Bose Companion speakers with Subwoofer

Question

I am trying to link my airport express directly to the Bose subwoofer but the only input connection is a USB port.
When I go direct to laptop using USB the sound is unbeatable. Unfortunately, I can't seem to configure the airport express to handle audio signals out of the USB port
Any suggestions?

Answer 1

Yes, and a bit more detail...
For the AX, the audio is handled by a Texas
Instruments PCM2705 digital-to-analog converter which
it outputs on a 3.5mm stereo minijack. However, the
innermost end of the 3.5mm jack is an optical S/PDIF
transmitter.
The AX works only with iTunes v4.6+ and is limited to
music files that iTunes can read; ie, 16-bit data
only. (An exception is you can use a third-party
product like Rogue Amoeba's AirFoil to stream other
non-iTunes sources.) These data, though, can be in
any file format that iTunes recognizes, from lossy
MP3s at the low-quality end of the spectrum to Apple
Lossless and lossless AIF or WAV files at the high
end. It is also important to note that the AX
functions only at a 44.1kHz sample rate. When you
play 32kHz or 48kHz data, iTunes sample-rate-converts
the data in real time before sending it to the AX.
One operational glitch is the fact that, as the AX
doesn't have a local clock circuit, when the incoming
data is interrupted, as it is when you change songs
in iTunes, there is no longer a digital output to
feed the DAC, which loses lock as a result. Provided
you stick within its limitations and your DAC can
cope with its digital output switching off at the end
of songs, the combination of iTunes and an AX
provides an easy way to pipe CD-quality music around
your home.
Thanks for those details - So, how do I connect my Bose companion 5 to the airport express ?
Do I just use a mini to mini cable plugged into the Bose's control pod ? Can you buy mini to USB or toslink(?) to USB ?
Should I (and can I buy ??) the digital (toslink?) to mini (toslink in ax and mini in Bose pod) or is that a waste of time quality wise ?
So many questions !
Any help much appreciated THANKS