TIDAL: Best sounding ways to play?

[miguelito]

Best client for TIDAL on mac?

 

Two key issues are:

1- Sound quality

2- iPad interface

 

I would say for TIDAL per-se, Aries is great - fulfills both points very well.

 

I like the mac's native client's sound quality, but controlling it over VNC is rather frustrating. What other options are there?

[miguelito]

Best client for TIDAL on mac?

 

Two key issues are:

1- Sound quality

2- iPad interface

 

I would say for TIDAL per-se, Aries is great - fulfills both points very well.

 

I like the mac's native client's sound quality, but controlling it over VNC is rather frustrating. What other options are there?

Nothin? C'mon...

[bobbmd]

what is VNC? playing TIDAL usb out to schiit gingnir DAC out to avr is better than anything but Qobuz(= to it) what do you need ipad for? just play through your home sound system

[miguelito]

what is VNC? playing TIDAL usb out to schiit gingnir DAC out to avr is better than anything but Qobuz(= to it) what do you need ipad for? just play through your home sound system

VNC allows you to see the mac screen on an iPad. So by using touch you can do what you'd do by pointing a mouse. The problem with it is that it's problematic and switching from typing to pointing is very cumbersome.

 

I use to control players/software that don't have a native iPad client, like Audirvana2, Amarra, TIDAL on mac, etc.

[bobbmd]

thank you

[boatheelmusic]

Install Airserver on your mac (hardwired to dac), then stream Tidal or Qobuz to it from your ipad (using the ios app).

[DanSmedra]

Install Airserver on your mac (hardwired to dac), then stream Tidal or Qobuz to it from your ipad (using the ios app).

 

When plugging a newer Mac directly into a DAC that lacks volume control, the Mac sets Sound/"Output volume" to maximum. If you're using powered speakers [Amp(s)] which also have no volume control(s), you can't turn down and control the volume. Does Airserver recognize/restore volume control either in/to the iPad or iPhone?

[boatheelmusic]

You can control volume on your ipad.

 

Also, install bitperfect on your mac for better/hires fidelity all while using itunes for library management. It essentially replaces audiomidi on the Mac.

[miguelito]

Install Airserver on your mac (hardwired to dac), then stream Tidal or Qobuz to it from your ipad (using the ios app).

 

I have Airfoil Speakers. I have found it to drop out on occasion. Is Airserver more reliable?

[boatheelmusic]

Airfoil, Airserver virtually the same function.

 

Please take a long, good hard look at your internet and especially wireless strength and speed- slow speeds are 99.99% of the cause of dropouts.

 

Speedtest.net , run on your ipad , will tell you lots, as well as airport utility for your wireless network strength.

[boatheelmusic]

VNC allows you to see the mac screen on an iPad. So by using touch you can do what you'd do by pointing a mouse. The problem with it is that it's problematic and switching from typing to pointing is very cumbersome.

 

I use to control players/software that don't have a native iPad client, like Audirvana2, Amarra, TIDAL on mac, etc.

 

Also, note that Tidal as well as Qobuz do have ios apps for your ipad.

[miguelito]

Airfoil, Airserver virtually the same function.

 

Please take a long, good hard look at your internet and especially wireless strength and speed- slow speeds are 99.99% of the cause of dropouts.

 

Speedtest.net , run on your ipad , will tell you lots, as well as airport utility for your wireless network strength.

 

Understood. Airfoil on the mini in my main system actually dropped out (very rarely) while getting streamed to from itunes using a local file. And that was over wired gig ethernet.

 

I do have plenty of speed and reach (300 mbps down, 500 mbps wifi).

[miguelito]

Also, note that Tidal as well as Qobuz do have ios apps for your ipad.

 

Yes, I will try this with Airfoil. Good suggestion.

[boatheelmusic]

Nice speeds....whoa baby!

 

Do try bitperfect- you can increase ram dedicated to audio for increased buffering.

 

It's only $10.

[miguelito]

Nice speeds....whoa baby!

 

Do try bitperfect- you can increase ram dedicated to audio for increased buffering.

 

It's only $10.

Thx. Have Audirvana 1 & 2, JRMC20, Amarra, and PureMusic...

[boatheelmusic]

Good deal.

 

please report back your experience with ios app.....works great for me!

