Better than Airplay

[D700]

If you have given up on Airplay with Wiim (curse you Apple) or your device doesn't have it, here's best option I've found:

For those seeking:

• Wiim/Apple Music Ecosystem integration
• Apple Music navigation: view, select, play, pause from any Mac, iPhone, iPad, Watch
• Lossless music up to 24/48
• Automatic bit rate switching: 16/44.1, 24/44.1, 24/48

Hardware:

• Apple 4K TV - Generation 3 (A2737, A2843)
• Monoprice Blackbird HDMI Extractor - Optical Out to Wiim Device
• Note: I don't have Wiim Ultra or Amp Pro but I'd assume you can skip the extractor since they have HDMI eArc input.

Notes:

• You can run ATV without a display but you'll need one for initial setup.
• To play music: Use "Control Center - Apple Music" remote option to select streams, stations, library music: play, pause music
• Control Center Remote works from all Apple Devices including Apple Watch.
• Unintuitive Apple Feature:
  • When you drag down Control Center on iOS, there's a grayed out side panel that shows Apple Music icon.
  • Select Apple Music icon, it presents list of Airplay devices then scroll down to bottom to see "other devices"
  • Select your ATV from Other Devices and you'll be controlling Apple Music natively on the ATV, not over airplay. (the magic sauce)
• On ATV you'll need to:
  • Enable "Settings> Users & Accounts> Home Sharing" which requires pairing to Apple Music. Repeat for other Apple devices you wish to use to control ATV.
  • Set "Settings -> Apps -> Music -> Audio Quality -> Lossless Audio
  • Set the "Settings->General->Sleep After" setting far enough out that it doesn't go to sleep while you are futzing around in Apple Music or pause it for a phone call.

Advantages of the ATV4K (Gen 3) versus Airplay:

• This provides reliable, automatic bit rate switching of uncompressed lossless 16/44.1, 24/44.1, 24/48. This feature was apparently added last year and only works on gen 3 versions of ATV. (like other iOS devices). Even Mac OS X Sequia does not do automatic bit rate switching.
• No compression like with Airplay
• I've found bump to lossless 24bit audio is the differentiator, much more so than the difference between 48/96/192 sample rates. Do I want high Rez?...of course! ... but with 24/48, lack of 96/192 isn't a deal breaker any longer, it sounds fantastic.

Would someone mind confirming ATV works like this directly with Wiim Ultra/Amp Pro without needing to extract the audio first?

I could see moving to ATV/Amp Pro to get native Apple Music control and super simple/great sound quality setup.

All that said, dang it Apple, why make us jump through hoops, just give us 24/192 Airplay option and call it a day.

Good luck!

 

[d6jg]

If you have given up on Airplay with Wiim (curse you Apple) or your device doesn't have it, here's best option I've found:

For those seeking:

• Wiim/Apple Music Ecosystem integration
• Apple Music navigation: view, select, play, pause from any Mac, iPhone, iPad, Watch
• Lossless music up to 24/48
• Automatic bit rate switching: 16/44.1, 24/44.1, 24/48

Hardware:

• Apple 4K TV - Generation 3 (A2737, A2843)
• Monoprice Blackbird HDMI Extractor - Optical Out to Wiim Device
• Note: I don't have Wiim Ultra or Amp Pro but I'd assume you can skip the extractor since they have HDMI eArc input.

Notes:

• You can run ATV without a display but you'll need one for initial setup.
• To play music: Use "Control Center - Apple Music" remote option to select streams, stations, library music: play, pause music
• Control Center Remote works from all Apple Devices including Apple Watch.
• Unintuitive Apple Feature:
  • When you drag down Control Center on iOS, there's a grayed out side panel that shows Apple Music icon.
  • Select Apple Music icon, it presents list of Airplay devices then scroll down to bottom to see "other devices"
  • Select your ATV from Other Devices and you'll be controlling Apple Music natively on the ATV, not over airplay. (the magic sauce)
• On ATV you'll need to:
  • Enable "Settings> Users & Accounts> Home Sharing" which requires pairing to Apple Music. Repeat for other Apple devices you wish to use to control ATV.
  • Set "Settings -> Apps -> Music -> Audio Quality -> Lossless Audio
  • Set the "Settings->General->Sleep After" setting far enough out that it doesn't go to sleep while you are futzing around in Apple Music or pause it for a phone call.

