Streaming to Ayre QX-5 Twenty

[DayRadebaugh]

Just installed an Ayre QX-5 Twenty digital hub, and have in mind a special usage. Instead of streaming from Roon to it, I'd like to establish a network session between it and my Macbook so that I could send music from whatever I might be hearing on my Macbook to it. Both devices are on the network, of course, and I'd like to treat the QX-5 in the same fashion as you would if you had a network printer, and sent a document to be printed to it.

Any ideas?
Thanks

[wklie]

See if you can use AirPlay.

(I regularly test iPad YouTube AirPlay before releasing firmware.)

[Dr Tone]

See if you can use AirPlay.

(I regularly test iPad YouTube AirPlay before releasing firmware.)

A quick search of the manual shows no indication of AirPlay support. I guess it could be undocumented.

[nicoff]

You could get a Bluetooth adapter that you can physically connect to an input of the Ayre. Then you stream via Bluetooth from the PC to the adapter. Devices like these are used to play music from a mobile phone to a car stereo that lack BT. Just a thought.

[Kuoppis]

If you are using an Apple Airport as your router, you could send files to the Airport via Airplay.


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[Jack]

The digital network board in the Ayre comes from Conversdigital the same as the Bridge II from PS Audio. According to it's spec sheet it does have AirPlay capability.

http://www.conversdigital.com/

[DayRadebaugh]

It looks like an Airport Express will receive audio from a Macbook via AirPlay. From what I can tell, it has a USB output on the back which I can pipe into the QX-5 via appropriate cable with adapters. It advertises that

How Does AirPlay Work and What Audio Format Is Used?
To stream digital music over Wi-Fi, AirPlay uses the RTSP protocol—Real Time Streaming Protocol. The Apple Lossless audio codec is used over the UDP transport layer protocol to stream two audio channels at 44100 hertz.
The audio data is scrambled by the AirPlay server device, which uses a private key-based encryption system.

If this is correct, then I should be able to get 44.1KHz channels. This may be worth a try, and is not a lot of money.

Many thanks for the suggestions.

[DayRadebaugh]

Good call; the Conversdigital board does have AirPlay capability. I'm guessing that an Ethernet cable from the Airport Express to the Ethernet input of the QX-5 would get the job done. However, this might also disable any use of the QX-5 as a Roon endpoint. What about using the USB output of the Airport Express to one of the other inputs of the QX-5?

Thanks

[Kuoppis]

If the board has Airplay capability your Mac should be able to identify it as an Airplay device, unless some functionalities are disabled.


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[Jack]

It may as I think the board is the Roon endpoint not the DAC. I think just using Airplay instead of the Airport express would be easier and cheaper plus sound the same. Like Peter said try it before you buy anything else.

[Jack]

I used the Bridge II with Airplay and Spotify before it was integrated into the app first of the year.

[nicoff]

It looks like an Airport Express will receive audio from a Macbook via AirPlay. From what I can tell, it has a USB output on the back which I can pipe into the QX-5 via appropriate cable with adapters. It advertises that

How Does AirPlay Work and What Audio Format Is Used?
To stream digital music over Wi-Fi, AirPlay uses the RTSP protocol—Real Time Streaming Protocol. The Apple Lossless audio codec is used over the UDP transport layer protocol to stream two audio channels at 44100 hertz.
The audio data is scrambled by the AirPlay server device, which uses a private key-based encryption system.

If this is correct, then I should be able to get 44.1KHz channels. This may be worth a try, and is not a lot of money.

Many thanks for the suggestions.

Here is a summary:
You want to be able to play music from your phone/tablet/MacBook. For that you have two options: Airplay (an Apple proprietary product) or Bluetooth.

Airplay can go CD quality. Bluetooth cannot. Neither one of those two options will give you the ability to play hi -rez files. You get convenience but not the best sound quality available.

To play files via Airplay you would have to purchase an Apple Airport Express router and physically connect it to the Ayre. Cost: $99 for the router plus cost of a iPhone/iPad/MacBook (you may already own them) plus cost of the cable.

To play files via Bluetooth you would need an adapter that would cost less than $20. Any phone/tablet/computer should work.

[DayRadebaugh]

It's certainly cheaper. But at 44.1Khz, would it sound as good as Roon high-res downloads?

In any case, I like the plan, and am going to give it a whirl.

Thanks, and will let you know.

[DayRadebaugh]

That's an accurate, and extremely useful summary, particularly the remarks about cost vs. quality. I suspect that the two approaches are complementary. I'll listen to Tidal, likely, via the Ethernet port, and listen to Macbook music via Airplay using a different input port on the QX-5.

I'll be glad to have both options, frankly. I know that streaming services can supply hi-rez music, but I'm dubious about the selection available to me on their catalog. The other option will give me a broader spectrum, possibly.

This discussion has been enlightening to me for a particular reason, among others. These streaming hubs all seem to be advertised as Roon capable, and the customer naturally concludes they have to sign up with a streaming service. Apparently not true, and this is worthwhile information for the customer.

Many thanks.