MacBook Air as source?

[kreacherx]

hiya I'm back with new questions:peace::peace:
My equipment is being delivered next week (was supposed to be today?) ah well they have my money now!!
anyways! I want to use my Mac book Air as a source with high Def FLAC files
I am trialling Audirvana thru my Zeppelin seems quite good dont know if it screws with the music but sounds good
So whats your opinion (good or bad) of this from my MacBook Air via optical or USB into a Dac
OK go for it!!:eek:

[worrasf]

Hi David

Take a look at this post - http://theartofsound.net/forum/showpost.php?p=317082&postcount=1 might be just what you're looking for - works for me from my iMac, iPod(s), iPhone.

Steve

[kreacherx]

I must be not all here? I dont see the connection between my questions & the piece you direccted me too?? maybe its age !

[Hoffer]

hiya I'm back with new questions:peace::peace:
My equipment is being delivered next week (was supposed to be today?) ah well they have my money now!!
anyways! I want to use my Mac book Air as a source with high Def FLAC files
I am trialling Audirvana thru my Zeppelin seems quite good dont know if it screws with the music but sounds good
So whats your opinion (good or bad) of this from my MacBook Air via optical or USB into a Dac
OK go for it!!:eek:

I don't see why you couldn't use the Macbook Air as a source. I use a Mac Mini and I'd be hard pressed to think there's any difference between the two. I do think, however, that the Mac is limited to 24/96 using the optical out. If you want to go higher you'll have to use the usb connection.

[sq225917]

Optical from the MB-Air will be fine but limited to 24/96. Not that it will matter as Audivarna will downsample any higher sample rate files on the fly using its faultless SRC routines. If you have any 24/192 etc and you don't wish to downsample it then you will need to use a suitable USB dac. But check first because most of them don't actually allow you to use better than 24/96 either due to the choice of the USb receiver chip inside the dac.

An M2tech Young dac will work with your Mac and allow you to play anything up to 32 bits 384khz sample material, so in combination with Audivarna it will play absolutely anything you can throw at it. It's a great sounding dac as well.

[kreacherx]

thanks so far! I see that USB is the way to go (lucky 'cos I found the MacBook Air doesn't have optical??)
in the past cables were very important, digital USBI assume isn't so intolerant but is there a "better" USB cable & what is the max length??
worrasf - mentioned a bluetooth DAC is that using a transmission of hi-res from the "AIR":scratch:

[AlfaGTV]

Hi David
Take a look at this post - http://theartofsound.net/forum/showpost.php?p=317082&postcount=1 might be just what you're looking for - works for me from my iMac, iPod(s), iPhone.
Steve

I believe worrasf (Steve) was giving you a hint to try Bluetooth as medium for transferring audio to your HiFi. And he's got a point there...

Why would you spend extra money for a super portable computer and then attach it to some freakin cables to get audio out of it? :doh:

Another tip is to get yourself an AirPort Express, and then stream your audio wireless to that one, while attaching its optical out to your DAC/Receiver.
The newer AirPort Express actually sounds quite decent even while using its analog output! :stalks:


I want to use my Mac book Air as a source with high Def FLAC files
I am trialling Audirvana thru my Zeppelin seems quite good dont know if it screws with the music but sounds good
So whats your opinion (good or bad) of this from my MacBook Air via optical or USB into a Dac
OK go for it!!:eek:
What gives me some difficulties in recommending you a nice solution here is the fact that you are playing your music through a Zeppelin, which I believe is the B&W "docking station" for iThings? And it seems you are quite happy with the audio, which is quite understandable since it's a well constructed thingy. But when examining your original post i see that you want to play "high Def FLAC files" which is also just fine to play through your Zeppelin using AirPlay (i assume). Please note though, that your files are being decoded to PCM and then encoded into 16bit 44Khz Apple Lossless for the transport to the AirPlay unit. (Which is also the same when streaming to an AirPort Express)

So where is all this blabbering going then?
1. To the fact that "FLAC files" might not be the optimal format when using Mac
2. When streaming audio wirelessly, the "hi RES" will probably be lost.
3. If you want optimal audio quality, you will have to connect your MacBook using cables to a competent DAC in the vicinity of your HiFi
4. The absense of optical digital out on the 2011 MacBook Air will force you into USB territory which is a "wilderness"

So, now then, whats your flavour in DACs? And what will this be connected to?


BR
/Mike

[Vincent Kars]

thanks so far! I see that USB is the way to go (lucky 'cos I found the MacBook Air doesn't have optical??)
in the past cables were very important, digital USBI assume isn't so intolerant but is there a "better" USB cable & what is the max length??
worrasf - mentioned a bluetooth DAC is that using a transmission of hi-res from the "AIR":scratch:

As far as I know all Macs have a headphone out doubling as a (mini) Toslink out.
24/96 is the limit of the Toslink standard.
Bluetooth using the A2DP is limited to 320kb/s for mono, and 512kb/s for two-channel modes.
Obvious even CD quality (16/44 =1411 kb/s) is not possible.
All audio is transmitted using lossy compression (SBC).

USB is limited to 5m

[Werner Berghofer]

Vincent,


As far as I know all Macs have a headphone out doubling as a (mini) Toslink out.

unfortunately this is true for the Mac mini and the MacBook Pro, but not for the MacBook Air, which only has analog output via the 3.5 mm audio jack. The floor standing Mac Pro models offer two standard Toslink ports plus analog 3.5 mm audio in and out ports.

Werner.

[Vincent Kars]

Thanks

[worrasf]

I believe worrasf (Steve) was giving you a hint to try Bluetooth as medium for transferring audio to your HiFi. And he's got a point there...
:exactly:

Works a treat - I'm so impressed I'm selling my CD player and streaming to the Chordette from my iMac and iPods :)

Steve

[dave2010]

:exactly:

Works a treat - I'm so impressed I'm selling my CD player and streaming to the Chordette from my iMac and iPods :)

SteveMaybe it does, but Vincent had a very valid point when he pointed out the bit rates on Bluetooth compared with CD audio. Obviously there must be some compression, and it's possibly not all lossless, so it might be worth hanging on to your CD player for a while, or getting a better one or another DAC. Clearly Bluetooth DACs can't do the same job, though it may be that they can sound good despite some information loss. I don't actually know what compression is used on Bluetooth channels.

[worrasf]

it might be worth hanging on to your CD player for a while, or getting a better one or another DAC.
Doubtless sage advice Dave. There is no doubt to my ears it's better than the Quad 67 which is touted as a pretty good CD spinner and DAC. I'll compare it to my Cyrus which will come back from the factory in CD XT SE2 guise with the PSxR/REGA DAC when it arrives back to see how Bluetooth compares to a better CD system but TBH in a second system in my study the extra convenience and flexibility of the Bluetooth setup may tip the balance even if it's not "right up there" with the best of the best CD spinners. :)

Steve