44/16 is probably fine.

Hey LesPaul666, are you familar with a product called "Airfoil"? It will allow to use the Airport Express for more than iTunes:

http://www.rogueamoeba.com/airfoil/


Thanks! I had no idea there was an app like that. Maybe I can use it for ProTools!:agree:

[gloomrider]

Thanks! I had no idea there was an app like that. Maybe I can use it for ProTools!:agree:

Be advised there is a serious lag/latency when using it. I was shocked how long the lag was. I use it to stream internet radio, mostly.

[ROLO46]

New I-Macs process @ 24bit
Optical out is 24bit

[LesPaul666]

Now I should see if the iTunes express will work like that(24 bit) My two Macs(Powerbook G4, The last model ever made) and MacBook have digital input/outputs built in to them, that should be the same as the new iMacs.

[gloomrider]

New I-Macs process @ 24bit
Optical out is 24bit

I looked around and it appears you are right in the context that 24 bit optical audio output can be enabled, but I don't believe you would get better than 16 bit from any iTunes source.

DTS or 96/24 audio DVDs perhaps.

[LesPaul666]

I looked around and it appears you are right in the context that 24 bit optical audio output can be enabled, but I don't believe you would get better than 16 bit from any iTunes source.

DTS or 96/24 audio DVDs perhaps.

Or needle-dropped Wav.'s and AIFF files:agree:

[creativepart]

iTunes doesn't encode at 24 bit. You can record something 24 bit and output it, but just because the capability is there doesn't mean that Apple Lossless does it, or that iTunes supports it, or that you're really going to get 24 bit in this kind of scenario.

Record an LP in 24 bit, you bet. But not in iTunes.

Set up a home multi-track recording setup to record music in 24 bit sure. But again, iTunes won't be involved.

Big difference between capability and reaping the benefit across the board.

[ROLO46]

I-Tunes processes @ 24bit to enable the graphic eq etc ?

When I tell my Meridian 518 that it is 24 bit, the sound is
much smoother.

Are sure Tunes is not 24b Creativepart?

Any how, use your best processer, your ears ,and compare
sampled, upsampled.

[gloomrider]

Or needle-dropped Wav.'s and AIFF files:agree:

I agree. But I do this with an M-Audio Firewire 410 and a SPDIF coax (optical doesn't go far enough) to the AV receiver. Maybe I'll look into optical connectivity when I get that Mac Mini for the AV receiver.:D

What I'm hoping to see is an Airport Express update that would permit 96/24 (or better) from the optical out. But that would require 96/24 (or better) support in iTunes, and I would hope that FLAC support would come along in the process.

Unfortunately for audiophiles, Apple is consumer-centric in their thinking and sees 256 kbps AAC files as having "enough" resolution for the bulk of their customers, at least for now.