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View Full Version : Review: Stream live audio Mac to Mac or iPhone



sburrell
04-11-2009, 02:04
Hi,

I just wanted to share two fantastic pieces of free software that users of OS X may appreciate.

The first is AirPhones (http://airphonesapp.com/). This is an Intel-only application for 10.4-10.6 and a networked iPhone/iPod touch. All it does is stream all audio produced on the server Mac to a networked iPhone/iPod touch running the AirPhones receiver app (http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=302080903&mt=8) (links to iTunes Store). Received audio is output through the built-in speaker, the headphone socket and the dock connector. There are no audio quality settings, and the Lite version of the app (the one linked to) offers only 15 or so minutes of streaming, but in that time I have to admit I was impressed with the quality. I was watching Zack Snyder's Dawn of the Dead remake (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0363547/) through EyeTV, and was immediately impressed with the amount of echo decay I could hear when they were standing talking in the mall. The latency was barely, if at all, noticeable. I haven't yet tried this with my iTunes library, but will post feedback when I do.
The only drawback to the app is a small amount of stuttering in the stream occasionally. In the short time I tested the app it was not a big problem though, and easily ignored. Either way, I'm sure this'll improve in time as the app is updated.
To watch a proper demo of what this app can do, check out the video on the website.

For streaming live audio Mac to Mac, you should use Soundfly (http://abyssoft.com/software/soundfly/) (10.4 "Tiger" or later, Universal binary), another free app, though this time with no restrictions. It's very simple to set up: install the audio sender portion of the app on the server Mac, and the receiver portion on the client, launch both and violà: all audio on the source Mac is streamed to the second. By design, all audio output from any hardware attached to the server Mac will cease; however, using Rogue Amoeba's LineIn (http://rogueamoeba.com/freebies/) you can get round this. See here (http://www.mactipper.com/2008/06/broadcast-music-on-your-lan-itunes.html).
Soundfly does offer sound quality settings, and can stream ACC, Apple Lossless and full PCM, amongst others. By default, it uses 16-bit Apple Lossless (it also offers 24-bit), and this seems to work fine. However, I glanced up at my EyeTV broadcast (still Dawn of the Dead…) after about fifteen minutes of streaming (to my MacBook Pro) and noticed the audio was out of sync by at least half a second. Currently, I have Ocean Twelve on, and am yet to notice the same problem despite at least fifteen minutes of playback---it's possible the broadcast itself was at fault.
I should mention that Soundfly relies on Soundflower (http://www.cycling74.com/products/soundflower) to do its job, and installs it at the same time (though only on the server Mac).

EDIT: the lag fault is a recognized bug in the Soundflower software, it turns out.

I hope someone finds this useful. I'm always impressed by the solutions available for the Mac, how easy they are to implement and how flexible they are. For example, if you have an iPhone and a Mac you now have a very unobtrusive (though probably less-hifi) replacement for an Airport Express, as well as (and this is what I use it for) a wireless headphone adapter. With a VPN, you could even listen from anywhere across the globe…

tracyjq
27-07-2011, 10:29
iMacsoft iPhone to Mac Transfer (http://www.imacsoft.com/iphone-to-mac-transfer.html), the excellent iPhone to Mac software, is specially designed for Mac OS X (including Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard, Mac Intel and Mac PowerPC) users. It can fast transfer, rip, copy and manage your Music, Movie, Photo, ePub, PDF, Audiobook, Voice Memo, Camera roll, Ringtone, Podcast, TV Show, SMS, Contact, Call List from iPhone to Mac, iPhone 3G to Mac, iPhone 3GS to Mac, iPhone 4 to Mac and iPhone to iTunes. Hot: iMacsoft iPhone to Mac Transfer support iOS 5

How to transfer iPhone photos to Mac?

Free download (http://www.imacsoft.com/downloads/m-iphone-to-mac-transfer.dmg) iMacsoft iPhone to Mac Transfer, install and launch it on Mac. Connect your iPhone to Mac, the iPhone to Mac transfer will automatically recognize it and the device info will be shown as the picture below. Please purchase iMacsoft iPhone photo to Mac Transfer and lots of functions await you.

http://www.imacsoft.com/images/how-to-iphone-to-mac-transfer/interface.jpg

Locate and check the iPhone photos that you want to transfer to Mac in the file list. Click the "Export checked files to local" button, select the folder that you want to export files to in the pop-up window. Then click "Save" button to transfer photos from iPhone to Mac.

http://www.imacsoft.com/images/how-to-iphone-to-mac-transfer/picture-save-to-local.jpg

When it's done, you've got your iPhone photos on your Mac neatly and conveniently , and you can add iPhone photos to your library. That's all there is to transfer photos from iPhone to Mac with iMacsoft iPhone to Mac Transfer. Now you can download the software and try it by yourself.

