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iTunes => ??? Sound Card => Optical => Micro Dac => Micro Amp

post #1 of 13
7/6/06 at 9:54pm
Thread Starter 
I truly need your help and patience. Currently I am using iTunes via USB to my Micro Dac / Micro Amp. I am thinking of using an optical line to feed the Micro Amp.

Not being very computer knowledgeable I would like to get a simple sound card w/ an optical out that interfaces transparently with my equipment. My computer is a 2.6 Pentium 4 w/ HT. Currently it has the built in sound.

In the future I may get Lite DAC-AH. So which sound card do you recommend? Thanks.
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post #2 of 13
7/6/06 at 11:11pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by mrarroyo
I truly need your help and patience. Currently I am using iTunes via USB to my Micro Dac / Micro Amp. I am thinking of using an optical line to feed the Micro Amp.

Not being very computer knowledgeable I would like to get a simple sound card w/ an optical out that interfaces transparently with my equipment. My computer is a 2.6 Pentium 4 w/ HT. Currently it has the built in sound.

In the future I may get Lite DAC-AH. So which sound card do you recommend? Thanks.
Well, the X-Fi Xtreme Music has a digital out jack... i suppose that could work. I don't have mine running optical, though.

The Juli@ is one that I've been researching and I just might pull the trigger on something like that after I pick up my Micro Amp and I get a pair of K701 or HD650.
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post #3 of 13
7/7/06 at 12:10am
Keep AirPort Express as an option.

With Itunes it will be bit perfect output, no ASIO stuff to deal with.

It's also a wireless router.

You can you use it with multiple computers if needed.

Many head-fiers are real happy with it.

I really like mine with Micro DAC and SM3.
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post #4 of 13
7/7/06 at 3:04pm
Chaintech AV710. Reliable, inexpensive, and good quality.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16829120103
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post #5 of 13
7/8/06 at 12:30pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by SprySpectre
Chaintech AV710. Reliable, inexpensive, and good quality.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16829120103
Will iTunes have a problem using it? Sorry for the simple question. Thanks.
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post #6 of 13
3/2/07 at 9:18am
Hey

What cable i have to use to connect Airport xpress to Mini DAC from headroom. I have macbookpro and while usb works great, i tried to connect macbook to minidac via optical cable (mini) but it didnt work. Did i missed something. I guess it's the same connector that airport xpress usess.

Can someone help?

Thanks
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post #7 of 13
3/2/07 at 11:17am
While you can output iTunes via the windows audio driver (USB or direct sound), I am not aware that it can be done in a bitperfect fashion. To my knowlege (I would love to be contradicted) iTunes does not interface with ASIO, nor provide a kernal streaming option.

I think this might be different on a Mac, still investigating my new MacBookPro. (actually pretty happy with the headphone out using my UE-10pro atm, going to compare with the totalbithead, and try to decide if its worth carrying) Not sure I will have a need for the optical out, as I only plan on playing MP3/AAC files from it, FLAC directory is too big to put on the laptop hard disk.)
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post #8 of 13
3/2/07 at 11:23am
Why?

USB should be better than any optical out on a sound card...

EDIT: I should read the whole post I suppose.

If you are thinking about getting a different DAC in the future, the Chaintech is a good cheap card to get bit perfect optical out. For a bit more money you could get a squeezebox or airport express.
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post #9 of 13
3/2/07 at 1:26pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by miziq View Post
Hey

What cable i have to use to connect Airport xpress to Mini DAC from headroom. I have macbookpro and while usb works great, i tried to connect macbook to minidac via optical cable (mini) but it didnt work. Did i missed something. I guess it's the same connector that airport xpress usess.

Can someone help?

Thanks
The headroom dac uses a socket which accepts either 3.5mm mono coax digital or the mini-toslink (similar to many of the older mini-disk player concept). So yes the same connector as the Airport Express.
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post #10 of 13
3/2/07 at 1:31pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bones13 View Post
While you can output iTunes via the windows audio driver (USB or direct sound), I am not aware that it can be done in a bitperfect fashion. To my knowlege (I would love to be contradicted) iTunes does not interface with ASIO, nor provide a kernal streaming option.
...
The Airport Express software is using either the USB or Network connection to send out a digital stream which is picked up by the AE itself and output as digial or analog. So ASIO does not come into the equation and it's bit perfect as Windows does not interfere since it's a simple date transmission

Steve
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post #11 of 13
3/2/07 at 2:25pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by StevieDvd View Post
The headroom dac uses a socket which accepts either 3.5mm mono coax digital or the mini-toslink (similar to many of the older mini-disk player concept). So yes the same connector as the Airport Express.
I'm a bit confused. Does Macbook pro and Airport Xpress use coax or mini toslink cable?

Thank you all guys

p.s. i need Airport Xpress cos i want to get rid of cables.
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post #12 of 13
3/2/07 at 4:15pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by miziq View Post
I'm a bit confused. Does Macbook pro and Airport Xpress use coax or mini toslink cable?

Thank you all guys

p.s. i need Airport Xpress cos i want to get rid of cables.
Sorry can't help on the Macbook, never used one. The Airport Express has an optical out using mini-toslink but the same socket also allows analog out using 3.5mm stereo plug.

The microdac is an input digital socket using either a mini-toslink (optical) or a mono 3.5mm plug (coax).
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post #13 of 13
3/2/07 at 4:27pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by miziq View Post
I'm a bit confused. Does Macbook pro and Airport Xpress use coax or mini toslink cable?

Thank you all guys

p.s. i need Airport Xpress cos i want to get rid of cables.
The Macbook uses the same output as the airport express:
Quote:
The Airport Express has an optical out using mini-toslink but the same socket also allows analog out using 3.5mm stereo plug.
Also, as long as you have all itunes sound settings turned off and the volume set to max, Macs will output bit-perfect files. Nothing else to adjust or play around with.

Another advantage of the Airport Express, beside being wireless, is it only feeds itunes music so you don't have to worry about any sounds from websites and other effects while surfing the web at the same time. It can also stream any other applications with a special mac program that cost $25. I needed it for when I wanted to stream xm radio online to my stereo. This was just for the talk channels since xm is very low quality.

Edit: Here the program that lets your stream anything to the Airport Express. Looks like it also works on the pc now. http://www.rogueamoeba.com/airfoil/
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