Mac Book Pro need a DAC or not ?

A

Anonymous

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Actually i will run B&W's 685 in a couple of days i think, but i don't want to buy an amp if it's possible, because all my music collection is mac-based so i don't have any cd's, only wav files with best quality
 

stevebrock

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Probably best with some active speakers and definitely a DAC.......probably the HRT II streamer, that will be a considerable upgrade from the internal DAC on your MacBook pro.....make sure your rip in lossless too!
 
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Anonymous

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Ok so, if i take the B&W's, with the HRT dac it will be enough ? And the sound quality would be much better than with the macbook dac ? and do you think there's a HUGE difference between flac and 320 kbps MP3 ?

Thank you for the answers
 
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Anonymous

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It will be 500 euros, 600 MAX (actually i'm a student don't have a lot of budget)
 

paradiziac

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I just tried the headphone jack out of my Mac Book Pro...it's not too bad--better than the Macmini or any PC I've used and not too far behind a budget DAC.

You definitely need an amp unless you're plugging it into active speakers (where the amps are inside the speakers) so I would say that's your first priority...
 
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Anonymous

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I've had the Focal XS, but i think the B&W's it's very very better no ?
 
A

Anonymous

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Just "maybe" ?? Do you thin the Focal XS can be at the level of Bower&Wilkins ones ?
 

stevebrock

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You need to listen to them really, will the speakers be on dedicated stands or a desktop?

A dedicated amp/speaker combo will mostly sound better than actives on a desk.

It really depends what space you have
 
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Anonymous

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No i want a desktop solution if it's possible, but is doesn't matter to me to buy a DAC and a bunch of better speakers did you have any suggestions ? I listen ta all genres, mostly electronic bu i go for classical and rock very often too ..
 

AL13N

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ARTIST3_blk_mac_cover.jpg


The ADAM ARTist 3 fall within your maximum budget of 600 Euro. They are desktop speakers (with their own dedicated desktop stands) and feature a built-in DAC with USB input. They also have a volume knob on each speaker - you can set them up so the control on one controls the volume of both speakers. There are plenty of reviews in the "Downloads" section of the website.

Website: http://www.adam-audio.com/en/multimedia/products/artist-3/description

Speakers: http://www.thomann.de/gb/adam_artist_3_hochglanz_schwarz.htm
Speakers B-stock: http://www.thomann.de/gb/adam_artist_3_glossy_black_b_stock.htm
Stands: http://www.thomann.de/gb/adam_a3_stands_bk.htm
 
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Anonymous

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Really really like it !!!! Can you tell me more about them did you have a pair ?

Thank you very much they sound amazing !
 

Overdose

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Alej_20 said:
Just "maybe" ?? Do you thin the Focal XS can be at the level of Bower&Wilkins ones ?

You would need to hear for yourself, but it depends on your tastes.

Best value for money in your position would be second hand DAC/Preamp, probably a Roland UA-25EX and if you can find a pair of used BM5A monitors, go for these. Without hesistation, I would say that this setup outshone my last passive system which was A MF A3 and B&W 602 speakers.

You should be able to find these within your budget if you are patient.
 
A

Anonymous

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and also two final questions : what's the difference between B-stock or not in thomann ?

Would you prefer a pair of artist 3 with a sub or a pair of artist 5 without sub ?
 

DavieCee

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You already have a decent set of speakers.

How have you been powering them in the past?

Anyway, if you don't have an amp, I would recommend a Beresford DAC and a Cambridge Audio amp (or similar manufacturers). That should come within budget and give a very nice sound.

You can either use USB out or the earphone jack which is a digital out as well as analogue. I went with USB as apparently the Midi controller in the Macbook Pro allows for a wider range of frequencies this way. I think......but it sounds nice. :dance:
 

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