Wireless audio?

[star882]

Some video transmitters will work with S/PDIF. Not sure which ones, though.

Or just use some kind of embedded system to connect to the server using NFS over 802.11 and write a simple program to control whatever player program you use. You can use XDMCP with Amarok, but you'll need a rather good embedded system. I think there are already media players intended for such embedded applications.

[Lostcause]

Originally Posted by rossco_50

Can you not just use the volume on your media player and run fixed gain power amps?

You could get 2 x airport express and just use 1 channel from each. Or get a wireless usb hub and use usb dacs (still have to have 2 usb cables though).

Hi Ross, not with that particular transmitter it seems, the question was asked in the FAQ @ the bottom of the page.
How much are airport express's... I'll look into it....
The USB seems a good idea as the transmitters would only be small and at the back of the laptop.... and there is a nice little kit that DIY Paradise do for USB... Hmmm

Originally Posted by star882

Some video transmitters will work with S/PDIF. Not sure which ones, though.

Or just use some kind of embedded system to connect to the server using NFS over 802.11 and write a simple program to control whatever player program you use. You can use XDMCP with Amarok, but you'll need a rather good embedded system. I think there are already media players intended for such embedded applications.

Star882, that sounds really impressive but I have absolutely no idea what you are saying, leave me for a day or two to work it out

Question: If I do use USB or S/PDIF can I use the media players volume control?

[rossco_50]

They are £65+ each. You might have to use itunes, if you are not already, but there may be plugins to allow you to use other players. A bit more pricey than the AV sender, but to me the more elegant soultion if you can stretch to it.

There is some discussion of wireless usb on audioasylum - it seems it will work quite well, but from an audiophile perspective the jitter is high. So usb dacs will be less sensitive to this than others, but I believe the DIY paradise usb dac will be using an adaptive mode that is sensitive to interface jitter. I would imagine spdif over a composite video interface would fall even shorter of audiophile standards, but if you are going to run unsynced dacs for each channel you might not be concerned about these issues. Probably better than the bluetooth with inbuilt dacs right enough.

Ross

[Lostcause]

Originally Posted by rossco_50

They are £65+ each. You might have to use itunes, if you are not already, but there may be plugins to allow you to use other players. A bit more pricey than the AV sender, but to me the more elegant soultion if you can stretch to it.

There is some discussion of wireless usb on audioasylum - it seems it will work quite well, but from an audiophile perspective the jitter is high. So usb dacs will be less sensitive to this than others, but I believe the DIY paradise usb dac will be using an adaptive mode that is sensitive to interface jitter. I would imagine spdif over a composite video interface would fall even shorter of audiophile standards, but if you are going to run unsynced dacs for each channel you might not be concerned about these issues. Probably better than the bluetooth with inbuilt dacs right enough.

Ross

Hmmm, OK I'm starting to pick this up now, I'm a FLAC Fubar kinda guy but from what I've heard apple lossless is just as good.

Well I doubt that the different latencies?.. if their is any will be audible, I think we are talking 10ths of miliseconds here aren't we?

I'll look into the express jobbies this weekend to see how they stack up

Cheers Ross

[rossco_50]

HiFi over WiFi

[1audio]

I have been looking at the state of the art wireless digital audio for the lat year. I have met with most of the chip guys in the business. Its far from what is possible with wires. There are several challenges-
1) sample rate: most are fixed sample rate. When I ask if it runs at the source rate I get inconclusive answers. Very few go above 48 KHz. 24 bit depth is discussed but not demonstrated.
2) Syncing multiple units is very difficult. Its the jitter problem but much bigger. Even when they are good they don't start in the same time relationship every time.
3) How do they handle interferance and signal loss? A few glitches at full output and you will lose interest in the whole project.

Its not a simple undertaking. If you just want the playback local to the speakers and wireless control with the content local (in the PC) it can be done with a linux PC, MPD and an MPD client or through a variety of windows/mac solutions. However thats pretty far from a wireless link to the speakers.