Micromega Wireless DAC - Airport Express on Steriod
Posted by: JYOW on 01 February 2010
See below link of a new Micromega Wireless DAC
http://en.micromega-hifi.com/airstream.htmlThis is a very significant product.
Why hasn't anyone ever thought of that?
An souped up Airport Express!
That means support for everything the iTUnes suppoets, including Amarra, Pure Vinyl and all types of add-ins.
Anyone who has used the Airport Express knows how seamlessly elegant it is.
If the audio circuitry is as good as the like of LinnDS, Transporter this thing would sell itself.
The main problem with the LinnDS is the software and the unproven interface.
This box rides on a proven platform support right out of the box.
Very clever, very unfair advantage and very exciting!
If it sounds good, I need one to feed my Naim DAC!
Posted on: 01 February 2010 by Occean
Nice product I must say. Though I'd say an overkill to feed the Naim DAC as I am sure alot of the £1k spent will be on dac and analogue outs.
Also interesting they don't state apple lossless as cd quality
Posted on: 01 February 2010 by james n
Interesting - although the internals make a Naim Power Supply look good value !
quote:
That means support for everything the iTUnes suppoets, including Amarra, Pure Vinyl and all types of add-ins.
Really ? - didnt think Amarra or PV would work seeing as youre converting to Apple Lossless and limited to 16/44.1 for streaming via an AE.
Posted on: 01 February 2010 by JYOW
quote:
Originally posted by james n:
Really ? - didnt think Amarra or PV would work seeing as youre converting to Apple Lossless and limited to 16/44.1 for streaming via an AE.
I hope that is not the case. I hope the limitation of 44.1 is the Airport Express hardware. Otherwise the Micromega would be a mere 192Khz upsampler.
Unlike the Squeexebox which is a fully equipped media player, the Airport Express is like a remote slave to iTunes and echo exactly what the iTunes from the host computer is playing, that's why I assumed that the Airport architecture may allow Amarra to work. Quite possibly a wrong assumption.
Posted on: 02 February 2010 by james n
Its 16/44.1 only - so its a rather expensive Airport Express with an improved power supply and analogue output. I may be wrong but the limited info in the instruction manual mentions 16/44.1 with no mention of hi-res.
James
Posted on: 02 February 2010 by js
It's also a misnomer to call that a DAC. There's no digital in. This is no more a DAC than a AE, Sonos or CD player. It's perhaps a better Sonos or SB that lacks the ability to take a more reliable and sometimes better performing cat5 connection. Less than a TP(dig in) or even more so, the upcoming Uniticute which does all this plus HiRes, Cat5 along with the WiFi, analog in, dig out, pre out besides its ability to drive speakers and can be used as a dig in switching center.
Posted on: 02 February 2010 by JYOW
If it is 44.1 only it would be disappointing.
The main attraction to ne *was* the iTunes integration.
If only Naim would do an iTunes compatible box without all the built in integrated amp/tuner/kitchen sink, it would be killer.
Posted on: 02 February 2010 by james n
quote:
The main attraction to ne *was* the iTunes integration.
I agree - iTunes for music library management and the remote app is pretty hard to beat. I think the Micromega solution is a great idea for bring computer stored music to the hi-fi via a 'conventional' easy to set up box but its flawed - its also very expensive, given its limitations and the actual amount of free space in the box with what is just a linear supply, external DAC board (i presume its not on the Wireless module) and the innards from an Extreme base station ....
James
Posted on: 02 February 2010 by JYOW
quote:
Originally posted by james n:
I agree - iTunes for music library management and the remote app is pretty hard to beat. I think the Micromega solution is a great idea for bring computer stored music to the hi-fi via a 'conventional' easy to set up box but its flawed - its also very expensive, given its limitations and the actual amount of free space in the box with what is just a linear supply, external DAC board (i presume its not on the Wireless module) and the innards from an Extreme base station ....
James
Yes looking at the innards it does not seem a lot has been done. I hope this is not a repeat of the Oppo/Lexicon Blu-Ray player fiasco.
Micromega was reputed for being one of the first to make good sounding redbook CD players in the good old days. So I rightly or wrongly made some assumption that they know how to make a good sounding digital player.
Posted on: 03 February 2010 by james n
They may well have made the best sounding digital straming player that can only play at Red Book CD standard
Posted on: 04 February 2010 by AMA
quote:
It's also a misnomer to call that a DAC. There's no digital in.
But it still converts digital to audio and my cash to Micromega cash
Posted on: 04 February 2010 by js
Ah yes, a Pound to Franc convertor.
