Is anyone using AirPlay on Bluesound Node 2i?

[superczar]

Thanks for that supeczar

Please bear with my rumblings on the chrome cast audio

The problem with source components as compared to high capacity amps, is that their power supplies are meagre. And really don't have room to filter the incoming power. So I have eliminated that problem by running my Chromecast audio from a PS1200 power regenerator proving pure AC power and again filtered by a isotek evo3 Polaris power filter. I also have my chrome cast hard wired with a lan cable to avoid wireless gremlins. On top of all this , I run it off a 5V LPSU. And I can vouch the results are stellar. And very comparable to my almost 30 x digital streamer cum roon end point. One would be hard pressed to notice the differences between the two. And why all this effort to get CCA working well in the first place. Because it is the only way to stream local desi sites like gaana or saavn on good 256kbps quality.

Whoa!
Tell you what, I will go all out and use a regulated pure DC 5V/3A power supply from my test bench to run the test
I will leave the Airplay setup as is given that the DAC for Airplay the primary rig is in the Marantz AVR 6010 which I presume would have decent isolation circuitry for power...
Word of caution though, I hear absolutely fine imaging even on a class D amp hooked to an analog out on a Macbook (as long as the speakers are good)
The wires I use across all setups are all Amazonbasics 14AWG and my RCA interconnects are again amazonbasics
Guess what I am saying is I am probably not the best testing expert

 

[newlash09]

Whoa!
Tell you what, I will go all out and use a regulated pure DC 5V/3A power supply from my test bench to run the test
I will leave the Airplay setup as is given that the DAC for Airplay the primary rig is in the Marantz AVR 6010 which I presume would have decent isolation circuitry for power...
Word of caution though, I hear absolutely fine imaging even on a class D amp hooked to an analog out on a Macbook (as long as the speakers are good)
The wires I use across all setups are all Amazonbasics 14AWG and my RCA interconnects are again amazonbasics
Guess what I am saying is I am probably not the best testing expert

Haha..no worries superczar

Iam a medically diagnosed hearing impaired chap. I can't hear basic frequencies that normal humans do

So your test will still be enlightening for me

 

[Deleted member 15865]

Does this happen with Apple music app where streaming from internet happens?
And does it happen also when you play local file from your ipad via the default music app? And what exactly it means you hear a drop in sound quality. I mean you are trying to compare same song with less than 256 kbps and same song another file but with greater than 256 kbps?

Of course I am comparing apples to apples. You can read my experiment here. https://www.hifivision.com/threads/is-anyone-using-airplay-on-bluesound-node-2i.75004/post-825057

The drop in quality: Loss of 3D/holographic sound and Loss in dynamic range and Presence.

 

[amit11]

Of course I am comparing apples to apples. You can read my experiment here. https://www.hifivision.com/threads/is-anyone-using-airplay-on-bluesound-node-2i.75004/post-825057

The drop in quality: Loss of 3D/holographic sound and Loss in dynamic range and Presence.

I read that post now. Two setups were mentioned.
I did not understand the first setup. In that you were playing thru ipad, sound was coming from your external speakers but airplay is not involved?

 

[Deleted member 15865]

I read that post now. Two setups were mentioned.
I did not understand the first setup. In that you were playing thru ipad, sound was coming from your external speakers but airplay is not involved?

First setup: Ethernet -> Apple TV -> HDMI -> Plasma TV -> Interconnect -> Preamp
Second setup: iPad -> AirPlay -> Apple TV -> HDMI -> Plasma TV -> Interconnect -> Preamp

First setup has no AirPlay or iPad . Apple TV takes signal directly for the router.

 

[amit11]

First setup: Ethernet -> Apple TV -> HDMI -> Plasma TV -> Interconnect -> Preamp
Second setup: iPad -> AirPlay -> Apple TV -> HDMI -> Plasma TV -> Interconnect -> Preamp

First setup has no AirPlay or iPad . Apple TV takes signal directly for the router.

Ok. So in setup #1, then from where are you playing apple music? Is it from the app which is there inside apple tv?

 

[Deleted member 15865]

Ok. So in setup #1, then from where are you playing apple music? Is it from the app which is there inside apple tv?

That's right.

