Topic: iPad as music source

[JoeyGS]

Has anyone used the iPad as music source along with a good external DAC?

Have used it with very good results.

Currently using the ipad camera kit for the Lod to USB conversion and a NOS USB DAC made by ferds 6 years ago.  Will next be making USB connector to allow the use of coaxial connection to my buffalo DAC.

[geriboy]

during a recent meet of www.headphiles.org last sunday, may nakita ako na setup using an iPad + headphone amp +/- DAC + senn hd600 or 650. unfortunately, I wasn't able to audition it

glad to hear na maganda ang experience ninyo with the ipad as a music source. ano gamit mo na music player software? are you also using ALAC or FLAC files?

ngayon ko lang nakita na meron palang LOD-->USB converter ang ipad, nakakatuwa naman pwede mo rin po ba i-share yung project ninyo (USB connector --> coaxial connector --> buffalo DAC)? thanks!

PS: kinda OT, pero are you using buffalo-I or buffalo-II? I'm currently using a buffalo-II DAC

[JoeyGS]

during a recent meet of www.headphiles.org last sunday, may nakita ako na setup using an iPad + headphone amp +/- DAC + senn hd600 or 650. unfortunately, I wasn't able to audition it

glad to hear na maganda ang experience ninyo with the ipad as a music source. ano gamit mo na music player software? are you also using ALAC or FLAC files?

Am just using initially the IPad music player.  Later, will try the flac player app.  My ripped music are mostly wav and also do have flac hd files

ngayon ko lang nakita na meron palang LOD-->USB converter ang ipad, nakakatuwa naman pwede mo rin po ba i-share yung project ninyo (USB connector --> coaxial connector --> buffalo DAC)? thanks!

yes wil do.  Am still ordering parts for the USB connectors. And you will be needing a USB to SPDIF converter

PS: kinda OT, pero are you using buffalo-I or buffalo-II? I'm currently using a buffalo-II DAC

I have the buffalo II (from ferds), remember?

[geriboy]

oo nga pala, i forgot na kayo pala yung nakakuha ng buffalo-II tumatanda na ako, hehe

i was thinking na gagawa ka na all-in-one LOD->coaxial spdif converter. if ang plan pala ay LOD -usb converter, then kakabitan ng usb-spdif converter, the conly usb-spdif converters that I know of are those from m2tech (hiface and hiface2) and the nuforce (udac). and hindi ko lang alam ay (1) kung meron software or tweak na kailangan gawin para mapagana ang mga ito sa ipad, and (2) if there are other usb-spdif converters than can be used for the project

good luck po sir joeygs!

[JoeyGS]

Will update this thread once I am able to make it work.

Hope others can chime in......

[JojoD818]

buti pa kayo... ako wala na iPad eh...




plaything na ni bunso! 


@Joey, na order ko na yun para sa battery project ng usb-spdif mo... good luck! 

[geriboy]

buti pa kayo, may ipad...

[JoeyGS]

Ayus... Thanks

buti pa kayo... ako wala na iPad eh...




plaything na ni bunso! 


@Joey, na order ko na yun para sa battery project ng usb-spdif mo... good luck! 

[JoeyGS]

I was supposed to have a laptop as the music source, but no budget yet.. For a laptop there are a number of things to work on...... Software, memory, OS while for the iPad, plug and play. Nthe only disadvantage of the iPad is the limited storage space...... But I can live that for the moment..... Just switch play lists with the computer.....ok na rin.

buti pa kayo, may ipad...

[Cjtjader]

@Joey, na order ko na yun para sa battery project ng usb-spdif mo... good luck! 

Good for two ba yan?

[JoeyGS]

Here's another twist to this method of using IPad as music source......

Has anyone used or is it possible that the iPad connected to your audio system also access an external hard drive as an extension of its media storage?

Can it be done with wifi? What component is needed? Will it stream hires audio files from the hard drive to the IPad?

[Cjtjader]

Here's another twist to this method of using IPad as music source......

Has anyone used or is it possible that the iPad connected to your audio system also access an external hard drive as an extension of its media storage?

Can it be done with wifi? What component is needed? Will it stream hires audio files from the hard drive to the IPad?

I think it is possible! Seagate has a wireless external HD. 
http://www.seagate.com/external-hard-drives/portable-hard-drives/wireless/seagate-satellite/

[JoeyGS]

Thanks Cal.  I have read about this and just want to confirm if it will not down sample hi-res files once it leaves the HDD.

[ProtegeManiac]

Using the iPad as my primary music server now. iPad running FLACPlayer > USB > Meier Audio Corda Cantate.2 USB PCM1704 input (powered by amp) > HD600

[JoeyGS]

Nice!

So Ipad Dock has a USB digital out?  Is it an original Ipad accessory?

Using the iPad as my primary music server now. iPad running FLACPlayer > USB > Meier Audio Corda Cantate.2 USB PCM1704 input (powered by amp) > HD600

[ProtegeManiac]

Nice!

So Ipad Dock has a USB digital out?  Is it an original Ipad accessory?

