I used to be an audiophile many (35!) years ago and am exploring if I want to head back down that rabbit hole - so much has changed in the world since then! I've been doing a lot of reading, but there is so much information I've ended up just confused!
I'm initially focusing on streaming digital content from a service like Qobus with the endpoint being wireless (bluetooth) earbuds. I know bluetooth will be a limiting factor but it's not clear to me yet that I have anywhere in my home to set up speakers and I tend to listen in multiple locations at home anyway. I'm a bit unclear about what I need to give me the best possible sound without breaking the bank. Let's say I have a budget of around $1000 to spend, though I've already spent about $200 of this on some new earbuds. I just bought the Sony WF-1000XM4 earbuds, haven't even listened to them yet (though I can return them if that was a serious mistake!). I'm assuming they will be an upgrade over the Tozo-6 earbuds I've been using. I also own the Audio-Technica ATHM50XBT wireless/wired headphones, though I find them (and all over ear headphones) painful to wear for very long, hence my interest in earbuds. Wireless is important as I need to move around as I listen. I'm a Mac user with an iPhone 10X, a newish iPad Air and an iMac. I've been using my iPhone or iPad as the streaming source. I listen almost exclusively to jazz, particularly from the 50s/60s era and am looking for as much clarity and atmosphere, pretty neutral overall, as I can get given the limitations.
I'm confused about a few things:
- what bluetooth codec should I be trying to standardize on? Is there a noticeable difference between AAC and aptX? Is there an easy way to force both Apple devices to use AAC and not default to SBC?
- do I need a dedicated streamer vs iphone and/or ipad? (If a streamer is needed, I might need 2 of them as I split my time 50/50 between two locations - which affects my budget)
- in the "system" I'm asking about, I'm confused about where a DAC is involved and how important it is? Do I need an external DAC?
- would a newer iPhone result in an improvement in audio quality?
So any specific suggestions what I should do end to end would be much appreciated! Where is the money best spent?
Hopefully these questions are semi-coherent and to the point. Forgive my ignorance, I suspect any and all answers will clarify a lot of my confusion!
Thanks
Bob
I'm initially focusing on streaming digital content from a service like Qobus with the endpoint being wireless (bluetooth) earbuds. I know bluetooth will be a limiting factor but it's not clear to me yet that I have anywhere in my home to set up speakers and I tend to listen in multiple locations at home anyway. I'm a bit unclear about what I need to give me the best possible sound without breaking the bank. Let's say I have a budget of around $1000 to spend, though I've already spent about $200 of this on some new earbuds. I just bought the Sony WF-1000XM4 earbuds, haven't even listened to them yet (though I can return them if that was a serious mistake!). I'm assuming they will be an upgrade over the Tozo-6 earbuds I've been using. I also own the Audio-Technica ATHM50XBT wireless/wired headphones, though I find them (and all over ear headphones) painful to wear for very long, hence my interest in earbuds. Wireless is important as I need to move around as I listen. I'm a Mac user with an iPhone 10X, a newish iPad Air and an iMac. I've been using my iPhone or iPad as the streaming source. I listen almost exclusively to jazz, particularly from the 50s/60s era and am looking for as much clarity and atmosphere, pretty neutral overall, as I can get given the limitations.
I'm confused about a few things:
- what bluetooth codec should I be trying to standardize on? Is there a noticeable difference between AAC and aptX? Is there an easy way to force both Apple devices to use AAC and not default to SBC?
- do I need a dedicated streamer vs iphone and/or ipad? (If a streamer is needed, I might need 2 of them as I split my time 50/50 between two locations - which affects my budget)
- in the "system" I'm asking about, I'm confused about where a DAC is involved and how important it is? Do I need an external DAC?
- would a newer iPhone result in an improvement in audio quality?
So any specific suggestions what I should do end to end would be much appreciated! Where is the money best spent?
Hopefully these questions are semi-coherent and to the point. Forgive my ignorance, I suspect any and all answers will clarify a lot of my confusion!
Thanks
Bob