How to stream High Quality music

[docbob52]

I have a Mac Mini, a Wyred4 sound DAC2, the newAirport Extreme and Airport Express.  Is it possible to stream from my computer to the DAC in a different location in the house and have audiophile quality music? The DAC will feed into my BeePre and Paramounts.  All advice appreciated.

Here is the DAC manual   http://www.wyred4sound.com/uploads/74030/files/227162/DAC-2_MANUAL_V6.1.pdf

[SammyJ]

So, if this is the back of your DAC:
http://www.wyred4sound.com/webapps/i/74030/181469/321780

You're in luck.  I'm assuming you'll use Airplay to stream from iTunes on your Mac Mini to the Airport Express, which is what your DAC would be connected to.  The Express has a TOSLink port (the 3.5mm jack doubles as both an analog output and a TOSLink output).  That goes into one of your TOSLink inputs on your DAC.  From there, you should be good to connect as you would normally.

Hope this helps!

[JamieMcC]

There are several easy ways to do this via Airplay

The most obvious being a AppleTV device its plug and play.

another option if you are in to computers might be the Raspberry Pi as a server running a format that supports Airplay

This thread might be of interest

http://www.bottlehead.com/smf/index.php/topic,5502.0/topicseen.html

[physicsmajor]

Absolutely possible! You actually have MORE than you need to do this. Just the DAC and the Airport Express (and a <$3 TOSLINK adapter) are enough for what you want to do. I use this exact setup to stream music from a server to my Airport Express and my main system.

Of particular note, the Airport Express has a 3.5mm headphone jack. DO NOT under any circumstances use the analog output from this jack! The tip of that jack is a TOSLINK laser, and that's what you want to hook the DAC to. When connected, the Airport Express is an AirPlay target so you can play from any Apple device/program... or use any other program capable of being an AirPlay server to stream bit-perfect lossless music anywhere in wifi range.

(Many people have no idea the Airport Express has a pure digital output, but it sure does!)

[dstrimbu]

Yeah, the Airport Express analog out is marginal in terms of quality.  You want to use the digital output.  Therefore, you need a mini-Toslink to Toslink cable.  The other issue is that some apps (even under Mac OS 1.9.x, Mavericks) will not stream digital output without a helper app.  I use Airfoil from Rogue Amoeba on my MacBook Air and my HP Z600 desktop.  Unsure if it's bit-perfect, but it sounds pretty good...

I do Airport Express optical to my 12-year-old-and-counting GW Labs (they're gone - check Google for "Monarchy Audio DIP Combo") DSP digital reclocker, 44.1k no up-sampling.  Out of the DSP to the Musical Fidelity M1DAC via AES Balanced.  Analogue out to my Jolida JD3000B, fitted with NOS tubage.  Is it perfect?  No.

Does it sound great?  Hell, yes. 

-ds

[STURMJ]

I have a network drive (WIFI linked), works perfectly on a older MS Vista laptop. Crap on a windows 8.1 laptop (which is where I would listen to my Crack. And by crap, I mean slow) This is my most used computer so my backup drive is there, that is what I use there instead.
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