TOPIC:

I recently picked up a second SHD Studio (I already use one on my desktop). For this intended use I will feed it with a TV over optical and also play music over AirPlay from an iPhone or Mac. The SHD Studio will be out of sight/reach.TV listening is usually at the lowest possible volume, so the MV will generally be low. Music can be more spirited in level. However, I can't figure out how to control the master volume over AirPlay. I can attenuate volume from the MV level from an Apple device but cannot seem to take over the master volume. With every other AirPlay device in the home - and there are at least 9 others, including devices from Yamaha, Oppo, and MartinLogan in addition to AirPort Expresses and AppleTVs - AirPlay controls the master volume on all of them.

Is there a setting somewhere to give AirPlay control over the master volume on the Studio SHD? Or even better, can the SHD be configured remember last MV setting by input?

I don’t think there’s anything you can do. It depends on the device’s implementation and in this case it’s set to keep Airplay at full output and then have you control the volume on the SHD. Personally in my use the SHD’s implementation is much preferred. I don’t want my phone’s side buttons or on-screen volume in control of my expensive, powerful amp and speakers. For something like a Sonos unit, sure, I want that quick reach to volume if it goes to 100/100 it’s not going to blow up.

notman wrote:

I don’t think there’s anything you can do. It depends on the device’s implementation and in this case it’s set to keep Airplay at full output and then have you control the volume on the SHD.

Having to pick up a separate remote for volume pretty much defeats the point of streaming music from your phone.

It's also not just "Sonos" type devices on which AirPlay takes over the MV. Two others in use here are a MartinLogan Forte streaming amplifier and a Yamaha WXC-50 streaming preamp. My expectation for the Studio SHD is to replace a combination of Yamaha WXC-50 -> miniDSP DDRC-24 -> amps with Studio SHD + miniDSP PWR-ICE125 mains, PWR-ICE250 sub.

I get what you’re saying. Not arguing, I’m just offering a different perspective where it makes sense. Spotify Connect offloads volume to the SHD. I assume the same will go with Tidal Connect. Volumio basically does too but allows access to the master volume from inside the app but not on the side buttons. To me that makes sense for hifi.

If you really need that functionality, allow me to suggest a used Airport Express A1392 from eBay for ~$50 and a cheap Amazon toslink to spdif converter for $15 (plus the little mini toslink adapter if you don’t have one). Bonus that it’s Airplay 2 which is more reliable and multi-room. Your phone will be able to control the digital volume of the signal before it hits the SHD.

notman wrote:

I get what you’re saying.

No offense, but you don't seem to get what I'm saying at all. To recap, the issue is that my intention is to use the SHD Studio with two sources, a TV over optical and music streaming over AirPlay. So let's say you watch news or whatever at night on TV at appropriately low nighttime viewing, and when you wake up you want some loud upbeat music to pep up. So you queue a song on Music or Tidal on your iPhone and hit the AirPlay button to the system. You're limited to whisper levels unless you pick up another remote and fiddle with it to get the device set to SHD, etc. (I use Harmony; recall again that the SHD is to be tucked out of view, so no IR line of sight.) That completely defeats the purpose of just picking up your damn phone to play music! Never mind that it's something no self-respecting spouse/SO would ever put up with, even if the crazy audiophile might!

I'm sure there's some setting I'm just missing to make volume control while streaming work rationally in this setup, but I haven't been able to find it on the plugin or Volumio webpage. Which is why I'm asking! SHD and Volumio are both the current versions for the previous-generation hardware, as downloaded and updated today.

Alright, alright. Jeez. I regret saying anything.

Sounds to me like you need an IR repeater or another device. As far as I’ve seen, Airplay isn’t advertised anywhere for the SHD series and it’s a miracle we have any implementation at all.

As someone who daily selects music to play on their phone and then controls the volume with the remote, I can assure you it’s not fatal.