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The OFFICAL Apple TV thread

I have purchase an Apple TV recently and have looked around the net to find quite a few others have and are trying to integrate this into a decent stereo setup. The purpose of this thread is not to debate the merits of Apple TV but to help users (myself included) find ways of improving sound from their streaming device. I would like to start the discussion myself by asking a few questions:

Has anybody found any third party software which can play iTunes files (WAV, IAFF,) to an Airport express?

If so what do you use?

2. What Toslink do you use on your Apple TV? What is the length?

3. Have you considered or used an after market power cable? If so what were the results?
lush
kbarkamian
647 posts
 
Forgot to say...

I have the ATV with 160 gb internal hard drive. All music is Apple Lossless with error correction.

Haven't heard a difference between WAV, AIFF, and Apple Lossless. Have heard a difference between error correction on and off on some CDs. Probably depends on the CD's condition.

Stored music sounds better than synched.

Just reporting what I hear. Others have disagreed with one or two things. As always, try it for yourself.
rbstehno
1,450 posts
 
used a wireworld glass toslink cable.
wyred 4 sound dac2
sounded decent but with limitations.

replaced atv with mac mini, 4TB of disk, running pure music
all cd's ripped with MAX
nice usb cable using 24/192 driver from wyred 4 sound
going into the wyred 4 sound dac2
night and day difference.
sold my classe cdp-10 since my mac server sounded much better.

i still use an atv and airport express around the house for background music.
jmelvin
17 posts
 
I'm glad you posted this topic. I use my ATV2 mostly for streaming radio from my iPad to my system. Occasionally I will stream Apple Lossles files from the iPad as well. It's connected to a Musical Fidelity V-DAC using a 1 meter Monster Interlink LightSpeed 100 I had lying around (from my HT faze). I did not replace the power cord. I have to say it sounds good. Internet radio is quite enjoyable thru the V-DAC. The lossless files sound even better. I'm really happy with the ATV2 and the convenience.

That said, I've wondered if a higher end dac would make much difference or would the law of diminishing returns apply here. I can't see spending $1000 for say, a 2% increase in fidelity. Perhaps we will have to wait for an ATV3 to see if Apple will tweak it for the audiophiles who want more.

The majority of my listening is done thru my Mac Mini, Pure Music, Tranquility dac and there is just no contest.
jmelvin
17 posts
 
BTW here's a link to Airfoil which streams to AE:

http://www.rogueamoeba.com/

Works great.
kbarkamian
647 posts
 
Jmelvin -

Have you tried the Tranquility DAC with the ATV? Going from an old but excellent Theta Cobalt DAC to the new Rega DAC was a very big improvement. The Rega DAC reclocks, whereas the the Theta does not. That probably explains part of the improvement.

In my experience, the Rega DAC at $1k was worth every penny. Not to start a debate about DACs, but I easily preferred my Theta DAC to a V-DAC and a few others in that range when I tried them.
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