Connecting Macbook Pro to a DAC

[admin_exported]

Hello all,

I want to connect my Macbook Pro to my DAC. It is not those fancy DACs with usb inputs. It has a 1 coax (S/PDIF) and 1 optical (Toslink) input. You can find more information about this DAC here.

Apparently Macbook also has a digital audio output. But I have no idea how to connect these two. Which cable should I buy? I think they have again a special cable just like mini display port but I don't know.

Also if I buy something like Logitech Squeezebox, will the quality imrpove? Or just I will get rid of cables?

Thank you very much!

 

[Andrew Everard]

The digital audio out on the MBP is in the headphone socket – it's a combination socket, and needs an optical cable with a MiniTOSLink plug on one end, and a standard TOSLink on the other end for your DAC.

 

[Anonymous]

It will be the first time I am connecting my computer to my stereo system. So I don't have any idea.

So as far as I understood, I need something like this. Is there also good, accomplished cable brands for this purpose?

 

[Andrew Everard]

So as far as I understood, I need something like this. Is there also good, accomplished cable brands for this purpose?

Yes, that kind of cable is exactly what you need, and yes, many cable companies make such cables at a variety of prices. Or you can use a standard TOSLink-to-TOSLink cable with an adapter such as this:

 

[Anonymous]

Oh this is very good. Just an adapter to connect my good old coax cable then I am good to go! Maybe there will be some signal loss but I am planning to buy something like Squeezbox so it will be a good temporary solution.

Thank you very much for the help!

 

[Dave_]

Oh this is very good. Just an adapter to connect my good old coax cable then I am good to go!

No!

The adapter Andrew posted is to convert a standard toslink to toslink optical cable to mini-toslink. You cant use coaxial

 

[Andrew Everard]

Just an adapter to connect my good old coax cable

No, it's to convert a TOSLink (ie optical) cable to suit the smaller socket on the MBP.

 

[Anonymous]

Yeah, my bad. Thank you for alerting. I have only digital (coax) cable. So I need to buy a new optical cable then with mini-toslink connection or adapter. Thanks again.