Adding AirPlay to legacy UQ and NDS with AirConnect

Streaming Audio
1

I have 4 UQs and an NDS and would like to add AirPlay so that I can stream BBC Sounds.
From reading earlier threads it seems an AirPort Express is a good option. Is it possible with AirPort Extreme (flat and tower version
S)? I was considering purchasing a WiiM mini or pro but if I can my Extreme to work so much the better

2

You need an Airport Express and a Toslink cable. The Extreme can’t do it.

Plenty of alternatives around, of course. Any streamer with Airplay and SPDIF out will work.

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3

Ok worked out that the extremes won’t play ball. So I’ve got a couple of Apple TVs so can stream to them and then hopefully use multiroom to listen the stream BBC sounds extra streams.

Might see if I can pick up a cheap AirPort Express

4

Plenty of cheap AEs on eBay. You would use Airplay multiroom rather than Naim’s.

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5

I’ve just gone down an RPi rabbit hole. I have a spare RPi and am going to try AirConnect.

Got it up and running, however sound quality is not great for podcasts and radio (BBC 5 extra, stream 2 & 3), and the stream stops then restarts every few minutes.

I’ve been using AI to trouble shoot setting up the scripts on terminal.

6

The WiiM Mini for $90 will get you Airplay2 support. For $150 you can get a WiiM Pro, and it adds coax digital output to the toslink the Mini has.

I have the WiiM Pro to use for Airplay2 into my Weiss DAC, which is limited to Roon, Qobuz Connect and UpNP service endpoints via ethernet. I don’t use it very often. Just once in a while for Youtube audio.

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7

AirConnect works well on a dedicated Raspberry Pi. The script needed tweaking as there was latency/buffering issues.
If you have legacy kit, and a RPi hanging around, then it’s worth a bit of tinkering … otherwise go for WiiM.

8

We have been using a Raspberry PI for some time in the office to provide a variety of services to our SuperUniti.

Works an absolute treat and is the reason we still have the SU.

I named all the endpoints “naim office” so SWMBO isn’t even aware the SU doesn’t support Airplay2 - she just plays from phone like she does in lounge (NDX2) and selects correct room.

Simples.

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