Thanks! I have a Marantz PM6002/CD 6002 system. Guess it's best to connect the AE via the amp then?
Just checked with Apple, and they want to sell me a 'stereo connection kit' for 29 quid to hook up the AE to my hifi... could I skip this and go for the cheaper cables suggested above? cheers
professorhat
Well-known member
Absolutely, the lead in my above post from Maplin will get you going. Obviously sound improvements can be made from buying a more expensive cable, but if you're looking at that, I'd probably go down something like the Chord Company's iChord cable rather than the Apple one.
professorhat:Absolutely, the lead in my above post from Maplin will get you going. Obviously sound improvements can be made from buying a more expensive cable, but if you're looking at that, I'd probably go down something like the Chord Company's iChord cable rather than the Apple one.
Or go for the gotham interconnect sold via ebay: 10 pounds for a cable that easily betters the apple one and any other audio cable up to (approx.) 50 pounds.
Or go for the gotham interconnect sold via ebay: 10 pounds for a cable that easily betters the apple one and any other audio cable up to (approx.) 50 pounds.
MENISCUS:Does anyone know whether the Airport Express will play files from laptop to Hi Fi in FLAC lossless format?
The AE plays whatever is streamed to it, which is encoded as ALAC.
The computer plays the music (either from iTunes, or anything else via Airfoil), which is 'recorded' as ALAC and streamed over the network to the AE. Thus, using Airfoil, anything that can play FLAC can play it on the AE. They'll be no loss of quality, just a slight (millisecond) delay, which is unnoticeable for music. It can be annoying for films though.
The AE plays whatever is streamed to it, which is encoded as ALAC.
The computer plays the music (either from iTunes, or anything else via Airfoil), which is 'recorded' as ALAC and streamed over the network to the AE. Thus, using Airfoil, anything that can play FLAC can play it on the AE. They'll be no loss of quality, just a slight (millisecond) delay, which is unnoticeable for music. It can be annoying for films though.
John Duncan
Well-known member
Great to hear you got there in the end!
Ruboman it would be great to hear your thoughts on the new set up. Have you got a DAC too?
Ruboman it would be great to hear your thoughts on the new set up. Have you got a DAC too?
yep got the airfoil as well! it all works wonders. no DAC as of yet, will come to terms with all the new gadgets first of all and think of that as a next step... thanks again for all the help!
Hi all, hope I can come in on this success story. I'm having similar problems with itunes to a Denon s81. I'm using a cable from the laptop headphone jack and happy to get an Apple Airport Express but before I shell out I'm puzzled as a CD played through the laptop via the same connection (and Acer Arcade software) sounds fine, so the problem seems to be with itunes not with the connection to the hi fi. I've tried importing CDs to itunes using lossless but no noticalble difference. I've got hundreds of CDs on itunes so very keen to make this work. Many thanks, Tom.
John Duncan
Well-known member
Apologies. The problem is that itunes doesn't sound good. I'm not sure AE will cure it because the CDs play OK through laptop with wire connection. If you think AE the answer I'm happy to give it a go! Many thanks for your advice. I'll try to be more clkear. I know very little about computers or hi fi. I put lots of CDs and some downloads onto itunes to play through my old, system. It sounded OK and was very useful for finding tracks, playlists etc. When I got the Denon I noticed a huge difference between a CD and itunes. I ran a few trials with impoting on lossless and stuff but still a huge difference in quality. I found this thread which strongly suggests thje airport express is the answer.
However if so, how come a CD in the laptop plays OK? Does this mean itunes will still sound poor even through airport? I hope this makes sense! Thanks.
However if so, how come a CD in the laptop plays OK? Does this mean itunes will still sound poor even through airport? I hope this makes sense! Thanks.
John Duncan
Well-known member
A CD ripped to lossless in iTunes doesn't sound good but playing the same CD (through iTunes or another media player?) in the CD drive does, through the same headphone-jack-to-RCA cable?
That's kind of stumped me to be honest - the only thing I can think of is that you have equalisation set for the lossless music, but not globally.
First, make sure that global equalisation is off - View/Show Equaliser - make sure it's off. Then in the 'Music' list, right click on the headings of the list and select "Equalizer" - if any of your music has it turned on, turn it off.
If that's not it, I'm not sure what to suggest - I'd say you're right in thinking AE isn't going to fix it, but I'll investigate further...
That's kind of stumped me to be honest - the only thing I can think of is that you have equalisation set for the lossless music, but not globally.
First, make sure that global equalisation is off - View/Show Equaliser - make sure it's off. Then in the 'Music' list, right click on the headings of the list and select "Equalizer" - if any of your music has it turned on, turn it off.
If that's not it, I'm not sure what to suggest - I'd say you're right in thinking AE isn't going to fix it, but I'll investigate further...
Many thanks. I'm playing the same CD through what I presume is the default player pre-installed in my laptop, Acer Arcade. I will try your suggestion as soon as I get home this evening. This is incredibly helpful. Is the equaliser, and hence your instructions, in itunes? If so I think it is turned on. I'll get back to you when I've tried turning it off. Cheers.
