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Thread: Do Macs sound better than Windows laptops, when using optical out ???

  1. #1
    Join Date: Sep 2016

    Location: Southport, UK

    Posts: 108
    I'm Jeff.

    Default Do Macs sound better than Windows laptops, when using optical out ???

    Just a quick question,

    When using the optical out from a laptop to a Dac, is there any advantage to using a Mac Book Pro rather than a Windows laptop ?

    I currently use a Dell XPS L501X and I think the sound is very good through my Rega dac, but always looking improvement

    Cheers.
    Technics Sl1210 mk2. MCRU Linear Power Supply Step 2, Funk Firm Achromat, Isonoe Isolation Feet, Kab Tone Arm Damper, Kab arm rewiring kit, Kab Litz RCA wiring, Ortofon Concorde DJ S with Stylus 30, IanMac bearing.
    LFD MMO Phono Stage. Rega Elex-R Integrated Amp.Rega RS7 Speakers, TNT FFRC Speaker Cable. Nessie Vinyl Master RCM ( to take the misery out of record cleaning )
    Rega Dac.

  2. #2
    Join Date: Feb 2013

    Location: W Lothian

    Posts: 99,005
    I'm Grant.

    Default

    Not many windows pcs gave an optical out
    Regards,
    Grant .... ؠ ......Don't be such a big girl's blouse

    I've said it before and I'll say it again: democracy simply-doesn't-work
    .... ..... ...... ...... ................... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
    FIIO K7 BT, M11 PLUS, BTR7, KA5 - OPPO BDP-103D - PANASONIC UB450 - PANASONIC 4K ULTRA HD TV - PIXEL 6 - AVANTREE LR BLUETOOTH - 2* X600 SOUNDCORE - HEADPHONES INCLUDE, FIIO, NURAPHONES', FOCAL, OPPO, BOSE, CAMBRIDGE, BOWER & WILKINS, DEVIALET, MARSHALL, SONY, MITCHELL & JOHNSTON - 2*ZBOOK'S- MERCURY BD ROM, ROON, QOBUZ, TIDAL, PLEX, CYBERLINK, JRIVER - MULTI HDD'S -

    Oh my god! There's nothing wrong with the bidet is there?

    “Nothing discloses real character like the use of power. It is easy for the weak to be gentle. Most people can bear adversity. But if you wish to know what a man really is, give him power. This is the supreme test. It is the glory of Lincoln that, having almost absolute power, he never abused it, except on the side of mercy".

    “You see these dictators on their pedestals, surrounded by the bayonets of their soldiers and the truncheons of their police ... yet in their hearts there is unspoken fear. They are afraid of words and thoughts: words spoken abroad, thoughts stirring at home -- all the more powerful because forbidden -- terrify them. A little mouse of thought appears in the room, and even the mightiest potentates are thrown into panic.”

    "You don't have free will. You have the appearance of free will.”

    “There's a war out there, old friend. A world war. And it's not about who's got the most bullets. It's about who controls the information. What we see and hear, how we work, what we think... it's all about the information!”


    ***SMILE, BE HAPPY***

  3. #3
    Join Date: Nov 2008

    Location: Valley of the Hazels

    Posts: 9,139
    I'm AMusicFanNotAnAudiophile.

    Default

    Are you using ASIO or WASAPI drivers?
    If you are then there shouldn't be any difference in playback.
    Chris



    Common sense isn't anymore!

  4. #4
    Join Date: Jun 2017

    Location: Poole, UK

    Posts: 23
    I'm Daz.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Jeff Wood View Post
    When using the optical out from a laptop to a Dac, is there any advantage to using a Mac Book Pro rather than a Windows laptop ?
    All depends on the quality of the optic lead. I'm only joking. There won't be any advantages. Influences only start from DAC and, obviously, a lot depends on the quality of playbacked files (mastering, level of compression)

  5. #5
    Join Date: Nov 2008

    Location: Valley of the Hazels

    Posts: 9,139
    I'm AMusicFanNotAnAudiophile.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by KindOfDaz View Post
    All depends on the quality of the optic lead. I'm only joking. There won't be any advantages. Influences only start from DAC and, obviously, a lot depends on the quality of playbacked files (mastering, level of compression)
    The bit in bold is not true if you're not using the ASIO or WASAPI drivers.
    In the OP's case he needs to have the driver pointed at the optical out on the 'puter, and that's always dependant on whether the media player being used can support it.

    Whether the OP needs ASIO or WASAPI is down to the hardware involved - if it's legacy hardware then it's likely to be ASIO, relatively current then it's WASAPI. All the drivers do is put the playback device high in the priority list for processing, and also stops all other system audio from breaking out over it.
    Chris



    Common sense isn't anymore!

  6. #6
    Join Date: Sep 2016

    Location: Southport, UK

    Posts: 108
    I'm Jeff.

    Default

    cheers guys, I'm not sure if its Asio or Wasapi, i'll check that out,

    I just select spdif out on the laptop and it works.

    And Struth, yes I know, I'm lucky, by coinidence I've used Dell XPS L501x laptops for years, I'm on my third one, I just think theyre really good laptops and you can get them for bargain prices on ebay, and they do have an spdif optical output.
    Technics Sl1210 mk2. MCRU Linear Power Supply Step 2, Funk Firm Achromat, Isonoe Isolation Feet, Kab Tone Arm Damper, Kab arm rewiring kit, Kab Litz RCA wiring, Ortofon Concorde DJ S with Stylus 30, IanMac bearing.
    LFD MMO Phono Stage. Rega Elex-R Integrated Amp.Rega RS7 Speakers, TNT FFRC Speaker Cable. Nessie Vinyl Master RCM ( to take the misery out of record cleaning )
    Rega Dac.