[miguelito]

Install Airserver on your mac (hardwired to dac), then stream Tidal or Qobuz to it from your ipad (using the ios app).

 

Using Airfoil Speakers. Works great. Thx.

[rodrigaj]

OK now I'm lost. Here is what I think miguelito wanted:

 

Mac connected to DAC running Tidal streams that come from the iPad. Correct?

 

Going to the Rogue website I see Airfoil for mac and Airfoil speakers and Airfoil remote. Three separate apps. What gets installed in what?

 

Please take it slow and easy. I would like to connect my Macbook air to my DAC and control it with an android pad. I can get the android pad to play Tidal, I can get the macbook air to play Tidal, but I'm lost as to how to get the macbook air controlled by the android pad to play tidal.

 

Maybe Santa will bring me an Aries, but in the meantime I could live with this.

[miguelito]

OK now I'm lost. Here is what I think miguelito wanted:

 

Mac connected to DAC running Tidal streams that come from the iPad. Correct?

I want to have my mini+DAC stream TIDAL content with:

1- High quality sound

2- Convenient interface

 

Going to the Rogue website I see Airfoil for mac and Airfoil speakers and Airfoil remote. Three separate apps. What gets installed in what?

Airfoil for mac includes Airfoil Speakers, an app that makes the mac look like an Airplay speaker.

 

So what you do is:

1- Connect your mac to your DAC

2- Run Airfoil Speakers on the mac and select the DAC as the output device

3- Run TIDAL on your iPad

4- Select the iPad output to be the Airplay speaker in '2'

 

You get high quality sound b/c Airplay is lossless for 16/44 type streams, and you get a native app on the iPad which is much better than using TIDAL over VNC.

 

Now this all implies an iPad. I presume there's similar Airplay functionality on android, but I don't know for sure.

 

As for other solutions, you could run TIDAL on the mac itself and use a VNC client from your Android device to control it. It's not a great interface as I mentioned originally but it works.

[rodrigaj]

I want to have my mini+DAC stream TIDAL content with:

1- High quality sound

2- Convenient interface

 

 

Airfoil for mac includes Airfoil Speakers, an app that makes the mac look like an Airplay speaker.

 

So what you do is:

1- Connect your mac to your DAC

2- Run Airfoil Speakers on the mac and select the DAC as the output device

3- Run TIDAL on your iPad

4- Select the iPad output to be the Airplay speaker in '2'

 

You get high quality sound b/c Airplay is lossless for 16/44 type streams, and you get a native app on the iPad which is much better than using TIDAL over VNC.

 

Now this all implies an iPad. I presume there's similar Airplay functionality on android, but I don't know for sure.

 

As for other solutions, you could run TIDAL on the mac itself and use a VNC client from your Android device to control it. It's not a great interface as I mentioned originally but it works.

 

Thank you for the clear explanation.

[boatheelmusic]

Perfect, Miguelito....Also, with this setup you can remotely control media resident on the Mac, including hi res.

 

I love this solution as it skips all the complexity of other approaches, provides convenience, and Tidal or Qobuz provides 16/44 bit perfect for 25 million tunes.

[miguelito]

Perfect, Miguelito....Also, with this setup you can remotely control media resident on the Mac, including hi res.

What do you mean exactly?

[boatheelmusic]

Using Apple's Remote app, you can play hires files resident on your directly connected mac from your ipad when using bitperfect or Audiarvarna.

 

My Grace m920 shows the higher bit rates when I do.

[miguelito]

Using Apple's Remote app, you can play hires files resident on your directly connected mac from your ipad when using bitperfect or Audiarvarna.

 

My Grace m920 shows the higher bit rates when I do.

Ah, yes of course.

 

You can also use JRemote for JRMC (great remote, much better than Apple's, but only for JRMC). I have tried almost everything except for HQPlayer. After very many back and forths I am currently using iTunes + Audirvana 1.5.10. I am still trying Auralic's Aries but more or less giving up on it.

[boatheelmusic]

Call me simple, but I'm trying to stay within the "ecosystem" as much as possible, with the exception of bitperfect and Airserver.

 

I see the rabbit hole so many go down with RAID, NAS,DLNA, VPNs ad nauseum for no increased SQ.

 

I'd rather just enjoy music at the same resolution as all that.