Airport Express+Amp+Speakers...what about DAC?

[admin_exported]

Hi,

This might sound a stupid question ... 🙂

With the following set up, airport express+Amp+Speakers, can I fit in a DAC? If yes, any recommendations?

For reference, check http://www.macworld.com/article/160417/2011/06/how_to_build_your_own_airplay_audio_system.html

Thanks

 

[John Duncan]

Yes you can. The AX has an optical out in that headphone socket so you can run an optical cable from it to the DAC of your choice. S'what I do...

 

[byakuya83]

Yes, the link you provided has some useful information. You could even go for powered or active speakers and eliminate the need for a separate amplifier.

 

[basshound]

As John says,you can connect the optical out from the AEX to a dac and then the dac to your amp. As for Dac recommendations, it would depend on your budget,at the lower end of the price range the Beresfords or Dacmagic are hard to beat, if you can spend more the choice becomes almost overwhelming.

 

[Ryan92]

It's almost exactly the same as my set up, though with airport express rather than apple TV 2, you'll need a little adapter to go on one end of the toslink cable, though most come with one anyway. It's really quite a lot better with a DAC IMO . . A friend has an airport express, I recently brought round mine as his words were that it was "a waste of money" and I thought I should correct him. Needless to say he's now saving up for one.