Half decent DAC

[admin_exported]

Looking to improve quality of itunes music,currently connected mac through back of cyrus cd6.

3.5mm to rear of cyrus cd player.

cd player connected to cd on denon amp.

Music sounds pretty good now,will a standalone DAC improve yet again?

 

[Anonymous]

Still looking for ultimate in sound quality,no success today.

 

[chebby]

chefsmusic:
Music sounds pretty good now,will a standalone DAC improve yet again?

I don't think in your case there is any point in an external DAC

Your Denon AVR2803 has 4 optical digital audio inputs (far left of picture marked opt-1, opt-2 etc) so get a spare toslink/optical cable and one of these 3.5mm optical minijack adaptors for about £5....

... and plug the adaptor into the same headphone socket on your mac that you are using now. (On Macs the headphone socket doubles up as a 3.5mm optical audio output)

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the info.

Unfortunately my Mac is upstairs and my Denon downstairs so that is why i am using to phono connections(left,right) to my cd player.

Any other advice would be welcomed .

 

[Messiah]

How have you connected the Mac to the CD6?? I am puzzled as it only has audio outputs........

 

[chebby]

chefsmusic:Unfortunately my Mac is upstairs and my Denon downstairs so that is why i am using to phono connections(left,right) to my cd player.

You said you had the Cyrus CD connected to the Denon and the mac connected to the Cyrus....

chefsmusic:...currently connected mac through back of cyrus cd6. 3.5mm to rear of cyrus cd player. cd player connected to cd on denon amp.

This was why I assumed it was all in one room. Unless you are using very long phono cables. In which case just substitute a very long optical cable instead.

Or get an Airport Express connected to your Denon with optical (using that 3.5mm optical minijack again, this time on the AE) and your mac can 'talk' to that assuming your mac has airport wireless built in.

Should sound better.

If I have still got the wrong end of the stick about the configuration of equipment you are using in your chosen listening room, please can you clarify what amp/speakers the mac will be playing through and how far away from the mac the amp/speakers are? Thanks.

(Just trying to save you buying an external DAC if an optical cable or AE will do the trick better by exploiting what you already have in your Denon AV amp.)

 

[Anonymous]

ok maybe its the way i explained it.

Mac upstairs-have a 3.5mm cable running down to cyrus cd player into phono cables(cable is approx 10 m long-3.5mm into 2 phono)

I then have 2 phono running from cd player into denon amp-when i play itunes music i select cd on amp.

looked at airport express which looks great,cost is the issue at present although reckon i could get on ebay for a good price.

 

[chebby]

chefsmusic:..looked at airport express which looks great,cost is the issue at present although reckon i could get on ebay for a good price.

They are only £65 new.

A "half decent" (from your title) external DAC would cost a lot more even for budget ones. (At least around £120 up to £250 for those with optical)

 

[Anonymous]

Still puzzled about how you're connecting the Mac Mini to the CD6. The CD6 only has outputs. or do you mean you're playing the CD6 through the Mac Mini?

 

[Dave_]

Yeah,it's got me puzzled too!

 

[Anonymous]

now i am confused lol,but all i can say is the sound has improved slightly!

So good for me