Usb v Airport express

[colinB]

Listening a lot to spotify premium these days but it does mean i have to use a 5m USB cable and an inferior DAC to my toslink input. Im wondering if using Airport with my laptop might be a better result?

[Stratmangler]

Have you tried it ?
If not, why not ?

[colinB]

I dont have one. Theyre not cheap! Not that bothered about the lead across the floor and no misses to moan about it . More interested if it sounds better.

[Stratmangler]

What do you use to stream data to an Airport ?
If I'm not mistaken it's iTunes.

Now can iTunes stream Spotify ?
If Apple don't think there's any money in it then the answer is no and that ultimately is your answer.
The converse is true if Apple think that there is money in it.

[colinB]

Dont use itunes any more. I was thinking of downloading airfoil.

[monkfish]

Hi
Interestingly, I use an Airport express into a Caiman, and was thinking would there be an improvement by using a long USB.
Another means of connection would be a USB to either co-ax (probably), or Toslink adaptor and a long suitable lead.
Regards
Jim

[Werner Berghofer]

Jim,


was thinking would there be an improvement by using a long USB

I can assure you that I didn’t notice any difference in sound quality when comparing the USB and the Toslink connection between my various Apple hardware (two Mac minis, MacBook Pro and MacBook) and a Caiman DAC.

Werner.

[monkfish]

Hi Werner
I meant would there be an improvement if I connected using a long USB instead of streaming wirelessly via an Airport express which is my present method.
Regards
Jim

[colinB]

Which is my thread isnt it? :scratch:

[Werner Berghofer]

Jim,


I meant would there be an improvement if I connected using a long USB instead of streaming wirelessly via an Airport express which is my present method.

I see – sorry if I didn’t get your question.

Experts have been discussing this topic for years, and the opinion of most of them is that there is no audible difference between streaming wirelessly or connecting via USB cable. I share this opinion, but I have no other measurement equipment except my ears.

In 2005, Stereophile’s editor John Atkinson published an article about streaming via Airport Express (http://www.stereophile.com/digitalprocessors/505apple/index.html). He came to the conclusion that the Airport Express is fully bit-accurate.

Werner.

[colinB]

Er, thanks.
Do i need to re introduce myself in the AOS welcome section ?

[Themis]

Listening a lot to spotify premium these days but it does mean i have to use a 5m USB cable and an inferior DAC to my toslink input. Im wondering if using Airport with my laptop might be a better result?
I think that this should make no noticeable difference for Spotify premium. The artifacts of 320kbps (or sometimes 256 or lower) streamed should mask any differences between optical and USB in your case.

So, the main advantage of Airport (in your case) will be to get rid of the cable, imho. ;)

[monkfish]

Hi Themis
I believe Spotify premium is Ogg/Vorbis 320, which is lossless, sounds better than any mp3, in fact I use this for most of my listening and you can tell the differences between recordings easily.
Regards
Jim

[Themis]

Vorbis is a lossy format.

Whether it sounds better or worse than MP3, well... I don't remember actually. I have no recent experience on the matter, as none of my portable sources uses Vorbis and I don't use lossy algorithms for compression at home. ;)

[colinB]

I think that this should make no noticeable difference for Spotify premium. The artifacts of 320kbps (or sometimes 256 or lower) streamed should mask any differences between optical and USB in your case.

So, the main advantage of Airport (in your case) will be to get rid of the cable, imho. ;)

Thank you Dimitri.

[Jonboy]

Hi Colin,
i did use an Airport express and airfoil for streaming but found it kept dropping out so went back to leads connected directly, it took a bit of messing about to set up as well probably because running Mac stuff on a PC can cause some clashes at times, also the Airport seemed to send out a very strong signal that all my other networks wanted to connect to first rather than the main internet one including next doors even with it at the bottom of the garden in my office/den set up

I too didn't find any music benifit if that helps