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The OFFICAL Apple TV thread

I have purchase an Apple TV recently and have looked around the net to find quite a few others have and are trying to integrate this into a decent stereo setup. The purpose of this thread is not to debate the merits of Apple TV but to help users (myself included) find ways of improving sound from their streaming device. I would like to start the discussion myself by asking a few questions:

Has anybody found any third party software which can play iTunes files (WAV, IAFF,) to an Airport express?

If so what do you use?

2. What Toslink do you use on your Apple TV? What is the length?

3. Have you considered or used an after market power cable? If so what were the results?
lush
jmelvin
17 posts
 
BTW here's a link to Airfoil which streams to AE:

http://www.rogueamoeba.com/

Works great.
kbarkamian
647 posts
 
Jmelvin -

Have you tried the Tranquility DAC with the ATV? Going from an old but excellent Theta Cobalt DAC to the new Rega DAC was a very big improvement. The Rega DAC reclocks, whereas the the Theta does not. That probably explains part of the improvement.

In my experience, the Rega DAC at $1k was worth every penny. Not to start a debate about DACs, but I easily preferred my Theta DAC to a V-DAC and a few others in that range when I tried them.
vermonter's avatar
vermonter
112 posts
 
I just installed the new Rega DAC running the optical out from a ATV1 to it. I have a Conrad Johnson MET 1 that has an ambience retrieval setting that derives rear, center and LFE signals from the 2 channel original. A little adjustment on the synthesized channels and it is bliss...sounds so cool I just can't describe it.

And my new amps arrive over the next couple days (three Edge G8+ for the front left, front right and center channels)...once i get all the new components installed I'll post it on the systems page...

Has anybody experimented with better power cord for the Rega DAC?

Happy listening

Mitch
lush OP
262 posts
 
Very interesting discussions so far.

Another question. Is there a product on the market like Pure Music but built for PC's rather then MAC? What about Pure Music makes the output better from your PC? I have heard first hand the benefits of using Pure Music and I was shocked. I have no idea how or why it sounds better but it added warmth that much was for sure.

Also, if one were to use Airwave wouldn't that destroy the benefits of using Pure Music?
jmelvin
17 posts
 
Kbarkamian .. the Tranquility has USB input only. Glad to hear using a more expensive dac than the V-DAC was a significant difference for you. Perhaps that will be an upgrade path I will take in the future.

Lush .. I had a similar experience after installing Pure Music. The sound was warmer, less clinical yet detailed, soundstage was wider, and instruments simply sounded more real. I don't know how they do either but it works. All it took was one listen to convinced me.

I used Airfoil with Pure Music for a short while and found no degradation of sound at all. Quite a nice solution for those who are in need.
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