[KettyKrueger]

Hi All,

I've currently got my Macbook Pro hooked up to my Sony STR-DG910 AV Receiver via Optical output and Mini-Displayport to HDMI. Sounds fairly decent.

Just wondering if it would be worth chucking a DAC or Soundcard between the two. I guess it's fairly obvious that it would sound better but I'm not sure if a DAC or Soundcard would be better. Is the benefit of a soundcard that it would support, or could support Dolby, DTS, etc? Is that it?

Any advise or product recommendations welcome.

Thanks.

 

[grokit]

Always better to get the DAC away from inside the computer, even if you just spend $100, you can improve your sound significantly.

Plenty of dialog around here regarding this sweet little thing

 

[KettyKrueger]

Cheers for that, I was looking into the uDac actually.

At this stage, I'm not sure if my AV receiver has a built-in DAC and if an external one (at least at the lower end of the price scale) will be beneficial.

 

[Blue Monday]

Quote:

Originally Posted by KettyKrueger /img/forum/go_quote.gif Cheers for that, I was looking into the uDac actually. At this stage, I'm not sure if my AV receiver has a built-in DAC and if an external one (at least at the lower end of the price scale) will be beneficial.

From my understanding, if you can input a digital signal and get an analog output, there gotta be a DAC in there somewhere.

 

[grokit]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blue Monday /img/forum/go_quote.gif From my understanding, if you can input a digital signal and get an analog output, there gotta be a DAC in there somewhere.

That's a good point; the OP is using an optical cable and I overlooked that

if the receiver has a good DAC and a discrete headphone amp section, the uDac would be redundant except it would fit in your laptop bag with your headphones for audiophile-ness to go

But it would have to be a very good receiver to beat the uDac in both of those areas, IMO