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Post by leonski on Jan 27, 2018 18:46:08 GMT -5
HD? You bet. And a point of discussion on several forums and discussion threads.
Do they or do they NOT sound better? That sort of thing.
I don't think much discussion remains about the loss of detail caused by MP3 compression, especially at lower sample rates.
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Post by torifile on Jan 28, 2018 0:06:42 GMT -5
I did. I meant to respond to that one. It’s a reasonable thought but I would prefer to keep my tv off when listening to music. Using the optical output from the tv to the amp only works when the tv is on (at least that’s how my tv is). The Apple TV has it's own Optical output so no need to keep the TV on  Chad If I use the optical input on the receiver for the Apple TV alone, I’m stuck with the problem of how to get the rest of my sources there. Crazy thought - is there such a thing as a good quality optical splitter?i could use it switch between devices when needed. By far the most frequent use will be the optical connection for the Apple TV and occasionally for the game systems so it wouldn’t be too inconvenient. Injust don’t want to do anything that would degrade the audio quality because that would kinda defeat the purpose! |
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Post by creimes on Jan 28, 2018 12:17:34 GMT -5
The Apple TV has it's own Optical output so no need to keep the TV on Chad If I use the optical input on the receiver for the Apple TV alone, I’m stuck with the problem of how to get the rest of my sources there. Crazy thought - is there such a thing as a good quality optical splitter?i could use it switch between devices when needed. By far the most frequent use will be the optical connection for the Apple TV and occasionally for the game systems so it wouldn’t be too inconvenient. Injust don’t want to do anything that would degrade the audio quality because that would kinda defeat the purpose! Which receiver are you running, most have 2 or 3 optical inputs ? |
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Post by torifile on Jan 28, 2018 16:00:20 GMT -5
If I use the optical input on the receiver for the Apple TV alone, I’m stuck with the problem of how to get the rest of my sources there. Crazy thought - is there such a thing as a good quality optical splitter?i could use it switch between devices when needed. By far the most frequent use will be the optical connection for the Apple TV and occasionally for the game systems so it wouldn’t be too inconvenient. Injust don’t want to do anything that would degrade the audio quality because that would kinda defeat the purpose! Which receiver are you running, most have 2 or 3 optical inputs ? I use HDMI ARC in my current setup but I’ll have to find an alternate arrangement if I go the PT-100 route. |
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Post by creimes on Jan 28, 2018 17:46:34 GMT -5
Well if you are using Airplay from your phone/tablet to the Apple TV just having it connected to the receiver via the HDMI will give you audio on your system, no need to worry about the TV and ARC from it, as in just connect the ATV to your receiver via the HDMI and use Airplay from your devices, simple as that.
Chad
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Post by torifile on Jan 28, 2018 20:08:20 GMT -5
Well if you are using Airplay from your phone/tablet to the Apple TV just having it connected to the receiver via the HDMI will give you audio on your system, no need to worry about the TV and ARC from it, as in just connect the ATV to your receiver via the HDMI and use Airplay from your devices, simple as that. Chad Thanks but I don’t need help figuring out my *current* setup. I’ve got that sorted. I was trying to figure out whether an Emotiva based solution with more emphasis on audio quality than the AVR solution was workable. Turns out, it’s not. I could use the optical out from my TV to an Emotiva preamp like the PT-100, but I don’t want to have to turn on my tv when I’m streaming music. The only way that I can do that is to AirPlay to the AppleTV. I thought that separately running an optical cable from the AppleTV to the Emotiva would work so I wouldn’t have to turn on the tv but turns out, the newer AppleTVs don’t have optical out anymore. |
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Post by leonski on Jan 28, 2018 21:05:48 GMT -5
Airport Express continues w/optical out. or, just like the phone, you can use a 3.5mm -> L/R RCA and use an analogue input.
