Airplay streamer with display

[chebum]

I'm looking for inexpensive AirPlay music streamer with a display able to show album artwork of the song being played. Only coaxial or optical output is necessary. I need something like Primare Prism NP5 but with a display and "turn off" switch.

The closest thing I found is Matrix Audio Element S, but it costs around $2K. Are there any cheaper alternatives?

 

[HarmonicTHD]

I'm looking for inexpensive AirPlay music streamer with a display able to show album artwork of the song being played. Only coaxial or optical output is necessary. I need something like Primare Prism NP5 but with a display and "turn off" switch.

The closest thing I found is Matrix Audio Element S, but it costs around $2K. Are there any cheaper alternatives?

If you weren’t insisting on optical or coax outputs I’d say get a used iPad for little money and connect it via USB to your DAC. Why you need coax / optical, does your DAC not offer USB in?

Argon Stream 2 might fit your needs for a few hundred bucks and optical out.

 

[Miniyouuuu]

AppleTV->Hdmi Audio Splitter->DAC / amp through Toslink/Coax cable. You’ll see best apple music integration in your TV.

As AppleTV act as main source, your IPhone will be just a remote.

AppleTV output is 24bit/48khz vs 16bit/44.1khz from Airplay. Would you notice the difference to 192khz output if you use usb?
The only real difference would be the DAC. topping 50 + appletv + amazon splitter for less than 600$. Obviously you’ll need a TV.

Topping 70 and you’ll have a 12v trigger to turn on amp as you play any audio.

 

[chebum]

If you weren’t insisting on optical or coax outputs I’d say get a used iPad for little money and connect it via USB to your DAC. Why you need coax / optical, does your DAC not offer USB in?

I connect the streamer to active speakers which support SPDIF and optical inputs only.

I checked iPad and it seems that I cannot stream to iPad from my iPhone. The only option I found is to stream the whole screen of my phone, not only audio. I'm not sure if it will preserve the audio stream intact and no sample rate conversion will happen.

Argon Stream 2 might fit your needs for a few hundred bucks and optical out.

Thank you for the input. The specs page says it doesn't accept AirPlay, unfortunately.

AppleTV->Hdmi Audio Splitter....AppleTV output is 24bit/48khz vs 16bit/44.1khz from Airplay.

HDMI supports only 48/16 audio stream. AppleTV will have to resample the original track in order to be able to output the sound via HDMI.
AppleTV is lacking display as far as I can see:

Were there any version with a display on it?

 

[tarnopol]

I'm looking for inexpensive AirPlay music streamer with a display able to show album artwork of the song being played. Only coaxial or optical output is necessary. I need something like Primare Prism NP5 but with a display and "turn off" switch.

The closest thing I found is Matrix Audio Element S, but it costs around $2K. Are there any cheaper alternatives?

Have you looked into the Matrix-Audio mini-i Pro 3?

Odtwarzacze Audio

mp3store.pl

I have one (which I'm looking to sell, btw) and in my experience the performance as Airplay endpoint is flawless. Comes with a beautiful display, remote, headphone out, as well as balanced and unbalanced outs. Also acts as an Roon endpoint, if you want to go that route. Super versatile.

Used price should be around the same as the Primare Prism NP5.

 

[Snoopy]

Have you looked into the Matrix-Audio mini-i Pro 3?

Odtwarzacze Audio

mp3store.pl

I have one (which I'm looking to sell, btw) and in my experience the performance as Airplay endpoint is flawless. Comes with a beautiful display, remote, headphone out, as well as balanced and unbalanced outs. Also acts as an Roon endpoint, if you want to go that route. Super versatile.

Used price should be around the same as the Primare Prism NP5.

Mini I 4 and mini I 4 pro is already announced. I wouldn't buy a mini I 3 more anymore.

New generation of Matrix Audio mini-i Pro 4 coming soon......stay tuned........ • Magna Hifi

New generation of Matrix Audio mini-i Pro 4 coming soon......stay tuned........

magnahifi.com

 

[tarnopol]

Mini I 4 and mini I 4 pro is already announced. I wouldn't buy a mini I 3 more anymore.

I guess, we will see another fully transparent DAC chip, Tidal and Spotify Connect, a more capable headphone amp, maybe support for MA remote. And a significant price hike. I think, a used mini-i 3 in great condition should still be a valid alternative.

 

[Snoopy]

I guess, we will see another fully transparent DAC chip, Tidal and Spotify Connect, a more capable headphone amp, maybe support for MA remote. And a significant price hike. I think, a used mini-i 3 in great condition should still be a valid alternative.

The most likely upgrade is probably the CPU.. cortex A7 to A9 , design and display, Lan.

Might be very well worth the extra cost.

 

[muslhead]

I guess, we will see another fully transparent DAC chip, Tidal and Spotify Connect, a more capable headphone amp, maybe support for MA remote. And a significant price hike. I think, a used mini-i 3 in great condition should still be a valid alternative.

Dont forget, likely at a higher price

 

[Snoopy]

Dont forget, likely at a higher price

True, but what's no more expensive these days? Even if it's 10-20% more expensive.
I guess it all depends on the budget.

I'm more in the camp where I spend more money to get warranty, longer software support and possibly new features (new CPU = more options for DSP etc, better WiFi or Lan etc)

 

[muslhead]

True, but what's no more expensive these days? Even if it's 10-20% more expensive.
I guess it all depends on the budget.