  7. #7
    Join Date: Nov 2008

    Location: North Down /Northern Ireland/ UK

    Posts: 19,484
    I'm Neil.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by struth View Post
    Not many windows pcs gave an optical out
    I had an ACER that had it, but sadly its graphics card went US so its scrap.
    Regards Neil

  8. #8
    Join Date: Sep 2016

    Location: Southport, UK

    Posts: 108
    I'm Jeff.

    Default

    I think its a great way to listen to music by the way, I have my laptop next to me on the settee, connected to the hifi via a 10m optical cable.

    Just so easy, in fact thats the problem, it makes putting records on seem like a real hassle Its making me lazy..
    Technics Sl1210 mk2. MCRU Linear Power Supply Step 2, Funk Firm Achromat, Isonoe Isolation Feet, Kab Tone Arm Damper, Kab arm rewiring kit, Kab Litz RCA wiring, Ortofon Concorde DJ S with Stylus 30, IanMac bearing.
    LFD MMO Phono Stage. Rega Elex-R Integrated Amp.Rega RS7 Speakers, TNT FFRC Speaker Cable. Nessie Vinyl Master RCM ( to take the misery out of record cleaning )
    Rega Dac.

  9. #9
    Join Date: Feb 2013

    Location: W Lothian

    Posts: 99,005
    I'm Grant.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Jeff Wood View Post
    I think its a great way to listen to music by the way, I have my laptop next to me on the settee, connected to the hifi via a 10m optical cable.

    Just so easy, in fact thats the problem, it makes putting records on seem like a real hassle Its making me lazy..
    ive one in kitchen connected to stereo with 10 metre repeater usb. works great
    Regards,
    Grant .... ؠ ......Don't be such a big girl's blouse

    I've said it before and I'll say it again: democracy simply-doesn't-work
    .... ..... ...... ...... ................... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
    FIIO K7 BT, M11 PLUS, BTR7, KA5 - OPPO BDP-103D - PANASONIC UB450 - PANASONIC 4K ULTRA HD TV - PIXEL 6 - AVANTREE LR BLUETOOTH - 2* X600 SOUNDCORE - HEADPHONES INCLUDE, FIIO, NURAPHONES', FOCAL, OPPO, BOSE, CAMBRIDGE, BOWER & WILKINS, DEVIALET, MARSHALL, SONY, MITCHELL & JOHNSTON - 2*ZBOOK'S- MERCURY BD ROM, ROON, QOBUZ, TIDAL, PLEX, CYBERLINK, JRIVER - MULTI HDD'S -

    Oh my god! There's nothing wrong with the bidet is there?

    “Nothing discloses real character like the use of power. It is easy for the weak to be gentle. Most people can bear adversity. But if you wish to know what a man really is, give him power. This is the supreme test. It is the glory of Lincoln that, having almost absolute power, he never abused it, except on the side of mercy".

    “You see these dictators on their pedestals, surrounded by the bayonets of their soldiers and the truncheons of their police ... yet in their hearts there is unspoken fear. They are afraid of words and thoughts: words spoken abroad, thoughts stirring at home -- all the more powerful because forbidden -- terrify them. A little mouse of thought appears in the room, and even the mightiest potentates are thrown into panic.”

    "You don't have free will. You have the appearance of free will.”

    “There's a war out there, old friend. A world war. And it's not about who's got the most bullets. It's about who controls the information. What we see and hear, how we work, what we think... it's all about the information!”


    ***SMILE, BE HAPPY***

  10. #10
    Join Date: Feb 2013

    Location: W Lothian

    Posts: 99,005
    I'm Grant.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Dalek Supreme D L View Post
    I had an ACER that had it, but sadly its graphics card went US so its scrap.

    Yes there were the odd one that did, but your just as well imo using the usb out. Usb sound has improved a lot in last couple of years
    Regards,
    Grant .... ؠ ......Don't be such a big girl's blouse

    I've said it before and I'll say it again: democracy simply-doesn't-work
    .... ..... ...... ...... ................... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
    FIIO K7 BT, M11 PLUS, BTR7, KA5 - OPPO BDP-103D - PANASONIC UB450 - PANASONIC 4K ULTRA HD TV - PIXEL 6 - AVANTREE LR BLUETOOTH - 2* X600 SOUNDCORE - HEADPHONES INCLUDE, FIIO, NURAPHONES', FOCAL, OPPO, BOSE, CAMBRIDGE, BOWER & WILKINS, DEVIALET, MARSHALL, SONY, MITCHELL & JOHNSTON - 2*ZBOOK'S- MERCURY BD ROM, ROON, QOBUZ, TIDAL, PLEX, CYBERLINK, JRIVER - MULTI HDD'S -

    Oh my god! There's nothing wrong with the bidet is there?

    “Nothing discloses real character like the use of power. It is easy for the weak to be gentle. Most people can bear adversity. But if you wish to know what a man really is, give him power. This is the supreme test. It is the glory of Lincoln that, having almost absolute power, he never abused it, except on the side of mercy".

    “You see these dictators on their pedestals, surrounded by the bayonets of their soldiers and the truncheons of their police ... yet in their hearts there is unspoken fear. They are afraid of words and thoughts: words spoken abroad, thoughts stirring at home -- all the more powerful because forbidden -- terrify them. A little mouse of thought appears in the room, and even the mightiest potentates are thrown into panic.”

    "You don't have free will. You have the appearance of free will.”

    “There's a war out there, old friend. A world war. And it's not about who's got the most bullets. It's about who controls the information. What we see and hear, how we work, what we think... it's all about the information!”


    ***SMILE, BE HAPPY***

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