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Post by torifile on Jan 30, 2018 20:59:57 GMT -5
Airport Express continues w/optical out. or, just like the phone, you can use a 3.5mm -> L/R RCA and use an analogue input. I bit the bullet and got a Mac mini. It’s the 2012 model since it seems to be plenty powerful enough for what I need and the RAM is upgradable if I want. It’ll be connected via USB to the PT-100. My TV and other sources will connect to the PT-100 through optical. My Mac mini will run headless, so no video directly to the TV, only serving up audio directly to the PT-100 and maybe video through the Apple TV. Right now, I’m trying Tidal hifi/masters and continuing Apple Music (2 kids means we have to listen to a lot of music we don’t want to actually buy) and I will eventually start encoding my music as ALAC or FLAC. The A-100 will handle the speakers and headphones. All told, I spent a little more than I would have liked but I am happy with the solution - at least on paper. We’ll see how it all works when my Emotiva gear arrives tomorrow. |
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Post by novisnick on Jan 30, 2018 21:19:08 GMT -5
Airport Express continues w/optical out. or, just like the phone, you can use a 3.5mm -> L/R RCA and use an analogue input. I bit the bullet and got a Mac mini. It’s the 2012 model since it seems to be plenty powerful enough for what I need and the RAM is upgradable if I want. It’ll be connected via USB to the PT-100. My TV and other sources will connect to the PT-100 through optical. My Mac mini will run headless, so no video directly to the TV, only serving up audio directly to the PT-100 and maybe video through the Apple TV. Right now, I’m trying Tidal hifi/masters and continuing Apple Music (2 kids means we have to listen to a lot of music we don’t want to actually buy) and I will eventually start encoding my music as ALAC or FLAC. The A-100 will handle the speakers and headphones. All told, I spent a little more than I would have liked but I am happy with the solution - at least on paper. We’ll see how it all works when my Emotiva gear arrives tomorrow. That Mac Mini will serve you well along with your other wise choices. 👍 |
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Post by torifile on Jan 31, 2018 12:48:18 GMT -5
I bit the bullet and got a Mac mini. It’s the 2012 model since it seems to be plenty powerful enough for what I need and the RAM is upgradable if I want. It’ll be connected via USB to the PT-100. My TV and other sources will connect to the PT-100 through optical. My Mac mini will run headless, so no video directly to the TV, only serving up audio directly to the PT-100 and maybe video through the Apple TV. Right now, I’m trying Tidal hifi/masters and continuing Apple Music (2 kids means we have to listen to a lot of music we don’t want to actually buy) and I will eventually start encoding my music as ALAC or FLAC. The A-100 will handle the speakers and headphones. All told, I spent a little more than I would have liked but I am happy with the solution - at least on paper. We’ll see how it all works when my Emotiva gear arrives tomorrow. That Mac Mini will serve you well along with your other wise choices. 👍 What do you use for playback and control with your Mac mini? |
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Post by novisnick on Jan 31, 2018 14:50:36 GMT -5
That Mac Mini will serve you well along with your other wise choices. 👍 What do you use for playback and control with your Mac mini? I currently use a monitor and a wireless keyboard/mouse. Haven’t searched for an easier way yet. |
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Post by creimes on Jan 31, 2018 16:27:35 GMT -5
What do you use for playback and control with your Mac mini? I currently use a monitor and a wireless keyboard/mouse. Haven’t searched for an easier way yet. iTunes Remote app on your iPhone or iPad will control playback for iTunes on the mini |
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Post by novisnick on Jan 31, 2018 17:55:08 GMT -5
I currently use a monitor and a wireless keyboard/mouse. Haven’t searched for an easier way yet. iTunes Remote app on your iPhone or iPad will control playback for iTunes on the mini Thanks Chad, but for me ITunes 🤮🤮🤮🤮 |
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Post by leonski on Jan 31, 2018 19:24:50 GMT -5
Airport Express continues w/optical out. or, just like the phone, you can use a 3.5mm -> L/R RCA and use an analogue input. I bit the bullet and got a Mac mini. It’s the 2012 model since it seems to be plenty powerful enough for what I need and the RAM is upgradable if I want. It’ll be connected via USB to the PT-100. My TV and other sources will connect to the PT-100 through optical. My Mac mini will run headless, so no video directly to the TV, only serving up audio directly to the PT-100 and maybe video through the Apple TV. Right now, I’m trying Tidal hifi/masters and continuing Apple Music (2 kids means we have to listen to a lot of music we don’t want to actually buy) and I will eventually start encoding my music as ALAC or FLAC. The A-100 will handle the speakers and headphones. All told, I spent a little more than I would have liked but I am happy with the solution - at least on paper. We’ll see how it all works when my Emotiva gear arrives tomorrow. 'Native' Apple and iTunes format is ALAC. = Apple Lossless Audio Codec. I don't know how an Apple computer handles or deals with FLAC. Might be another music program which you'd prefer to iTunes AND it'd handle FLAC. In either case, the internet is your source for Album Art and such. |
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Post by torifile on Jan 31, 2018 21:13:54 GMT -5
I bit the bullet and got a Mac mini. It’s the 2012 model since it seems to be plenty powerful enough for what I need and the RAM is upgradable if I want. It’ll be connected via USB to the PT-100. My TV and other sources will connect to the PT-100 through optical. My Mac mini will run headless, so no video directly to the TV, only serving up audio directly to the PT-100 and maybe video through the Apple TV. Right now, I’m trying Tidal hifi/masters and continuing Apple Music (2 kids means we have to listen to a lot of music we don’t want to actually buy) and I will eventually start encoding my music as ALAC or FLAC. The A-100 will handle the speakers and headphones. All told, I spent a little more than I would have liked but I am happy with the solution - at least on paper. We’ll see how it all works when my Emotiva gear arrives tomorrow. 'Native' Apple and iTunes format is ALAC. = Apple Lossless Audio Codec. I don't know how an Apple computer handles or deals with FLAC. Might be another music program which you'd prefer to iTunes AND it'd handle FLAC. In either case, the internet is your source for Album Art and such. I was thinking of trying Audirvana. It handles FLAC on the Mac. The reason I’m thinking FLAC is device proofing. Say I decide to purchase a DAP down the road - I don’t want to have to transcode ALAC to FLAC even though the transcode is lossless to lossless. |
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Post by torifile on Jan 31, 2018 23:21:20 GMT -5
Arghh. I missed UPS by literally 10 minutes tonight. So frustrating.
