Hi Res 24/96 from my Mac Book

manufelices

Novice Member
Joined
Oct 27, 2014
Messages
14
Reaction score
1
Points
30
Age
52
Hi everybody!

I want to listen to my Hi Res music (24/96) from my MacBook Pro, via streaming. If I understand correctly, the bottleneck is in Airplay which converts all files to CD quality (16/44) before send them. So, how could I transmit the music 24/96 from my laptop via WIFI or Bluetooth? I think, that I could use the NAD dac2 but do you know another way?

Thanks a lot!!
 
Bluetooth tops out at CD-ish quality when you have the high quality Bluetooth Apt-X (which you Macbook Pro should have, depends on its age).

What components are in your hi-fi? How would you receive music from the laptop?
 
No Apple products support Apt-X and if it did it only works when the transmitter and receiver support it. Apple has Airplay instead and all the limitations that has.

Not true. Macbook Pro's do support apt-X (as do other Mac desktops I believe). iOS devices do not support aptX Bluetooth because they prefer Airplay, as you say.

See here for more info [Darko Audio]

I would agree that the best quality and most reliable way is to use the optical out on your Mac to a DAC.
 
Thanks hadn't realised that as they are not listed on the supported products on the Apt-X site. Typical Apple to not tell anyone because they want you to use airplay. They don't list it in their specs either.
 
What software are you utilising on your Mac for your hires files?
 
ITunes doesn't playback 24/96.

You need to add something like 'BitPerfect' or the recently released 'Amarra 4'.
 
Sweet. As Audirvana does MQA, I suggest spending £129 on a Meridian Explorer 2 DAC.

Not only will you benefit from up to 24/192 playback, but you'll get three months of free Tidal subscription. This will give you a taster of streamed MQA music.
 
What do any of these DAC tethered by audio cable to MacBook Pro 'solutions' have to do with the OP's original request of being able to network stream the OP's own hires 24-bit/96kHz files from the MacBook Pro to a remote audio 'device'?

What's required is a hires network audio file player aka renderer aka streamer. For example any of the many industry standard UPnP/DLNA hi-res audio file streamers that are out there will do.
 
Hi everybody!

I want to listen to my Hi Res music (24/96) from my MacBook Pro, via streaming. If I understand correctly, the bottleneck is in Airplay which converts all files to CD quality (16/44) before send them. So, how could I transmit the music 24/96 from my laptop via WIFI or Bluetooth? I think, that I could use the NAD dac2 but do you know another way?

Thanks a lot!!
Best quality Bluetooth apt-X approximates to CD audio resolutions so that's out. Also, you are quite correct - AirPlay is fixed at network audio file streaming 16bit/44.1kHz resolution ALAC, so you have to use another network audio file streaming method, eg industry standard UPnP/DLNA.
What audio format are these 24bit/96kHz hires files?
Do you have to use the laptop to control the playback and/or store the audio files?
 
Don't get yourself caught up in the trap of buying add on gadgets to try and get the hi res music into your hi fi, where you can probably just stream the cd quality.

Hi res only comes into play with kit at a certain level and it really depends on your kit to how far you mess around trying to achieve the aim. I didn't hear hi res over cd or ripped flac cd until my hifi was around £8k worth.

In a former system, I ended up buying a cheap netbook with adding foobar and a Cambridge audio dac magic plus, to try and get hi res into my more basic cyrus 6dac and tannoy dc6tse speakers, than my sonos streamer could handle (cd quality only), and it was a complete waste of time and money in sound quality terms above cd ripped and playback quality.
 
Ok, but does that mean you're happy to continue using the MacBook Pro (at least for now) as you're way of controlling the music playback?

I'm asking, because with network audio file streaming you can have the option of using a different device to the one containing the music files to control the playback, eg smartphone, iPad, tablet, another laptop, etc.

Similarly, you don't have to use the MacBook Pro to store the music files. You can if you choose use another network device instead, such as a desktop computer, NAS, even a tiny low powered single board computer such as a Raspberry Pi, etc. The important thing is that that networked device supplying the stored music files needs to support the audio file streaming mechanism used by whatever network audio file player you end up using. Plus (of course), it needs to be switched on/fully operational when you require to stream music files from it!

The other thing to consider is your current audio kit, as it may already come with a hires network audio file player. For example, you already mentioned AirPlay & Bluetooth. If it already has support for those audio streaming technologies, it's possible it might support others. Exactly what audio device(s) (make & model) do you currently intend to stream hi-res to?
 
Last edited:
How would the OP use Audirvana to control the Bluesound NODE2?
Won't the Bluesound streamers require you to use their own controller software on the MBP, making Audirvana irrelevant?

Also, what does the Bluesound's support of MQA have to do with the OP's 'normal' ALAC files?
 
You can play ALAC or MQA. If using Audirvana, options are to select music via the MBP, or use the Audirvana A+ Remote for iOS (if one owns an iOS device).
 
Yes, but Audirvana can't get the Bluesound NODE2 to network stream audio files from the MBP, which seemed to be what you were implying.

Plus, you still haven't said what MQA has to do with anything, considering the OP has only ever mentioned ALAC files!
 
You clearly are the fountain of all knowledge, so I'll bow out of the conversation.
 
Nope, but I can spot an MQA 'pusher' a mile off :)
 

The latest video from AVForums

Is 4K Blu-ray Worth It?
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Back
Top Bottom