[captacoustic]

I plan to play FLAC files from a hard drive into a laptop. I plan to connect the laptop to my Astell & Kern AK120 as a DAC and then go optical into a Marantz receiver for my home system.
 
Does the quality of the laptop matter much, or will pretty much any one do?
 
Thanks,
Wayne

 

[mchart]

I don't follow. You plan to play audio from the AK120 into the laptop? Or you are somehow using the AK120 as a DAC with the laptop?
 
What is going optical into the receiver? Most laptops don't have optical out. You'd need something that did that.

 

[whitedragon551]

  I don't follow. You plan to play audio from the AK120 into the laptop? Or you are somehow using the AK120 as a DAC with the laptop?
 
What is going optical into the receiver? Most laptops don't have optical out. You'd need something that did that.

Sounds like he is going Laptop onboard audio > AK120 > Optical out to HT receiver > headphones.

 

[mchart]

Assuming the AK120 is connected via USB to the laptop and functioning as a DAC then laptop quality means nil as long as it has a functioning USB 2.0 port which is going to be every laptop.

 

[captacoustic]

Sorry I wasn't clear, yes; USB out of laptop into AK 120 as a DAC then optical out to receiver.

Assuming the AK120 is connected via USB to the laptop and functioning as a DAC then laptop quality means nil as long as it has a functioning USB 2.0 port which is going to be every laptop.