Music from PC / Phone to RCA in amplifire

dommaku2

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Hi
I got MacBook Air 2020 (M1) it only has mini jack 3.5 mm but no optical output.
How can I get best sound quality out?. At the moment I use mini jack to RCA and it seems not ideal

I research internet and found:
1. usb/spdif converters like: LiNKFOR USB Audio Adapter HiFi USB DAC Audio Converter External Stereo Sound Card USB to Coaxial Optical 3.5mm Jack Converter
the problem is this piece of electronic has very bad reviews on amazon

2.I also have seen £30 Sound Blaster external sound cards (USB to mini jack) but I wonder if this is a good option at all?
3. I know I can get £300-600 network streamer but I got no money :/so looking for around £100 alternative.
4. I read Bluetooth devices can pass music from my phone / Mac to amplifier but I heard blutooth is poor quality so why pay £150 for good gear that is underperforming anyway comparing to cable linked ones.
5. I read about chrome cast audio - any experience with this ? Especially given it's google hardware (discontinued) and I got Mac/iPhone.

Any tested product recommendation welcome.
 
3. I know I can get £300-600 network streamer but I got no money :/so looking for around £100 alternative.
I’d look at an Audioquest Dragonfly. It’s a DAC that plugs into a USB socket, so you’ll need an adapter ( i think it’s an option). There are various models, Red, Black etc., and if you buy used it would be easy to resell.

Chronecast Audio is discontinued but was good for £30 or so. Not really intended for getting music from your Mac though, more for streaming via Wi-Fi .

What are you actually trying to play? Stored files, internet radio, streaming from a service like Spotify? The best solution may depend on the answer to that. And are you connecting to a Hifi system, or headphones or something else?

Welcome to the forum!
 
Indeed, welcome to the forum.
As @nopiano says it might depend on what sort of files you are trying to get out of your Macbook.
Obviously wired is fine but this would mean the output from the Mac is an analogue signal, which is basically what you want to input into an amplifier.
Are you suggesting the DAC in the Mac is no good?
What do you mean by 'it seems not ideal'?
 

dommaku2

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Indeed, welcome to the forum.
As @nopiano says it might depend on what sort of files you are trying to get out of your Macbook.
Obviously wired is fine but this would mean the output from the Mac is an analogue signal, which is basically what you want to input into an amplifier.
Are you suggesting the DAC in the Mac is no good?
What do you mean by 'it seems not ideal'?

Thanks for warm welcome to the forum :)
Main purpose of my set of Triangle BR03 with CA AXA 25 is to listen to Spotify/Apple Music. Secondary purpose is to get better sound when watching movies from Netflix for example.

Coming back to DAC on Mac.
1. when I go over 11 on Amplifier volume the sound starts to get "harsh"/distorted.
2. I heard opinion online that the DAC from MacBook / iPhone will not be great.
3. People online were saying Sound Blaster USB card give them much better sound than standard laptop DAC.

My assumption is that problem will be gone with ifs zen air/ blue. I can try and see if this helps.
 
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The aspect I’d not be so sure about is the Netflix, as what you don’t want is the sound or of sync with the picture. Would you be watching your phone or MacBook and sending to soundtrack to your Hi-Fi?

I can ‘cast’ Netflix from my phone to the TV, using a Chromecast video or Amazon Firestick, but that is sending sound and picture through the same device.

Hopefully somebody who’s tried it will be along soon.
 

Gray

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1. when I go over 11 on Amplifier volume the sound starts to get "harsh"/distorted.
2. I heard opinion online that the DAC from MacBook / iPhone will not be great.
3. People online were saying Sound Blaster USB card give them much better sound than standard laptop DAC.
1) Have you got any other sources (such as CD player) that you can compare with?....as it's not unknown for sound to harden up at higher volume (in other words it may not be your PC / phone DACs causing the 'harshness').

2) & 3) it's generally accepted that PC / phone DACs are inferior - but there's also some exaggeration as to how bad they are....so don't put too much faith in the benefit of an external DAC.
Having said that, you should certainly notice an improvement 👍
 

lakelandstu70

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At the moment I use mini jack to RCA and it seems not ideal

I have a MacBook pro M1 and an old Air... 3.5mm jack is brilliant for headphones and also into my Denon amp via RCA.

If you are trying to plug it into a TV for example via an AMP, use the HDMI. Much better quality.

Worth remembering Spotify is not hi-res...

I am however wondering about a DAC... had the Dragonfly Black on my old Mac Air at it was a transformative change in sound quality.

If you are plugging the 3.5mm jack into speakers via RCA you may need an intermediate amp.
Not familiar with the Triangles to know if they need it.

And Bluetooth is a limiting quality... my same headphone on Bluetooth via the Mac are nowhere near the same quality.
 

dommaku2

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yeah the bluetooth guys refer to above is apparetnly better than regular but I had bad experience with bluetooths relaiability of connection between devices.

I would lover to try DAC like Dragonfly to see if there is a difference.

Problem I got with DAC is I would need to stand up to change songs while if you have network music stremaing device you just stream music from the phone's spotify/tidal/apple music.
 
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dommaku2

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BTW I tried CREATIVE SOUND BLASTER G3 Portable Console Gaming USB-C DAC
It sounded worse than Macbook Air M1 headphone jack. (maybe it was broken as bought refurbished) sounded more flat like hmmm me and my wife agreed it sounded way worse.
 

