Integra DTR 40.1 - Zone 2

[chuck21401]

I recently purchased an Integra DTR 40.1 receiver to replace my older Onkyo receiver. Before the Integra I had a TX-DS 939 and before that a TX-DS 747. The Integra is a great leap forward and sounds great.

I am using the Integra in a home theater set up and have two outdoor speakers on my deck. My music and movie collection is managed with a MacMini using Itunes and I have an external hard drive for storage. For speakers, I have B&W XT2s as front speakers, a FPM5 as the center channel, M1s as surround speakers and an ASW 608 for a subwoofer. I am running a pair of JBL outdoor speakers on the deck.

After setting up the Integra, I realized that it cannot play back a digital source in zone 2. The MacMini outputs sound via optical digital out OR the stereo mini plug but not both. I don't want to lose 5.1 dolby digital for my movies, but at the same time I want to use my zone 2 speakers for music.

I was thinking maybe I could keep the digital output the same, and add a USB D/A converter for analog zone 2 but I have done some reading that the Mac might not output two sound devices at the same time.

Any ideas? Thanks.

Chuck

[Audiophiliac]

Tough one. A couple options are to use an Apple TV to stream music for zone 2. Or you might even be able to connect the INtegra to your network and stream directly to it. I suppose you could use a DAC if it had a digital pass through on it. I am sure someone makes a toslink splitter too.

Good luck and let us know what you decide to do.

[chuck21401]

Thanks for your thoughts.

re: Network

I do have the Integra connected to my computer network via Ethernet cable, so maybe that is an option. That isn't as much fund because then I loose the ability to use Itunes on the big TV to select the next songs.

re: Apple TV. I've seen the Apple TV units, but it's not clear to me how that would work. I will check the Apple website.

re: DAC. I continue to research these. Digital pass through is something to look for, good idea. I was thinking the other way around...using the optical out from the MacMini and trying to get analog from the DAC at the same time...but that creates "two devices" for the macmini to contend with.

re: toslink splitter. I have seen these and maybe that is an option...though I wonder what happened when the DAC receives a 5.1 signal...is that downmixed back to stereo?

re: another idea. I have an Apple Airport Express laying around. I could stream music from itunes to the airport express using AirTunes...and run a mini stereo plug to an analog input on the Intregra...but it seems silly to run a wireless connection for 1 ft!

[chuck21401]

I ended up connecting the AirPort Express to the receiver to run Zone 2 using AirTunes. Of course this only works for Itunes, but really that is all I needed.