The Dark Side; Digital audio equipment recommendations and setup.

mindhead1 said:
I was thinking of adding a CD player/transport to my system and saw this mentioned a couple of months ago (Darko?). It’s at a price point and size that it would fit into my system for the rare occasion I would listen to a CD. It would also be good to have for ripping CDs.
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Yes, I saw it on Darco and I like the Phillips/Sanyo tray/reader and it is desk friendly where I needed it.
 
LiamGallaghersBucketHat said:
It’s an 8th generation iPad so it uses lightning cable. My streamer is a Node X.
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You want the iPad camera adapter and then a usb cable to go between it and your DAC. You can then set Apple Music in the iPad to output lossless.

If you don’t have a DAC a little inline one like an audioquest dragonfly, or one of the little ifi ones, would work perfectly off the camera adapter.
 
Joe Mac said:
You want the iPad camera adapter and then a usb cable to go between it and your DAC. You can then set Apple Music in the iPad to output lossless.

If you don’t have a DAC a little inline one like an audioquest dragonfly, or one of the little ifi ones, would work perfectly off the camera adapter.
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This it?

IMG_3469.jpeg

Could I connect directly to my Node or do I need a DAC? I googled quickly and couldn’t find a definitive answer.
 
That cable ain’t hooking it up though. Is there such a thing as usb to optical or lightening to optical? It also appears to be an optical 3.5 mm port not spdif
 
LiamGallaghersBucketHat said:
This it?

View attachment 222734

Could I connect directly to my Node or do I need a DAC? I googled quickly and couldn’t find a definitive answer.
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Yes. That is what you need. I use one to connect my iPhone 14 to USB DACs. You’ll still need a USB cable to connect it to a DAC. That dongle just converts the lightning port to a USB port.

Not sure why you would connect your iPad to a Node. What are you trying to accomplish?
 
mindhead1 said:
Yes. That is what you need. I use one to connect my iPhone 14 to USB DACs. You’ll still need a USB cable to connect it to a DAC. That dongle just converts the lightning port to a USB port.

Not sure why you would connect your iPad to a Node. What are you trying to accomplish?
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Hi res Apple Music?
 
Joe Mac said:
The node doesn’t have inputs as far as I’m aware that let its DAC be used by a third party device. I was working off the assumption of no streamer and using the iPad as a steamer to get hi res Apple Music. The node will never be able to do that I’m afraid.
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The node x has an optical in?
 
Nee Lewman said:
The node x has an optical in?
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Ok so it does, DDCs are things that do exist. I have no idea if there is one with usb in and optical out. A standard toslink cable can have an end made into a 3.5 mini optical with a cheap clip on adapter, blu jeans sell one.

It’s a very convoluted idea though where you are turning your remote streamer into a steamer that you have to get up to use by streaming with a different device that attached to it using 2 devices and 2 cables. Honestly I’d either just download the bluos app to the iPad and use it as a controller for whichever of qobuz or tidal i switch to or I’d get rid of the node and replace it with a DAC and attach the iPad to it by usb for Apple Music.
 
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LiamGallaghersBucketHat said:
This it?

View attachment 222734

Could I connect directly to my Node or do I need a DAC? I googled quickly and couldn’t find a definitive answer.
Click to expand...
So many variables I don't even know where to start (and there will be others who are way more knowledgable about this setup)

On the iPad what will be the source of the music? Apple Music or Tidal or Qobuz?

If it is Tidal or Qobuz, then both should be able to stream lossless to the Node. Tidal uses Tidal Connect, not sure of Qobuz has a name for their. Basically the iPad hands off the stream to the Node and then the iPad just acts as a remote control. I think BluOS app does this as well but been a while since I have used the app.

If Apple Music is the source on the iPad, then you are only able to use AirPlay wirelessly to the Node and that is not lossless. I don't think you can wire in the iPad to the Node, but it does look like there is an analogue/optical input so maybe it is doable. If it is doable, it will probably require multiple cables and connectors.
 
mindhead1 said:
I’m not sure you can send a USB signal into the Node 2i and use it as a DAC. Maybe you can. But it does support Air Play 2 so you can stream from the iPad/Apple Music to the Node via AirPlay. No cables needed.
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It’s not hi res though and it’s debatable if it’s even lossless. Apple have really made it hard to do that without hardwiring an Apple device to the DAC or getting one of the new breed of android streamers and getting the Apple Music app on it natively.
 
Joe Mac said:
It’s not hi res though and it’s debatable if it’s even lossless. Apple have really made it hard to do that without hardwiring an Apple device to the DAC or getting one of the new breed of android streamers and getting the Apple Music app on it natively.
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I agree with you. Apple Music is more trouble than it’s worth for hi-res IMO. Best options are to use iPad/iPhone as a streamer connected to a DAC, or get one of the Android based streamers like EverSolo or FIIO where you can load Apple Music to the device, or my preferred option, ditch Apple Music for Qobuz.
 
LiamGallaghersBucketHat said:
Alright kiddos, my daughter upgraded her iPad which means I’m keeping her previous one for system streaming. What do I need to get to achieve hi res lossless?
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LiamGallaghersBucketHat said:
It’s an 8th generation iPad so it uses lightning cable. My streamer is a Node X.
Click to expand...

Tidal Connect is by far the most simple hi res streaming solution.

Put the iPad and Node on the same wifi network. Play something on Tidal. Select the streaming source icon in the top right. Select the Node.

Now you're simply using the iPad as a remote with the data streaming straight into the Node.
 
mindhead1 said:
I agree with you. Apple Music is more trouble than it’s worth for hi-res IMO. Best options are to use iPad/iPhone as a streamer connected to a DAC, or get one of the Android based streamers like EverSolo or FIIO where you can load Apple Music to the device, or my preferred option, ditch Apple Music for Qobuz.
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The problem with that is just how damn cheap Apple Music is as an apple user with the tv and cloud bundle and the fact that qobuz is so shit to use in my car whereas Apple Music works perfectly and, more importantly, hands free.
 
Joe Mac said:
Ok so it does, DDCs are things that do exist. I have no idea if there is one with usb in and optical out. A standard toslink cable can have an end made into a 3.5 mini optical with a cheap clip on adapter, blu jeans sell one.

It’s a very convoluted idea though where you are turning your remote streamer into a steamer that you have to get up to use by streaming with a different device that attached to it using 2 devices and 2 cables. Honestly I’d either just download the bluos app to the iPad and use it as a controller for whichever of qobuz or tidal i switch to or I’d get rid of the node and replace it with a DAC and attach the iPad to it by usb for Apple Music.
Click to expand...
It’s not me doing it. I’m very happy with Qobuz through BluOS into the NAD.
 
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