[Heyyoudvd]

I use my wired headphones with my iPhone (via the Apple dongle) and with my PC (via my Topping L30), but I currently have no way to play them when I’m watching TV or a movie via my big screen TV (which is connected to an Apple TV 4K).

I have Bluetooth headphones like AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Max, but I also want to use my wired headphone collection, such as my 6XX, Grado Hemp, K702, and Focal Elegia.

What’s the best way to achieve this?
I thought of a few possibilities. What do you think is best, or do you have any other suggestions?

1. If my Apple TV 4K is connected to my LG C8 via ARC, I can probably use the TV’s headphone jack, but I’d imagine that will sound terrible. I don’t even have eARC, just regular ARC, and I’m sure the TV doesn’t have the greatest built-in AMP/DAC.
2. Is there a way to use my iPhone as a Bluetooth or AirPlay receiver, where I send the signal from the Apple TV to the iPhone and then plug my headphones into the iPhone via the Apple dongle?
3. If #2 isn’t possible, should I get a portable amp/DAC like a Qudelix 5K, ES100, or BTR5 instead? I’ve heard that streaming AAC to a non-Apple device degrades the quality. Is that true?
4. Rather than a portable amp/DAC, I could get a desktop Bluetooth one like the DX3 Pro+. But again, I’d be receiving the Apple TV’s AAC signal via a non-Apple device (DX3 Pro+). Will that degrade the quality?

Any thoughts or suggestions for this predicament?

Thanks.

 

[Heyyoudvd]

I’m tempted to just go with Option #3 and grab the Qudelix. Is that my best option?

 

[tesarpa]

That option will most likely work, but if you wish to retain audio quality, there is the wired solution too. Get HDMI audio extractor with optical output, connect to optical input of your DAC, connect headphone amplifier and finally your precious audiophile wired headphones

 

[Heyyoudvd]

That option will most likely work, but if you wish to retain audio quality, there is the wired solution too. Get HDMI audio extractor with optical output, connect to optical input of your DAC, connect headphone amplifier and finally your precious audiophile wired headphones

Interesting. I didn’t realize that category of product even existed. Right now, the audio from my Apple TV goes to my paired HomePods via AirPlay, so you’re saying I’d select the audio output to go to my LG TV, and then I’d put this audio extractor device in the middle, so that the video still goes to the TV, but the audio is split out into an audio output, and then I’d hook up my audio devices there?

I guess the issue there is I don’t even own a separate DAC. lol. My desktop DAC is my PC’s Xonar sound card, and my mobile DAC is the Apple dongle. So I’d need to buy both the audio extractor and then a separate amp/DAC, and then plug my headphones into that.

If I just went with the Qudelix, is a lot of audio quality lost? Is it really noticeable?

 

[tesarpa]

Interesting. I didn’t realize that category of product even existed. Right now, the audio from my Apple TV goes to my paired HomePods via AirPlay, so you’re saying I’d select the audio output to go to my LG TV, and then I’d put this audio extractor device in the middle, so that the video still goes to the TV, but the audio is split out into an audio output, and then I’d hook up my audio devices there?

Yes, you just need to get HDMI extractor with HDMI video output and optical SPDIF output, as not all of them have both outputs. And be careful about 4K support etc. There is plethora of those on Amazon.

If I just went with the Qudelix, is a lot of audio quality lost? Is it really noticeable?

Only your ears can tell you. My experience is, that wired is alway noticeable better. But it depends on the source, I mean, if you stream lossy AAC 256 kbps then probably Bluetooth will be sufficient. But for uncompress audio is not, at least to my ears.

 

[Heyyoudvd]

Yes, you just need to get HDMI extractor with HDMI video output and optical SPDIF output, as not all of them have both outputs. And be careful about 4K support etc. There is plethora of those on Amazon.

Only your ears can tell you. My experience is, that wired is alway noticeable better. But it depends on the source, I mean, if you stream lossy AAC 256 kbps then probably Bluetooth will be sufficient. But for uncompress audio is not, at least to my ears.

I’m less concerned about the 256 AAC. It doesn’t quite sound as good as lossless, but 256 AAC can still sound very good. What I’m more concerned with the AAC decoding.

I’ve heard that non-Apple devices don’t encode/decode AAC in the same way that Apple devices do, and that can lead to a significant loss in quality. I don’t have personal experience with that, but if that’s true, that is worrisome.

 

[tesarpa]

I have only limited experience with my Valco ANC20 headphones (btw very good product), supporting both AAC and aptX codecs. When listening CD quality music from MacBook Pro, the difference was easily discernible between aptX and AAC in favor to aptX. Unfortunately, mighty Apple in his wisdom decided to kill aptX support on Mac OS lately. But when I'm on the go, I listen lossy music from iPhone to these headphones (in AAC), and I still can enjoy it.