Apple TV/HiFace

I'm not sure about it working with AppleTV.

I don't have one (yet), but I believe Purite Audio are the UK dist./retailer.

Given that my Mac Mini already has an SPDIF output, why would I want a Hiface?

quote:

Where are UK users sourcing the HiFace from?

Hi John

Keith at Purite Audio is very approachable and prompt.

I cannot speak for the Apple TV as mine streams from the usb of a Ripnas Statement

Good luck with your investigation

Paul

quote:

Originally posted by secret gardener:

quote:

Where are UK users sourcing the HiFace from?

Hi John

Keith at Purite Audio is very approachable and prompt.

I cannot speak for the Apple TV as mine streams from the usb of a Ripnas Statement

Good luck with your investigation

Paul

Paul

Would you mind explaining how you have done this and how you control it? I only ask as I was told this can't be done.

Adrian

The uSB on the ATV can only be accessed by hacking the ATV. After that it has been used sucesfully to access drives and the likes.

However in terms of getting audio output on it, its going to be hard work requiring some programming as the ATVs cut down OS does not have facility to even know you are outputting via USB.

quote:

Originally posted by garyi:
The uSB on the ATV can only be accessed by hacking the ATV. After that it has been used sucesfully to access drives and the likes.

However in terms of getting audio output on it, its going to be hard work requiring some programming as the ATVs cut down OS does not have facility to even know you are outputting via USB.

Thanks Gary

On that basis I will continue witht he plan of using it in a second room and look at a mac mini for my needs.

Adrian

hi,
USB works with cracked ATV....for example nitoTV / xbmc...
here, you can attach some usb drives (with music, fotos, movies)
....the USB ATV is for maintenance reasons only, but with the hack you can plug in more...
.........
usb audio doesn't work...you must use the spdif or analog out...
...
regards ralf

quote:

Originally posted by winkyincanada:
Given that my Mac Mini already has an SPDIF output, why would I want a Hiface?

I'm fairly sure the Mac Mini only has an optical digital out (albeit capable of higher rez output than the Apple TV), and not an SPDIF, hence the attraction of the HiFace.
Looking more and more like a Mac Mini really is what is reqd.

Thanks for all your replies

John

quote:

Originally posted by bigfella:

quote:

Originally posted by winkyincanada:
Given that my Mac Mini already has an SPDIF output, why would I want a Hiface?

I'm fairly sure the Mac Mini only has an optical digital out (albeit capable of higher rez output than the Apple TV), and not an SPDIF, hence the attraction of the HiFace.
Looking more and more like a Mac Mini really is what is reqd.

Thanks for all your replies

John

The Mac Mini optical output is S/PDIF. S/PDIF is the data protocol, not the physical connection type. S/PDIF can be transmitted via Toslink optical or electrically via a co-ax.

There is another thread where someone has rated the HiFace as sounding better than the Mini's own S/PDIF interface, however. It is not clear to me why this should be the case, but the proof is in the listening, as they say.

Cheers,

Winky

quote:

Originally posted by winkyincanada:
The Mac Mini optical output is S/PDIF. S/PDIF is the data protocol, not the physical connection type. S/PDIF can be transmitted via Toslink optical or electrically via a co-ax.

Winky

My apologies, thanks for putting that one straight!

John

quote:

Would you mind explaining how you have done this and how you control it? I only ask as I was told this can't be done.

Adrian

Hi Adrian

The intention always was to use the Ripnas with JRiver Music Center 14 as a library management tool. I copied that from my PC into the programmes file on the Ripnas whilst waiting for the Hi Face to arrive.

The Ripnas Statement is generally in use headlessly although it is equipped with connections for screen, keyboard and mouse and using these could help with setup.

As supplied the HiFace does not include the ASIO drivers that JRiver supports natively.

That was solved by downloading onto my PC and then copying ASIO4ALL into the same folder.

JRiver refused to allow a switch from Windows Direct Sound when viewed through Windows Remote Desktop. Downloading and copying RealVNC overcame that and greatly improved the sound.

js has suggested an improvement to ASIO4ALL in order to cope with HiRes files and I will be trying that this weekend. The link he helpfully supplied was http://www.usb-audio.com/download.html

JRiver is set to run from memory like many others including Amarra and Pure Vinyl that are often quoted here by mac and itunes users.

The HiFace is running from the Ripnas usb output into the RCA s/pdif input of a Music Fidelity TriVista dac.

Control is achieved using an Asus Eee netbook also loaded with RealVNC and running wirelessly on the same network as the Ripnas

Next step will be to audition the Naim dac in place of the MF.

I am pleased that the HiFace is such a simple solution to access the Ripnas library to play through a dac with no usb or Ethernet connection, so the Naim dac should slot in to this setup.

Spoon at Ripnas does not appear to be familiar with JRiver (it must be the only thing that he does not know about) and the same goes for Keith at Purite Audio and his contacts at M2tech so this solution was achieved by trial and error.

I wonder if it will work for other players such as Foobar that is more widely used but using Kernel Streaming rather than ASIO drivers

I must admit I am tempted to try CMP2/cplay based on the experience of Mr Underhill but I have yet to explore its functionality compared with JRiver

I hope this explanation helped

Paul

quote:

Originally posted by secret gardener:
As supplied the HiFace does not include the ASIO drivers that JRiver supports natively.

That was solved by downloading onto my PC and then copying ASIO4ALL into the same folder.

JRiver refused to allow a switch from Windows Direct Sound when viewed through Windows Remote Desktop. Downloading and copying RealVNC overcame that and greatly improved the sound.

js has suggested an improvement to ASIO4ALL in order to cope with HiRes files and I will be trying that this weekend. The link he helpfully supplied was http://www.usb-audio.com/download.html

Just a thought - but isn't the usb-audio driver you linked to only work with specific hardware? And the supported hardware doesn't include the HiFace.

Eloise