[brown274]

I need a little help learning more about computer audio. Being that everything is going digital, I wonder if I should start moving that way.

My goal is in my living room, with a 3.1 set-up for movies/music. Aperion 6T's and 6c. Running an Emotiva umc-1 (when available) and a XPA-5 amp. I have a Marantz CD5001 but it would be nice not swapping disc out.

If I wanted to use a 09 MacBook pro as source, how would I go about getting very good sound from a laptop. (all music is .wav)

1. MacBook > Toslink > Receiver
2. Macbook > Toslink > Keces 131 > Receiver

Will a CDP usually always win when being compared to a laptop?

 

[Kurotetsu]

Well, the obvious answer would be to try both and listen to hear which sounds better. But to give an actual answer, since the Keces 131 is a dedicated DAC I imagine it'll do a better job than a receiver. But given that I haven't listened to it I can't say with any certainty.

As for the CDP always winning, certainly not. In the case of your laptop, it'll depend on what playback software you're using and the audio files themselves. OS X outputs bit-perfect audio natively, and I hear iTunes is a very good music player on OS X. Using .wav files (assuming you used a good CD ripper), I've no doubt that your Macbook Pro can match your CDP, no problem.

EDIT:

I would suggest using ALAC to losslessly compress those .wav files. It'll save space and I hear ALAC and iTunes make an awesome combination.

 

[brown274]

Thanks, I use EAC and DBPowerAmp to rip. All secure.

 

[tosehee]

Try Macbook -> m2tech Hiface -> your DAC.

 

[Sherwood]

How about Macbook ---(wireless magic)-- Airport Express --> Toslink --> receiver

Then you don't have to have your laptop sitting up there.

 

[Phelonious Ponk]

Isn't the Keces an NOS DAC? Depending on who you ask, non oversampling DACs are either technology from the dawn of the digital age that has long ago be bested by the chips in average receivers and cdps or technology from the dawn of the digital age that has never been equalled and should never have been left behind by all but a handful of very small boutique builders.

Best to just listen with your ears.

What receiver?

P

 

[joe_cool]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phelonious Ponk /img/forum/go_quote.gif Isn't the Keces an NOS DAC? P

No, I don't think so. I believe it uses a modern Burr-Brown OS DAC.

 

[brown274]

Receiver will be an Emotiva UMC-1 (preamp) when available.

 

[leftear]

Mac laptops are good when we talk of sound quality, try to use different combinations to setup the perfect sound.