Reply With QuoteI use a Chromecast audio with mine, works a treat and cost about £15 IIRC.
Hello folks.
Now bear with me on this one, this might be the daft question of the day...
I've just sold my Naim Unitiqute due to lack of use & TBH, the connection to Spotify was horrendous via my iPhone. I was forever restarting the Qute & wifi connection. Now, on a recent trip to Skipton, I stubled across a record shop & bar & of course got talking all things hifi. He was running a vintage Pioneer amp & Old Technics turntable.
Now here's the question. Can you combine an old amp with new technology? I still have my server to rip CDs with, but is there anything on the market to pick up Spotify & run it via the old amp?
Told you it was a daft question!
Cheers
Adam
I use a Chromecast audio with mine, works a treat and cost about £15 IIRC.
Richer Sounds has tons of kit to do all manner of jobs like this. As long as you have an analog output from the device you buy you have the required signal to input to your amp.
If you are just looking to couple your phone via Bluetooth to your amp this is what I use :
http://www.arcam.co.uk/mini.htm
I've got a Cambride Audio iPod dock, which uses a digital out (unlike many iPod docks) and also an Airport Express, both of which are wired via a switch into a DAC (although a DAC with more inputs might be better, I've got other devices as well and they usually only have two inputs max, and cost a lot more)
So that DAC is then run into my amp. Any amp will work.
This allows me to play Spotify directly on the iPod, which is the main method I use nowadays because you can still remote control from another device. You can also play via Airplay through the Airport Express, which is a better option if you don't have a spare old iPod/iPhone. You could probably use an Android device too, which would be cheaper, but I don't know if anyone makes a digital dock for android, so that could be a limiting factor in the sound quality.
Playing directly from the dock is slightly more reliable. Airplay through a DAC sounds equally good, but it is more prone to dropouts, especially if the microwave is on.
Yeah, forgot to say that my current setup is for optimal, hifi sound quality. You can buy a £5 jack-to-RCA cable and plug your iPod/phone directly into the aux on your amp. I did that with an Archos Jukebox many years ago (before the iPod existed). The only thing to watch with that arrangement is unplugging while the amp is turned on can send a surge through the system with the potential to damage your speakers, so a dock is vastly preferable.Originally Posted by aldfort
Apple Airport Express has both a digital and the all-important (for "legacy" use) analogue out. You play Spotify directly from your phone via AirPlay.
I've used this approach with my Linn amp. But have since moved to using a sonos connect thingy.
When I want to listen to Spotify from my phone through my hi-fi Denon amp, I just plug it into the 'tuner' input, which isn't being used, and it works a treat.
I use a 1967 Quad 33/303 combo which runs a 1965 Thorens TD150 Turntable and a 2016 Bluetooth Audio interface to connect any bluetooth-enabled device. I've also ripped my CD collection to a NAS which can be played through the Bluetooth interface.
The turntable sounds far superior because vinyl is still king.
This is my type of combo! I'm after an old Trio/Kenwood amp & a Garrard turntable, but still want to be modern(ish) & play Spotify. I have a 3TB NAS drive, too, which I want to bring into the equation.
i'm using the following:
TDL RTL3 speakers bi wired
Linn Axis with Basik Plus and K9 cart
Pioneer PD-S505 precision CD player
Denon PMA 355UK bridged as pre amp
Linn LK85 power amp
Fubar Dac connected to a laptop with a 1tb hard drive for digital files, itunes etc
Google Chromecast for streaming from other devices.
A lot of my gear is pretty old but it's doing the job well and i haven't found anything newer i like yet!
ktmog6uk
marchingontogether!
You can't beat the old gear. Mind you, it's going up in price!
Am I wrong or aren't you utilising the phones poor quality D to A convertor if you just plug the phone directly into the amp ?
Yes. It'll sound OK, but a separate DAC is better if your hifi equipment is halfway decent.
Maybe. But if I want to 'listen' to music I put on an LP or a CD or even a cassette. I use Spotify to provide background music if I am pottering about, so lower quality is not a big deal for me.
But surely with Spotify on its highest quality setting and a decent DAC thats got to be better quality then CD's ,it certainly sounds better on my set up even with my Arcam CD feeding an Arcam amp.
Define 'better'.
It's about the same as a CD - to the point where no human can tell the difference. Certainly a lot better than a tape!
Any difference you can hear is probably down to the difference in DACs you're using. If you're using the same external DAC for both then your CD player and/or discs maybe need a clean.
I have a mid '70s TD125, it sounds bloody lovely!
I've recently 'upgraded' my B&O Beosound 4 with an Apple Airport Express.
It serves two functions - it replaces the WiFi transmitting part of the godawful EE stock router, and also allows me to AirPlay any audio, from any of the Apple devices I own through the glorious B&O. Spotify, system audio, YouTube, iTunes - the lot! A future proofing upgrade for an otherwise bulletproof and brilliant sounding system. Well worth the £79 for a) not having to restart the WiFi on the router as part of my morning routine and b) being able to have the freedom to play music from anywhere in the house.
I don't use an external DAC on the cd player but that is brand new as are most of the cd's i'm playing at the moment.
For me the biggest advantage is being able to lie back on the settee with my iPad and control what I'm listening to without even having to get up.
I tried with vinyl with my ancient PL12D but got fed up having to get up every 20 minutes.
Last edited by SeePee; 7th July 2016 at 22:38.
Yeah, it's probably not that the CD or Spotify is better or worse per se, but that the external DAC has a slightly different character to the one in the CD player and produces a sound you happen to prefer. It might be worth trying running the CD through it as well, assuming it has an optical output (and if it's a recent Arcam it almost certainly does).
