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Send music to AirPort Express from wired computers
Authored by: rwmitchell on Mar 25, '05 10:58:06AM

I have always used my express from my wired desktop and I had it from within a month or so of coming out.

However, after buying a second one, both quit working. I can reset it, switch to it (it is now on a 10.1 network), use the setup program to set it up and then reboot it. I switch back to my Extreme and wait for the Express to show up on the Setup list, which it does. But I can never talk it...unless I reset it.

It is working on the network because it sends syslog data to my sun box...complaining that it can't talk to apple's time server.


I've tried both using DHCP and setting the address, but when I use DHCP now, it goes to some weird address (my laptop doesn't though). I initially blamed my DHCP troubles on a new Linksys that showed up, but I think I've moved things far enough that it should be out of range.



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Send music to AirPort Express from wired computers
Authored by: pocomoonshine on Mar 25, '05 11:24:02AM

Yeah, that has been an option since they first came out. I have one connected to an old iMac bondi. Oddly, you can't turn the Airport Express wireless off, but you can turn the power down and set up security in such a way that its basically impossible to connect wirelessly.



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Send music to AirPort Express from wired computers
Authored by: aal on Mar 25, '05 11:24:19AM

I am the original poster and have found out some additional information.

It turns out I was being stupid about controlling the line-out level. I was mucking with my iTunes Preferences and noticed in the Audio Preferences pane I had both "Look for remote speakers connected with AirTunes" and "Disable iTunes volume control for remote speakers" selected. Deselecting "Disable iTunes volume control for remote speakers" allowed me to control the line-out volume of my Airport Express with the iTunes volume control, making the equalization hack unnecessary. iTunes even remembers the volume settings when you switch it between the internal speakers and the Airport Express.



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Send music to AirPort Express from wired computers
Authored by: ebernet on Mar 25, '05 01:11:07PM

Airtunes is best used with a Stereo with its own D>A convertor and an optical digital input. Data is compressed using ALAC when sent to the Airport Express, and if you are using an optical cable is sent unaltered to your stereo for decoding. Therefore, if you are playing a CD or an ALAC file to being with, your stereo (which almost certainly WILL have a better D>A than the $129 multi-purpose device called the Airport Express) will do what it was designed to do, convert the digital audio to analog for playback. I do not mean to knock the Airport Express, I love mine, but given all it does, I do not expect much for the probably <$5 circuitry to decode the digital data to analog. If you can, use the digital output. In those situations, I do not believe you have the option to control the audio volume for Airtunes. Either way, you would not want to since that would modify your source audio.

I record audio in the field, and then send my unadulterated audio to the airport express. It will handle 24/48 audio and sound great. This allows me to immediately test the audio I recorded without first converting it to an AAC or MP3 file and without using the sub-par noisy D>A convertor built into my PowerBook G4.



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