Have your say & ask the experts

So, I've decided to get an Airport Express. Problem is, I've got a nagging feeling that the sound quality will be degraded.

All my music is in Apple Lossless, and I just want to check that the AE will output it (through the mini-toslink) as if it had just been pumped out the optical on my Mac. So really, does that wireless link convert the ALAC into something like Linear PCM?

I know that the AE uses Apple's Remote Audio Output Protocol to stream the audio, and I'm just hoping that it keeps my tunes integrity in tact.

Many thanks

Murcielago 

the wireless link doesnt do that the ae does

no you wont lose quality if your going into an external dac as i assume you are 

I've started using an airport express and I can't tell any difference between playing back via the AE or plugging my computer directly into my DAC via USB (I have a Mac Book Pro on order at which time I'll be able to compare the optical out from the AE to the optical out on the Mac, but for now I'm just using a USB port on my old HP laptop).  That's using Apple Lossless as well.

The AE is a fantastic product I reckon. 

Dan Turner:

I've started using an airport express and I can't tell any difference between playing back via the AE or plugging my computer directly into my DAC via USB (I have a Mac Book Pro on order at which time I'll be able to compare the optical out from the AE to the optical out on the Mac, but for now I'm just using a USB port on my old HP laptop).  That's using Apple Lossless as well.

The AE is a fantastic product I reckon. 

certainly if there is a difference its miniscule  

yes, great product 

Sweet! So I can has good wireless music!

Thnx guys 

The AirPort Express don't do anything to the signal. What you put in comes out exactly the same.

Simple as that. 

Whilst I fully intend to use the digital output into my HIFI Amp via a DAC in the UK due to the seeming total lack of a mini optical cable/adapter here in Riyadh I tried the analogue output into my Onkyo NR905 AVR last night.

Streaming FLAC files from Foobar using the wonderful Airfoil it sounded pretty decent to me so can't wait to try it out via the digital output when I get home tomorrow.

Going to be using an old NAD amp in the short term (NAD 340 I think) driving old Mission 752 (non Freedom) Speakers presumably it's the usual suspects for a DAC in the 250 GBP range i.e DAC Magic Beresford?