Amazon Echo Link

[stunta]

I see that there is an option on my iPad Amazon music app to airplay it. I don't have any iThingies to airplay to. Any recommendations on simple cheap airplay devices that have optical output? AFAIK, airplay is lossless but not sure if it can do 24/96.

 

[DanGuitarMan]

I see that there is an option on my iPad Amazon music app to airplay it. I don't have any iThingies to airplay to. Any recommendations on simple cheap airplay devices that have optical output? AFAIK, airplay is lossless but not sure if it can do 24/96.

I use an older Apple TV with optical out. Your computer will output at 16/44, then airplaying over Apple TV upsamples to 24/48 ALAC.

 

[TheWalkman]

I see that there is an option on my iPad Amazon music app to airplay it. I don't have any iThingies to airplay to. Any recommendations on simple cheap airplay devices that have optical output? AFAIK, airplay is lossless but not sure if it can do 24/96.

Use a raspberry pi zero with Volumio and the JustBoom Digi Zero pHAT. Works great and will cost you <$75. See my post here: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...-pi-as-a-music-server.9130/page-5#post-369541

 

[DanGuitarMan]

Use a raspberry pi zero with Volumio and the JustBoom Digi Zero pHAT. Works great and will cost you <$75. See my post here: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...-pi-as-a-music-server.9130/page-5#post-369541

The more I see these Raspberry Pi builds, the more I want to build one. Do you have any experience using these as an airplay endpoints? I wonder how reliable it is. I'm mainly interested in streaming Amazon Music HD to it in 16/44.

 

[TheWalkman]

The more I see these Raspberry Pi builds, the more I want to build one. Do you have any experience using these as an airplay endpoints? I wonder how reliable it is. I'm mainly interested in streaming Amazon Music HD to it in 16/44.

I Airplay to the Pi all the time. There‘s a slight delay when you start the stream as the Pi buffers. Volumio let’s you specify how large a buffer you want.

The Pi works, as well, if you want to stream Youtube audio. It syncs the audio with the video perfectly.

You should try it. Using a Pi as an AirPlay endpoint is no more complicated than streaming music from your iPhone or iPad to an Amazon Echo. Best of all, you get high rez audio and a music streamer included as well.

Here’s another, wireless Pi Zero build that works great and makes a fine Airplay endpoint. It uses the Apple DAC and sounds great.

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...-pi-as-a-music-server.9130/page-5#post-369541

 

[Jorj]

Out of curiosity, it seems like I'm the only person on the thread actually using the Echo Link, so I wondered if any other users could sound off here.

 

[TheWalkman]

Out of curiosity, it seems like I'm the only person on the thread actually using the Echo Link, so I wondered if any other users could sound off here.

Jorj,

I looked at the Echo Link when it was introduced but couldn't justify spending $200 for it.

Over the years, I've accumulated quite a little collection of bookshelf speakers, computer speakers and cheap Class D amps. I also have five Echos of different flavors around my house. I've used all of these to create a whole house sound system that works great.

For example, I have an older Echo Dot paired to some Dell computer speakers in my office which sounds good enough for background listening. In my living room and bedroom, I have the Dots as well as the Pi based Volumio streamers attached to bigger speakers and quality amps. In my kitchen, I have an Echo gen 3.

Best of all, with synched Echos, I've essentially created a household Sonos system for a fraction of the cost.