Actually the accessory that enables USB Audio is the Camera Connection Kit, the one with the USB port (the other one has an SD slot, which is pointless for me since the iPad can't read RAW). I just picked up the dock while I was in the US not knowing if it would still stream the audio if its between the iPad and the CK, knowing I can return it for a refund, and I was insanely happy when it did work. Now I can keep it upright instead of keeping the tablet on my lap and have two sets of cables (the USb and the headphone cable) that would just get tangled up.

Oh, and before I was annoyed at how I can't expand using microSDHC, but then this came out:
http://www.seagate.com/external-hard-drives/portable-hard-drives/wireless/seagate-satellite/

Only thing left is for MediaMonkey to support DLNA and hopefully Crossfeed, or for a new media player app that can read FLAC, do DLNA, and hopefully Crossfeed. My android stages and images a lot better straight out of the headphone jack all thanks to the crossfeed feature in Neutron Media Player.

[♡ lvcdg23™ ✌]

Using the iPad as my primary music server now. iPad running FLACPlayer > USB > Meier Audio Corda Cantate.2 USB PCM1704 input (powered by amp) > HD600

Sir what's your Flac player?
Thanks

[JoeyGS]

Try downloading the 8Player application from the Apple Itunes Store, it supports DLNA.

As for the seagate, I am also exploring this as it was reported that it does not downsample the music from the harddrive. Let me know if you finally decide to use this.

Actually the accessory that enables USB Audio is the Camera Connection Kit, the one with the USB port (the other one has an SD slot, which is pointless for me since the iPad can't read RAW). I just picked up the dock while I was in the US not knowing if it would still stream the audio if its between the iPad and the CK, knowing I can return it for a refund, and I was insanely happy when it did work. Now I can keep it upright instead of keeping the tablet on my lap and have two sets of cables (the USb and the headphone cable) that would just get tangled up.

Oh, and before I was annoyed at how I can't expand using microSDHC, but then this came out:
http://www.seagate.com/external-hard-drives/portable-hard-drives/wireless/seagate-satellite/

Only thing left is for MediaMonkey to support DLNA and hopefully Crossfeed, or for a new media player app that can read FLAC, do DLNA, and hopefully Crossfeed. My android stages and images a lot better straight out of the headphone jack all thanks to the crossfeed feature in Neutron Media Player.

[JoeyGS]

This one:

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/flac-player/id390532592?mt=8

Sir what's your Flac player?
Thanks

[♡ lvcdg23™ ✌]

This one:

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/flac-player/id390532592?mt=8

Thanks sir Joey

[ProtegeManiac]

Sir what's your Flac player?
Thanks

FLAC Player (literally - and that's all it really does  )

EDIT : Just saw JoeyGS already posted the link to the app on iTunes.

during a recent meet of www.headphiles.org last sunday, may nakita ako na setup using an iPad + headphone amp +/- DAC + senn hd600 or 650. unfortunately, I wasn't able to audition it

Just saw your post Bro - uploaded the photo of the set-up at home a few posts ago   

[♡ lvcdg23™ ✌]

FLAC Player (literally - and that's all it really does  )

Thanks sir. Btw what DAC are you using with the camera kit? Im planning kasi on getting one

Thanks again

[ProtegeManiac]

Thanks sir. Btw what DAC are you using with the camera kit? Im planning kasi on getting one

Thanks again

The amp in the photo has a USB input using PCM2704. Basic 16bit stuff, but long run I'm hoping to get back to using a disc player, if of course not as often as the iPad.

[Cjtjader]

Thanks Cal.  I have read about this and just want to confirm if it will not down sample hi-res files once it leaves the HDD.

I think it will not down sample during the transmission from Hdd to Ipad. 

[JoeyGS]

For the seagate wifi enabled HDD, yes it wil not, but if the digital audio signal will pass through the Airport Extreme.... I am not sure cause generally for apple products most of the components will downsample to 16/44

I think it will not down sample during the transmission from Hdd to Ipad. 

[Sanjay]

If you want to hook up your iPad (or iphone or ipod) to a DAC, i would recommend that you consider the new nuForce iDo. Its a DAC designed specifically for apple devices.


http://www.nuforce.com/hp/products/ido/index.php

[geriboy]

@Sanjay - sir joey already has a Bufallo-II DAC

[JoeyGS]

I will try this solution to use Ipad as a music server:



But I will use my existing external dac and a USB to SPDIF converter.  So I am looking at the iFi USB Power to provide clean power and music data into the converter/Dac

Some of the reviews:

http://www.audiostream.com/content/ifi-iusbpower-taking-audioquest-draginfly-dac-notch

http://www.ifi-audio.com/en/news.html

http://www.computeraudiophile.com/f6-dac-digital-analog-conversion/ifi-iusb-power-supply-neat-tweak-and-upgrade-usb-dac-13832/

[timber715]

@Joey, na order ko na yun para sa battery project ng usb-spdif mo... good luck! 

Good for two ba yan?

good for three ba yan?     

[JojoD818]

good for three ba yan?     

Ngek! Meron pala nito hahaha!