Airport Express compared to High End Transport.

I've compared this using a Chord Blu Transport and Airport Express into a Chord DAC64. Without the buffer (i.e. jitter reduction) circuitry turned on, the transport had a deeper, richer sound. Engaged the buffer up to 4 seconds and you'd be hard pressed to tell the two apart. Three people were in the room (including the Chord dealer) and we all agreed the Airport Express with a top-quality DAC changes the landscape in high-end audio. Source was both Apple Lossless and direct from CD through iTunes on an IBM Thinkpad T42.

In the end, I wound up using a USB extender to an M-Audio Audiophile USB with coaxial out into a Musical Fidelity A3.2/24 DAC. The Chord was a great unit, but I just didn't want to spend that much as my system is still in experimental mode.

Ghunter - many thanks for the information - this is exactly the kind of information I'm looking for. Its wonder to hear that a computer streaming music to an Airport Express can compete with a high end transport like the Chord Blu transport!!

I've heard the Chord DAC64 and agree that it is very special. It is interesting that the DAC sounded better without the 4 second buffer - when I heard it it seemed to sound richer and fuller bodied with the buffer - but the transport used was an Arcam CD player - I'm sure that the Chord Blu Transport takes it to a whole new level.

Once again, many thanks for the information and all the very best in your journey to audio nirvana.

All the best,
Neville

i have had similar positive experience using airport express into emm labs dcc-2 sounded almost as good as the
cd/sd transport so good that i sold the $6000 transport

Tfl303 - that's excellent information!! The EMM Labs DCC-2 is one of the DAC's I'm seriously considering getting.

Tfl303 and Ghunter - what kind of optical cable are you using for connection from the Airport Extreme to your DAC? I understand that the connection out from the Airport Extreme is a "mini-optical" which is different than an "standard optical" - I may be off base on this. Did you get a standard optical cable and then an adapter for mini-optical to standard optical?

Many thanks,
Neville