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Apple Airport Express.....Happy??


oldmako

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I'm looking at this little gizmo to bridge my PC library to my stereo.

http://www.apple.com/airportexpress/

I currently use just a cheap RCA to headphone plug and there's a significant loss in signal quality. Supposedly this little mother is an easy, cheap way to get the job done and it does so without significant signal degradation. If it's possible to utilize my iTunes library (20Gig) over the homedrome system than I'd love to give it a try. I am probably the laziest guy on this forum and my cerebral processor is extremely limited in both capacity and function.

Before I go that route, I'd thought that I'd solicit advice from the gearheads here who have more money tied up in their system than my entire net worth.

Is it truly plug and play or is there additional stuff required to make this work??

Thanks in advance for your patience and tutelage.

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There are 2 apple products that do what you ask. The Express, and the AppleTV.

The express has an optical connector inside what looks like a mini head phone jack. You need a speacial optical cable to use it. With the optical cable, it will do what you are asking. If you use the mini head phone jack to rca route, sound quality dips due to the internal DAC. Overall the express does what it's suppose to. The only thing bad I can say about it is that it gets hot as H%^%#%. The heat is one factor in product life expectency.

The AppleTV will also do what you are asking. Advantages is better hardware interfaces which results in much improved sound.

The express can work stand alone since it's also a router. If you want to interface it with you existing network that could be problematic....check to see if your existing router can talk to the express.

The AppleTV is not stand alone...you need an existing wireless or wired network to make it work.

Cool feature about the AppleTV, is that you can use an Iphone, or a touch to control it.

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I just got the Apple TV. Don't have it hooked up all the way yet. It does let you take a digital signal out to the DAC on my pre/pro, and not have to rely on the DAC in the ipod itself.

My neigbor has apple tv also, he also uses the airport express in 2 other locations in his house for audio in those rooms. He really likes it a lot.

Paul

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"I connect a standard cable that is stereo minijack on one end and two rca on the other end. The RCA go into my AUX inputs on my amp"

I did not know til recently, that this very same jack, has an optical transmitter...you need a speacial minijack with an optical center to make it work.

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mdeneen,

Thanks, that's pretty much exactly what I'm looking for. And in fact is much the way I use my laptop/ITunes now. However, I am concerned about the cable connection since it is exactly what I use now, albeit in a non wireless manner. I have been told that there is a significant signal loss in that small (1/16") connector pin and that there's a better way...namely a USB-to-RCA connector type which would provide a much better signal.

Is there somehting that the AE can do (besides it being wireless) that makes it sound better than just running my laptop directly to my receiver (using the laptops tiny earbud jack)?? I tried this same cable on my iPod (to receiver) and the signal stinks. Clearly the iPod is a lousy source, but is it lousy signal a function of the iPod or the puny connector...or both?

I really like the idea of it being wireless and using a remote location. My stereo gear is crammed into the corner and it's not the most accessible location.

As a side note, this morning (Mozarts Birthday) my local station was playing some really great music. I grew tired of the crap which was coming out of my receiver in additon to the music (lousy signal and noise) so I tried to stream it using the cable. It took me about 20 minutes to adjust the EQ function of my laptop to get the signal to sound similar (as good) as that from the receiver. Does the AE "color" the sound or is this strictly a function of my computer?? Or better yet, does it strip the signal down to it's cleanest form?

In the meantime, I'll try playing a CD on the CD player and simulcast the same CD on ITunes and try to mirror the image using the laptops EQ. 95% of what I own has been transferred to iTunes. One of these days I'll get around to the vinyl.

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I appreciate the info. Some of what I had read on the webs led leads me to believe that it is perhaps MORE than it is, hence my interest in what audio geeks have to say about it.

It's beginning to sound as though the only real benefit I will gain with it is easy of manipulation of iTunes and the wireless aspect. Not too sure that I need to toss out a tenth of a box of ziti for that at this time. Perhaps....I'll keep digging.

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I have used the AE - I wasn't happy with the quality, nor the dropped signal periodically. I'm using a 24" iMac, miniplug to RCA BlueJeans cable to my receiver. I control the whole thing wirelessly through my iPhone with the Remote application mentioned earlier. Works great.

Having said that - it's hard to beat the AE for a simple connection in any room of the house wirelessly for average listening, or background music for a party.

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I love my Apple Express and Apple TV. Both sound great, but the DAC used greatly determines the sound quality.

 

 So which DAC do you use?  What speed does the AE system actually transmit at?

 

Thanks,  PB

Currently I am using an Apple TV connected to a Yamaha RX-V1800 AVR via HDMI. My Apple Express is connected to a Meridian 566.24 DAC via a Harmonic Technology glass optic cable. Both work and sound great. I have not experienced any dropouts. I don't know what speed the AE transmits at.
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