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View Full Version : My basic digital system: new Asus or old Macbook?


JohnMcC
21-05-2017, 08:52
I'm happy but ignorant as far as digital music is concerned, so opinions will be helpful. I've been using a small new Asus laptop (4Gb, 500Gb) as a source for digital music, all flac, through a cheapish DAC, and supplemented by/backed up to 2Tb of portable hard drive. I'm happy with the sound quality - indeed it occasionally seems to produce better results than vinyl or CD. But I've just been given an eight-year-old Macbook (which only has 100Gb of storage). Is there any point in using this instead of the Asus? I ask because of Apple's old reputation as "media machines". Or would there be no difference, or not worth the hassle?
struth
21-05-2017, 08:57
If the asus sounds good then why bother. Ive not had many issues using windows 10 for audio. Maybe improving the dac at some stage if you feel you must. usb dacs all seem to sound a bit different
willbewill
21-05-2017, 09:01
Maybe download and install the free version of fidelizer, it really does improve the sound.
Yomanze
22-05-2017, 16:39
It is easy enough to optimise Windows to be bit perfect without using Fidelizer, but in terms of Apple vs. Asus, set up properly, there will be zero difference. What is more important to sound quality is the USB front end whether internal or external to the DAC unit. This *does* make a big difference!
WAD62
22-05-2017, 18:44
It is easy enough to optimise Windows to be bit perfect without using Fidelizer, but in terms of Apple vs. Asus, set up properly, there will be zero difference. What is more important to sound quality is the USB front end whether internal or external to the DAC unit. This *does* make a big difference!

Indeed, as much USB 'Isolation' as is financially reasonable...;)
DiveDeepDog
22-05-2017, 18:54
The Mac will (probably) have optical output via the headphone socket, this MAY be useful and add some flexibility to dac choices?
Dynamics
22-05-2017, 19:10
I doubt it would make much difference, but you can only but experiment.
aBe
23-05-2017, 15:13
I'm rooting for the Mac..
Stratmangler
23-05-2017, 16:01
I'm rooting for the Mac..

I don't think there's any need to be rooting for anything.
Common sense dictates that it makes more sense to use the Mac if it has optical on board.
If it doesn't it's another story.

I'd see if the Mac has an optical output, and go with that if it does.
JohnMcC
24-05-2017, 14:46
Right. I'll explore that option. As I understand it, if it has optical it's via the headphone socket which doubles as an optical output. Or have I got that wrong? Thanks for the advice.
struth
24-05-2017, 14:48
yup.. takes a mini tos
MrRadish
24-05-2017, 16:14
My 2014 Macbook Pro sounds better than any of the Windows laptops I've used, by a mile. A well set up Windows PC with a decent power supply then beats the Macbook, although only just. That's running Windows 7 and Foobar on the Macbook using Bootcamp, so its not an OS or software thing. Unfortunately I updated the version of OS-X recently and now it seems to get very hot running Windows 7, even though that partition didn't change at all...

The Macbook sounds excellent through both Optical and USB, though after my USB cable kept coming loose I stuck to Optical.