Airplay 24/96

[realhifi]

Not sure if this was common knowledge or not but as I and many others have suspected, Airplay from Apple is, will be, capable of streaming 24/96. Odd since their own Apple TV only puts out 16/48 (now that is) but I digress. Here is a review on the new B&W Zeppelin which he clearly loves streaming Airplay 24/96 files to it.

 

http://www.wired.com/reviews/2011/03/zeppelin-air/

 

This is the tip of the iceburg regarding Airplay and I would imagine we will be seeing all sorts of devices that can do this in the very near future.

 

[granosalis]

You can play 24/96 files to the new Apple TV as well, but the DAC will display only 16/48.

I think is the same for the ZePpelin, but you can't read the sample rate on a display (Zeppelin doesn’t have one).

I don't understand why the reviewer is so sure about the sample rate.

 

Regards,

Giuseppe

 

[wgscott]

If you read the Zeppelin Airplay propaganda carefully, they make it clear that the Zeppelin itself can handle 24-bit input from a third-party device via optical in (mini-toslink), but they don't say you can steam it in via Airplay. So the wired reviewer might be deluding himself into thinking he hears a difference. Perfect blind test!

 

The article:

A couple of cool things about AirPlay: It can handle high-quality audio, up to 24-bit, 96-kHz recordings. So if you have lossless files in your library (and if you don’t now, you will once Apple gets its way), you can stream them to the Zeppelin Air with zero compression or data loss. The notes will pour out of those gorgeous-sounding speakers and fill the room with pure 24/96 goodness.

 

vs.

 

Bowers and Wilkins:

The DACs have also been upgraded, with new 24bit/96KHz capability for improved performance.

 

Apple®s AirPlay technology allows music to be streamed wirelessly from your Mac or PC to Zeppelin Air. You can even bypass the computer entirely, and stream high-quality audio directly from your iPhone®, iPad® or iPod touch®. All without the need to dock the device. If you have more than one Zeppelin Air, you can use them in an elegant multiroom system.

 

 

[souptin]

I tend to agree - firstly that the Wired review doesn't count as a detailed technical guide, and secondly that, so far, neither Apple or B&W have said anything definitive about Airplay bitrates.

 

My impression from the new Zep marketing was that its dac upsampled to 24/96, regardless of input. I'm guessing that the dsp mentioned is a digital crossover, but I don't have much evidence to go on.

 

I have the original Zep and I think it's a great sounding bit of kit, particularly when fed from AEX toslink. But I'd also argue that this is a clear case where, particularly in context of it being a 'lifestyle' component rather than an all-out audiophile one, the overall implementation is way more important than the numbers. Still, it is annoying to have nothing more that marketing speak to go on. Very tempted to email them and ask for the nerdy details but I suspect I'd just get a blandly reassuring but uninformative answer.