DAC won't play with Airport Express

[andrewhollo]

I bought my first DAC (a Styleaudio Carat UD1) yesterday and attempted to connect it to two different Airport Expresses. In both cases, I get a message from both the Airport Utility and iTunes saying, "Airport Living Room not connected to speakers". I am using USB to connect the DAC to the inputs of an AudioFidelity pre-amp. I've previously used both AEs with the 3.5mm jack successfully; also I've tried changing the input channels on the pre-amp. No luck. Any advice here; the dealer's closed today, as it's Sunday . . . and I'd like to listen to some music!

 

Andrew

 

[Thunktank]

If I have read your post correctly you are attempting to connect a USB DAC to the Airport Express. If this is so I am sorry to inform you that the Airport express does not output Audio on the USB, it is for connecting a printer. You will need to connect via the Airport expess's optical link if you want to connect an external DAC.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Paul

 

[andrewhollo]

Thanks for your reply . . .

 

Hmmm.

 

The dealer definitely said that it'll connect via USB from my Airport Express to the pre-amp . . . however, I've looked at a couple of websites and what you say seems to be the case . . . . so, now I'm confused . . . Anyway, if I need to buy an optical cable, what do these look like? I'm guessing I can just go to any electronics store and buy a Toslink cable?

 

At any rate, should I at least be able to connect USB from a laptop and listen through the DAC with headphones? Because this doesn't work either for me either . . .

 

Andrew

 

 

 

[usernaim250]

I've not seen the 3.5mm miniTOS to regular Tos in a store. Look on Amazon or ebay (should be under $10), buy from apple in a Monster cable kit ($40), or look elsewhere. Beresford (do a web search) do one in the UK. And you could probably find one from a big mail order house like Markertek. If any place would have one locally in the US it would be Radio Shack.

 

[tdme_tj]

Andrew,

 

You can use a regular Toslink optical "cable" to connect the Airport Express, however you also need to get a "mini Toslink" to Toslink adaptor. Audioquest makes a Mini Toslink adaptor and they sell for no more than $5.00 here in the US. In my experience more and more Audioquest dealers are stocking the adaptors along with various grades of Toslink "cables".

 

With respect to connecting the DAC directly to your computer via USB you will need to configure the audio output for the USB CODEC in the DAC. On a Mac you do this by opening System Preferences and selecting the Sound pane. Once the Sound Preferences opens there will be an Output option. Selecting Output will then give a list which should include Internal Audio and USB Audio CODEC. Select USB Audio CODEC, make sure the Mute option is not checked then quit System Preferences and start playing your favorite tunes. I'm not much of a Windows user any longer, but the process should be similar. You should find a Sound pane somewhere in the Control Panels, then once again select USB Audio CODEC in the Output "sub-pane".

 

I hope this is helpful.

 

Best of luck and happy listening.

TJ

 

[andrewhollo]

Thanks TJ . . . got USB out working just fine . . . listening to headphones . . . very nice!

 

And, yes, I need a TOS adapter, so I'll get one of those online . . . or re-visit my audio dealer tomorrow . . .

 

Cheers,

 

Andrew

 

[Thunktank]

I have a couple of airport express's both connected to DAC's using TOS link cables that have a standard TOS link end and a mini TOS link end. They are made by IXOS and cost me around £6 from ebay. I have an aversion to adaptors of any type, probably not really a problem with an optical cable but old habits die hard.

 

Paul

 

[andrewhollo]

Well I bought my second DAC in a week as it turns out the CArat UD1 doesn't have an optical in ... So it won't play at all with Airport Express! So now I'm sitting here VERY happily listening to Miles Davis through a Cambridge Audio DAC ... It's a revelation! It's the digitally remastered disc ripped to Apple lossless ... If I knew that spending a few hundred bucks would make this much difference I would have done it ages ago ....

 

Andrew