Just wondering about that DOA Airplay chip. I don’t suspect it be more than a hardware implementation of a bit of software code.
Having to sell the message that the related convenience support isn’t going to be available for another year is a bit mindbogglingly difficult to comprehend for a platform of global proportion.
I’d say to somehow implement that software in an alternative way in each product to promote the platform and have it proliferated in any new product that comes to market. For the like of an AL that should perhaps be easier than for, say, a $5 home appliance.
Of course, it’s more troublesome, but shouldn’t be that hard?
It would require a board redesign at this point to accommodate the chipset, according to Paul - if I understood his reply correctly.
I surmise the delays and overall hassle of incorporating AirPlay resulted in a design change once the decision to forego AirPlay was made. 
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i don’t know anything about anything, but i wonder if they could do it like Schiit does, where they build in some accommodation for the chip to be installed at a later date. Like have some kind of user-pluggable module that people could order if they wanted.
Schiit does that with adding DAC chips or other updates. (I added a DAC to my Schiit headphone amp a while back and it was pretty slick.)
I know this won’t happen, and I truly don’t care about AirLens Airplay functionality, but the pixels are free here.
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No one has discussed the possibility of using shairport. That’s what sonore has done. I’m not at all knowledgeable about how to implement; however, I understand it to be an unofficial airplay emulator. It works on the sonore devices.
The extent of my knowledge below:
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That’s an interesting idea. The AL has a USB input so you could connect a shairport thingy to it maybe?
Didn’t hear of this one before. It surely shows nothing is impossible, once one puts his or her mind to it.
This also gives opportunity to future implementation of other types of services.
…which is available as a plugin (along with Qobuz, Tidal, Bandcamp, iPlayer and others) for LMS, apps also available to control the server, all for free, as is the streamer/endpoint firmware image.
This is why I keep mentioning it as a perfect platform for the Airlens, but so far no response from PSA (and doubtless too late now to include), so stuck with clunky DLNA and expensive Roon.
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Can’t we hook it up through usb?
The board is already designed with the spot for the chip. It has to be. Remember the predicted July release and the bizarre video that said AL was already released and doing well? That stuff was done. They just couldn’t get on same page with Apple it seems.
Understandable if they commit to a release now without Airplay that they don’t want to say they’ll later support- lots of effort. If they change mind and decide they can’t be competitive without Airplay, they’ll delay release now and work it out with Apple.
Well it’s relatively easy to build a RasPi box that will stream airplay (using shairport) out of USB (which would then plug straight into a DAC USB input) or SPDIF (using a “HAT” add on SPDIF card) for about 100 uk pounds.
…and then buy an AirLens to do the rest of your streaming into a different input on the DAC…
…but having built the RasPi for Airplay, may as well add the rest of the free software and do all your streaming from one box. All for around 100 uk pounds 
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Capitalism never did really understand open source software
(Sorry, sorry, I’ll stop now!)
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“The board is already designed with the spot for the chip. It has to be.”
While I certainly respect your right to have such an opinion, I cannot square it with Paul’s response to my question.
I wrote:
Is an AirPlay update (“upgrade”) feasible down the line?
…and Paul responded:
No, unfortunately it would require yet another board spin. Airplay would have been nice but hardly important.
Hence, my supposition that design changes have ensued and AirPlay is no longer 'in play".
Cheers.
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Without the chip they can’t do Airplay, so we agree that seems to be the plan.
But that doesn’t necessarily mean they’d have to spin a new board, though it might - all depends on the design. Board turns are expensive and add delay, so if avoidable, that might typically be preferable.
The answer will come when the product finally gets released. Pop the top and see if there’s a board with an unpopulated spot for the Apple chip. (Of course not implying anything beyond that - obviously there’d be way more to it (“the design changes” mentioned). It’s a moot point if Apple won’t approve them or they don’t want to pay Apple’s license terms or if the chips really aren’t available to PSA but are to other companies
I enjoyed that quip!
Regards.
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That’s not the point here, is it? We’re not buying PSA products because I can make the same thing for cheap. Being a member of this forum presupposes that one has already accepted that PSA can make expensive products that produce much superior sound than what I can make for cheap.
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I suppose Paul could be lying or simply misinformed when he unequivically wrote:
No, unfortunately it would require yet another board spin.
Pedantically yours.
Agreed, I was being somewhat facetious 
I think it’s good folks are made aware of other (and sometimes cheaper) alternatives, but building RasPi stuff requires some level of messing about and trial and error, it’s not for everyone.
I would love to play with an AirLens - I like the concept of the tech very much (if not the software chosen).
Another product of theirs in the past I thought was a brilliant idea was the Nuwave Phono Converter, but that was apparently not a success so maybe I shoul keep my appreciation of the AirLens concept to myself for now
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I use my Node with the PS DSD dac and it pulls in HR.
Myself also but not when I just use Qobuz, I can select Qobuz within BluOS and can stream HR. I like the The way the Qobuz app looks over BluOS.
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Innuos have used LMS for years, provides great flexibility.
They have just announced a new range of three streamers with a wide range of hardware and connectivity options, plus their own excellent Sense streaming app. Range from$1,250 to $6,900.
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