Here is an exceprt from the recent PS Audio Newsletter where Paul McGowan describes how he uses an Apple TV as part of his music server:
DIY music server
So I've spent most of this Saturday writing this newsletter and since this morning, when we had KEXP playing all their eclectic choices, I've grabbed my touch remote control and tuned in WGBH in Boston for some great live music, then over to one of my favorite talk stations for Car Talk for a break and a good laugh.
So today I am going to write to you about two new ways to have fun with music servers, both from Apple and PS Audio.
In our March 2008 newsletter I wrote about our trip to Apple in Cupertino California and the amazing Apple TV (ATV). Since that time many of you have purchased these little gems and have been having fun, despite their shortcomings. Well, many of the problems have been solved and the ATV as a music server, coupled with the DLIII, has gone into high gear.
For those of you not familiar with the ATV, it's an inexpensive product that most people seem to ignore because its primary function, that as a movie rental piece, is sorely lacking in usability. Apple's rental library for videos is woefully small, expensive and takes forever to download. As a TV it isn't all that impressive unless you have your own library of ripped movies to enjoy.
If you're interested in renting movies on the fly, check out Vudu
www.vudu.com . These guys have thousands of movies to rent online. They're reasonably priced, quick to download and watch (on the fly actually) and worth the money.
But while the ATV isn't a great video device it certainly missed its true calling: a music server. Coupled with the right equipment, the ATV as a music server is simply stunning and I am going to tell you about the developments that have taken place and how you too can join in.
The big hurdles
One of the biggest hurdles in using the ATV as a music server has been its requirement of a TV or video monitor to control it and the lack of a decent remote control. In one fell swoop, Apple has fixed both of these problems in a perfect way: an iPod Touch and free software.
With the simultaneous release of both iTunes 7.7 and the online App store for iPods and iPhones, Apple is giving away free software that turns your iPod Touch or iPhone into the coolest remote control on the planet. The remote software allows either device to control your ATV or iTunes on your computer or both.
Now, without any TV or monitor, you can use the iPod Touch to wirelessly tune in internet radio, select your artist, album, genre of music or whatever you want, all on your ATV and all without the use or need for a computer anywhere in the house. And, as a side note, you can surf the web and answer email on the same device while you're listening to your music on your new server.
What you need to make this happen
I am telling you, this is the most fun I've had for quite a while. Even Terri is blown away with this setup (and she's hard to impress). In its most basic form, you need a stereo system, an ATV ($249 to $399) an iPod Touch ($299 to $399) or iPhone, access (at least once) to a computer with iTunes, the internet and that's about it!
To build a music server, it's as easy as 1,2,3. First, make sure your ATV is loaded with your music - which can be lossless or MP3 or a combination of both (you do this with iTunes, which is free software). Download all the new software versions, load your iPod Touch with the free remote control application from the App store, synch them all together and you're done.
Just touch the new icon for the remote that appears on your iPod and everything on the ATV appears. You can choose individual songs, artists, albums, genres of music or just let the ATV select stuff at random. It took me about 30 minutes to setup everything, start to finish. There was zero technical skills used.
An important note
Both the ATV and the iPod have awful DAC's built into them; really bad sounding in fact. So to make this work well you need a high quality DAC and sound system. I strongly recommend our DLIII DAC. I don't suggest this lightly just because our company builds it. In fact, the DLIII is uniquely suited to the ATV. Here's why.
The ATV has a lot of jitter on its optical digital output - an output that is generated inside by its internal computer. It really is nasty sounding. Most DAC's I've played with - even really high end ones - seem to have a hard edge to their sound when connected to the ATV or the Wadia iTransport (more on this later). What's needed is a DAC that can ignore jitter and compromised digital outputs and, perhaps most important, employ an almost overly lush and sweet analog output stage. That requirement sums up the DLIII to a tee. Sweet, open, lush and almost overly sweet, the DLIII ATV or iTransport combo is simple amazing.
In my home setup here in Vail, I use a DLIII, a Trio C-100 integrated, a Statement power cable for the C-100 and a Power Punch C7 for the ATV. This system feeds both my Mirage outdoor speakers as well as my Genesis 700's and 900 sub inside the house. The sound is sweet, involving and filled with variety and life, the likes of which the McGowan household has never had. From shuffling through the nearly 50 gigs of lossless as well as hi res MP3's stored on the ATV, to listening to internet radio from all over the world, we're having a blast.
What's the cost of all this? I have the smallest iPod Touch and the biggest ATV (160gb). Together, I've invested $700. Add in the DLIII for $1,000, plus a good optical cable ($100) and for less than $2K I am in sonic heaven with one of the most sophisticated music servers available today at any price. Seriously, this is something to consider.
It is true that the ATV is limited to 160gb of storage. In my case I have 4772 songs which is about 13 days of straight music. I know many want more and there are two ways to get it. If you're OK with keeping your computer on and synched with the ATV you can have terabytes of music to play through the ATV and available on the remote. Another alternative is to have the ATV's hard drive increased. The largest I have seen offered is 250gb and there are several companies offering this upgrade if you want.
http://www.weaknees.com/appletv/apple-tv-upgrade.phpInternet radio
Another hurdle ATV owners have discovered is that the ATV does not support internet radio and, neither does the new remote control software on the iPod Touch. But here's the secret to making this work.
I discovered a while ago that there's a very handy work-around for the internet radio issue on the ATV that you can implement easily. All you need to do is first create a new playlist and name it 'radio' (or anything you want). Then, go to the actual iTunes radio folder. There you will find hundreds of internet radio stations that you can tune in on your computer but are not available on the ATV. To make them available on the ATV, simply drag any of your favorite stations like KEXP (located in the alternative music section) into the playlist you created and synch up the ATV.
Now all you do is go to the playlist you created called 'radio' and there on the remote are all the stations you put in. They remain there basically forever even if your computer is off.
And here's another tip. iTunes has a rather limited selection of radio stations to choose from (in my opinion). It's easy to add more. The simplest way is with iTunes open, go to something like
www.shoutcast.com and find whatever you want for internet radio. Click the link to tune in the station and a dialog box opens so you can run the program. Click 'run' and immediately the station starts playing in iTunes and it is added to iTune's 'recently added' folder. Again, drag it into your radio playlist and voila! It's on your ATV.
If you know the URL (web address) of a favorite internet radio station, go to the advanced tab in iTunes and click on 'open stream'. Just put the web address in the box and the same thing happens. It's really cool.
A note about internet radio
One last note about internet radio. Many people I speak to 'diss' internet radio because it's MP3 quality and they believe it isn't even as good as FM radio. I am here to tell you that's mostly bunk.
Compare MP3's of reasonable quality, played through a DLIII to a good amplifier and it beats the sound of even the finest FM tuners ever made. Why? Even though the streams may be MP3, most all of them I listen to have not gone through the same horrendous audio processing broadcasters inflict on their FM signals. There are really very few (if any) FM broadcasts of good quality anymore because of the compression and limiting equipment they use to keep the FCC happy. But they don't seem to use any leveling, compression or limiting on internet radio and it sounds terrific! Don't be afraid to try it.
Terri just decided she wanted to listen to Latin music while she does some busy work around the house. She picked up the iPod Touch, chose Genre, selected Latin music and then hit shuffle. The house is alive with music.
