hi im looking for a amp, and a rca cable to go from my airport express to amp any ideas what would be a good set up? im connecting a pair of b&w 685 speakers to the amp as many ideas as possible would be great thanks
airport express
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professorhat
Well-known member
Sorry, it's a bit unclear what you need here - you say you need an amp and an rca cable to go from the Airport Express to the amp - do you have your B&W speakers already connected to an amp and you just need a suitable cable? Or are you looking for a new amp as well? In which case, what's your budget for the amp?
Sorry yes I need a amp and RCA cable. Budget well I don't really have a budget, just buy what I need to get good sound out my speakers, but if I had to have a budget nothing more than £500 I can't imagine I need anything more expensive than that, but I could be wrong Im kinda new to all this setting up business!
To get the best out of your set up, try finding a quality amp with an optical digital input connection & built-in DAC.
You will just end up buying an external DAC later otherwise
You will just end up buying an external DAC later otherwise
Any suggestions what amp? minus the Dac! for the mean time as I will buy that later on as a separate. Also does the optical digital input replace the RCA cable? And is it better if so why?
As I already had an amp, I only looked at DACs but I assume that there are amps with built-in DACs out there from reading other people's posts.
The reason is that while my AE was decent using an analogue cable to the amp it sounds massively better connected via an optical cable to a DAC to the amp. I was just trying to cut down on your box count, time and expenditure.
The reason is that while my AE was decent using an analogue cable to the amp it sounds massively better connected via an optical cable to a DAC to the amp. I was just trying to cut down on your box count, time and expenditure.
Oka I'm new to all this! So you connect the AE to the dac using the optical cable and then connect the dac to the amp using a different cable? What sort of cable I think I nearly got it! lol
Correct.
Airport Express => Optical Cable => DAC (or amp with DAC).
e.g. - http://www.cableuniverse.co.uk/toslink-to-mini-3.5mm-optical-cable-1-metre.html - Editted for correct cable
If using a seperate DAC, then - DAC => Standard phono/RCA cable => Amp
e.g. http://www.cableuniverse.co.uk/premium-2-x-rca-to-2-x-rca-cable-1-metre.html
Or, if you want to wait on the seperate DAC, all you need is one of these between the AE and amp but as I have said, it won't sound as good.
http://www.cableuniverse.co.uk/premium-3.5mm-to-2-rca-cable-1.5-metres.html
Other manufacturers & suppliers are available
Airport Express => Optical Cable => DAC (or amp with DAC).
e.g. - http://www.cableuniverse.co.uk/toslink-to-mini-3.5mm-optical-cable-1-metre.html - Editted for correct cable
If using a seperate DAC, then - DAC => Standard phono/RCA cable => Amp
e.g. http://www.cableuniverse.co.uk/premium-2-x-rca-to-2-x-rca-cable-1-metre.html
Or, if you want to wait on the seperate DAC, all you need is one of these between the AE and amp but as I have said, it won't sound as good.
http://www.cableuniverse.co.uk/premium-3.5mm-to-2-rca-cable-1.5-metres.html
Other manufacturers & suppliers are available
Great insight thanks! About dacs like all separates will you get better sound if you dac was a separate rather than it being built in to a amp?
Not necessarily. Peachtree Audio has an excellent DAC built into its amps. In fact, some use their Nova as a DAC alone its so good.
That really depends on what equipment you buy,i have an amp with built in dac,it sounded much better than the seperates i tried first.
Oka interesting! Well Dacs aside can any one suggest a amp just a amp. I be connecting my airport express to it Until I can decide on a separate dac. Any suggestions? Budget a few hundred quid tops unless convinced other wise. I be connecting b&w 685 speakers to the amp thanks
professorhat
Well-known member
Seem to remember the Rotel amps were often recommended with B&Ws so worth putting something like the Rotel RA-04SE on your audition list. Of course, as should be the current WHF best buy, the Yamaha A-S500 and I also seem to remember WHF recommending the Marantz PM6003 with the 685s at some point in the past so I'd also have a listen to them.
