Hi all,
I'm thinking about setting up my first audio system, i.e. making a step up from just plugging my headphones into my laptop's audio out.
The laptop is supposed to remain the main audio source: I have a collection of mainly high quality mp3s (320 kbps) and FLACs, but a significant fraction is Spotify premium streaming. Please keep this streaming component in mind when giving advise on how much sense the suggested setup makes ;-) Also, apologies for still being a bit naive in this area.
Afaik my laptop (MacBook Pro 6,2) has an optical output, which I gather I would need to wire into an DAC.
Cambridge Audio DacMagic100 (http://www.whathifi.com/review/cambridge-audio-dacmagic-100)
Beresford Caiman (http://www.whathifi.com/review/beresford-caiman)
and Musical Fidelity M1 DAC (http://www.whathifi.com/review/musical-fidelity-m1-dac)
all look reasonable from what I read here.
The next step would be to get a headphone amplifier - I found the Little Dot MK3 Valve amp / preamp which looks good to me.
Headphones are already in place, AKG K550.
Does that look reasonable? And would I need any additional components?
Putting down about 200 £ each for the DAC and headphone amp I would hope being significantly and noticably better off than just plugging my headphones into the audio out of my MacBook, even listening to high quality streaming music. Am I correct?
Thanks!!
I'm thinking about setting up my first audio system, i.e. making a step up from just plugging my headphones into my laptop's audio out.
The laptop is supposed to remain the main audio source: I have a collection of mainly high quality mp3s (320 kbps) and FLACs, but a significant fraction is Spotify premium streaming. Please keep this streaming component in mind when giving advise on how much sense the suggested setup makes ;-) Also, apologies for still being a bit naive in this area.
Afaik my laptop (MacBook Pro 6,2) has an optical output, which I gather I would need to wire into an DAC.
Cambridge Audio DacMagic100 (http://www.whathifi.com/review/cambridge-audio-dacmagic-100)
Beresford Caiman (http://www.whathifi.com/review/beresford-caiman)
and Musical Fidelity M1 DAC (http://www.whathifi.com/review/musical-fidelity-m1-dac)
all look reasonable from what I read here.
The next step would be to get a headphone amplifier - I found the Little Dot MK3 Valve amp / preamp which looks good to me.
Headphones are already in place, AKG K550.
Does that look reasonable? And would I need any additional components?
Putting down about 200 £ each for the DAC and headphone amp I would hope being significantly and noticably better off than just plugging my headphones into the audio out of my MacBook, even listening to high quality streaming music. Am I correct?
Thanks!!