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Apple TV Streaming Sound Quality vs Streamer?

I am looking for the weak link to improve sound quality.   Seems logical it is the Apple TV as a source.  Would a moderate streamer inside of $1500 make much of a difference when streaming Tidal and the like?  

Current Equipment:
Speaker: Dali Euphonia MS-4
AMP: Modwright KWA 150 SE
Preamp/ DAC: Peachtree Grand Integrated
Source: Tidal / Apple TV
puffbojie
cleanrodney
7 posts
 
Ditch the Apple TV for Tidal and use an older Mac mini. HDMI out to the TV for the video, USB DAC of your choice. Set the correct output device via the MIDI settings. I'd keep the ATV for the video content just route the TVs digital output to a proper DAC. Could even use the same DAC you have for Tidal if it has switchable inputs.  

***buy an old Mac mini off ebay or wherever. You do not need a new one. I have a 2012 model with a busted ethernet card so I know you can easily stream MQA masters via wi-fi. 
jdave's avatar
jdave
26 posts
 
puffbojie:  I have not been able to get streamed hi-res files to sound anywhere near as good as my CDs and LPs. I really wish that wasn't the case. I have a great MF dac, and a good asynchronous MF V-link to get the files to the dac from my computer. But the hi-res sounds flat and very little sound-stage.
Whereas the CDs sound almost as good as my vinyl. Different, but almost as good. Very large. accurate. sound-stage. Great vocals etc.

Dave 
audioengr
3,282 posts
 
Steve from Empirical:

Does the Synchro-Mesh improve the optical out of most TVs, especially Sony?


If it's PCM, the answer is yes.  If it's Dolby Pro-logic or Dolby Digital, you need the iFi SPDIF iPurifier.


Does the Synchro-Mesh improve the optical out of the Apple AirPort Express (sadly becoming legacy)?


Absolutely.  You would go optical into the SM and coax out to the DAC.


Do you know of a high quality AirPlay streamer (source only) that can take the place of, or improve upon, the AirPort Express?

To get a higher quality streamer, you will need to change to DLNA/UPnP renderer like the Empirical Audio Interchange or the Sonos Connect with Synchro-Mesh.

The Interchange will play up to 24/192

The Sonos Connect will play only 44.1

Interchange will deliver 10-12 psec of jitter at all supported sample-rates from these outputs: S/PDIF coax, AES/EBU, I2S SE, differential I2S on HDMI connector.

https://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=156409.0

Steve N.

Empirical Audio

audioengr
3,282 posts
 
 I have not been able to get streamed hi-res files to sound anywhere near as good as my CDs and LPs. I really wish that wasn't the case.

The streamer you use and the playback software is the usual culprit, but also FLAC encoding will never sound as good as .wav files, like the CD playback.

Steve N.

Empirical Audio

audioengr
3,282 posts
 

I guess I don't have the gilded ears (or revealing enough system) to hear jitter.  As much as I have obsessed over this, I have come to the conclusion if I cannot hear it (including long listening sessions), I won't worry about it.

There must be something else holding your system back if you don't hear the benefits of lower jitter.  Active preamps are the usual culprit.

The uRendu is a good choice BTW, but I have gotten away from USB after designing 6 generations of it.  Ethernet is easier to make stellar.

Steve N.

Empirical Audio

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