Audio Streaming quality on ATV Airplay question

Question

Level 1

17 points

Audio Streaming quality on ATV Airplay question

I'm starting to build a "modest" audiophile stereo by ripping my CD's into iTunes via Apple Lossless, wirelessly streaming them to my ATV via Airplay, and then listening to them on my high(er) end DAC and / integrated amplifier. My question is, does the ATV and iTunes stream the music "lossless" over my wireless network (i.e., at ~ 800kbps), or does it "max out" around 256kbps. I ask because I don't really hear a big difference in the sound quality between the two formats and I'm wondering if I should really be running a USB from my Mac to my stereo's DAC / integrated amp.

Any thoughts?

Mac OS X (10.5.8)

Posted on Dec 30, 2010 6:56 AM

Reply

Answer 1

Ward

Level 2

195 points

Jan 4, 2011 12:47 AM in response to mightyprops

Music is streamed losslessly. Specifically, whatever you are listening to, be it AAC, Apple Lossless, AIFF, etc. is encoded as Apple Lossless and then streamed to the ATV.

At least I think. That's how everything has worked between iTunes and an Airport Express with AirTunes in the past (Stereophile magazine ran a test where they showed they could play an audio file via Airport Express and recover the original file's PCM data exactly from Airport Express's optical port). Things may be different with AirPlay and the new Apple TV, but I suspect it's still lossless.

I do think it maxes out at 44 or 48 kbps, 16 bit, so if you download any high resolution files, you'd want to run USB or optical to your DAC. Otherwise, unless the AirPlay implementation's changed drastically, you're fine.

Reply

Answer 2

JKStraw

Level 1

0 points

Jun 19, 2011 1:34 PM in response to Ward

I would not stream any files to your DAC. If possible use a server, or laptop, or desktop to run a USB directly to your DAC. Any files streamed will only be 44.1kHz when they reach your DAC I believe, at least that is what my rDAC documentations says. So, if you are using FLAC or any other lossy files of audiophile quality, a UAB is your best bet in lieu of streaming files. I am now using a macbook pro with Pure Music (since iTunes will not play FLAC files) out via USB to my Benchmark to my Rotel preamp to my power amp etc.

Pure Music is capable of upsampling but the problem is being able to stream them.

Reply