I'm more in the camp where I spend more money to get warranty, longer software support and possibly new features (new CPU = more options for DSP etc, better WiFi or Lan etc)

I have no budget but not everyone will be like me ... or you for that matter

 

[Tom C]

It is possible to use Apple Watch as a remote to control an iPhone. Really only makes sense if you already own an iPhone. But, if you do, the watch is about $300, which is less than $2,000.

 

[Barrelhouse Solly]

Raspberry Pi with Moode or Volumio with a transport HAT or connected by USB to a standalone DAC. If you have an amp with HDMI inputs you can connect the Pi to that and skip the transport or DAC. There are a variety of ways to connect the Pi to a display. I have a Pi connected to my AVR by HDMI with PiCoreplayer with the display on my TV although I understand that the LMS airplay plugin can be problematic. With a Pi, a transport, and a display the cost is under $200. It's possible to get close to $50. Raspberry Pi prices are finally coming down. See https://rpilocator.com/ for daily updates.

 

[mblovell]

I'm looking for inexpensive AirPlay music streamer with a display able to show album artwork of the song being played. Only coaxial or optical output is necessary. I need something like Primare Prism NP5 but with a display and "turn off" switch. ...

If you are comfortable with using Raspberry Pis, then software such as Kodi can act as an Airplay receiver (audio only), with a USB connection to an external DAC.

As for the display, you somewhat have to "roll your own". The way that Kodi and the Linux graphics stack work these days, Kodi takes over the Pi's HDMI outputs (both of 'em if using an RPi 4). A second RPi, even something low-power like an RPi Zero, though, can be used to drive a display. That's the approach I'm now using with

kodi_panel
https://github.com/mattblovell/kodi_panel#readme

(Disclaimer: I'm the primary author of kodi_panel.)

I didn't originally intend to have two single-board computers for this setup. I started out with a SPI-attached LCD display driven directly by an Odroid C4 that was also running Kodi -- a nice, single computer setup. I kept hankering after a larger, IPS-based display, though. Such larger displays are typically HDMI-attached, so down that road I went. My primary use case is using JRiver Media Center (on a PC in a different room) to host the music files and use the RPi + Kodi as a DLNA renderer. Kodi can receive Airplay audio, though, so I occasionally listed to a podcast or two sent from an iPad to the RPi. Getting Airplay album art displayed from Kodi took a little figuring out, but it does work.

Also, one doesn't have to use Kodi. I think Moode Audio and Volumio can also drive local displays (basically using X Windows and a web browser to show the same display page as their remote GUI). If this approach is intriguing, but you don't want to mess around with the hardware directly, Audiophonics has a few RPi + Display units that they put together.

One example is this: Audiophonics RaspDac Mini LCD Kit DIY Streamer


[Edit: spelling, modified URL to point to Readme file, added Audiophonics link]

 

[chebum]

If you are comfortable with using Raspberry Pis

Raspberry Pi with Moode or Volumio with a transport HAT or connected by USB to a standalone DAC.

Thank you for the Pi suggestion. Will find out how much it will cost to make a nice looking metal case with display for a Pi, if I don't find a ready-made solution for reasonable money.

 

[Klonatans]

Cambridge Audio CXN 2. It's not inexpensive, but well worth the price, especially if you can find a good offer. It's measured here on ASR: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...audio-cxn-v2-measurements-streamer-dac.31915/

 

[MaxBuck]

I checked iPad and it seems that I cannot stream to iPad from my iPhone.

I'm not clear why you'd want to try.

Bottom line: streamers are basically just specialized computers with internet access. Tablets and cell phones are, too. Tablets and phones can be used as streamers very effectively if one finds a way to get the signal out to one's amplifier, either through a separate DAC or using the device's own DAC.

 

[MCH]

I'm looking for inexpensive AirPlay music streamer with a display able to show album artwork of the song being played. Only coaxial or optical output is necessary. I need something like Primare Prism NP5 but with a display and "turn off" switch.

The closest thing I found is Matrix Audio Element S, but it costs around $2K. Are there any cheaper alternatives?

Member @Ralph_Cramden has built and shared a diy display for wiim mini and maybe even pro (?)

HDMI Display For WiiM Mini (via Inovato Quadra)

Preliminary version of Python script for displaying WiiM Mini (and Pro?) currently playing data on an HDMI display. Fully tested on the $29 Inovato Quadra at various 16:9 screen resolutions, scales nicely on my 24" ASUS monitor, should work fine on 7" HDMI monitors. Screen blanking / HDMI...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[chebum]

Tablets and phones can be used as streamers very effectively if one finds a way to get the signal out to one's amplifier,

... and figure out how to send signal from your phone to a tablet working as a network streamer. We should be able to conveniently run and stop playback or change tracks without having to come close to the music system. That's what network streamers do - they allow user to send a track for playback without having to stand-up and come closer.

Cambridge Audio CXN 2. It's not inexpensive, but well worth the price, especially if you can find a good offer. It's measured here on ASR: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...audio-cxn-v2-measurements-streamer-dac.31915/

Looks great! Thank you very much.

 

[zeropoint]

Have you considered the Arylic S50Pro+?