Airport Express Strange problem

[PlanAvi]

Hello everyone,

I have a 2nd generation AE with model code A1264. I downgraded it to version 7.6.9 to use AirPlay 1. The sound quality is terrible on Apple Music, but very good on Deezer. I'm using a optik connection, and when connected WIIM, it says 18-bit! Shouldn't version 7.6.9 have 16-bit resolution? Another problem, as Darko shared, is that the AirPlay 1 connection doesn't display a single tick icon. It also displays a single tick for the circle. Despite all these issues, Deezer sound quality is excellent on AE and Optical to WIIM, but the same thing is terrible on Apple Music. I wonder where the problem is.

 

[BeeKay]

Must one out of 50 maybe still alive

 

[PlanAvi]

Must one out of 50 maybe still alive

What do you want to say?

 

[BeeKay]

They are almost all dead and gone by now. Given the age of the most recent firmware one might consider these a security risk as well.

 

[PlanAvi]

They are almost all dead and gone by now. Given the age of the most recent firmware one might consider these a security risk as well.

If you are an Apple Music fan like me and want to listen to music in CD quality (16/44), you need a device like this.

 

[BeeKay]

Any ropieee on a Raspberry Pi can do that without any risk

Getting Started

RoPieee is an image for the Raspberry Pi devices (3, 4 and 5 family) that is capable of running several audio streaming solutions.

ropieee.org

 

[PlanAvi]

Raspberry Pi üzerindeki herhangi bir robot bunu hiçbir risk almadan yapabilir

Getting Started

RoPieee is an image for the Raspberry Pi devices (3, 4 and 5 family) that is capable of running several audio streaming solutions.

ropieee.org

Yes but I think I need to connect an optical converter via line? Because I am using WIIM.

 

[CuriousAli]

What is your source device playing Apple Music?
On Mac there are two ways to engage Airplay, if you select the Airport Express as your general output device for Mac, it should use ALAC lossless.
If you select the Airplay device on Apple Music itself, it will try AAC 256kbps.
On iOS I guess the only way to make it use ALAC is to force the Airplay device on Airplay 1 mode which seems to be your case.

 

[PlanAvi]

What is your source device playing Apple Music?
On Mac there are two ways to engage Airplay, if you select the Airport Express as your general output device for Mac, it should use ALAC lossless.
If you select the Airplay device on Apple Music itself, it will try AAC 256kbps.
On iOS I guess the only way to make it use ALAC is to force the Airplay device on Airplay 1 mode which seems to be your case.

Hello, the source device is iOS, and AirPlay was already forced to 1 with AE 7.6.9, but the sound quality is bad. Deezer is much better quality with the same method. If this device receives 16/44 broadcasts with 7.6.9, I don't understand why Apple Music is bad and why Deezer is much better quality.

 

[CuriousAli]

Hello, the source device is iOS, and AirPlay was already forced to 1 with AE 7.6.9, but the sound quality is bad. Deezer is much better quality with the same method. If this device receives 16/44 broadcasts with 7.6.9, I don't understand why Apple Music is bad and why Deezer is much better quality.

Hi,
When you are playing on Apple Music app, do you see Lossless or Dolby Atmos signs?
I want to make sure Dolby Atmos isn't active and causing that quality difference.
Also please try copying a music file you already know its quality to your iOS device and play it with Apple Music and Airplay to see if the difference in quality is still there.

 

[PlanAvi]

Hi,
When you are playing on Apple Music app, do you see Lossless or Dolby Atmos signs?
I want to make sure Dolby Atmos isn't active and causing that quality difference.
Also please try copying a music file you already know its quality to your iOS device and play it with Apple Music and Airplay to see if the difference in quality is still there.

Hi, the lossless cursor appears. When I play a regular recorded track on iOS, it sounds fine. I think there's a bug in Apple Music.

 

[CuriousAli]

Hi, the lossless cursor appears. When I play a regular recorded track on iOS, it sounds fine. I think there's a bug in Apple Music.

I see, someone suggested turning off the volume normalization option on Apple Music for iOS 26:

https://www.reddit.com/r/sonos/comments/1nmmtkg/airplay_sounds_very_bad_since_iosipados_26

 

[PlanAvi]

I see, someone suggested turning off the volume normalization option on Apple Music for iOS 26:

https://www.reddit.com/r/sonos/comments/1nmmtkg/airplay_sounds_very_bad_since_iosipados_26

Hımm,
I'll try this and report the results. However, we still have a problem that remains unclear. Why is there a checkmark inside a circle on the AirPlay 1 connection via iOS? According to Darkon's explanation, there should be a checkmark, not a circle.



should be

visible in me

 

[CuriousAli]

I haven't seen the Darko video but I think you wonder why the interface shows a circle with a checkmark, which used to indicate multi-room support AKA Airplay2, right?
I tested my Airport Express with the 7.6.9 firmware too and on iOS 26 it is like this:
1. Devices like HomePod, Wiim Mini and Mac that support multi speakers show as circles and they can be checked at the same time:

2. Airport Express shows the same circle and checkmark too, but as you can see, when it is selected none of the other devices show their empty circles, so it seems to be a single select option like the solo checkmark that was used I guess in earlier iOS versions.

And I tried playing from Airport Express's 3.5mm aux output and Apple Music sounded just fine for me.
I don't have a mini Toslink adapter to check its optical output though.
My Airport Express is A1392 though.

 

[PlanAvi]

I haven't seen the Darko video but I think you wonder why the interface shows a circle with a checkmark, which used to indicate multi-room support AKA Airplay2, right?
I tested my Airport Express with the 7.6.9 firmware too and on iOS 26 it is like this:
1. Devices like HomePod, Wiim Mini and Mac that support multi speakers show as circles and they can be checked at the same time:
View attachment 491429
2. Airport Express shows the same circle and checkmark too, but as you can see, when it is selected none of the other devices show their empty circles, so it seems to be a single select option like the solo checkmark that was used I guess in earlier iOS versions.
View attachment 491430
And I tried playing from Airport Express's 3.5mm aux output and Apple Music sounded just fine for me.
I don't have a mini Toslink adapter to check its optical output though.
My Airport Express is A1392 though.

Bingo, I've got the sound perfect with the external forum settings you just provided. So, this circle and tick issue is specifically happening on iOS 26. In fact, the Airport works with AirPlay 1 as expected. So, the fact that multiple speakers aren't selected indicates that the Airport works with AirPlay 1. Am I correct?

 

[CuriousAli]

Bingo, I've got the sound perfect with the external forum settings you just provided. So, this circle and tick issue is specifically happening on iOS 26. In fact, the Airport works with AirPlay 1 as expected. So, the fact that multiple speakers aren't selected indicates that the Airport works with AirPlay 1. Am I correct?

So disabling the sound/volume level check worked? Great!
Yes, as far as I understand it, it is still Airplay 1, it just shows a different visual on iOS 26.

 

[PlanAvi]

Good job my friend, where are you forum because last name Ali?

 

[CuriousAli]

Happy to see it worked for you!
I hope the mods don't mind my off-topic answer, I'm from Iran.

 

[PlanAvi]

Thank you Ali.