Connecting Ipod to Hi-Fi Wirelessly

[admin_exported]

Be grateful for some advice.

I've recently bought a Onkyo digital docking station which currently is connected to a Cambridge DAC Magic, which in turn plugs into my Arcam Solo.

Is there anyway I can connect the Onkyo docking station wirelessly? I'd like to use the docking station in another room but leave all my other hi-fi equipment where it is - So on that basis, I'm guessing bluetooth solutions (if they exist) will not be suitable.

Many thanks

 

[Andrew Everard]

Funny you should mention that...

Just started playing with a piece of software I received this morning designed to do just that - well at least from a computer to an iThing, bit like AirPlay in reverse -, and due to be launched in a week or two. More details here - blog to follow some time next week.

 

[The_Lhc]

How are you going to listen to your hi-fi if it's in the other room? #IDONTUNDERSTAND!!

 

[Andrew Everard]

the_lhc:How are you going to listen to your hi-fi if it's in the other room?

 

[The_Lhc]

Andrew Everard:
Funny you should mention that...

Just started playing with a piece of software I received this morning designed to do just that - well at least from a computer to an iThing, bit like AirPlay in reverse -, and due to be launched in a week or two. More details here - blog to follow some time next week.

Erm, isn't that going the wrong way though? OP wants his dock in a different room, wirelessly connected to his hi-fi, this appears to require the dock connected to the hi-fi and streams wirelessly from a PC to the docked iPhone?

 

[Andrew Everard]

I read it that he wanted to send sound wirelessly to the docking station, but you're probably right. Oh well, just a thought...

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for your response and apolgise for the confussion.

My Hi-Fi equipment is all located in one room but it feeds speakers in the kitchen, Lounge and dining room. However I would prefer to have the dock in another room - the kitchen for example, but for practical reasons do not want to conect via cable and hence the reason why I am enquiring about wireless oportunities.

If there is away the iPod can communicate with the docking station wirelessly even better and would love to learn more.

Hope this clarifies the situation

 

[Andrew Everard]

Ah, like this then...

 

[iMark]

Our setup is quite similar. We have a stereo in the lounge with a second pair of speakers in the kitchen.

After adding an Airport Express and a Cambridge Audio DACMagic we can stream from our Macs. But now that we have an iPad, this can stream directly to the Airport Express (Spotify, TuneIn app) but can also be used as a remote control for iTunes. I think this setup will work for the iPhone, the iPad and the iPod Touch. It depends on the type of iPod you use.

 

[Anonymous]

This is interesting as I also use a Mac and have an Airport Express which is currently not being used. Can you give me a bit more detail on how this is set-up please.

I do however want to avoid having to have the computer on if possible.

As I mentioned in my earlier post the ideal situation is to have my iPod (not iTouch or IPhone) available to use in the kitchen either with a or without docking station and can be connected to my Cambridge DAC Magic wirelessly.

 

[iMark]

Here's a description of the setup. Stereo in the lounge (with speaker pair 1), second set of speakers in the kitchen. Our Denon stereo receiver has switches for A/B and A+B.

Cambridge Audio DACMagic connected to the Denon.

Airport Express connected to the DAC. The Airport Express is set up to connect to our WiFi network.

Our Macs can stream to the Airport Express and so can the iPad. Our CD's are all ripped to ALAC and the files are on an external hard drive connected to my MacBook. I also use the MacBook for internet radio and Spotify Premium.

The iPad can be used as an excellent remote for the iTunes library on my MacBook and can also stream directly to the Airport Express. It can also stream Spotify (with the iPhone app, no proper iPad app yet) and radio with the TuneIn app to the AE. Of course the iPad can also be used as an iPod if we would sync files from the iTunes library to the iPad. We haven't done that yet because it syncs with my partner's Mac and not with mine. I still haven't worked out how to sync my library to my partners and then synch the iPad.

All in all it works really well and the Airport Express + DAC route is an excellent way to connect device to an existing setup.

It's not your ideal situation but it is functional for us.

