Audio gear. Music. Tech & News.

Reviewing: Streaming (high-res) music using your iPad or iPhone

There is a trend by audio electronics brands of offering a separate component, a 'streamer'. This component usually has its own display and connects to your home wifi. These component streamers connect to your streaming service of choice (Qobuz, Tidal, Deezer, Spotify, etc) and send that music stream onwards ho to your audio receiver, integrated amplifier or pre-amplifier via a cable interconnect. Easy enough...but not always.

An Apple iPad can act in the same fashion as said streamer. Using an Apple Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter* you can connect the iPad to your stereo and stream high-res and standard CD quality sound from your favorite streaming app. I've included some photos to help visually explain how to connect the cable spew.

The white Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter is white and looks like this:

Connect the Adapter into your iPad's lightning port. Then connect a USB A-to-C cable from the Adapter into your amplifier's DAC (digital-to-analog convertor) or, to your own free-standing DAC. In my case I'm using an outboard Modi DAC from Schitt Audio**:

Then connect the Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter to power. Here is a photo of mine connected to an extension cord:

In this configuration AC powers all three, the USB 3 Camera Adapter, the iPad and the Modi DAC***. No need to run separate power supply to the Modi.

Open the App(s) of your choice and stream the music via wifi into the iPad and out into the DAC and your audio amplifier. This also allows you to enjoy and higher resolution music streams if you subscribe to such.

*https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MK0W2AM/A/lightning-to-usb-3-camera-adapter

**https://www.schiit.com/products/modi-plus

***https://www.schiit.com/public/upload/PDF/modi%20plus%20manual.pdf

Good luck and enjoy!

Doug

#ipad #streaming #hirez