John Duncan
Well-known member
Yes, I'm talking about the equalizer in iTunes. If you're playing a CD with another player, then it's possible that it has equalisation (or other signal processing) on, and iTunes' equaliser is off, or vice versa.
Try this - it's possible to play a CD in iTunes by inserting it while iTunes is open, and then playing it as you would ripped music - the inseerted CD will display half way down the bar on the left. I would first see how that sounds compared with the same CD ripped to lossless and see if they sound the same (using iTunes only). If they do sound the same, the problem is not specifically with iTunes but the difference between how the default CD player and iTunes are set up - it's possible that the equalisations are wildly different, or the default cd player has weird signal processing going on, which explains the difference in sound - the point then is to get the equalisation on iTunes correct for your system (ideally it would be turned off, but that may not give the most acceptable sound given your setup).
Try this - it's possible to play a CD in iTunes by inserting it while iTunes is open, and then playing it as you would ripped music - the inseerted CD will display half way down the bar on the left. I would first see how that sounds compared with the same CD ripped to lossless and see if they sound the same (using iTunes only). If they do sound the same, the problem is not specifically with iTunes but the difference between how the default CD player and iTunes are set up - it's possible that the equalisations are wildly different, or the default cd player has weird signal processing going on, which explains the difference in sound - the point then is to get the equalisation on iTunes correct for your system (ideally it would be turned off, but that may not give the most acceptable sound given your setup).
John Duncan
Well-known member
Cool. I'd predict that the CD and lossless will sound the same form iTunes, and it'll then be a case of mucking about with equalisation on one or both of the players (iTunes and Acer Arcade) to get them sounding the same.
chebby
Well-known member
Are you listening to iTunes via the built in computer soundcard or via Airport Express?
Using an external DAC (with or without Airport Express) is almost certainly going to improve on what you get with just the computer's own soundcard and will improve on what you hear with just an Airport Express (and no external DAC).
If funds are tight - and you don't absolutely need wireless - then I can recommend the Fubar II USB DAC (£126). More funds? Then it is probably worth auditioning the DacMagic (£200). After that the sky's the limit!
I would only suggest the Airport Express, in conjunction with an external DAC, if...
(a) the DAC has optical connections - like the CA DacMagic or Beresford TC7510 - but your laptop doesn't.
(b) you really, really need wireless connection.
It (the AE) is expensive at £65 if you are just buying it when a USB or optical cable will do instead. Airport Express will also restrict you to music/internet radio sourced through iTunes unless you spend extra on software.
Using an external DAC (with or without Airport Express) is almost certainly going to improve on what you get with just the computer's own soundcard and will improve on what you hear with just an Airport Express (and no external DAC).
If funds are tight - and you don't absolutely need wireless - then I can recommend the Fubar II USB DAC (£126). More funds? Then it is probably worth auditioning the DacMagic (£200). After that the sky's the limit!
I would only suggest the Airport Express, in conjunction with an external DAC, if...
(a) the DAC has optical connections - like the CA DacMagic or Beresford TC7510 - but your laptop doesn't.
(b) you really, really need wireless connection.
It (the AE) is expensive at £65 if you are just buying it when a USB or optical cable will do instead. Airport Express will also restrict you to music/internet radio sourced through iTunes unless you spend extra on software.
John Duncan
Well-known member
Yeah I wouldn't suggest an AE yet, there's no suggestion from OP that being untethered is necessary. But it can be a simple way (your probs not withstanding) of both creating a wire-free environment and gaining an optical out at the same time, if your PC or laptop hasn't got one already.
But tbh it's not going to solve whatever problem he's got...
But tbh it's not going to solve whatever problem he's got...
chebby
Well-known member
JohnDuncan:But tbh it's not going to solve whatever problem he's got...
That is probably just iTunes settings. (Ensuring import is set to 'Apple lossless' and that 'error correction' is checked.) Oh yes, like John suggested, turn off all that volume equalisation stuff in iTunes also.
That is probably just iTunes settings. (Ensuring import is set to 'Apple lossless' and that 'error correction' is checked.) Oh yes, like John suggested, turn off all that volume equalisation stuff in iTunes also.
John Duncan
Well-known member
TBH I think the problem may be the opposite - I suspect all the equalisation *is* turned off in iTunes, and its the Acer sofware that's applying equalisation or processing that's making it 'sparkle', and the flat-EQ'd iTunes sounds poor in comparison - so to make them sound equal a bit of EQ tuning in iTunes is going to be necessary. Not traditional hifi but who are we to say what sounds 'better'.
Many thanks for the posts. I've tried turning off the Eq in itunes, still sounds poor. A CD played through itunes sounds just as bad as the same through lossless. I've also fiddled with the Eq in Acer but that doesn't seem to be the problem. I'm not looking for perfect sound but the difference between anything through itunes and the CD inthe Denon is huge, I'd be OK with soem loss as itunes is convenient.
Could the problem be the laptop soundcard? If so can I bypass it reasonably simply? I'm very grateful for this advice.
Could the problem be the laptop soundcard? If so can I bypass it reasonably simply? I'm very grateful for this advice.
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