 

[Anonymous]

Many thanks for this; although as I mentioned in my last post, I would prefer not to rely on the computer (via iTunes) as my source.

I want the source to be the iPod and hence the original question is whether there is a way I can connect the iPod docking station wirelessly with the Cambridge DAC or the iPod wirelessly with the docking station. Either of these alternatives would present the best solution for me.

So if there is anyone out there who can help, I'd love to hear from you.

Thanks

 

[rjb70stoke]

Which iPod are you using?

An iPod Touch, coupled with an Apple TV2 through airplay will do what you are asking, and connect the DAC to the Apple TV.

 

[Anonymous]

It's an Ipod classic, 160 gb. I use this so I can work with WAV files. Probably me being a bit anal, but I don't like compressing my music files.

 

[Anonymous]

What about a Sonos Zp90 connected to the DAC and a Sonos iPod dock in the kitchen. If you can't hardwire the zp90 to a router then you'll need a zonebridge.

http://www.sonos.com/products/accessories/wd100/default.aspx?rdr=true&LangType=2057

http://www.sonos.com/products/zoneplayers/zp90/default.aspx?rdr=true&LangType=2057

http://www.sonos.com/products/zonebridge/Default.aspx?rdr=true&LangType=2057

You'd have to use you mac for setting up, with it being a one zone system you could just browse music on the iPod and it would come out through the hi-fi. That's how I understand. There are others on here who are a bit more Sonos savvy then me though.

 

[iMark]

There is a big difference between compressing to a lossless or a lossy format. Converting your files from WAV (or AIFF) to ALAC doesn't make any difference in sound. They are like audio zip-files. No information is lost. Converting to AAC or mp3 is different because information is thrown out.

If you convert your files to ALAC you will be able to store about a third more music on your iPod.

 

[Anonymous]

I was aware of Sonos but wasn't a route I had originally considered. Thanks to you I am now. It's a pricey option but being a gadget freak it very appealing.

Thanks for the advice and inspiration.

I'd be interested to hear from anyone else who is an owner of Sonos kit

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks Mark and appreciate your comments. I pretty au fait with the different types of music files. I know WAV files take up a lot of space and appreciate there probably is negligible difference in soundy quality between to ALAC format, but I like the

convenience of WAV files as they can be used across most music software, including iTunes.

 

[The_Lhc]

Music.Man:Thanks Mark and appreciate your comments. I pretty au fait with the different types of music files. I know WAV files take up a lot of space and appreciate there probably is negligible difference in soundy quality between to ALAC format, but I like the

convenience of WAV files as they can be used across most music software, including iTunes.

The inconvenience is the lack of tagging in WAV however, which you'll rapidly discover if you get a Sonos system (it reads the file's own tags and ignores the iTunes metadata), converting to ALAC should get round that and retain compatibility with iTunes, swings and roundabouts really. WAV requires a much more robust wi-fi network to stream to multiple rooms as well, even Sonos can struggle doing that with WAV, unless you wire them, a lossless compressed codec should be better in that regard however.

 

[Anonymous]

Yes I know exactly what you mean about tagging with WAV files, but if I go the Sonos route, certainly for the time being, the iPod will be the music souce. Using the Sonos wireless docking station it will also act as a wirless controller too, so in this instance the tagging won't be an issue. I appreciate if at a later stage I buy the Sonos Contoller which uses their own interface then yes, the WAV/tagging issue will probably have to be addressed.

 

[The_Lhc]

The tagging issue will appear as soon as you start playing files directly from your iTunes storage (I can't remember where you said that was), regardless of what you use as the controller. Using the iPod as a source will only allow you to stream one song, so you couldn't have two different things playing in different rooms, for example (if you ever wanted to do that obviously).

 

[Anonymous]

iTunes is stored on my computer, but I don't want that to be the source for the time being, hence the reason for using the iPod. Yes I appreciate if I want to use the full capabilities of the Sonos system i.e playing diferent music in diferent locations then I will have to use my computer as the source. For the time being however I am happy to use the IPod as the source, played through my hi-fi sysytem which powers speakes in the lounge, dining room and kitchen.