When using Airplay from an iPhone or similar, is there any benefit to using Ethernet to connect a streamer such as a Wiim Pro?

I think that when using a service that’s natively supported by the Wiim, like Spotify, your phone uses WiFi to tell the Wiim what to play. Then the music is transmitted via Ethernet. It’s easy to see the benefit of a fast, stable Ethernet connection there.

But with Airplay, the only active connection would be the wireless one between the phone and the Wiim, right? Would Ethernet going into the Wiim have any effect in this situation?

  • ConsciousNoise5690@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    10 months ago

    But with Airplay, the only active connection would be the wireless one between the phone and the Wiim, right?

    Maybe.

    I’m not familiar with the internals of Airplay but I won’t be surprised if it works like UPnP.

    In case of UPnP, the phone is a control point. It simply tells the renderer (the one doing the playback) the URL of the track on the server.

    A simple check is to disconnect your phone from the Wi-Fi. If playback continues, you know the renderer pulls the audio straight from the server.

    • HearingtheMinotaur@alien.topBEnglish
      1·
      10 months ago

      Airplay only works this way when the endpoint is an apple device (like a HomePod or appletv). When airplaying to third party devices, the phone is the source for the complete data stream which may be compressed from the original file on the AM server.

      • stooftheoof@alien.topOPBEnglish
        1·
        10 months ago

        That’s what I suspected. In this case, Ethernet brings nothing to the table, as I understand it.