Advantages of the ATV4K (Gen 3) versus Airplay:

• This provides reliable, automatic bit rate switching of uncompressed lossless 16/44.1, 24/44.1, 24/48. This feature was apparently added last year and only works on gen 3 versions of ATV. (like other iOS devices). Even Mac OS X Sequia does not do automatic bit rate switching.
• No compression like with Airplay
• I've found bump to lossless 24bit audio is the differentiator, much more so than the difference between 48/96/192 sample rates. Do I want high Rez?...of course! ... but with 24/48, lack of 96/192 isn't a deal breaker any longer, it sounds fantastic.

Would someone mind confirming ATV works like this directly with Wiim Ultra/Amp Pro without needing to extract the audio first?

I could see moving to ATV/Amp Pro to get native Apple Music control and super simple/great sound quality setup.

All that said, dang it Apple, why make us jump through hoops, just give us 24/192 Airplay option and call it a day.

Good luck!

The HDMI on Ultra is ARC - it won’t work directly from a device’s HDMI out.

 

[D700]

The HDMI on Ultra is ARC - it won’t work directly from a device’s HDMI out.

Have you tried it?

Apple enabled bidirectional HDMI ARC support on ATV last year so wonder if that restriction applies.

 

[d6jg]

Have you tried it?

Apple enabled bidirectional HDMI ARC support on ATV last year so wonder if that restriction applies.

Perhaps it will work then.

 

[adias]

If you have given up on Airplay with Wiim (curse you Apple) or your device doesn't have it, here's best option I've found:

For those seeking:

• Wiim/Apple Music Ecosystem integration
• Apple Music navigation: view, select, play, pause from any Mac, iPhone, iPad, Watch
• Lossless music up to 24/48
• Automatic bit rate switching: 16/44.1, 24/44.1, 24/48

Hardware:

• Apple 4K TV - Generation 3 (A2737, A2843)
• Monoprice Blackbird HDMI Extractor - Optical Out to Wiim Device
• Note: I don't have Wiim Ultra or Amp Pro but I'd assume you can skip the extractor since they have HDMI eArc input.

Notes:

• You can run ATV without a display but you'll need one for initial setup.
• To play music: Use "Control Center - Apple Music" remote option to select streams, stations, library music: play, pause music
• Control Center Remote works from all Apple Devices including Apple Watch.
• Unintuitive Apple Feature:
  • When you drag down Control Center on iOS, there's a grayed out side panel that shows Apple Music icon.
  • Select Apple Music icon, it presents list of Airplay devices then scroll down to bottom to see "other devices"
  • Select your ATV from Other Devices and you'll be controlling Apple Music natively on the ATV, not over airplay. (the magic sauce)
• On ATV you'll need to:
  • Enable "Settings> Users & Accounts> Home Sharing" which requires pairing to Apple Music. Repeat for other Apple devices you wish to use to control ATV.
  • Set "Settings -> Apps -> Music -> Audio Quality -> Lossless Audio
  • Set the "Settings->General->Sleep After" setting far enough out that it doesn't go to sleep while you are futzing around in Apple Music or pause it for a phone call.

Advantages of the ATV4K (Gen 3) versus Airplay:

• This provides reliable, automatic bit rate switching of uncompressed lossless 16/44.1, 24/44.1, 24/48. This feature was apparently added last year and only works on gen 3 versions of ATV. (like other iOS devices). Even Mac OS X Sequia does not do automatic bit rate switching.
• No compression like with Airplay
• I've found bump to lossless 24bit audio is the differentiator, much more so than the difference between 48/96/192 sample rates. Do I want high Rez?...of course! ... but with 24/48, lack of 96/192 isn't a deal breaker any longer, it sounds fantastic.

Would someone mind confirming ATV works like this directly with Wiim Ultra/Amp Pro without needing to extract the audio first?

I could see moving to ATV/Amp Pro to get native Apple Music control and super simple/great sound quality setup.

All that said, dang it Apple, why make us jump through hoops, just give us 24/192 Airplay option and call it a day.

Good luck!

But… isn’t that AirPlay? AirPlay enhanced when communicating with aTV?

 

[D700]

But… isn’t that AirPlay? AirPlay enhanced when communicating with aTV?

Nope. First thing I checked was rebooting my phone while it was playing.