 

[Deleted member 15865]

That's odd because Airplay shouldn't be applying any kind of compression
However I do see a flaw in your setup - The digital o/p from the ATV should feed into your Stereo system via a clean DAC process if you are into critical listening
I see in your sig you already have a high grade standalone DAC - you should try using that rather than than relying on your TV doing the conversion the conversion to analog amidst the high noise circuitry nearby which will mess up the RCA o/p
Do you have the old gen ATV in which case you can use the TOSLINK out?
If it's the newer gen ATV, see if you can use an airport express instead.

I have five airplay setup - 1 that relies on ATV directly feeding digital into a Marantz SR6010 -> Analog RCA to a Marantz PM17 / direct airplay to Marantz SR6010
1 that relies on an airport express feeding optical out to an old Harman AVR5000
The other 3 use direct analog out from Airport express

As a stopgap during a setup, I used the ATV out in another room going to the TV and then analog out from the TV to amp but the result was rather sad - Having said that, the TV in question was a Mi and it may have a far worse DAC than yours
However, if i were you, I would really really try to move the analog conversion process elsewhere


If you are happy with your speakers and amp, absolutely no reason to change
All I am trying to say is as far as adding streaming capabilities goes, you shouldn't need to spend too much considering you got a quality DAC already
Try getting hold of an airport express, you may be more than pleasantly surprised

I have a query to improve my understanding. Will AirPort Extreme play just iTunes files from my computer? Or will it also play Apple Music from the internet (like an Apple TV)? Today I also enjoy other streaming services like Radio Paradise through the app on Apple TV. Will I be able to do the same with Airport Express? I doubt it has the apps. So, will I need to AirPlay from my iPad to the Airport Express and is it possible to do so? Also today I Airplay services not available on Apple TV such as Tune In Radio from my iPad to Apple TV. Will I be able to do the same to the Airport Express? If not, is there a workaround to do the same (by using some combination of the iPad, Airport Express as Apple TV? The objective is to get all these services played by the Stereo system through digital out from Airport Express to the Schiit DAC.

Also, even if the above works, I’d still be required to AirPlay streaming music from iPad to Airport Express, right? My experience is AirPlay streaming works good till 320 Kbps but doesn’t do college justice to FLAC quality. I have some internet radio stations that play FLAC. I am assuming there’s no way to play them directly off the Airport Express (through Ethernet) and just use the iOS device as controller?

 

[Deleted member 15865]

Also, does anyone know about a way to split HDMI into audio and video separately? I am wondering if there’s a way to add some kind of box which can take in the HDMI out from an Apple TV and split into 1) a video out (RCA or HDMI) which can be connected to my TV, and 2) an audio out (digital coaxial) which can go into my external DAC feeding to my stereo system. I can buy another Apple TV to dedicate for this if it’s possibke (and keep my current Apple TV purely for video apps). If that’s possible, I can use the Apple Music and internet radio apps directly off the Apple TV without need for AirPlay.

 

[superczar]

Haha..no worries superczar

Iam a medically diagnosed hearing impaired chap. I can't hear basic frequencies that normal humans do

So your test will still be enlightening for me

So as promised, I ran a test (albeit flawed - will explain the reason for the flaw) and the results for me are far from conclusive.
TL;DR -
Was there a difference, yes!
Was the difference night & Day - No
Do I have a preference either way - No, I could live with both

Long version:

The test was done with the same song (Piano Man) in lossless 16bit/44.1khz sampling FLAC , 24bit/88khz sampling FLAC and a straight stream from Spotify.
The comparison between DACs was an instant switch so perhaps more reliable while the difference between each filetype is less reliable as each was heard after a gap
The test equipment was a Marantz PM17 SA wired to KEF Q300 speakers with an Airport express for Airplay and CCA for Chromecast

First the difference between the streams.
I found Imaging to be equally good across all three but with a bit more detail especially in subtle sounds on the FLACs. Nothing that you would note during regular listening but noticeable if you are doing an A/B
I did not find any difference between the 16/44.1 and 24/88 FLACs in either configuration

On to the DACs
The difference between the two wasn't big but certainly more than subtle, presumably because of the minor tonal differences in the characteristics of the DAC in use.
The only subjective explanation I can manage is that the Airplay sounded more open and expansive - the soundstage seemed wider
On the other hand, the CCA sounded more precise and authoritative

It was almost as if notes lingered on with the Airport while the CCA was more precise

Like I said before, I am more a casual listener and I rarely, if ever indulge in a serious listening session
My house help was casting weird looks at me when he saw me engrossed in this comparison with my eyes closed and neck lifted at an awkward angle!
Thus from my perspective, I can happily live with either but will continue with Airplay because of my phone OS choice.

