Recommendations for upgrading Apple airport express

[AndiV]

Hi.
I’m after advice / recommendations for changing / upgrading my Apple airport express. We use it for streaming Apple Music (lossless) into a Marantz amp & q acoustic speakers. CD playback sounds great so whereas streaming through the express can at times sound flat and not very attacking, a tad lifeless.
I’m contemplating on a schiit modi 3 to bypass the dac in the express to see if this improves things.

 

[Roger_A]

Which version of the Airport Express are you using - the original one that had the plug attached or the later one that looks rather like a white plastic version of the Mac Mini?
Does your Marantz amp have a built in DAC or is it purely analogue?

 

[AndiV]

I’m using second gen express & my amp is purely analogue. I was thinking of an external dac (the schiit modi 3 for example)

 

[Roger_A]

The version you are using is supposed to have a better in-built DAC, although it is a few years old now, so using an external basic DAC may not give much of an uplift so trying with an option to return or at least after a demonstration would be worthwhile. If prepared to consider used then you could consider a CA Dacmagic on the usual website. I'm sure other contributors can make recommendations here depending on your budget.
The alternative would be to go for a dedicated streamer which would cover anything from the Yamaha WXAD10 (which you should be able to get a demonstration of at Richersounds and other dealers) up to whatever you're prepared to budget and this has the advantage of adding internet radio or direct streaming from other providers if that is important to you.

 

[Tinman1952]

+1 for the Yamaha WXAD10 with its excellent Burr Brown DAC
and which has Airplay built in. Several levels above an Airport Express…..🙂

 

[AndiV]

Thanks for the sound advice. My budget is £150-200. Which is the better option in your opinion, the Dacmagic or Yamaha? After looking at and reading reviews for both I’d lean towards the Yamaha. I think the problem is switching to lossless and becoming more aware of music and what to look for is making me aware of the ‘flaws’ in the express.

 

[AndiV]

The version you are using is supposed to have a better in-built DAC, although it is a few years old now, so using an external basic DAC may not give much of an uplift so trying with an option to return or at least after a demonstration would be worthwhile. If prepared to consider used then you could consider a CA Dacmagic on the usual website. I'm sure other contributors can make recommendations here depending on your budget.
The alternative would be to go for a dedicated streamer which would cover anything from the Yamaha WXAD10 (which you should be able to get a demonstration of at Richersounds and other dealers) up to whatever you're prepared to budget and this has the advantage of adding internet radio or direct streaming from other providers if that is important to you.

Thanks for the sound advice. My budget is £150-200. Which is the better option in your opinion, the Dacmagic or Yamaha? After looking at and reading reviews for both I’d lean towards the Yamaha. I think the problem is switching to lossless and becoming more aware of music and what to look for is making me aware of the ‘flaws’ in the express.

 

[Tinman1952]

Thanks for the sound advice. My budget is £150-200. Which is the better option in your opinion, the Dacmagic or Yamaha? After looking at and reading reviews for both I’d lean towards the Yamaha. I think the problem is switching to lossless and becoming more aware of music and what to look for is making me aware of the ‘flaws’ in the express.

Hi. The Dacmagic is just a DAC so you would need to still connect your Airport Express to it. The Yamaha WXAD10 is an ‘all in one‘ streamer with DAC so a simpler option. So in addition to Airplay you can play files from a local server or PC or stream Tidal, Qobuz or Spotify if you wish and play internet radio. Personally I would ditch the airport express as it has high jitter and go with the Yamaha. I would even prefer the DAC in the WXAD10 to the Cambridge.
It will play FLAC up to 24/192 and ALAC up to 24/96. 👍

 

[Roger_A]

Thanks for the sound advice. My budget is £150-200. Which is the better option in your opinion, the Dacmagic or Yamaha? After looking at and reading reviews for both I’d lean towards the Yamaha. I think the problem is switching to lossless and becoming more aware of music and what to look for is making me aware of the ‘flaws’ in the express.

Overall I'd be tempted to go for the WAXD10 for many of the reasons given by Tinman. It's more versatile, well within your budget and Yamaha seem to know what they're doing with equipment. To get any better you'd have to spend considerably more in my opinion though ironically the next chief contender would be Yamaha's own WXC50 which is more versatile but would be doubling up on the preamp section of your Marantz amplifier. About the only downside, assuming you like the sound, is that it only has an analogue output so you couldn't upgrade it with a better DAC. However, if that was the case you'd probably just go for a more advanced streamer such as those from Audiolab or CA and a host of others.

 

[AndiV]

Hi. The Dacmagic is just a DAC so you would need to still connect your Airport Express to it. The Yamaha WXAD10 is an ‘all in one‘ streamer with DAC so a simpler option. So in addition to Airplay you can play files from a local server or PC or stream Tidal, Qobuz or Spotify if you wish and play internet radio. Personally I would ditch the airport express as it has high jitter and go with the Yamaha. I would even prefer the DAC in the WXAD10 to the Cambridge.
It will play FLAC up to 24/192 and ALAC up to 24/96. 👍

I agree with yourself Tinman about ditching the airport express. I don’t see much sense in buying an external dac and running the express through it to bypass the express / dac in the express! Given the recommendations here, the price of it and reviews the WXAD10 seems a great step up - proof is in the pudding. Thanks for your input & help. 👍😀

 

[AndiV]

Overall I'd be tempted to go for the WAXD10 for many of the reasons given by Tinman. It's more versatile, well within your budget and Yamaha seem to know what they're doing with equipment. To get any better you'd have to spend considerably more in my opinion though ironically the next chief contender would be Yamaha's own WXC50 which is more versatile but would be doubling up on the preamp section of your Marantz amplifier. About the only downside, assuming you like the sound, is that it only has an analogue output so you couldn't upgrade it with a better DAC. However, if that was the case you'd probably just go for a more advanced streamer such as those from Audiolab or CA and a host of others.

ThanksRoger_A, I appreciate it. I suspect a more advanced streamer will be on the cards in a few years, the slippery slope of audiophile life! I feel that the WAXD10 will give me (hopefully) the upgrade in sound & streaming quality I’m looking for, plus with the added features too. Thanks for your help.