Topic: best practice for streaming spotify / tidal ?

[kenkim]

hi guys
I m using the nad m51 dac.
current streamin spotify / tidal from iphone via Apple TV mirroring connecting to the DAC with hdmi. it shows 48khz on the DAC regardless the streaming quality from spotify / tidal.

Is there a better way to stream music at its best quality?
Ps. I am willing to change dac if necessary. and also might change to an android phone.
thanks

[Doggie Howser]

AppleTV Airplay limited to 48kHz

Have a look at the BlueSound Node. Streams hires TIDAL plus the usual streaming services.

[malsound]

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/3Mo8ArzX4cE&fs=1" target="_blank" class="new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/3Mo8ArzX4cE&fs=1</a>

[InnocentBlood]

I believe your nad m51 dac has 2 x HDMI and 1 x Optical inputs. you can try connecting a Google Chromecast Audio to the optical input so that you can stream Spotify and Tidal in the native resolution without any unnecessary upsampling or downsampling of the bitrate. you can also achieve the same effect with the regular Google Chromecast device which can handle video signals as well.

[Audio]

Any Lumin Network player will get you there...natively.

(Audio)

[AndrewC]

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/3Mo8ArzX4cE&fs=1" target="_blank" class="new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/3Mo8ArzX4cE&fs=1</a>

Thats a complete waste of time vid  .... (Oxygen thief Michael Lavorgna as a panelist is a big hint not to waste your time).

[ballhead]

The m51 is a very nice sounding DAC with the right complementary gear.  I used to have the NAD C390 which is based on technology similar to your m51.  The best sound input is the balanced AES/EBU (if you have the right setup upstream), but running a close second would be the 75ohm coaxial SPDIF. The HDMI and TOSLINK are best left for TV use.  (All these feedback are based on too many trials of all the ports  involving too much $ and too much time)

I recommend that you keep the m51, and consider looking for a good streaming "head unit", to borrow car audio lingo, that has Spotify Connect built in and a decent coaxial SPDIF output. This wouldn't be hard to find. 

A good power cable and a good 75ohm coaxial cable would improve things too, but that is another discussion...

[ballhead]

Apple TV outputs at 48khz, regardless of what the incoming Airplay stream was. If you were streaming spotify or apple music or redbook audio, all of which are sampled at 44.1khz, Apple TV would still output 48khz samples out of both its HDMI and optical port (TV3), or the sole HDMI port (TV4).  It is not bit perfect for your use.
If you still have the old Apple Airport Express Base Station, it has a mini-TOSLINK port, this is actually better than Apple TV as it outputs in 44.1khz.  It is bit perfect, if this matters to you.  The measured jitter isn't great, but for some reason it sounds better than that Apple TV, probably because it doesn't upsample all 44.1khz audio to 48khz. (Edit: all three Airport Express models have mini TOSLINK)
So for a start, try experimenting with this old airport express if you have it, connect it to the m51, to see if you can hear an improvement.

[kinger]

Deezer anyone?

[malsound]

Thats a complete waste of time vid  .... (Oxygen thief Michael Lavorgna as a panelist is a big hint not to waste your time).

You mean like this

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/G_OIS3E7yWs&fs=1" target="_blank" class="new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/G_OIS3E7yWs&fs=1</a>

[terfyo]

Hi all,
I recently got my hands on a EE Minimax DAC that does not have any wireless capabilities.
I am thinking of partially turning digital to try out newer tunes before purchasing the CD album.
My choice of online source would be Tidal.

I was thinking of getting a bluetooth -> optical SPDIF to feed the EE Minimax.
So the bluetooth will receive from my phone and play through the DAC.
I understand that using USB Type A to Type B from PC directly to the DAC would be the best option but am considering the inconveniences it bring as the computer will have to be shifted here and there just to listen to music. and changing tunes would be like Zzzz.

Was reading the earlier replies in this thread on the ChromeCast. Would it be viable?

Your kind opinions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance.

[ballhead]

Bluetooth audio is usually compressed. If your DAC has a optical TOSLINK port, you are better off with a simple Apple Airport Express (if using iPhone or iPad) or Google Chromecast Audio (if Android Phone) to pipe the audio stream from phone into the DAC.

[InnocentBlood]

Bluetooth audio is usually compressed. If your DAC has a optical TOSLINK port, you are better off with a simple Apple Airport Express (if using iPhone or iPad) or Google Chromecast Audio (if Android Phone) to pipe the audio stream from phone into the DAC.

I would recommend the google chrome cast Audio. It’s a cheap solution. Apparently Google is discontinuing it so now is a good time to buy.

[zephyr11]

^^^^^^^^^^^

really? as in goodle is going to discon this.

then might as well grab one while i can, still quite cheap. and quite a lot.

[InnocentBlood]

https://darko.audio/2019/01/google-pulls-plug-on-chromecast-audio/