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Post by leonski on Feb 1, 2018 0:03:10 GMT -5
Arghh. I missed UPS by literally 10 minutes tonight. So frustrating. Can you request 'late' or 'last' delivery to give you a chance to get home? Leave work 1/2 hour early, maybe? Your boss MUST understand how important this delivery is! |
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Post by torifile on Feb 1, 2018 0:35:20 GMT -5
Arghh. I missed UPS by literally 10 minutes tonight. So frustrating. Can you request 'late' or 'last' delivery to give you a chance to get home? Leave work 1/2 hour early, maybe? Your boss MUST understand how important this delivery is! The “boss” is me! Well, my schedule and picking up my kids... Tomorrow, I’ll be home from about 4 on and the UPS guy doesn’t get here til about 5:30. Fingers crossed! I’ve got my cables ready to set it all up. Luckily, I’m in NC where UPS from Emotiva is only 2 days. I hate waiting. |
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Post by torifile on Feb 2, 2018 0:23:06 GMT -5
After some massive annoyance with UPS, I’m happily listening to my HD6xx through the A-100. The PT-100 is in delivery limbo hopefully to arrive tomorrow.
Anyway... wow. In anticipation of getting the A-100, I read some more reviews and watched some videos. It seemed that jumpering the amp wouldn’t cause problems for my headphones so that’s what I did. It’s remarkable. Maybe too much power since I just need to nudge the volume a hair to get plenty of volume and detail. The headphones sound miraculous with this amp. Bass hits like a freight train and the highs are so crisp. The HD6xx (and HD660S) sounded very restrained even with the Lyr on high volume. With the A100, they really shine. I’ve got no vocabulary for any of this audio stuff so pardon the nonspecific impressions.
A couple issues - even at zero volume, I can still hear the music. It’s like how you can hear the music from a turntable even with no volume. Is that normal? The other is that there is a slight hiss (graininess?) at all times. It’s connected to my AVR right now so we’ll see if these issue persist when I get my PT-100.
Edit: chills. Listening to Kendrick Lamar’s Loyalty right now. That part where Rihanna is soloing. Wow. The deeeep bass sounds like it’s coming out of a good subwoofer.
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md1200
Seeker Of Truth
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Post by md1200 on Feb 2, 2018 11:10:06 GMT -5
After some massive annoyance with UPS, I’m happily listening to my HD6xx through the A-100. The PT-100 is in delivery limbo hopefully to arrive tomorrow. Anyway... wow. In anticipation of getting the A-100, I read some more reviews and watched some videos. It seemed that jumpering the amp wouldn’t cause problems for my headphones so that’s what I did. It’s remarkable. Maybe too much power since I just need to nudge the volume a hair to get plenty of volume and detail. The headphones sound miraculous with this amp. Bass hits like a freight train and the highs are so crisp. The HD6xx (and HD660S) sounded very restrained even with the Lyr on high volume. With the A100, they really shine. I’ve got no vocabulary for any of this audio stuff so pardon the nonspecific impressions. A couple issues - even at zero volume, I can still hear the music. It’s like how you can hear the music from a turntable even with no volume. Is that normal? The other is that there is a slight hiss (graininess?) at all times. It’s connected to my AVR right now so we’ll see if these issue persist when I get my PT-100. Edit: chills. Listening to Kendrick Lamar’s Loyalty right now. That part where Rihanna is soloing. Wow. The deeeep bass sounds like it’s coming out of a good subwoofer. Regarding the volume and hiss, my unit also has that, im gonna guess it is normal unless i am corrected, but once i get my unit to a listening level it disappears into the background of the music, i have noticed that when the unit is in its standby mode, the noise is gone. |
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