Yes Airport Express output was 16bit/44.1 kHz unlike AppleTV 2 onwards.
I may be missing something with the Apple lightning to USB ‘dongles’ but having got a Topping D10s used with a powered lightning to USB ‘dongle’ I found the output was dependent on the device’s volume setting and although I could play Apple Music lossless the audio was clearly being processed digitally volume wise prior to output which I’d imagine might be detrimental sonically.
Start price. Last one went for 900. Hopefully they have come down. I need another.
I confirmed this a minute ago - output from iOS devices is not affected by device volume; its a fixed output into the Qutest via Apple Lightning to USB. iOS also sets the bit rate of the output correctly to match the track, MacOS doesn’t.
TBH I’m not an eBay person, never had any luck. I was happy enough to buy one from a dealer, who kindly offered to let me return if I didn’t like. Clearly they knew how good the product was!
Indeed it is very good. So good I bought two, hence ebay. I have three nodes and an Aries. So ebay will hopefully provide a couple more sometime.
It does seem to be device volume dependent with the Topping - I wasn’t that impressed with it unless I have an iffy model. I also wonder if recent iOS/iPad OS updates may have changed things. Must test again.
I could not get iPhone or iPad to work with an Oppo UDP 205 as a DAC via USB as far as I can recall, perhaps another test needed.
Actually I must re-test this as I may have used an ancient long USB printer cable to connect ‘at a distance’ to the Topping device - the cable potentially might not be up to the job compared to the short included Topping cable.
Strange that. I am not doing anything special. Apple adapter and then USB cable direct to Qutest.
I am currently listening to an album on Apple Music called ‘Blue Maqams’ by Anouar Brahem. Very mellow acoustic strings / jazz. The recording is very spacious and the sound is phenomenal. The source - an iPhone SE2. Unbelivable!
That is odd isn’t it - I bought the relatively cheap Topping many weeks ago primarily to use its optical out to send the streams to my Uniti Nova. I’d assumed the Topping would take an unaltered stream and output it though on reflection I guess that could be used to ‘harvest’ an original stream digitally.
I’ve not tried the Topping’s analogue out.
Many thanks for the link - will take a look later today.
You should be able to coax this into working as you desire - direct connection of iPhone to UQ2 USB via an ordinary Lightning to USB cable - by first selecting and playing a local file via the Naim app, then move to your iPhone screen and play an Apple Music track. This was the trick back in the day, and when I suggested it to someone on another thread a week or two ago, they tried it and were successful.
Even though you have already got a solution in place, this is a useful trick to know. Best of luck.
Many thanks for that idea Alan, I’ll have a play with that technique later on today.
Hi folks. A couple of weeks of using Apple Music now, and all going quite well.
To access high-res / lossless, I’m now using an iPhone SE coupled directly to a Topping E30 DAC via the Apple Lightning to USB3 Camera Adaptor, but I’m seriously thinking about upgrading my (ancient iPad Air1) to have something running the latest iOS, and as a better Apple Music control device. I have in my sights either an Apple Store refurbished iPad Air 4th Gen, or an iPad Pro.
What would be the best adaptor to connect the current iPad Thunderbolt / USB 4 port via USB to the Topping DAC, and still have the iPad charge while running Apple Music?
Hi @YetiZone ,
I’ve just ordered a USB C hub / multiport adapter for a similar purpose. I have a 12.9” iPad Pro 5th Gen.
The feature you need is called PD for Power Delivery, available through a second USB C port (or a first such port if the hub has a fixed USB C cable to attach to your computer or iPad). It’s not so common, and when I was reading reviews, many people were upset that they did not get this specific functionality for charging their laptop or iPad (as well as the hub itself and potentially the attached USB A peripherals). There are not all that many such hubs with USB C at the moment, but they are out there; I did not find an obvious USB C version of the Apple Camera Connector and the one with HDMI out is not necessarily fit for this purpose, so I didn’t bother getting one to try.
