[JohnR]

Hi, I'm hoping someone here can set me straight about what I can and can't do with these...

I'm considering a configuration whereby an iMac running iTunes in the study has a USB DAC connected to it. In addition, there will be two Airport Express units elsewhere in the house, one connected to the HT receiver, and one to a dedicated DAC - Cambridge DacMagic, TBM (to be modded) - in the 2-ch system.

My first question is will this work at all, and can you make iTunes stream to any selection of these three output devices, or does it have to be one at a time?

My second question is can this all be controlled from the remote application for the iPhone/iPod Touch? I assume that the remote will wake up the iMac if need be (?)

Finally I'm interested to know if the remote control can do volume on iTunes, for non-critical situations.

Thanks for any info, tips, or other suggestions

[Crimson]

Hi John,

My first question is will this work at all, and can you make iTunes stream to any selection of these three output devices, or does it have to be one at a time?

Yes, you can stream to one or any combination of output devices. In iTunes, click on the speaker button (bottom right) and make your selection. You cannot, however, stream different tracks to different outputs i.e. all outputs will receive the same stream.

My second question is can this all be controlled from the remote application for the iPhone/iPod Touch? I assume that the remote will wake up the iMac if need be (?)

Yes, output selection can be controlled via the Remote app. Once a track is selected and playing via Remote, touch the Speaker button on the Now Playing page and choose your output(s). As to waking the Mac, it will only work if you set it to 'Wake on Ethernet Access' (note the word ethernet i.e. if your iMac is connected to your network via wifi this feature will not work). This is accessed in System Preferences >> Energy Saver.

Finally I'm interested to know if the remote control can do volume on iTunes, for non-critical situations.

Yes.

[JohnR]

Brilliant - thank you. 

[JohnR]

Well, after a fair amount of mucking about with iTunes, I'm on the way... just a few years later than most   One thing I'm finding interesting about the whole ripping/importing process is that I'm rediscovering (and re-cataloguing) what I have in my (CD) collection. That alone is almost starting to look like a good reason to go this route...!

[Crimson]

Well, after a fair amount of mucking about with iTunes, I'm on the way... just a few years later than most   One thing I'm finding interesting about the whole ripping/importing process is that I'm rediscovering (and re-cataloguing) what I have in my (CD) collection. That alone is almost starting to look like a good reason to go this route...!

You betcha! At times I'll set my iTunes to random playback of my entire library and enjoy tracks I listened to in a previous lifetime.

[Alwayswantmore]

OP, my situation is similar to yours, so I hope this is not considered off-topic for your thread. In my case I have iTunes on a Macbook feeding an audiophile system via USB DAC.

I'd like to be able to listen to the library of music on my Macbook in other areas of the house / deck, and wondered if Airport Express and an Apple Touch would do the trick. The remote rooms would be non-critical listening.

I gather from this thread this works. Q:

I see many threads on Sqeezebox. Assuming people like the OP and myself have iTunes & a Mac computer, are there any downsides to going Airport Express and a Touch? AE is moderate in price, so it almost seems to easy. Thanks, Kent

[srb]

I'd like to be able to listen to the library of music on my Macbook in other areas of the house / deck, and wondered if Airport Express and an Apple Touch would do the trick. The remote rooms would be non-critical listening.

Sure.  I use iTunes on a PC and have 3 Airport Express in other locations.  You would of course be listening to the same songs in the remote location, as iTunes/AirTunes does not support playback of different songfiles to remote devices.
 
For non-critical listening the built-in DAC works fine (1/8" stereo phone jack for analog line output).  The same jack also provides an S/PDIF optical output via Mini-Toslink connector for use with a DAC.
 
Steve

[Alwayswantmore]

Thanks. Same material in all rooms is not a problem. This would be for background.

I've been reading the ups and downs of SB Duet, so the idea of Airport Express is attractive, both for price and simplicity.

[srb]

Although it might not affect your applications, there are two scenarios that could dictate your wanting to procure the older Airport Express wireless G (A1084) model instead of the newer wireless N (A1264) model.
 
1. The newer N model apparently has higher jitter and those who are using the optical S/PDIF output into ESS Sabre based DACs have experienced dropouts.
 
(One user who had this problem with the EE Minimax DAC and the newer N model did try it with the older G model and had no more dropouts)
 
 
2. If you intend to passively combine L & R analog outputs for a mono application, the newer N model is unuseable due to heavy distortion produced.
 
(I experienced this as one of my rooms just has a single mono speaker.  Luckily this particular active speaker has two separate buffered line inputs, but I now need to adjust two volume controls to change the volume.  This distortion produced by passively combing the L & R supposedly was not a problem with the older G model, but I have not personally cooborated this)
 
Steve

[Alwayswantmore]

Although it might not affect your applications, there are two scenarios that could dictate your wanting to procure the older Airport Express wireless G (A1084) model instead of the newer wireless N (A1264) model.
 
1. The newer N model apparently has higher jitter and those who are using the optical S/PDIF output into ESS Sabre based DACs have experienced dropouts.
 
(One user who had this problem with the newer N model did try it with the older G model and had no more dropouts)
 
 
2. If you intend to passively combine L & R analog outputs for a mono application, the newer N model is unuseable due to heavy distortion produced.
 
(I experienced this as one of my rooms just has a single mono speaker.  Luckily this particular active speaker has two separate buffered line inputs, but I now need to adjust two volume controls to change the volume.  This distortion produced by passively combing the L & R supposedly was not a problem with the older G model, but I have not personally cooborated this)
 
Steve

Thanks for great info. Would older unit mean I need to buy used? I wanted to go mono, but assumed not possible. How do you wire unit to get mono signal? Doesn't that mean summing hot for both L & R channels?

[srb]

Thanks for great info. Would older unit mean I need to buy used? I wanted to go mono, but assumed not possible. How do you wire unit to get mono signal? Doesn't that mean summing hot for both L & R channels?

Yes, the older G (A1084) is only available used.
 
I used an adapter from Radio Shack (RCA male plug to 1/8" stereo phone female jack - same as using a Y-adapter) to combine the L & R channels and was surprised at the super distorted sound coming out.
 
I then read on a forum that someone who was doing this successfully with the older G model, was now experiencing distortion with his newly acquired N model, just as I did.  But as I said, I do not have a G model and cannot personally verify this.
 
Steve

[Alwayswantmore]

Yes, the older G (A1084) is only available used.
 
I used an adapter from Radio Shack (RCA male plug to 1/8" stereo phone female jack - same as using a Y-adapter) to combine the L & R channels and was surprised at the super distorted sound coming out.
 
I then read on a forum that someone who was doing this successfully with the older G model, was now experiencing distortion with his newly acquired N model, just as I did.  But as I said, I do not have a G model and cannot personally verify this.
 
Steve

Thanks, now back to the original OP. Take care, Kent

[K Shep]

Assuming people like the OP and myself have iTunes & a Mac computer, are there any downsides to going Airport Express and a Touch?

There are a few of us Mac user members here.  I just set up in-ceiling speakers in my kitchen powered from a Denon receiver streaming files thro an AE controlled via iPhone.