apple airport express - just how useful is it?

[admin_exported]

Hi there,

Wondering whether to get an AirPort to hook up my laptop and play assorted mp3/wma/flac files etc on my hifi (marantz pm6002). Is the sound quality as good as if I'd use a jack-to-phono cable?

Also, I don't have wi-fi otherwise, just cable broadband in my flat. can i still listen to, say, the soundtrack of a DVD film through the AirPort and to internet radio, or do I need to go WiFi on my normal internet connection for either of those when I use the AirPort (at least I'd have to for internet radio, I guess...)

Thanks for any tips!

 

[John Duncan]

Ruboman:Is the sound quality as good as if I'd use a jack-to-phono cable?

No. After initial good impression (on classical material), there is a distinct muffled quality to the sound (and this is through reasonable cable to a good - steady boys - amp and speakers). However, it does have an optical out so you can get a reasonably priced DAC, after which sound quality should be excellent (am going to try this theory shortly). If you want to avoid the faff, go for a squeezebox instead as quality is better out of the box (I suspect), though it won't play DRM music bought from iTunes Store.

Ruboman:Also, I don't have wi-fi otherwise, just cable broadband in my flat. can i still listen to, say, the soundtrack of a DVD film through the AirPort and to internet radio, or do I need to go WiFi on my normal internet connection for either of those when I use the AirPort (at least I'd have to for internet radio, I guess...)
Thanks for any tips!

Provided your laptop is wifi enabled, you can just stream from your laptop to the AE without expanding your wireless network - google "Airtunes". But no, the default position is that AE only plays stuff that's in iTunes, so watching a DVD is out, as are, for example, BBC radio stations, since they're not inthe radio stations in iTunes. However, help is at hand - a utility called airfoil will stream any audio playing on your PC, and I'm fairly sure it's Windows compatible as well as Mac.

Note that this solution doesn't work with a Squeezebox, AFAIK.........

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks - so I guess I should go with a J2P cable rather than an AirPort then, unless I want to splash out on a squeezebox/DAC then. But the sound through a J2P can sound muffled too I think, so it's a dilemma... and the AirPort gets rid of all that extra cabling. I'm a bit confused too - can't you play mp3s, wma etc through winamp/media player too? I thought you could.

 

[John Duncan]

OK, having used a jack to phono cable, the sound is undoubtedly better than Airport Express on its own, though this is ultimately soundcard-dependent. Have yet to try it with a DAC of any quality, which will be rectified soon.

And no, you can't use any other media player to feed an Airport Express by default without 3rd Party 'Airfoil', but that's well worth the $25 purchase price.