Ipad

[admin_exported]

Hi,

I'm a newbie here, so apologies in advance if I am in the wrong place or ask silly questions.

What is the best way to listen to the music stored on an ipad in your home (other than using headphones)?

I see there are currently no ipad music docking stations, but there is an Apple docking station which has a wire which can connect to your hi-fi (if I understand that right?)

What is the best solution to get good quality sound at home? Budget up to £400.

Thanks

 

[professorhat]

Apple TV + an external DAC (the Arcam rDAC fits in your budget) would be one solution. With the latest iOS 4.2, you can stream music direct from your iPad to the Apple TV, which would then have an optical connection into the rDAC. The rDAC then connects into your hifi using standard RCA phono lead. This would mean you could still use the iPad on your couch and choose different tracks, browse the internet etc. at the same time, since the music would be streamed wirelessly to the Apple TV.

This would also allow you to stream video etc. from the iPad to your TV if you hooked the Apple TV up via HDMI.

 

[DandyCobalt]

As you have an iPad, I assume you have a computer with iTunes? How about...buy an Apple TV (£99) which would connect to your amplifier (and via wifi to your computer). Then use the Apple Remote App available on your iPad to pick and choose what music you want to hear from your iTunes music that would stream from the computer to the Apple TV. Works very nicely, and means you're not limited to the storage capacity of your ipad.

Also, means that you can be in the armchair browsing and changing music via the iPad without any wires. Very cool.

 

[Anonymous]

Yes, have a mac with itunes.

Excuse my ignorance, but my television and my hifi are in seperate rooms?

Does Apple TV need to be plugged into the television or the hi-fi.

 

[Anonymous]

Humble apologies, my reply lower down the page shows I didnt read your post properly.

Can you explain in layman terms what a DAC is?

All sounds very cool!

Presumably, if I go for the apple tv, it would replace the need to get the leads (component or composite) which plug the ipad into the tv in order to watch iplayer programs etc. Thats presuming apple tv allows you to watch things on iplayer

 

[chebby]

Apple and Nikon fan?

I loved my old Nikon 35Ti and D80 cameras. Almost bought an FM3a with a 35/2 lens a few years ago, but hung on to my Contax T2 instead. (Smaller with better lens.)

Also my old Nikon neg scanner was brilliant (especially for B&W negs) and sold for £50 more than I paid brand new

Sorry to go off-topic.

As you were.

 

[Anonymous]

Been a Nikon user for years - love it. Currently have a D200, but would love to upgrade to a D700. Will wait to see what upgrades come next year.

Moved from PC to Mac earlier this year and wow - love my mbp. Gone are all the problems and irritations of a pc!

Very ignorant re hi-fi gear though, hence my questions....

 

[professorhat]

applenikonfan:Excuse my ignorance, but my television and my hifi are in seperate rooms? Does Apple TV need to be plugged into the television or the hi-fi.

Could be either, however, if you wanted video into your TV it would need to go into the room with the TV and if you wanted music from your hi-fi, it would need to go into the hi-fi room. Another possibility is an Apple TV in the TV room and an Airport Express in the hi-fi room. That way you could stream to either room as you wished.

applenikonfan:Can you explain in layman terms what a DAC is?

Basically it's a Digital to Analogue Converter - it converts the digital signal output from the optical port on the Apple TV (or Airport Express) to an analogue one that your hi-fi understands. Your amp might actually already have an optical input, in which case it's not strictly necessary - can you let us know what your hi-fi is and this would help determine whether the rDAC would be overkill?

applenikonfan:Presumably, if I go for the apple tv, it would replace the need to get the leads (component or composite) which plug the ipad into the tv in order to watch iplayer programs etc. Thats presuming apple tv allows you to watch things on iplayer

I think so, but I don't have an iPad so it might be best for someone who does to confirm exactly what it can / can't do - Mr Clough, are you there?!

 

[professorhat]

Actually, worth reading Mr Clough's blog here as this gives info on what does and doesn't work when streaming...

Looks like iPlayer is a no at the moment unfortunately.

 

[Andy Clough]

applenikonfan:
Hi,

I see there are currently no ipad music docking stations, but there is an Apple docking station which has a wire which can connect to your hi-fi (if I understand that right?)

Thanks

iPad docks are slowly beginning to appear, and we expect to see a lot more unveiled at CES in Las Vegas next month. This model from Altec Lansing costs £130.

Re BBC iPlayer on the Apple TV via iPad, you only get the audio, not video.

 

[DavieCee]

Lots of options as you already have most of the hardware.

Simple Airport Express with a 3.5mm analogue cable to your hifi will give you music from your MBP using iTunes from there or remote controlled by an iPad or iPhone with coverflow display. @ £90 with cable.

Add on a DAC and optical cable for better quality. Starting at an additional £160 with cable. Go as high as you wish.

Add on an Apple TV to connect to your TV via HDMI to watch on-line stuff or anything downloaded to your MBP. Again controlled either by your MBP/iPhone/iPad. @ £110 with cable.

There you go, totally sorted starting at @ £360.

Edit:- D200 for me but hopefully a D400. Or maybe a D800 depending on developments.........

 

[Anonymous]

The amplifier is quite old! it's a Marantz pm 65 or 6.5 and the Speakers are MS

Can the sound quality be very different if playing through Apple TV versus plugging an Apple dock with audio cable to the amplifier?

Thanks for all your help guys - incredibly helpful!

 

[DavieCee]

applenikonfan:
The amplifier is quite old! it's a Marantz pm 65 or 6.5 and the Speakers are MS

Can the sound quality be very different if playing through Apple TV versus plugging an Apple dock with audio cable to the amplifier?

Thanks for all your help guys - incredibly helpful!

Should sound the same. The biggest improvement comes if you can add a DAC.

 

[Anonymous]

One more thing. I was expecting someone to suggest a cable from the ipad dock station to a B & W zeppellin or Bose.

Any thoughts on that or is it not a recommendation?

 

[Anonymous]

Oh, and one more thing!!

I wonder if there is a solution for the above post (ipad music in home) AND setting up sound from my tv to speakers to achieve surround sound? The hi-fi is in a different room, but i have lots of spare speakers and it would be fab to set them up for surround sound. Would any of the solutions mentioned in the above replies also enable this surround sound set up or would it require more equipment?

 

[professorhat]

Yikes, getting more and more complicated!

So are you looking to get sound from the iPad in the room with the TV? Or sound in the room with the hi-fi? Or both?

Surround sound could be added, but you'd need an AV receiver of some sort in the TV room to attach to the speakers - what speakers do you have? The iPad could then hook directly into this AV receiver (either via a standard cable or via a dock), or via the Apple TV / Airport Express option (plus the possibility of the external DAC), or there are AV receivers with AirPlay built in which basically bypasses the need for the Apple TV / Airport Express in that the iPad can stream directly to the AV receiver - I think Denon and Marantz both have or are due to make compatible versions.

Basically, there are a lot of options! I think the main place to start is to decide if you want wireless streaming or not - this helps break it up from the cable / dock solution to the Apple TV / Airport Express / AirPlay compatible device solution.

 

[Anonymous]

Hmmmmm, I need to do some more thinking. I suppose I just thought it would be very neat if 1 solution sorted all. Being a bit hopeful I think. However, what I havent mentioned up til now is that we do have an Airport Express. We used to use it to play music through the hi-fi from the old pc, but then it started playing up (I think we couldnt get online or something), so it was unplugged and hasnt been used since.

Thanks again for all the great advice!

 

[professorhat]

Ah, so as long as it's working, you've got enough to get you started on streaming direct to the hi-fi! Good start at least!