Hello,
I just purchased AppleTV. I want to add out door speakers and use in Airplay. I am planning to buy a Pyle PCA2 mini amp which only seems to have an RCA jack. Is it better to connect the amp to Apple TV or the speakers to an Airport Express?
Thanks for any suggestions.
AppleTV 2, iOS 4.3.2
Welcome to the Apple community.
The Airport express doesn't support AirPlay, so that option is not available to you. Your other option is to use the optical output from the Apple TV to supply an amp for use with your speakers, this therefore requires an optical input on any amp you purchase.
You might consider a Digital to Analogue converter to supply an amp without optical, but they can be troublesome and if you are in the Market for an amp anyway you might find it more cost effective to get an amp with optical to start with.
Hi,
Since my post I have concluded I need an amp with optical. Any recommendations? I haven't really been able to find one. Thanks for your input.
To be honest sound systems are not something I know an awful lot about. However I've been considering putting speakers outdoors for a while (unlike you though my intention is to use my mac as the library, operate it via the iPhone remote app and send the audio to an express). Whilst I haven't actually got round to it yet (as I have a temporary system in place that I move indoors when not being used) my thinking is that outdoor speakers being a little more specialised than ordinary ones should be the first thing I choose, after which I would then choose an amp to match the speakers I've chosen.
"The Airport express doesn't support AirPlay, so that option is not available to you."
it does support airplay it's just that appletv don't support using it as remote speakers
at least my iphone's only airplay option is my airport express as my atv1 don't support airplay
airplay express does support airplay as stated by rudegar. it is very simple to connect to an amp with rca plugs. just need an adapter cable with 3.5 mm stereo mini plug male on one end and rca male (left and right) plugs on the other end. plug the mini plug into the airport express and the rca plugs into your amp. it can play iphone/ipad with airplay or can serve as external speaker to itiunes on your main computer. it will not play as external speaker to apple tv but should not need to. this is how mine is set up. of course you could also connect to your amp via optical, but small amps with optical input are hard to find.
Please try to read the question being asked properly.
The OP wants to play audio from an Apple TV 2 to an airport express by AirPlay, as I stated previously they can't do this.
Had they asked if they can play audio from an iPhone to an airport express that would have been a different matter.
Let me try my question again. I have just bought a new tv, apple tv and a Samsong amp for my den which shares the same wall where my outdoor speakers will go. My electrician has the wall open for wiring new outside lighting, so now is my chance to get this done. My contractor is suggesting buying a sound bar to add a speaker in my den, which is a small room with out a lot of wall space. The new amp does not have a/b speaker option, it was a lot more money. I have been told I can use an airport express for the new speaker. Not sure how that is actually done.
I have a MacBook, ipad, iphone and two ipods. I want to be able to access itunes on my devices which I understand Apple tv will let me do. Beyond that I don't know how I should play audio. I am just looking for all of your collective wisdom. Thanks for being patient with me. ;}
There are a number of things you can do, however using an airport express with the Apple TV is not one of them.
You can use your iPhones, iPads, iPods and your MacBook to stream music to an airport express, the airport express can output audio either by optical cable or a 3.5 mm jack which you would need to connect to either another amp or a set of powered speakers.
gail t. i am not an apple expert but believe i understand what you are trying to do. i was looking for some help on something else when i saw this thread. i actually have the setup you are thinking about so am not dealing in theory. i have macbook pro, ipad, atv2, airport extreme and airport express. play music stored in itunes on my macbook wirelessly via airport extreme to my atv2 in livingroom and to my airport express in kitchen connected to speakers in kitchen (outside speakers would be the same) all at the same time. control it using remote app on ipad. macbook itunes shows both the atv2 and airport express as external speakers and are also shown in ipad remote. also let you control their volumes. atv2 is connected to livingroom amp and speakers via optic cable. airport extreme is connected to kitchen amp and speakers via 3.5mm/rca cable described in earlier post. speakers can be played seperately or at the same time. key thing is for ipad remote library to be set for your computer and not your atv2 or everything will not work. hope this helps.
correction to the above post. its the airport express (not airport extreme)connected to the kitchen amp. sorry for any confusion.
Thanks for all the information, it is really helpful. As you say I am trying to set up the same thing you have done.
One more question. When I connect my second speakers to airport express and then to my amp if I have an available optical and hdmi plug free is that preferable to rca?
if the amp you are plugging the airport express into has an optical input you should use that instead of the mini plug/rca connection. i didn't have that as an option. the fidelity would be better especially if you download your music to your computer in apple lossless or better. you would need the special adapter cable that converts the mini plug into toslink, at least thats what the airport express manual says. i checked online and the cables are available. hdmi would not be applicable since its video and audio and the airport express only does audio. the airport express does not have an hdmi jack, only the atv2 does.
Apple TV and out door speakers
