Spotify/DAC

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JoelSim

Well-known member
Aug 24, 2007
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My missus wants to get spotify and having used it at work, I'm happy to too. What do I need to buy to connect it to my system? I have a Macbook Air and Arcam separates.

I will be streaming in 320kbps as sound quality is very important. The DAC doesn't need loads of inputs and outputs either.

 
 
JoelSim:
My missus wants to get spotify and having used it at work, I'm happy to too. What do I need to buy to connect it to my system? I have a Macbook Air and Arcam separates.

I will be streaming in 320kbps as sound quality is very important. The DAC doesn't need loads of inputs and outputs either.

ÿ

OMG!!!!!!!!!!
 
water%20wine.jpg
 
Whatever I need to spend. I won't be ripping anything as I will use my CDP.

I really don't know much about streaming and how to get the best sound. I simply want to use my Macbook Air to stream to the amps at very high quality.

Open to all suggestions.ÿ
 
Water/wine, JS.

Two options. Firstly, get an Airport Express, Airfoil and a DAC of your choosing. First two necessary, third optional. I can lend you an AE to try it if you wish. Secondly, get a Chordette Gem which can connect to your Air via bluetooth and act as its soundcard round the back of your kit. Both end up costing 300-400 quid, but the first option is more flexible and can be done in stages.
 
daveh75:Spotify subscription (needed for 320 kbps)>Airport express+Airfoil> one of the usual suspects,i.e mf v-dac,beresford or CA dacmagic.

Jinx. Forgot the premium subscription for 320 though.
 
Where's the mac going to be? Next/near to the Hifi? If so, you can skip the streaming stuff. Best quaility will be digital out from the mac into the dac. You'll be aware of the budget end of the dac market....it's the usual suspects.
 
No, you have Airport, which is a wireless card to join a wireless network. Airport Express joins the network too and accepts streaming music from a PC or Mac - nominally only from iTunes, but if you buy Airfoil ($25), you can stream any audio source, not just iTunes. Airport Express has a headphone jack audio out (so you can plug it straight into your stereo, and hence is a good starting point), but the jack socket doubles as an optical digital out, which can plug into a DAC.
 
PJPro:Where's the mac going to be? Next/near to the Hifi? If so, you can skip the streaming stuff. Best quaility will be digital out from the mac into the dac. You'll be aware of the budget end of the dac market....it's the usual suspects.

ÿ

About 3m away from the stereo

ÿ
 
JoelSim:
Happy to pay £10 a month for music.

What is an Airfoil?

What are the best DACs?

Haven't I already got an Airport Express on my Macbook?

Airfoil is third party software needed to send non-itunes content to an AE,available here,

You'll have an wireless adaptor in the mac,But the AE is a wireless access point that you stream to.

Dac's well how long's a bit of string,but you'll get excellent results from any of the ones mentioned above
 
The Musical Fidelity VDac is probably right up your street from what I've read about the sound. The CA DACMagic would let you plug more sources in, including your TV.
 
igglebert:The Musical Fidelity VDac is probably right up your street from what I've read about the sound. The CA DACMagic would let you plug more sources in, including your TV.

I'm not really bothered about the TV, or DVD player or suchlike. Nor iTunes as I have no intention of ripping things.

Streaming Spotify or internet radio is probably as much as I will use it for, although I may get an iPhone next Feb when my contract is up. Not sure if that would add any benefit unless I can 'Spotify' from there?

ÿ
 
What are the DAC contenders, forgive me but I only really have heard of VDAC, DACMagic, Beresford.

Would I be better trading in my CDP for a different one with separate DSC such as Cyrus XDAC/Xtse?

ÿ
 
JoelSim:
PJPro:Where's the mac going to be? Next/near to the Hifi? If so, you can skip the streaming stuff. Best quaility will be digital out from the mac into the dac. You'll be aware of the budget end of the dac market....it's the usual suspects.

ÿ

About 3m away from the stereo

ÿ

Questionable whether it's worth going to the bother of streaming for this distance......just run a cable from your mac to the dac.
 
JoelSim:
What are the DAC contenders, forgive me but I only really have heard of VDAC, DACMagic, Beresford.

Would I be better trading in my CDP for a different one with separate DSC such as Cyrus XDAC/Xtse?

ÿ

Or a NaimUniti
emotion-2.gif
 
JohnDuncan:JoelSim:
What are the DAC contenders, forgive me but I only really have heard of VDAC, DACMagic, Beresford.

Would I be better trading in my CDP for a different one with separate DSC such as Cyrus XDAC/Xtse?

ÿ

Or a NaimUniti
emotion-2.gif


Nah, not my thing. And not altogether convinced it would beat

my biamped system. Naim sound has always proved unimpressive to me. Mind you Cyrus has too.

What other good DACs are there?ÿ
 
JoelSim:
What are the DAC contenders, forgive me but I only really have heard of VDAC, DACMagic, Beresford.

Would I be better trading in my CDP for a different one with separate DSC such as Cyrus XDAC/Xtse?

ÿ

I'm pretty sure that your 192 doesn't have a digital input and therefore no access to it's DAC for external use. If you were to get a cd player with digital in, you should try the CA 840C which I would expect to be better than the 192 (but, and I'm being serious, as you love the Arcam sound, you might not think so). The Cyrus sound will surely be complete departure from your preferred liquid smooth Arcam sound. You could at least get the 840C, play with it at home for a couple of weeks and then send it back for a full refund if you are not impressed. Otherwise, I reckon you might need to spend £1500 plus for a great cd player with digital in.
 
Gerrardasnails:JoelSim:
What are the DAC contenders, forgive me but I only really have heard of VDAC, DACMagic, Beresford.

Would I be better trading in my CDP for a different one with separate DSC such as Cyrus XDAC/Xtse?

ÿ

I'm pretty sure that your 192 doesn't have a digital input and therefore no access to it's DAC for external use. If you were to get a cd player with digital in, you should try the CA 840C which I would expect to be better than the 192 (but, and I'm being serious, as you love the Arcam sound, you might not think so). The Cyrus sound will surely be complete departure from your preferred liquid smooth Arcam sound. You could at least get the 840C, play with it at home for a couple of weeks and then send it back for a full refund if you are not impressed. Otherwise, I reckon you might need to spend £1500 plus for a great cd player with digital in.

In an ideal world the DAC would be an improvement to my CDP, and I think the CA would be more of a sideways step. At this level I think the money has to be upped. A new CDP with digital in for the DAC would be excellent.

ÿ
 
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