Vincent Kars

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This is one of the few measurements I could find: https://www.l7audiolab.com/f/mbp162021/
Of course Google translate does wonders.
I think it is save to conclude that the M1 performance is very good indeed.
Probably outperforming most dongles.

when I go over 11 on Amplifier volume the sound starts to get "harsh"/distorted.

You are using a headphone out pretty capable of driving high impedance headphones. If you hear distortion, the signal is simply to hot.
 

dommaku2

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Hi Again
I read this https://www.avforums.com/threads/the-simplest-way-to-connect-a-laptop-to-a-stereo-dac.1511741/
Guy says he used following configuration and got sound better than from Marantz CD player:
External HD(FLAC files) --usb--> Netbook --usb--> HRT Music Streamer II --RCA--> Creek Evolution -> Speakers

My question is:
1. Is connection via usb d port (pattern: laptop USB >> USB d DAC >> RCA to amplifier) better to maximise quality of audio?
Or the mini jack DAC is equally as good (laptop usb >> minijack on DAC >> RCA to aplifier)
(above as my Mac Book Air M1 has no optical ouput)

2. Do I need equivlent of https://windowsxlive.net/fidelizer/ on Mac to maximise benefits of DAC?

"FIdelizer will take advantages of MMCSS to handle multimedia in favor of better audio playback. It will also optimize other parts of system as below depending on level of optimization you choose before clicking ‘Fidelize’.

-Optimize audio thread, I/O priorities, clock rate in resource scheduler
-Optimize network utilization for low latency streaming media
-Optimize process thread priorities and system clock resolution
-Optimize processor core assignment for multi-core CPU
-Launch audiophile player with Fidelizer optimizations
-Stop most system services leaving only audio-related ones"
 

Friesiansam

Well-known member
Hi Again
I read this https://www.avforums.com/threads/the-simplest-way-to-connect-a-laptop-to-a-stereo-dac.1511741/
Guy says he used following configuration and got sound better than from Marantz CD player:
External HD(FLAC files) --usb--> Netbook --usb--> HRT Music Streamer II --RCA--> Creek Evolution -> Speakers

My question is:
1. Is connection via usb d port (pattern: laptop USB >> USB d DAC >> RCA to amplifier) better to maximise quality of audio?
Or the mini jack DAC is equally as good (laptop usb >> minijack on DAC >> RCA to aplifier)
(above as my Mac Book Air M1 has no optical ouput)

2. Do I need equivlent of https://windowsxlive.net/fidelizer/ on Mac to maximise benefits of DAC?

"FIdelizer will take advantages of MMCSS to handle multimedia in favor of better audio playback. It will also optimize other parts of system as below depending on level of optimization you choose before clicking ‘Fidelize’.

-Optimize audio thread, I/O priorities, clock rate in resource scheduler
-Optimize network utilization for low latency streaming media
-Optimize process thread priorities and system clock resolution
-Optimize processor core assignment for multi-core CPU
-Launch audiophile player with Fidelizer optimizations
-Stop most system services leaving only audio-related ones"
You don’t need all those “optimisations” that Fidelizer offers. Foobar2000 is easier to configure, works very well and, is also free and available for Mac.
 

dommaku2

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why my old hi fi sounded more exciting?
New: Cambridge Audio AXA 25 + Triangle Borea BR03 + DAC Magic 100 (I got 1.5-2 m to the speaker that are 1.5-2 m apart)
Old: - Canton GLE 470.2 + Onkyo TX8150


Assumptions:

1. Smaller speakers as they can't produce as good sound as floor standers?
2. Amp as it don't have enough power to drive Triangle's rated at around 100W. (I experimented with positioning around the flat)

When you play Apple Music's instrumental music, although CA DAC added a lot of detail, scene etc. still:
- It sometimes feel like trumpets, string instruments hmmm - they feel at times like tiring (multiple songs)
- choir feels muffled distorted you dont want it louder. (Danny Elfman - Ice Dance)
- Lack of authority - you are not excited at low volume you turn louder but it is still not exiting (Tchiakovsky Swan Lake Scene)
- Theme Schindler's List - sounds good but not as exciting
- Navras - Juno Reactor from Matrix revolutions - great - but still lacks expected authority

Overall I think it is not lack of bass but lack of the authority/power that the music used to have that I suspect is combination of amp power / and size of speakers.
 

Witterings

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why my old hi fi sounded more exciting?
New: Cambridge Audio AXA 25 + Triangle Borea BR03 + DAC Magic 100 (I got 1.5-2 m to the speaker that are 1.5-2 m apart)
Old: - Canton GLE 470.2 + Onkyo TX8150

Have you stil got the Onkyo or has that gone, if you've still got it try it with the BR03's and see what you think.

What was the reason for you changing, you mentioned you wanted to stream Spotify and Apple Music, the Onkyo would have done both of those .... unless I've misunderstood something?
 

dommaku2

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Have you stil got the Onkyo or has that gone, if you've still got it try it with the BR03's and see what you think.

What was the reason for you changing, you mentioned you wanted to stream Spotify and Apple Music, the Onkyo would have done both of those .... unless I've misunderstood something?
Old set up was sold before I moved to the UK yets back.
 

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