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General Discussion / Why no audiophile Airport Express alternative?
« on: August 13, 2018, 01:23:47 am »
My home system is built around an iMac running iTunes. The Airport Express is a great, inexpensive whole home digital streamer solution -- works with nearly all iOS apps, works with iTunes, etc. But I've discovered that if you want an audiophile experience (yes, limited to 16/44.1 or 16/48, I know, I know), I find that buffering the digital output on the Express to reduce jitter is pretty important. Makes an audible difference on high quality gear. So I'm using Airport Express -> Genesis Digital Lens -> Red Wine Audio Audeze Edition. ufabet
That's a lot of boxes, and the Genesis Lens is ancient by today's standards.
So I'm wondering why no one has built a simple Airplay streamer with a digital buffer and SPDIF digital output, so that we can use AirPlay but choose our own DAC. PS Audio once talked about such a product, but they didn't end up building it. The Arcam AirDAC has no digital outputs, and the Myro:Air doesn't do AirPlay wirelessly. And not clear that either of them take any anti-jitter steps.
Should be pretty simple -- basically, an audiophile version of the Airport Express (just the Airplay bits, not the hotspot bits, and no DAC). Essentially, a DAC-less audiophile version of the Airport Express...
I know, I know, you're all going to tell me that's too small a market. But in this era of Kickstarter funding, that seems wrong!
That's a lot of boxes, and the Genesis Lens is ancient by today's standards.
So I'm wondering why no one has built a simple Airplay streamer with a digital buffer and SPDIF digital output, so that we can use AirPlay but choose our own DAC. PS Audio once talked about such a product, but they didn't end up building it. The Arcam AirDAC has no digital outputs, and the Myro:Air doesn't do AirPlay wirelessly. And not clear that either of them take any anti-jitter steps.
Should be pretty simple -- basically, an audiophile version of the Airport Express (just the Airplay bits, not the hotspot bits, and no DAC). Essentially, a DAC-less audiophile version of the Airport Express...
I know, I know, you're all going to tell me that's too small a market. But in this era of Kickstarter funding, that seems wrong!