I'm confused. Is WiFi being used, or is AirPlay being used?

[BorisBadenuf]

I'm still new to this streaming stuff and I'm admittedly confused about how the music is being streamed to my WiiM. In the WiiM app I have the option of selecting an audio input. I select WiFi. But when I go to Qobuz to select the music I want to listen to I'm asked to select the audio output from the Qobuz app on my iPhone; either on the iPhone itself, or AirPlay, or BlueTooth. I want the music being sent to the WiiM device to be sent via WiFi because it's capable of Hi-Res audio. AirPlay only allows a maximum of CD quality.
So what's the story behind the curtain?

 

[spark1]

I am not an expert, but as far as I know. Qobuz has not yet implemented a "connect" function, by which you could use the Qobuz user interface app to control the music but have it streamed directly to the Wiim (Qobuz to the internet to your local network to the Wiim).

If you want to use Qobuz and want higher resolution, use the Wiim app rather than the Qobuz app.

 

[BorisBadenuf]

If you want to use Qobuz and want higher resolution, use the Wiim app rather than the Qobuz app.

Well, that was easy enough. Thanks much for the tip. Had I bothered to actually read the WiiM manual I would have found that information.
Thanks again. Now that I have that worked out I'm going to listen to some Hi-Res releases and hopefully hear the difference.

 

[Sliphorn]

Well, that was easy enough. Thanks much for the tip. Had I bothered to actually read the WiiM manual I would have found that information.
Thanks again. Now that I have that worked out I'm going to listen to some Hi-Res releases and hopefully hear the difference.

..
spark1is correct. Use the WiiM app to access Qobuz. Will you hear a difference between Hi Rez vs CD quality? Doubtful, but maybe you will. Please let us know.

 

[cpt_paranoia]

Just for reference, Airplay is a local streaming protocol, carried over WiFi (or Ethernet) bearer.

The most basic analogy is probably a stereo pair signal (protocol) carried over an electrical cable (bearer). AM and FM radio can be considered different protocols, carried over a radio frequency bearer.

 

[BorisBadenuf]

..
spark1is correct. Use the WiiM app to access Qobuz. Will you hear a difference between Hi Rez vs CD quality? Doubtful, but maybe you will. Please let us know.

First let me say that I know there are those out there that will call my assessment between AirPlay, at CD quality, and Wi-Fi at Hi-Res quality, bulls***. And that's okay. I realize that I cannot qualify my assessment with scientific measurements, or quantitative data. I can only share what I believe I heard. It is purely a subjective finding.
I listened to two different songs; So What, from the album Kind Of Blue, by Miles Davis, and From The Beginning, from the album Trilogy (2015 Remastered), by Emerson, Lake & Palmer, to make the comparison. Each song was of the same selection from Qobuz. Equalizer was set to "flat" for all listening.
Streamer: WiiM Pro Plus
Preamp: McIntosh C27
Poweramp: McIntosh MC 7150
Speakers: Hales Audio System II Signature Series



I listened to each song several times, alternating between the AirPlay feed and the Wi-Fi feed, and listening to specific sections of each track for comparison. In each track I found the Wi-Fi feed to have more air to the sound. Both the AirPlay and the Wi-Fi were crisp and clean, and gave spatial awareness. Where I heard a difference was in the "presence". The AirPlay sounded just slightly muffled, and definitely as though it was being heard through a stereo system. The Wi-Fi, on the other hand provided a more realistic sound; as though I was sitting in front of the performers.

I'm not an audiophile reviewer so my assessment may not have all the correct terminology; it's just my description of how I interpreted the music.

 

[WillVT]

Airplay IS Wifi. It's just Apple's protocol.
Someone with more info can chime in, but when playing Qobuz through the Wiim app on an iPhone, isn't that still using Airplay?

@cpt_paranoia you seem like the resident expert on these things. Since Qobuz doesn't have a "connect" protocol like Tidal and Spotify, does it use Airplay when playing through the Wiim app?

 

[hjames]

Airplay IS Wifi. It's just Apple's protocol.
Someone with more info can chime in, but when playing Qobuz through the Wiim app on an iPhone, isn't that still using Airplay?

@cpt_paranoia you seem like the resident expert on these things. Since Qobuz doesn't have a "connect" protocol like Tidal and Spotify, does it use Airplay when playing through the Wiim app?

When I use the WiiM app on my iphone or iPad, its actually acting as a remote control for the WiiM Pro device connected to the internet via my home WiFi, and physically connected to my stereo via the Topping E30 II DAC. It is NOT using the Apple Airplay to transmit the music. When I use the WiimPro app to play music from Qobuz, the WiimPro is logged into Qobuz, my iPhone is NOT using the actual Qobuz app on my iPhone/iPad.

My WiimPro connects directly to the internet via WiFi through my WiFi router, it is not connected via my Apple computer or Mac gear using Airplay.

 

[Sliphorn]

Airplay IS Wifi. It's just Apple's protocol.
Someone with more info can chime in, but when playing Qobuz through the Wiim app on an iPhone, isn't that still using Airplay?

@cpt_paranoia you seem like the resident expert on these things. Since Qobuz doesn't have a "connect" protocol like Tidal and Spotify, does it use Airplay when playing through the Wiim app?

It does not use Airplay when playing through the WiiM app.