Vinyl, contrary to what many people think, isn't better than digital. Some people prefer the way it sounds (it adds warmth and a certain character due to added noise, but it's strictly less accurate) and prefer the "ritual" of flipping records. I personally can't be bothered with any of that, so I prefer Spotify.
I am a Spotify user, and have been for the last couple of years
I recently had a Demo of a site called Tidal, heard thorough a pair of Devialet speakers, and is all i can say is WOW what an amazing system.
Deviate is a French firm specialising in High end amps and amazing small speakers, it is pointless me gabbling on about them on here, Google them and do some research.
I was told at my Demo that Spotify only broadcast at "Vorbis 320 Kbps" (whatever Vorbis is) and Tidal streams at 1411Kbps and the sound difference was clearly heard, as Tidal is totally lossless.
If You get the chance, you have to have a listen to these amazing Speakers, a bit like Sonos but a hundred times better. Ok yes they are Pricey at £1690 each but without having to buy an amp or CD player they are well worth a listen (and look)
I am that convinced by them it is just a matter of persuading SWMBO that we need them.
Rob…..
Ogg Vorbis is a compression format similar to MP3 but marginally higher quality and open source and patent-free (don't ask me how they came up with the name). Nobody, and I mean nobody can tell the difference between uncompressed and anything over about 192kbps, either Vorbis or MP3. So called "golden ears" may just be able to tell at 192kbps with the right recording, but even they can't at 256kbps.
In non-blind tests people think they can tell the difference, but in properly controlled, double-blind tests they can't. 320kbps is more than enough to cover any bits that may not compress as well as others.
There are a lot of tricks that can be done to make music sound "better". The most obvious one is just to bump the volume up slightly. This is just a fact of how our auditory system works: make it louder and it will sound "clearer" even though it isn't.
This system may be very good, I don't know. Don't believe the snake-oil salesmen though. You are almost certainly better off with good quality separates and Spotify (or any other near-lossless digital source) through a decent DAC.
Thanks for that, and yes I have read before about the 192kbps ceiling and I have to agree it does make sense. I suppose i was just overawed by the Devialet setup. If you get the chance go and have a listen, I think you will be surprised of the amazing sound quality.
Rob.
I have no plans to change any of my current hifi setup, because after about 20-odd years of tinkering I've got it sounding good enough that I remain constantly impressed and don't feel the need to upgrade anything. That'll probably change if I move into a different-sized room, but anyway....
With anything like that the best thing is to try it out at home. Most hifi shops will let you buy it and then return it for a refund within about 30 days. If not, Amazon do.
This way you can listen to it in your own room (which makes a difference) with your own music, in your own time, and compare it honestly to what you have now. If it sounds better, by all means spend the money. If it doesn't sound better, you've saved yourself some considerable buyers remorse (or worse, trying to force yourself into believing it sounds better than it really does, because it sounded good in the shop).
I was streaming Spotiy to my amp (that has no digital inputs) via a Chromecast Audio plugged into an upgraded Arcam RDAC. The sound was second to none as the DAC has a Wolfson 8741 chip to process the sound.
My old Amp had no digital inputs and this was the o ly way I could get Spotify to it, unless I used a 3.5 cable (looks unsightly) or Bluetooth adapter (inferior sound sometimes).
The Chromecast Audio was only £15 (this has it's own DAC but is not as superior) and all this is used for it to wirelessly push my Spotify music (from my phone) to the Arcam.
I've now replaced the Arcam with a Cambridge Audio CXN so it's up for sale. Let me know if your interested as its going to hit the 'bay soon.
I tried Tidal and whilst it sounded good the GUI was poor and I was struggling to find some music on there.
Spotify Premium is great for the cost and can sound good through the right kit. Everyone had different ears though.
Last edited by gavsw20; 8th July 2016 at 08:50.
Nice, have you had to do anything to the Quad gear or is it all original?
CD quality is better than Spotify even on highest bitrate as its still compressed
TIDAL offer a lossless streaming service which is who I use for streaming through my HiFi, also through Arcam Amp
All original except for a re-manufactured Phono board as the original one had ceased to work. There's quite a cottage industry of people who modify/remanufacture bits for them. Good to know as they're approaching 50 years of age.
Spotify streams at its best quality (320kbps OGG) on some hardware, with a Premium subscription. They list their hardware partners on their website. http://www.spotifygear.com/
Chromecast's audio player is not held to be the best sounding choice for playing Spotify, though there are some tricks to make it work at its best. By default, the Chromcast audio player has dynamic range compression turned on, and sets the audio quality for streaming 1 step below optimal. You need to adjust these settings when the unit is not streaming music.
I find that players I have used from Denon, Sonos, and BlueSound all do a better job than the Chromecast, though none are as inexpensive. Sonos uses its own UI, and not Spotify's, which can be a problem for some users and a benefit to others. The BlueSound units have been a little flakey with the latest firmware change. Denon's Heos has been very good for this purpose though.
We had also found a sound quality problem when playing Spotify on the Roku4 platform, but that has been resolved with the latest updates.
All of these could be easily connected to an existing HiFi rig.
Last edited by jcm3; 8th July 2016 at 19:05.
As posted above there are various dacs that let you interface into any amp via phono connections. I use a Cambridge dacmagic as a USB interface and an arcam rblink for Bluetooth (this goes into my sonos setup). Both work well as interfaces and the USB one in particular gets lots of use. Compressed music is not the same quality as cd, but putting it through a decent amp and speakers still produces a good sound.
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