On the lead, you'll need a 3.5mm to RCA cable - the Chord iChord is worth a look, but pricey, especially if there's a bit of distance between the Airport Express and the amp, in which case, Profigold do some reasonably cheap versions (the 3.5mm to 3.5mm PROI3301 got 5 stars so worth looking for the 3.5mm to RCA PROI3401 version of this).
On the lead, you'll need a 3.5mm to RCA cable - the Chord iChord is worth a look, but pricey, especially if there's a bit of distance between the Airport Express and the amp, in which case, Profigold do some reasonably cheap versions (the 3.5mm to 3.5mm PROI3301 got 5 stars so worth looking for the 3.5mm to RCA PROI3401 version of this).
What do you think will perform better through the airport exprss to amp, Chord Company CrimsonPlus or chord company ichord?
professorhat
Well-known member
As far as I'm aware, the CrimsonPlus only comes as a straight phono lead i.e. RCA to RCA connectors, so you couldn't use this with the Airport Express direct to a stereo amp as this requires a 3.5mm connection on one end.
DavieCee:
Or, if you want to wait on the seperate DAC, all you need is one of these between the AE and amp but as I have said, it won't sound as good.
http://www.cableuniverse.co.uk/premium-3.5mm-to-2-rca-cable-1.5-metres.html
Other manufacturers & suppliers are available
Actually, why don't you connect the AE to the amp using the optical connection? I tried it with RCA cables at first, but got huge improvement when I switched to optical.
so
Airport Express => optical cable => amp
And when you get a DAC, you just need to add the standard phono/RCA cable to connect the DAC to your amp.
Or, if you want to wait on the seperate DAC, all you need is one of these between the AE and amp but as I have said, it won't sound as good.
http://www.cableuniverse.co.uk/premium-3.5mm-to-2-rca-cable-1.5-metres.html
Other manufacturers & suppliers are available
Actually, why don't you connect the AE to the amp using the optical connection? I tried it with RCA cables at first, but got huge improvement when I switched to optical.
so
Airport Express => optical cable => amp
And when you get a DAC, you just need to add the standard phono/RCA cable to connect the DAC to your amp.
AE = > optical cable = > amp = > RCA = > Dac
AE = > optical cable = > dac = > RCA = > amp
Will it make any difference in sound quality etc what way round I get the set up using these methods/ is there a better way?
AE = > optical cable = > dac = > RCA = > amp
Will it make any difference in sound quality etc what way round I get the set up using these methods/ is there a better way?
professorhat
Well-known member
Okay, bit of confusion been introduced there! Essentially, the Airport Express can output both an analogue and a digital signal. When outputting an analogue signal, the digital signal the Airport Express initially receives from your computer (or iPod / iPhone) is converted to an analogue signal by the Airport Express by the internal DAC (Digital to Analogue Converter). This is the signal the stereo amp can then use to amplify and send to speakers and is carried by the 3.5mm to RCA cable (like the iChord).
If using an external DAC, you would then want to export the digital signal directly out of the Airport Express, bypassing its own internal DAC. This is transferred to the external DAC using an optical cable, and here, the digital signal is converted to an analogue signal. This is then passed on to the stereo amp via standard RCA phono leads where again, the amp can amplify it and send to the speakers. This should improve over the first option, as the DAC built into the Airport Express, whilst good for the money, can easily be improved upon by spending a bit of extra cash.
Finally, if you have a stereo amp which has a built-in DAC (and this would have an optical input), you can again transfer the digital signal directly from the Airport Express to the amp via an optical cable, whereby the stereo amp's built-in DAC will convert it to an analogue signal and then the amp can amplify this and send to the speakers. Again, this should improve over the first option because it's likely the DAC in the amp will be better than the one in the AE. However, this is a relatively rare option as most stereo amps don't have built-in DACs (none of the ones I listed on the previous page do) - hence why external DACs are very popular at the moment.
