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Apple Airport Express to DAC

Hi,

I have an evolution 100A and 50CD. When I run digital audio through an apple express via toslink to the 50CD DAC, it sound great, but there is "skipping". I searched online and couldn't find an immediate cause of this.

I am running Apple Airport Express to a Creek EVO 50CD DAC via minijack to toslink optical cable.  There is intermittent "skipping" that I cannot figure out. If I run minijack to RCA on the amplifier (EVO 100A), there is no skipping.  I asked creek support and this was the conversation:

creek: It sounds like there’s an issue in using that type of cable. This is not a true way of using an optical signal. I would suggest using the jack to phono rca lead as this will use the DAC in your Creek unit rather than the built-in DAC of the Apple product.

me: I'm confused. Running optical signal to my creek DAC is wrong? You suggest running minijack to RCA on the EVO 100A amplifier? How does the EVO 50CD get the digital signal from the EVO 100A?

creek: An optical signal can only be transmitted down an optical cable that’s terminated with TOSLINK blocks at both ends.There are no digital signals past between the Evolution 50CD and Evolution 100A. The signal is only analogue; not digital between these devises. I would suggest running an RCA phono cable from the pre-amp output of your Evolution 100A and plugging that signal into the jack socket of the Airport Express.

me: but the minijack out on the airport express is a combo analog/optical output. (picture of back of airport express from apple website showing analog/optical port).

creek: /crickets

Can anyone explain what I'm doing wrong?  Thanks for your help.

Cable: FosPower (3 Feet) 24K Gold Plated Toslink to Mini Toslink Digital Optical S/PDIF Audio Cable with Metal Connectors & Strain-Relief PVC Jacket.

Airport Express: whatever the latest version was with firmware updated.

128x128pandrus
pandrus's avatar
pandrus OP
14 posts
 
I have the apple tv (3rd gen) set up next to the creek evolution 100A and 50CD.  The apple out is HDMI. The 50CD has USB, coax and optical inputs...
pandrus's avatar
pandrus OP
14 posts
 
I think the apple tv is 2nd generation - just a little usb out and an hdmi out
pandrus's avatar
pandrus OP
14 posts
 
okay - was very confused - my spare apple tv is a 4th gen (non 4K) with only usb and hdmi outs.
audioengr
3,282 posts
 
Regarding @audioengr comment - I don’t think it’s the jitter. It must be something else, because i tried a reclocker between my airport express and the Fiio D03 DAC - the iFi SPDIF iPurifier - and that couldn’t hold the lock either. But when i took the iPurifier out of the chain the DAC holds the signal fine.

You have more serious signal integrity problems I think. Maybe a bad DAC or cables. Maybe you tried the wrong reclocker.

I use two SPDIF iPurifiers for my home theater SS processor and they work flawlessly. Not good enough for my 2-channel though.

Steve N.

Empirical Audio

kahlenz's avatar
kahlenz
274 posts
 
I use both an older AEX and an Apple TV.  Both have optical outs.  I'm currently sending the optical signal to either a Schiit Modi mutibit or an early model DACMagic.  I use an iPad for control of Roon or TIDAL.  Recent model Mac running Roon Core.

TIDAL works fairly well, drop outs where the sound stops for a few seconds up to about 20 seconds occasionally (once an hour or so).  When I use Roon, it is much worse:  more frequent drop outs and sometimes does not reconnect;  sometimes I need to re-choose my output device from the iPad.  Very discouraging, as I think Roon is great, but at present only using it from the core computer optical out to Audioengine A2s (using a AE D1) one my desk.  Not complaining, but I would really like to use Roon on the better systems (I can't string cables across the floor, so it will need to be wireless).

I spent WEEKS researching this, swapping cables, swapping DACS, reconfiguring the computers, updating firmware, buying different model AEXs, etc.  The only thing that seemed to work was going analog out from the AEX or Apple TV.  But it doesn't sound as good.

My hunch it has something to do with how the computers handle the output through the AEX/Apple TV, and how each DAC responds to the digital stream in its own fashion.  I have no way of telling if the digital signal is "losing lock" or whatever (I am not an engineer).  All I know is that any configuration sending wireless digital signal to any of my outboard DACS results in occasional drops in the signal.  I finally figured I spent so much time fretting about this that I will upgrade to a Bluesound Node or Sonore Micro Rendu (or something like that).  If the device doesn't work, it goes back.

I'm in no hurry, and am waiting to see how this wireless and streaming stuff sorts out before I buy anything.  I'm not terribly interested in anything above CD quality (another whole conversation;  I will spare you), but if I could get the AEX or Apple TV to stop dropping out I would be ecstatic!

DAC>Odyssey Candela>Odyssey Khatego (KISMET)>Harbeth P3esr.



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