For others, esp @newlash09 , I would suggest picking or borrowing an AE to see how they feel about it

PS: The AE in question is the 2nd gen A1392 - believe there are some difference in the DAC between generations

 

[amit11]

PS: The AE in question is the 2nd gen A1392 - believe there are some difference in the DAC between generations

Yes you are right. There are differences in the DAC and the spdif out aswell.

I have this version and also the oldest model a108x of 2004. The oldest model i got second hand. It's hard to find. But it's the best among the three versions of airport express.

 

[newlash09]

So as promised, I ran a test (albeit flawed - will explain the reason for the flaw) and the results for me are far from conclusive.
TL;DR -
Was there a difference, yes!
Was the difference night & Day - No
Do I have a preference either way - No, I could live with both

Long version:

The test was done with the same song (Piano Man) in lossless 16bit/44.1khz sampling FLAC , 24bit/88khz sampling FLAC and a straight stream from Spotify.
The comparison between DACs was an instant switch so perhaps more reliable while the difference between each filetype is less reliable as each was heard after a gap
The test equipment was a Marantz PM17 SA wired to KEF Q300 speakers with an Airport express for Airplay and CCA for Chromecast

First the difference between the streams.
I found Imaging to be equally good across all three but with a bit more detail especially in subtle sounds on the FLACs. Nothing that you would note during regular listening but noticeable if you are doing an A/B
I did not find any difference between the 16/44.1 and 24/88 FLACs in either configuration

On to the DACs
The difference between the two wasn't big but certainly more than subtle, presumably because of the minor tonal differences in the characteristics of the DAC in use.
The only subjective explanation I can manage is that the Airplay sounded more open and expansive - the soundstage seemed wider
On the other hand, the CCA sounded more precise and authoritative

It was almost as if notes lingered on with the Airport while the CCA was more precise

Like I said before, I am more a casual listener and I rarely, if ever indulge in a serious listening session
My house help was casting weird looks at me when he saw me engrossed in this comparison with my eyes closed and neck lifted at an awkward angle!
Thus from my perspective, I can happily live with either but will continue with Airplay because of my phone OS choice.

For others, esp @newlash09 , I would suggest picking or borrowing an AE to see how they feel about it

PS: The AE in question is the 2nd gen A1392 - believe there are some difference in the DAC between generations

Hi superczar..

Thanks for the very detailed comparison and your efforts to type it all

Understand that both the airport express and the CCA sounded at the same quality, although with a slight difference in presentation as I understand it. So it might come down to a choice of taste between the two.

Iam actually using the CCA only as a transport, feeding my dac via its optical out. And the results have been very good. Glad to know that the airport express is at an equivalent performance envelope to keep the Apple boys smug too

I use my wife's discarded iPhones without any inherent or data usage as I use it as a dedicated voice calling handset only. My android phone is what I use for everything else. So I guess I will just continue with my CCA . Thanks again for sharing.

 

[superczar]

Hi superczar..

Thanks for the very detailed comparison and your efforts to type it all

Understand that both the airport express and the CCA sounded at the same quality, although with a slight difference in presentation as I understand it. So it might come down to a choice of taste between the two.

Iam actually using the CCA only as a transport, feeding my dac via its optical out. And the results have been very good. Glad to know that the airport express is at an equivalent performance envelope to keep the Apple boys smug too

I use my wife's discarded iPhones without any inherent or data usage as I use it as a dedicated voice calling handset only. My android phone is what I use for everything else. So I guess I will just continue with my CCA . Thanks again for sharing.

No worries - The only thing I have to add is that my dog Loki got really worried about me ...
I was continuing with my test on a different set of Amp and speaker this morning and the sight of me with my eyes closed and neck twisted up at a weird angle was enough for him to get worried enough to launch his 45kgs straight into my lap to wake me from my stupor!

 

[newlash09]

No worries - The only thing I have to add is that my dog Loki got really worried about me ...
I was continuing with my test on a different set of Amp and speaker this morning and the sight of me with my eyes closed and neck twisted up at a weird angle was enough for him to get worried enough to launch his 45kgs straight into my lap to wake me from my stupor!

Haha...good to know that. I've always loved dogs. Can't stay away from cuddling anyone I've come across. Been bitten thrice in the process. But still not shy

You seem to be enjoying the sound you have. And that is all that matters. Enjoy your music sir