2. pc-audio
  3. 1235335345

Floatin' along the iTunes stream until ...

I realize that there's something absolutely fundamental that I don't understand. Suppose you've imported your music (using iTunes) on Computer X, and that you access that remote library (again, using iTunes) from another computer. (Let's call that one Computer A.) The whole operation is wireless, with an AirPort Express (functioning in client mode) on an AirPort Extreme network. (An optical cable goes from the Express to a DAC.)

OK, that much I know. But what I don't get is this: As I run the show from Computer A, picking songs, etc., is the music streaming from Computer X to the AirPort Express, or is it somehow coming first to this computer (the one issuing the instructions) and then onto the AirPort Express.

I asked a few days ago about which Mac to use as a music server. In contemplating the considered replies to that query, I realized that there was this real hole in my understanding.

If anyone can straighten out my confusion on this matter, I'd much appreciate it.

Thanks.

Howard
hodu

Showing 1 response by herman

herman
2,216 posts
 
How do you access the library?

If you use A as the controller and A is running iTunes and sharing the library on X, the data will go from X to A and then from A to the AE. I tried this and got a lot of dropouts YMMV.

If you run a VNC program where A is actually controlling X then the data would go from X to the AE.

Either way the data will be sent to the AE in Apple lossless and decoded by the AE. Since the AE decodes it and clocks it in both cases I can't see how the computer could influence the sound. Never did a comparison so can't say for sure.
More to discover