Questions about my proposed setup

Whole House Products & Projects
1

Hi everyone,
I just bought a new house and would like to set up multi-room audio. My proposed setup is attached and I have a few questions.

  1. I would like to use my iMac as a NAS and feed that music into the S50 Pro+. Can I do that? Will a 3.5 to optical cable work? Is there an easier way to do it?

  2. I have a vintage turntable and I would like to send that music through the house (primarily to the living room). Can I send the signal from a phono preamp into the S50 Pro+? Any reason why it wouldn’t work?

  3. This might be a dumb question but I’ll ask: If I want to listen to the turntable in the office only, will the signal pass through the s50 Pro+ to the vintage receiver using RCA’s?

If you see any other flaws in my diagram, please let me know. Thanks!

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2

Hi Tim,
I cannot see why your proposed system layout wouldn’t work.

  1. Presuming your iMac has a SPDIF Toslink output, should be okay.

  2. You can group your devices together on the app, so yes

  3. Yes.

Downloads of all the manuals are at the bottom of the Arylic web page, there is a lot of information that might assist you.

1 Like
3

Thanks for your feedback. My iMac is a few years old and does not have digital audio out. I think I can use a converter though and use a spare USB-C port. Going to give it a try. https://www.amazon.com/LiNKFOR-Coaxial-Headphone-Converter-Optical/dp/B07SR7BYD6/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=USB+to+Optical+Audio+Adapter&qid=1601175034&sr=8-5&tag=mrforums-20

4

Why are you attempting to adapt a 3.5mm to optical? The S50 Pro+ has RCA plugs in the back if I’m not mistaken.

If you are trying to use the DAC in the S50 then I think you are running in circles here as your iMac is already being used as the DAC to go from digital to 3.5mm.

Or perhaps I’m not understanding your situation.

5

Hi Wilbur,
If I’m not mistaken, he’s referring to a 3.5mm optical connection often called a mini toslink.

1 Like
6

Ahhhh. But he did say he didn’t have a digital out?

7

Okay, not sure why he mentioned that then?
As per his Amazon link, he will need to use his USB to output his music files.

8

I run windows and have used MusicBee as a server for my audio files. It’s been months but I know I was able to stream the digital music files directly to my S50 Pro+.

Could do this for mac users. Apparently there’s no shortage of programs for Mac.

9

RCA In will be used by the phono preamp.

I ended up buying this to connect the USB-C port to a toslink cable and then into the S50 Pro+

10

Let us know how this all turns out. Always interested in alternatives.

1 Like
11

Can I ask why you are not using the iMac as a media streamer with Foobar or MusicBee (or a Mac equivalent)? I have done this with my pc using MusicBee so the audio is still digital until it gets to my S50Pro+, then I use the Arylic DAC to my analog devices. (Note that I’ve since upgraded my amp to a D class amplifier so the digital signal is passthrough my Arylic to the amp, then analog to my speakers)

I only ask because I can find myself down a rabbit hole of one solution. While my persistence often pays off, sometimes I just need to step back and listen to my wife. Sigh…

…or perhaps this won’t work with Mac OS…?

12

Mainly because I did not understand how to use them. Thanks for the video! Setting up the rest of my system next week when I am down in Florida. Will post the results.

13

Nice, enjoy Florida, we Canadians are dealing with a Polar Vortex with a temperature of -30°C or -22°F

14

Just went down the rabbit hole. Neither Music Bee nor Foobar 2000 will stream to Arylic from iMac. Looking for another option.

15

Have you watched this video?

16

Thanks. I did not see that one. I didn’t realize iTunes would see the Arylic as an output device --thought I had to hard wire. I am also looking at using Plex server so I can use the app from my phone when I am in other parts of the house.

17

Everything hooked up as described and working like a charm!

Overall feedback:

  1. 4Stream app is clunky as hell. Preaching to the choir , I know.

  2. Experiencing a short delay effect between rooms. Not horrible but not great either.

  3. Not consistently but once in a while I get a 1 second dropout of sound. Again, not horrible but not ideal.