 

[Sliphorn]

First let me say that I know there are those out there that will call my assessment between AirPlay, at CD quality, and Wi-Fi at Hi-Res quality, bulls***. And that's okay. I realize that I cannot qualify my assessment with scientific measurements, or quantitative data. I can only share what I believe I heard. It is purely a subjective finding.
I listened to two different songs; So What, from the album Kind Of Blue, by Miles Davis, and From The Beginning, from the album Trilogy (2015 Remastered), by Emerson, Lake & Palmer, to make the comparison. Each song was of the same selection from Qobuz. Equalizer was set to "flat" for all listening.
Streamer: WiiM Pro Plus
Preamp: McIntosh C27
Poweramp: McIntosh MC 7150
Speakers: Hales Audio System II Signature Series

View attachment 3098780 View attachment 3098781

I listened to each song several times, alternating between the AirPlay feed and the Wi-Fi feed, and listening to specific sections of each track for comparison. In each track I found the Wi-Fi feed to have more air to the sound. Both the AirPlay and the Wi-Fi were crisp and clean, and gave spatial awareness. Where I heard a difference was in the "presence". The AirPlay sounded just slightly muffled, and definitely as though it was being heard through a stereo system. The Wi-Fi, on the other hand provided a more realistic sound; as though I was sitting in front of the performers.

I'm not an audiophile reviewer so my assessment may not have all the correct terminology; it's just my description of how I interpreted the music.

..
Alrighty then.
..

 

[BorisBadenuf]

Airplay IS Wifi. It's just Apple's protocol.
Someone with more info can chime in, but when playing Qobuz through the Wiim app on an iPhone, isn't that still using Airplay?

@cpt_paranoia you seem like the resident expert on these things. Since Qobuz doesn't have a "connect" protocol like Tidal and Spotify, does it use Airplay when playing through the Wiim app?

AirPlay maxes out at 16/44.1 As I understand it, that is not Hi-Res audio. Hi-res audio files usually use a sampling frequency of 96kHz or 192kHz at 24-bit, but you can also have 88.2kHz and 176.4kHz files too.

 

[spark1]

It used to mean anything greater than 16/44, but the major streaming services - other than Spotify - have tried to re-define it as lossless.

 

[WillVT]

AirPlay maxes out at 16/44.1 As I understand it, that is not Hi-Res audio. Hi-res audio files usually use a sampling frequency of 96kHz or 192kHz at 24-bit, but you can also have 88.2kHz and 176.4kHz files too.

I am well aware of all the sampling/bit rates. I don't use an iPhone and have never tried Qobuz, but I thought for some reason that since they didn't have their own Connect feature, that perhaps it was using Airplay even through the Wiim app. I am glad to be proven wrong by two members above.

 

[GChief]

I am well aware of all the sampling/bit rates. I don't use an iPhone and have never tried Qobuz, but I thought for some reason that since they didn't have their own Connect feature, that perhaps it was using Airplay even through the Wiim app. I am glad to be proven wrong by two members above.

The iPhone or iWhatever is just a remote as @hjames mentioned. My PW-Link works the same, it like the WiiM is the direct connection to the streaming service.

 

[BorisBadenuf]

I am well aware of all the sampling/bit rates. I don't use an iPhone and have never tried Qobuz, but I thought for some reason that since they didn't have their own Connect feature, that perhaps it was using Airplay even through the Wiim app. I am glad to be proven wrong by two members above.

well, as you have likely very easily determined that I'm quite naive and quite the rookie at all this streaming stuff, but am enjoying learning; especially when there are those here that are nice enough, and patient enough to explain things to me and provide me some information and tips; the first being to stop listening to music from my iPhone via bluetooth to my system.

 

[WillVT]

The iPhone or iWhatever is just a remote as @hjames mentioned. My PW-Link works the same, it like the WiiM is the direct connection to the streaming service.

Yeah, I understand how the Wiim works. I use one every day. I just had some weird memory of something odd with Qobuz in this situation. It's good to know that is not the case.
And @BorisBadenuf I totally get it. Streaming and casting can be pretty complex at times, especially for those (myself included) more used to the physical, hands on kind of gear. From what I can tell here though, you are doing great!

 

[BorisBadenuf]

Yeah, I understand how the Wiim works. I use one every day. I just had some weird memory of something odd with Qobuz in this situation. It's good to know that is not the case.
And @BorisBadenuf I totally get it. Streaming and casting can be pretty complex at times, especially for those (myself included) more used to the physical, hands on kind of gear. From what I can tell here though, you are doing great!

my latest big mistake has been using the Qobuz app on my iPhone to listen to music. Someone was nice enough to point out that to get the Hi-Res experience via Wi-Fi, I should be using the WiiM app and within it are many streaming providers to select from. That way the signal is being received via Wi-Fi by the WiiM device directly, and no transfer from the iPhone is needed.

and thank you.

 

[cpt_paranoia]

Since Qobuz doesn't have a "connect" protocol like Tidal and Spotify, does it use Airplay when playing through the Wiim app

As others have explained, the Wiim app acts as a remote control for the Wiim streamer. The media stream goes direct to the Wiim, and not through the controlling device. The Wiim app just lets you choose and see what is playing.

 

[BilboBaggins]

That being said, if you have your device connected to a wired connection to the router, WiFi is only being used by the remote.

 

[BorisBadenuf]

As others have explained, the Wiim app acts as a remote control for the Wiim streamer. The media stream goes direct to the Wiim, and not through the controlling device. The Wiim app just lets you choose and see what is playing.

right. that's what I was trying to say. I did not recognize this initially, but someone here guided me in the right direction.