So the key difference in each is where the DAC sits and thus where it gets converted from a digital signal to an analogue format that the stereo amp is then able to amplify and send to the speakers. You would thus never do things this way round:
Daniel 1:AE = > optical cable = > amp = > RCA = > Dac
as the last destination would always be the amp after the signal had passed through the DAC.
Hope this makes sense!
If using an external DAC, you would then want to export the digital signal directly out of the Airport Express, bypassing its own internal DAC. This is transferred to the external DAC using an optical cable, and here, the digital signal is converted to an analogue signal. This is then passed on to the stereo amp via standard RCA phono leads where again, the amp can amplify it and send to the speakers. This should improve over the first option, as the DAC built into the Airport Express, whilst good for the money, can easily be improved upon by spending a bit of extra cash.
Finally, if you have a stereo amp which has a built-in DAC (and this would have an optical input), you can again transfer the digital signal directly from the Airport Express to the amp via an optical cable, whereby the stereo amp's built-in DAC will convert it to an analogue signal and then the amp can amplify this and send to the speakers. Again, this should improve over the first option because it's likely the DAC in the amp will be better than the one in the AE. However, this is a relatively rare option as most stereo amps don't have built-in DACs (none of the ones I listed on the previous page do) - hence why external DACs are very popular at the moment.
So the key difference in each is where the DAC sits and thus where it gets converted from a digital signal to an analogue format that the stereo amp is then able to amplify and send to the speakers. You would thus never do things this way round:
Daniel 1:AE = > optical cable = > amp = > RCA = > Dac
as the last destination would always be the amp after the signal had passed through the DAC.
Hope this makes sense!
axman:DavieCee:
Or, if you want to wait on the seperate DAC, all you need is one of these between the AE and amp but as I have said, it won't sound as good.
http://www.cableuniverse.co.uk/premium-3.5mm-to-2-rca-cable-1.5-metres.html
Other manufacturers & suppliers are available
Actually, why don't you connect the AE to the amp using the optical connection? I tried it with RCA cables at first, but got huge improvement when I switched to optical.
so
Airport Express => optical cable => amp
And when you get a DAC, you just need to add the standard phono/RCA cable to connect the DAC to your amp.
Actually, if you had quoted my entire post you would have seen that this is exactly what I was suggesting
Or, if you want to wait on the seperate DAC, all you need is one of these between the AE and amp but as I have said, it won't sound as good.
http://www.cableuniverse.co.uk/premium-3.5mm-to-2-rca-cable-1.5-metres.html
Other manufacturers & suppliers are available
Actually, why don't you connect the AE to the amp using the optical connection? I tried it with RCA cables at first, but got huge improvement when I switched to optical.
so
Airport Express => optical cable => amp
And when you get a DAC, you just need to add the standard phono/RCA cable to connect the DAC to your amp.
Actually, if you had quoted my entire post you would have seen that this is exactly what I was suggesting
As I said be for, I am new to this as far as external dac goes I've never had to use one. A little bit of confusion in my part!
This is why I questioned before ..... AE = > optical cable = > amp that's fine! then wen I go about connecting a dac I would then change the sequence to AE = > optical cable = > (dac) = > RCA = > amp, rather than still having the optical cable plugged in to the amp oviously now I would have to change it as I have a dac is that correct? If this ain't right I give up lol
Options if the amp has no digital input:-
AE -> 3.5mm RCA -> amp (works).
AE -> Digital Optical -> DAC -> RCA -> amp (better).
If the amp has a digital input:-
AE -> Digital Optical -> amp.
That should be straightforward enough
AE -> 3.5mm RCA -> amp (works).
AE -> Digital Optical -> DAC -> RCA -> amp (better).
If the amp has a digital input:-
AE -> Digital Optical -> amp.
That should be straightforward enough
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