The one I’ve ordered (from Amazon; arrives tonight, all going well) is by Dockteck and is described as follows (and I hope searching on these terms helps you find it):
USB C Hub Multiport Adapter, Dockteck 7-in-1 USB-C Hub with 4K 60Hz, 1Gbps Ethernet, 100W Power Delivery, SD/TF Card Slots, USB 3.0 5Gbps Data Ports, for MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, iPad Pro, XPS
I can let you know if it works as I hope after I’ve installed it. I’d like to try it both with my RME DAC (which has its own wall wart for power) as well as with a MOTU M2 digital audio interface (takes power from USB-A to USB-C cable).
Edit:
ps - the Apple Music app works fine into the RME using a simple USB C to USB A adapter, but of course that does not allow the iPad to charge. Since that works as desired, I think it’s only the added PD capability that we are after. The MOTU recommendation is to use such a PD device since there isn’t (or perhaps isn’t always) enough power to supply the M2 directly from the iPad USB C port; I did not bother to check this.
Many thanks for the expanded info. I thought it would be a simple case of buying another adapter dongle! OK, this may well take a little more research than initially expected and also may influence my choice of iPad too. I’ll search for the hub you’ve ordered - why isn’t anything surrounding Apple Music simple!
Look forward to reading your observations if it arrives tonight.
Edit: Found the Dockteck unit you referenced. A neat little box, small and discreet, so should be easy to hide away. So, I’m assuming for power that a USB C to USB A cable is all that’s needed?
I think for power you will really want a USB C to USB C cable, and a USB C charger (the iPad still comes with this, afaik). A USB A charger might work, but might be too low powered… easy to check and nothing lost.
If I’ve misunderstood you, perhaps the real answer you need is that the hub takes power via its USB C pass through port, and not from any of its USB A ports.
Here’s a clarification photo from the same place you found yours:
Perfectly understood, and thanks for clarification.
Works exactly as expected, very satisfying. It’s a nice quality, lovely little thing. Initial impression: recommended, no hesitation.
Excellent! Glad it worked for you. Now seeing it in context it is smaller than expected, which is a bonus.
I’m just now pondering the choice of iPad. Not sure whether to plunge for the Air or Pro or just go for one of the basic iPads as the Pro could be just overkill, although the bigger screen is very tempting.
Very tough call, and totally personal I guess. The screen on the new 12.9” Pro is a very nice thing indeed, and the M1 (in any model) is noticeably fast. I upgraded hoping to have more of a “pc replacement” experience, but it’s not been the case… even though as a retiree I’m not constrained to any specific hardware or software choices. I have a nice stand, and paired a Logitech keyboard and mouse for using at the desk. It’s great on video calls, it’s amazing for web, video, games (I don’t play many, but bought Civ IV and have really enjoyed both the gameplay and the look), and it’s fine for email, MS Word, and so on. Part of the reason I got the hub is to start doing more photo editing and curation, which others seem to rate as workable (I don’t take videos, so lack of Final Cut isn’t a deal breaker).
But it’s pretty spendy, and I’m not sure it was the optimal use of money compared to a MacBook for similar or an M1 iPad Air for less. I think the price is what makes it difficult to recommend outright: I really like it, but since I didn’t need it and upgraded from the previous 11” M1 iPad Pro model purely as a splurge, I simply shove the entire cost vs performance aside, ignore any guilty thoughts (I’m good at forgetting how much I paid after stuff is home and being enjoyed), and I just enjoy the new experience on the big gorgeous screen. If you can do that, go for it. If you can’t, I don’t really think the price performance equation solves in its favour relative to a zillion other options.
Like others, I’m optimistic that iPadOS will continue to evolve and incorporate more of the MacOS features and functionality, especially for the M1 versions. The file system apps, plus the ability to use external keyboard and mouse, are a good example of recent advances. The inability to use Logic (for music creation) and many common peripherals (or niche ones like a USB ANT receiver to enable my heart rate monitor in Zwift) remains a potentially deal-breaking limitation. Without being in the “MacOS or bust” camp, I think it would be cool to have the option to try… and leave some of the concerns about “overpowered and OS limited” behind. For me, that feeling is closely linked to price - I’m okay having untapped power, I don’t do anything nowadays that eeks the last (or even the middle) ounce of performance from any computer any more!
Bit of a ramble there, sorry! Will be very interested to hear what you choose, and how you use it… the hub definitely opens up a lot more doors for things you can do with the new iPads, and that’s a very good use of $50!
Regards alan
