theos with apple tv as streamer a waste?

[jmstpierre]

hi all,
i have all my cd collection in itunes ripped in either aiff or alac and just wondering if using the apple tv (which is connected to my anthem receiver via hdmi) as a music streamer would not do the theos justice.
i kind of feel that it won t as it s only $100, but on the other hand i beleive that what s important is the dac in which the streamer is connected to.
please feel free to educate me on that topic and point me in the right direction.
sincerely yours
john

 

[amey01]

hi all,
i have all my cd collection in itunes ripped in either aiff or alac and just wondering if using the apple tv (which is connected to my anthem receiver via hdmi) as a music streamer would not do the theos justice.
i kind of feel that it won t as it s only $100, but on the other hand i beleive that what s important is the dac in which the streamer is connected to.
please feel free to educate me on that topic and point me in the right direction.
sincerely yours
john

I've not heard it. It may not be great, but it will certainly be capable of doing the Theos justice. What I'd be doing is running the Apple TV using its toslink output (that's all it's got I think, right?) to a good DAC. An example might be a Benchmark DAC1. That should give you more than enough "justice" for your Theos, although always able to upgrade in the future.

 

[jmstpierre]

hi Adam,
thanks for the reply.good to see a ML fan not too far from me
i am currently using the apple tv with the mrx receiver but only with some speakercraft in ceiling at the moment and it sounds good but with the nature of the ML it may show signs of weakness.
the other option is using the computer as the source and use a asynch usb cable to the optical input of the anthem receiver.
Out of curiosity, who was your ML dealer at the time of purchase? mine was electronic interiors but now have closed down which is a real shame as ve been buying gear from them for the last 12 years. currently, there s no other dealer in Brisbane.
I was planning on swapping the theos for the ethos with minimal loss thru the dealer but now this has been put on the back burner.
i wanted to get the ethos and not use a sub and clear some floorspace, but i think the theos with a depthi will give me great pleasure for both movies and music.
I am investing the last of the money left over from the new house in accoustic treatments by a portuguese company and was told that the improvments are spectacular and better to go for lower specs speakers but treat the room.
regards
john

 

[amey01]

I'd be careful using a computer as a source as I'm not sure you want a whirring hard disk (and any other "computer baggage) in your listening room.

I bought my MLs from Audioconnection (in Sydney). They'll ship up here, and also have a related dealer near Caloundra.

 

[Dan Osib]

hi all,
i have all my cd collection in itunes ripped in either aiff or alac and just wondering if using the apple tv (which is connected to my anthem receiver via hdmi) as a music streamer would not do the theos justice.
i kind of feel that it won t as it s only $100, but on the other hand i beleive that what s important is the dac in which the streamer is connected to.
please feel free to educate me on that topic and point me in the right direction.
sincerely yours
john

Actually the Apple TV 2 is capable of sound quality that is close to STATE OF THE ART when it comes to playing music. It doesn't get much more realistic sounding even if you pay $10,000 for a CD or SACD PLAYER. You just need to use the Apple TV with a GLASS optical cable to get the best out of it.

 

[asindc]

Actually the Apple TV 2 is capable of sound quality that is close to STATE OF THE ART when it comes to playing music. It doesn't get much more realistic sounding even if you pay $10,000 for a CD or SACD PLAYER. You just need to use the Apple TV with a GLASS optical cable to get the best out of it.

I agree 100% with this. You won't maximize ATV's potential without a dedicated DAC and high-quality glass toslink cable.

 

[jmstpierre]

Hi guys and thanks for the advice. I did not know that by using th apple tv via optical I will get the most out of it. I thought that hdmi connection was as goos if not better than any other connection. At the end of the day, they share the same dac, but will definitely try it out.
I am happy to read that I will still be able to use the Apple tv as a streamer, and not to have to buy another device as funds are running out at great speeds courtesy of unforeseen hidden cost of the new house.
Once again, thank you for all your advice, k really appreciate it and once all my acoustic treatments are set up, room calibrated and properly finished I will post my findings.
Regards
John

 

[amey01]

I did not know that by using th apple tv via optical I will get the most out of it. I thought that hdmi connection was as goos if not better than any other connection.

What I (and I think what the others too) was referring to was to use the Toslink to a good DAC. IE. Not a receiver. Most good DACs don't have HDMI input, hence the requirement to use the Toslink from the Apple TV.

As for using the HDMI for digital transfer - no idea sorry.

 

[jmstpierre]

hi adam,

sorry my bad.should have put two and two together.
to be honest i was indeed think of only using a w4s dac2 and a w4s power amp so pretty much a 2 ch system only, but the ease of use via a reciver is so convenient.
the other reason i wanted a receiver mated with a power amp was also for the room correction and integrating a sub with the speakers, but i guess since m spending a fair bit of money on professional room treatment,room correction may not be that important in the end.
i just noticed a ML dealer that s not too far, never ever knew they existed or sold ML.I gave them a call and if one buys from them they ( i will probably get the depthi)offer a complementary home visit to properly set up the speakers and sub.
may be a 2 ch system will make me happier in then end.
regards
john

 

[MickeyVee]

Hi Guys, maybe a little late to this thread... but...
I've been streaming to my ATV2 since it came out. As others have said, connect to a good DAC. I have the ATV2 optical out to my DLIII and the sound is wonderful. The only thing is that iTunes / ATV2 or 3 transmission is only 16/44 (or maybe 16/48) so that excludes any HiRez stuff. iTunes will automatically down sample. SQ wise, I find it absolutely awesome. My main library is in my office on the second floor and no problems streaming to the main floor.
You can also stream to the receiver via HDMI but you'll be using the DAC in the unit... no where near as good as a dedicated outboard DAC.
Cheers, M

 

[gordonmenninger]

You need to use the Toslink for the sound through your Dac and then you will use the HDMI just for the picture part. Thats it. You will set this up in the receiver's menu. Easy.

 

[JonFo]

I hope everyone realizes that if feeding the output of a DAC to a receiver or a pre-pro with any form of DSP, that the odds of having the receiver doing yet another A/D/A conversion is pretty high.
For example if you use any of the surround modes (like Dolby IIx- music) with your music, you are hearing the receivers DAC. Or if you have room correction enabled in stereo mode.

Personally, I'd favor the benefits of using a room corrector over HDMI vs toslink/DAC. But YMMV

So pay attention to the rest of the path.