My Playmaker was wired to the router, as is the Apple TV.  As my music is stored on my laptop, I used Airplay to send music to the Playmaker using wi-fi.  Due to constant drop-outs I removed the Playmaker from the set up and re-instated my BC2.  Although I can successfully use Airplay to send music through the Apple TV, I notice a difference in sound quality. The Playmaker, when it works, sounds better.

I also noticed when I re-instated the BC2 that the sound quality was better than the wireless solution.  I would like to avoid wi-fi completely and have all my music on a NAS (Mac Mini) connected to the Playmaker and BL3s and BL11.

I no longer have a BeoVision.  I sold my BV3 and BV1 in Sydney before migrating to the UK.  I am currently using a Panasonic flat screen.  My BC2 and speakers provide sound for the TV.

Cheers,

djs

djs wrote:

My Playmaker was wired to the router, as is the Apple TV. As my music is stored on my laptop, I used Airplay to send music to the Playmaker using wi-fi. Due to constant drop-outs I removed the Playmaker from the set up and re-instated my BC2. Although I can successfully use Airplay to send music through the Apple TV, I notice a difference in sound quality. The Playmaker, when it works, sounds better.

Thanks Elephant.  That is good advice.  I will wire my laptop to the router to test the solution before buying a mac mini.  Now why didn't I think of that?

Cheers,

djs

Millemissen wrote:

 

Hi dsj,

how about this constallation:

The MacMini or the laptop (using a small USB-DAC e.g. the Dragonfly) connected to the 'Line-in' of the Playmaker .

You can then remotecontrol iTunes (with the Remote app), have your main audio conection wired and still use AirPlay to send content (Netradio, Spotfy, podcasts...) to the (hardwired) PM.

Greetings Millemissen

 

I was thinking of doing the exact same thing. Forgive my ignorance (I am a bit clueless about these things), but do you need a separate DAC for the laptop since PM is essentially a DAC? I mean, do you also use the laptop's DAC in this setup since the signal passes through PM anyway? Thanks!

hadraktas wrote:

I was thinking of doing the exact same thing. Forgive my ignorance (I am a bit clueless about these things), but do you need a separate DAC for the laptop since PM is essentially a DAC? I mean, do you also use the laptop's DAC in this setup since the signal passes through PM anyway? Thanks!

Thank you elephant for your response. I was hoping that I would avoid the need of getting another DAC if I used a PM but I see now that this is not the case. Can anyone recommend a decent USB DAC, I have no idea where to get one :/

I have a BC2 and have worked through all the options discussed. Reason for doing this was the BC2 would only play a quarter of my disks as the CD transport is out of adjustment and I rather think B&O will declare it unreparable.

imac and PC2 interface:

1) running linkplayer to simulate an audiomaster - buggy, I have RS423 analyser and able to view the masterlink control codes at byte level - it's a finite state machine and the PC2 appears to drop a load of control messages.

2) vmware fusion to run wirddows 7 guest OS with BC2 as audio master - horrible interface failed to make up for using beo4 remote. Running itunes on mac side with mac remote actually much better providing you are in the same room as the mac.

3) attempted to use beolink wireless 1 - at one point I had 4 sets of beolab3's around the house, ONCE had them all working, but beolink wireless units of various ages had firmware changes - earlier units would remain on one channel and cut out with interference, later units would change channels - of course B&O would never tell you about this. I have wifi network analyser and was able to see the 802.11 traffic in real time. B&O dealer eventually flashed all the wireless units to the same firmware revision. I no longer run masterlink over the wireless and just have a pair of remote beolab3's.

4) imac, itunes, airport express on 801.1 hardwired link via Cisco switch, line out into BC2 line in - works, but lacks fidelity, DAC on the express is fine for compressed but you do loose something with lossless on the beolab9's, but perfectly adequate with the beolab3's now all hard wired into the BC2 with an armload of powerlink splitters. I am told you can run up to 16 beolabs off the BC2.

5) imac, itunes, apogee one USB DAC into BC2 line in. The best for quality, but of course the imac now has to be within USB range of the BC2. Apogee is a damn good semi-pro DAC - you could spend silly money on oversampling DAC's but be honest with yourself, iTunes AAC lossless isn't the last word in AD conversion. Want to go further? Buy yourself a NAIM Unitiserve or better still an HDX.

I am serious, if someone wants a PC2 and two beolink wireless 1's with the latest firmware..... 8-)

Line out on a laptop is usually headphone out rather than line level out. A -10db unbalanced line out is designed to drive your BC2 line in presenting probably a 10K ohm load. A headphone out typically drives a 32 to a few hundred ohm load so you are two three orders of magnitude mismatched. headphone out usually makes a sound on your system but don't expect quality!

Harry Adraktas-Rentis wrote:

Thank you elephant for your response. I was hoping that I would avoid the need of getting another DAC if I used a PM but I see now that this is not the case. Can anyone recommend a decent USB DAC, I have no idea where to get one :/

Hi again,

some of your questions are already answered.

If you use the 'line-in' of the PM there is no DAC involved, since the signal is already converted to analog.

I mentioned the Dragonfly (http://www.audioquest.com/usb_digital_analog_converter/dragonfly-dac)  as one possible DAC to use.

Would be my first choice if I needed one (which I at the moment don't).

There are plenty of other small - not too expensive - DACs to get.

Give amazon.de (or .com) a try! Keywords: 'USB-DAC'.

You should just try one or more of them, as you are free to send it back if ordered online.

Tip: the Audioquest homepage is very informative.

N.B. I would not use any laptop/pc/mac as an audio source WITHOUT an external DAC.

Greetings Millemissen