Some ralated products:

iMacsoft iPad Mate (http://www.imacsoft.com/ipad-mate.html)
iMacsoft iPad Video Converter (http://www.imacsoft.com/ipad-video-converter.html)
iMacsoft iPad to PC Transfer (http://www.imacsoft.com/ipad-to-pc-transfer.html)
iMacsoft iPhone Contact to PC Transfer (http://www.imacsoft.com/iphone-contact-to-pc-transfer.html)

WAD62
27-07-2011, 14:23
iMacsoft iPhone to Mac Transfer (http://www.imacsoft.com/iphone-to-mac-transfer.html), the excellent iPhone to Mac software, is specially designed for Mac OS X (including Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard, Mac Intel and Mac PowerPC) users. It can fast transfer, rip, copy and manage your Music, Movie, Photo, ePub, PDF, Audiobook, Voice Memo, Camera roll, Ringtone, Podcast, TV Show, SMS, Contact, Call List from iPhone to Mac, iPhone 3G to Mac, iPhone 3GS to Mac, iPhone 4 to Mac and iPhone to iTunes. Hot: iMacsoft iPhone to Mac Transfer support iOS 5

How to transfer iPhone photos to Mac?

Free download (http://www.imacsoft.com/downloads/m-iphone-to-mac-transfer.dmg) iMacsoft iPhone to Mac Transfer, install and launch it on Mac. Connect your iPhone to Mac, the iPhone to Mac transfer will automatically recognize it and the device info will be shown as the picture below. Please purchase iMacsoft iPhone photo to Mac Transfer and lots of functions await you.

http://www.imacsoft.com/images/how-to-iphone-to-mac-transfer/interface.jpg

Locate and check the iPhone photos that you want to transfer to Mac in the file list. Click the "Export checked files to local" button, select the folder that you want to export files to in the pop-up window. Then click "Save" button to transfer photos from iPhone to Mac.

http://www.imacsoft.com/images/how-to-iphone-to-mac-transfer/picture-save-to-local.jpg

When it's done, you've got your iPhone photos on your Mac neatly and conveniently , and you can add iPhone photos to your library. That's all there is to transfer photos from iPhone to Mac with iMacsoft iPhone to Mac Transfer. Now you can download the software and try it by yourself.

Some ralated products:

iMacsoft iPad Mate (http://www.imacsoft.com/ipad-mate.html)
iMacsoft iPad Video Converter (http://www.imacsoft.com/ipad-video-converter.html)
iMacsoft iPad to PC Transfer (http://www.imacsoft.com/ipad-to-pc-transfer.html)
iMacsoft iPhone Contact to PC Transfer (http://www.imacsoft.com/iphone-contact-to-pc-transfer.html)

All that to just copy some files!!!!!!!! :doh::doh::doh:

Get an Andriod phone, connect as a hard drive, and drag and drop into the directory of your choice, either direction...;)

Alex_UK
27-07-2011, 14:51
Hi Tracy - please could you on your next visit go to the Welcome section and introduce yourself? (You should have been clearly asked to do this when you signed up as part of the joining process, no?)

On the assumption that you are promoting or represent iMacsoft, then you will need to be a trade member, so that everyone is clear on your status - no problem, and no cost - but we like it to be obvious if you're here with commercial interests.

I look forward to seeing your introduction as soon as possible, otherwise I'm afraid we will delete your post until such time as you can introduce yourself formally to our community.

WAD62
27-07-2011, 15:02
Hi Tracy - please could you on your next visit go to the Welcome section and introduce yourself? (You shoudl have been clearly asked to do this when you signed up as part of the joining process, no?)

On the assumption that you are promoting or represent iMacsoft, then you will need to be a trade member, so that everyone is clear on your status - no problem, and no cost - but we like it to be obvious if you're here with commercial interests.

I look forward to seeing your introduction as soon as possible, otherwise I'm afraid we will delete your post until such time as you can introduce yourself formally to our community.

...oh, and I was just getting revved up for some fruit based abuse :(