Its time for me to learn a new trick please...

[LCC0256]

I would appreciate one of the posters on here who understand the math involved to explain to me EXACTLY the path my 16/44 file sitting in iTunes on my 2007 iMac takes when it leaves iTunes. My iMac is wired via cat 6 cable to an Airport Extreme (newest model) Then on via cat 6 cable to a Netgear gigabit switch which in turn is WIRED via cat 6 cable again to: 4 Apple TV's (latest version) then to 4 AV Receivers all with 24/192 CAPABLE D/A's vis toslink directly to back of amps; 1 Apple Express (latest version) again to an AV Receiver with 24/192 CAPABLE via toslink into the amp; and one Airplay speaker via the ethernet cable directly.

 

Everything on this system is IN PERFECT SYNCH with respect to audio output (no delay in sound from one system to the next in other words ) The 5 AV Receiver units (middle of the road Onkyo, Yamahas and NAD's. The systems have low end but very good (IMO) sounding speakers. (mainly PSB's) I never experience ANY problems with drop out or skipping or anything. I have been running this for several years (updating the AE) THANKS MOSTLY to the information i learned from posters on THIS SITE.

 

I FULLY UNDERSTAND the limitations of Airplay with respect to 16/44 and the ATV's up sampling to a max of 48. Truth be known the files in iTunes on the iMac were mostly ripped from my CD collection (ALAC) (using the recommended settings) and the CD's that sounded "harsh" 30 years ago sound harsh now. (of course the AAD ADD DDD discussion along with recording/mixing issues were just as argued and critiqued then as now) I left out the fact i am thinking about adding software to iTunes to keep the illustration a little simpler for me now.

 

I want to understand the paths my files take so as to better understand my network because my next purchase is going to be an Oppo 103. I was looking at it and discovered it had a LAN port on the rear. Being only a novice to networking protocol i was wondering IF there was some way that the Oppo could be used to play either my well done CD's then output to the network or play some HD files and output through the LAN so as to be able to access all my systems via my network.

 

I do very much understand THAT IF I WAS ABLE to do this the limiting factor (with respect to number of bits and sample rates would be the ATV's and the one Airport Express. They would not permit anything higher than 16/44/48 Not that i could hear it any damn way but i would at least like to maybe try.

 

I wanted to understand why this would not be possible. Is it because the Oppo does NOT send the files out via the ethernet? Is it because my router (Extreme) only allows data to flow one way? (that can't be true because i can push files from one ATV to another system. Right?) Or if in fact that is true is it because it is Apple Architecture and only Apple peripherals can go both ways? My ignorance is showing here so i will hush up and let some of my new found friends on this site "splain it to me" I realize there was an implied question regarding removing the ATV and AE so as to permit higher resolution files to be played but for now i will settle for knowing more about the path of the files in my network and IF the Oppo can be used to send files to the other systems...