Dave Moulton:

Another excellent DAC is the Stereo-Link

http://www.stereo-link.com/cart/home.php

We've worked with the designer, Ron Genereaux, and recommend him and his products highly.  

I hope this may be of help.  

Best regards,  

This is indeed an excellent DAC but I think it is for a USB connection.  The USB connection on an Apple TV is not for audio.  According to the directions the USB connection is for service and maintenance.

Bill 

BeoNut1:

Alex,

Thank you for replying to my question.

So, even if I go HDMI out from the Apple TV to a BV8 and then have BL3s connected via the PL output on the BV8, I'd still be subject to Apple TV's DAC and it's poor quality?  I ask as it would seem that music in the Apple lossless format would be flowing digitally right to the BL3s, but maybe the BL3s don't have a digital to analog convertor that's inherent to them and this is required somewhere in the set up.

My goal is to try and avoid a BS3 or other "receiver" like device with this particular AV set up.

Mark 

Actually, I hadn't thought about that! If you connected via HDMI then you would indeed be bypassing the DAC in the Apple TV and using the one in the BeoVision 8 instead.

Mark,

What I think you are proposing as a "poor man's stereo" is really a cool concept.  The addition of DAC as I described improves the sound but does add some complexity. 

I really like your idea of using Apple TV not only as a source for movies but also for music.  I only wish Apple would redouble their efforts to put more movies into iTunes especially HD movies.

Bill 

Bill,

Thank you for your kind words as well as the input you've offered regarding this concept here and elsewhere.

I'm at a point in my life where I value simplicity.  Also, I love Apple computers and I love B&O hardware.  I've tried to fashion a system that takes simplicity in to account and that is a wise investment in terms of equipment I can utilize in the future.  With so many things in flux right now in the AV world and the advent of digital media, this isn't easy to do.  B&O's reluctance to embrace new technologies and their insistance on trying to design software doesn't help either (IMHO).

In designing the "poor man's stereo", the Dave Moulton speakers were a "no-brainer", but I've found it hard to want a receiver, Beosound 5, Beocenter 2, etc. when my computers and some incredibly eloquent software can do the "heavy lifting" better (again, IMHO).

If the BV8 will do as I want, then I'll consider it a sound investment, too, despite it's lack of modern inputs.

Do you think that the DAC and the other components you alluded to would make that much of a difference in terms of sound quality in my Apple TV / HDMI / BV8 / Powerlink / BL3 set-up?  I'd like to fully utilize the sound quality of the BL3 and the lossless audio, I just don't want a bunch of expensive, antiquated equipment and cables.

Mark 

BeoNut1:

Do you think that the DAC and the other components you alluded to would make that much of a difference in terms of sound quality in my Apple TV / HDMI / BV8 / Powerlink / BL3 set-up?  I'd like to fully utilize the sound quality of the BL3 and the lossless audio, I just don't want a bunch of expensive, antiquated equipment and cables. 

Mark,

The tricky bit is the DAC which is usually analog out.  I read the directions for BV8 and it looks like you can use AV3 for the DAC with the video being HDMI.  I don't have a BV8 so I am not exactly sure about the setup.  Maybe soundproof and others have some ideas.  I purchased a 32" Toshiba LCD TV about a year ago as a temporary TV.  There was no B&O TV at the time that I wanted to spend the big money on.  Anyway my Apple TV is connected to the Toshiba by HDMI but the DAC is connected to the aux port of a BC2.  When I want to watch or listen to Apple TV, I turn on the BC2 and mute the TV sound.  I know it is a two remote solution but it seemed like a good idea at the time.

Maybe there is someone out there with a BV8, Apple TV, and a DAC already in use.  Otherwise you have a cool system and can consider a DAC later time. 

Bill,

How would I split the audio out of the HDMI to port it through the AV3 inputs on the BV8 if this is the case (i.e. if the BV8's DAC only works on audio sources from AV3)?

Mark 

BeoNut1:

Bill,

How would I split the audio out of the HDMI to port it through the AV3 inputs on the BV8 if this is the case (i.e. if the BV8's DAC only works on audio sources from AV3)?

Mark 

Well Mark I am not exactly sure because I don't have a BV8.  You may need RCA cables coming from the DAC.  I will be at the new Chicago store next week and check it out. 

In my setup, the toslink optical goes from the Apple TV to the DAC and then 2 RCA type cables go to the Aux port on my Beocenter 2.  When I play music through iTunes, I select Aux on the BC2.

However without the DAC, your system will sound very good just using the HDMI and selecting the Beolab speakers when playing music.  The best sound from iTunes is alway when ripping at the lossless rate because the playback will have the same sound as a CD.  I purchased an ethernet hard drive which I have connected to an Airport Extreme to store all my iTunes music.  If you have the new Airport extreme and Apple TV, you get faster data rates due to the 802.11n protocol.  As you can see, I am really into Apple stuff.

I guess you have a lot of ideas from this thread and the other thread.  Everybody has just about the same ideas coming from different viewpoints.  Often the simplest idea works the best.  That is BV8, Bl3s, and Apple TV HDMI.

Regards,

Bill 

Bill,

Thank you so much for all your help.  In the other thread in which I've been also posing similar questions, I formally thanked Soundproof and JK; I should have included you, too.  Thank you again for all your insights, they've helped me make a decision.  As you suggested, I'm going to go BV8, BL3s, Apple TV, and HDMI.

Also, if you have a chance to check out this set-up at the new Chicago B&O store, I'd greatly appreciate hearing an engineer's opinion of how this set-up compares sound-wise to your DAC / BC2 set-up.  I haven't been to the new Chicago store, but the Oak Street store and it's employees were good friends (I miss them).

Mark