I've gotten a mac, and need help regarding my dac

Quote:

Originally Posted by astroman302 

I'll start off my explaining my setup (I'm a poor college student, but it's slowly improving and is definitely respectable for a teen):

 

Songbird (100% flac, mostly 24 bit)> Macbook Pro> MF V-Dac (via usb) > Woo Audio 6 > Grado SR325is

 

I may be mistaken, but I believed when this was configured with my windows comp, a true 24 bit sound was achieved via usb connection.  At the moment, nothing above 16 bits is supported,  Is this because of the fact that I have it set up via usb rather than coaxial/spdif? I have basically no money right now, but most of my files are 24 bit and I woudln't like my system to go to waste, would buying a cheap afd simple converter such as this help at all?  http://www.dhgate.com/ha-info-ng-coax-sound-card-usb-to-spdif-coax/r-ff8080812af1aef0012af3b0242f5eb9.html

 

Otherwise, could anyone give me any solution to this that doesn't involve spending overt about $50?

 

Thanks, I'm desperate :/

Just buy a mini-Toslink -> Toslink cable and you'll enjoy true 24 Bit sound : 

http://www.amazon.com/Cables-Go-27016-Velocity-Toslink-/dp/B0002JFN1A/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1293700694&sr=1-1

about 8$ :)

x2 on the toslink. Macs can shoot frickin lasers out of the headphone jack. 

go to utilites, then click on midi audio. Then change your dac to 24 bit. I just got a dac for my MBP.

Yes. You just need a mini toslink adapter and toslink cable. I plugged my home stereo this way using toslink. Either a toslink cable or the USB cable will work for you. Try my suggestion above first.
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by astroman302 

Ok thanks so much!

 

Not to sound retarded, but does that plus into the spdif input for the dac and the headphone jack?

The above posts are right, get Toslink but not an $8 one if you care about how your music sounds.  Spend about $70 and get the best sounding mini to regular Toslink you can find which is the Silflex glass Toslink.  Trust me, cheap plastic cables sound like you are listening from the other room and cheap glass while better will not let you hear what your v-dac is capable of.

As for the linked USB adapter it will not pass 24 bit, period.   It only does 16 bit and only 44khz and 48khz.  It can sound good with some tweaks to the mac and the right player but it is much easier to get very good sound using the RIGHT Toslink.  Your v-dac should work just fine when set as described in AudioMidi.  

If you can find a used Wireworld Mini to regular Toslink for less then grab one of those, they are very good as well.

Good luck

Quote:

Originally Posted by bixby 

The above posts are right, get Toslink but not an $8 one if you care about how your music sounds.  Spend about $70 and get the best sounding mini to regular Toslink you can find which is the Silflex glass Toslink.  Trust me, cheap plastic cables sound like you are listening from the other room and cheap glass while better will not let you hear what your v-dac is capable of.

 

As for the linked USB adapter it will not pass 24 bit, period.   It only does 16 bit and only 44khz and 48khz.  It can sound good with some tweaks to the mac and the right player but it is much easier to get very good sound using the RIGHT Toslink.  Your v-dac should work just fine when set as described in AudioMidi.  

 

If you can find a used Wireworld Mini to regular Toslink for less then grab one of those, they are very good as well.

 

Good luck

I trusted you and bought an 6 Feets SILFLEX GLASS with OPTISILK JACKETING TOSLINK TO MINIPLUG on this site : http://www.lifatec.com/toslink2.html

My actual toslink cable cost me 8€, i hope i will hear a difference :) (Cable i'm using now work but start to be "damaged" because someone stucked it below the feet of my desktop, and the same "someone" then pulled on the cable...).

Cheaphifi:

given your dac and AKG headphones, I am sure you will hear a difference.  And it will not be subtle

When you connect the mini toslink plug into the Macbook, the "Built in Speakers" item will automatically become "Digital Out". SPDIF is sent one way only. So the Mac won't know whether there's anything on the receiving side, or what kind of device it is. If it works you'll see a red light coming out of the other end of the cable when music is playing. 

Do not look directly into the light with your remaining eye. Just kidding. 

Looks good to me. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yoga Flame 

x2 on the toslink. Macs can shoot frickin lasers out of the headphone jack. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yoga Flame 

Do not look directly into the light with your remaining eye. Just kidding. 

Both of these made me laugh