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Streaming music


Bosco-d-gama

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I learned that Marantz recently brought a less costly streaming tool to market, their NA 6006. Managed to buy one for $100 less than asking. Now I need to learn how to get the most from it and I am an easily confused digital moron. I used their ‘quick start’ guide and I am streaming pandora via my iPad Pro using Bluetooth. Not real pleased with this set up. I downloaded the full manual, all 133 pages. It may as well be in hieroglyphs. 😳🤔🥺
 

All I have for this is the iPad and my router. I know I can subscribe to a number of services. But I’d like to use something other than the Bluetooth link........   it sounds compressed and it drops out occasionally. Tried using ‘airplay’ but that kills the Bluetooth that is used for other devices.  I’d be willing to purchase additional hardware if required. So - like I am a toddler - y’know ‘abc123’ simple....... can ye help out this olde, ancient person??? Please be patient.

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I am learning more (it’ll be an ongoing learning curve I’m a thinking). Apparently I can direct play using voice commands via ‘Siri’. I know I could interface an ‘alexa’ or other device for this as well. 
 

Lemme ask this. Is there a computer/cellphone with a better quality Bluetooth signal? 

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I don't know anything about the unit..but it sounds like you are using the iPad as the source and getting that music to the player using bluetooth. The better way would be to use the apple airplay which I would be surprised if the Marantz isn't compatible. I would also think that you can use the Marantz as the source and the iPad as a controller. Figuring out that approach would be best. 

 

J

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7 hours ago, joshnich said:

I don't know anything about the unit..but it sounds like you are using the iPad as the source and getting that music to the player using bluetooth. The better way would be to use the apple airplay which I would be surprised if the Marantz isn't compatible. I would also think that you can use the Marantz as the source and the iPad as a controller. Figuring out that approach would be best. 

 

J

I do have airplay and the marantz will accept it. But when I shift to ‘airplay’ the iPad automatically turns off the ‘Bluetooth’ which is used for other devices. So it seems to be one or the other. 

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Update - 1st ‘airplay’ is not the same as ‘airplane’ - both are functions on my iPad and I had them confused. Of course being nearly identical terms abets said confusion but clearly it is my over abundance of digital idiocy in play. So I do now how have ‘airplay’ operational. Things are better.

 

I do not understand why operation manuals are so user unfriendly. How hard can it be to make computer based systems user easy? 

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  • 5 months later...

I still use Pandora - their free service. I am still a fledgling novice in this arena. I am accustomed to making hardwired connections and having things work exactly as intended, day after day and on command.
 

This is not my experience with streaming music. I have any one of 4 things that can offer me trouble. 1st is the internet, my modem and router. I bundle those altogether cuz they comprise the supply side of the signal. Then there’s the substance of the signal - in this case Pandora. Periodically they do odd things to their service. Then there’s my digital player deal, that Marantz thing. Oh - almost forgot my  iPad. These are all computerized devices or digital stuff and they all have minds of their own. The Marantz will show a marquis scroll of what song is being played - sometimes. Other times it just reads ‘blue tooth’. I do not know if that’s the Marantz or Pandora’s doing. Don’t care really - the music still plays. But sometimes the music hiccups when a song is started. It does it on advertisements too. Y’know it’ll start then restart. Dunno if that the Marantz or Pandora’s doing. Then about one every 2 months nothing fires up. Bluetooth will connect, Pandora will play on the computer but won’t send signal and the Marantz just sits there pathetic and confused. Dunno if that’s the iPad, the Marantz or Pandora or maybe all 3 of them - to a degree. Less frequently my internet provider croaks or my modem gets a loose connection or my router goes haywire.

 

My resourcefulness has been reduced to checking connections and then turning devices off and then back on. With these 2 steps and accommodating variations in performance/displays I can stream music pretty much at will...... so far. I have zero confidence that it will be sustained. One day it will come to ‘failure’, one that will flummox me. Thus the reason I won’t ‘pay’ for streaming service.........  it is doomed from the outset. I hope to get 2 years - that’s my calculated pay-back time frame for the Marantz unit. Fingers crossed.

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First of all, you need to get rid of Pandora and go with a lossless streaming service like Tidal or Quobuz. There should be a way to get this device connect to your controller via wifi and stream. If this isn't possible, ditch it and get a Bluesound Node 2i. But in the end, connecting any device via wired ethernet will give you the best sound quality.

 

Shakey

 

 

 

 

 

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I stream a lot when I'm not spinning, but it's from my Macbook pro to Denon via Airplay. Almost all files have been converted (if not DL'd) in lossless format. I have some redundacies from my vinyl because I like to hit it and let it play for hours sometimes. Usually if I don't have time to sit and listen. I do not see anyone else here talking about using Airplay. I am astounded how good it sounds on my system. If you already have days worth of files on your pc, this is an option. I have delved into a little Quobuz. They had a short time free DL of some music that sounds fantastic.

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On 5/28/2020 at 7:22 AM, Shakeydeal said:

First of all, you need to get rid of Pandora and go with a lossless streaming service like Tidal or Quobuz. There should be a way to get this device connect to your controller via wifi and stream. If this isn't possible, ditch it and get a Bluesound Node 2i. But in the end, connecting any device via wired ethernet will give you the best sound quality.

 

Shakey

 

 

 

 

 

DING!!!👍

 

My two cents:

Source=Hi_res streaming=Tidal

Source=Lo_res streaming=Bluetooth. This might be listening to a streaming local radio station or other Lo-res source (Pandora, Radio.com)

 

Hookup:

Router/modem --> ethernet cable --> Player. In my case the amplifier is the DAC is the Player. Probably the same with your Marantz.

Router/modem --> WiFi --> cell phone/tablet/iPad --> Bluetooth --> Player.

 

I've found that bandwidth (ie: how fast your connection is), especially with WiFi can have a significant effect on connectivity issues. The faster the better.

When my WiFi speed was around 15-25Mbps I always had problems. Sometimes wouldn't connect at all. Ethernet was around 75Mbps. Now my WiFi is typically 75-90Mbps/ethernet 175- 200Mbps. I don't have connectivity issues anymore. I use the ethernet connection.

 

In order to fully accomplish what it looks like you want to do, you may have to add some other "whole house" system like Bluesound which has it's own operating system. Marantz probably has something similar of their own.

 

EDIT:

For Hi_res steaming (CD quality or better) you should be able to stream directly from your router to the "player", using WiFi if fast enough, otherwise use ethernet (preferred). Your tablet or pad is used as a "controller" (a hi-tech remote control).

For Low-_res streaming your router is sending the signal to your cell phone/tablet/pad, and the cell phone/pad is sending that signal to your "player" via bluetooth.

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