[Ninety]

Hello

Sorry if this question has been asked elsewhere - I've been reading through various threads for the past few hours and I can't see anything on it.

I want to play music from my laptop through my Rega Brio amp so need something to output at line level. My laptop has an optical (mini 3.5mm) SPDIF output - can I use this with a 3.5 to TOSLINK cable to connect to a Hifi (eg Arcam Black Box)?

Or would I be better off getting a dedicated USB DAC (from reading around I like the price and RCAs of the Fubar and most things about the Moodlab Dice)?

I hope that makes sense to you. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated (especially as there's a lovely little Micromega Microdac on ebay ending in a couple of days...).

Thanks in advance,

90

 

[minidiscs]

I have the Moodlab Dice for a month now, no complaints about it. Sounds better than the built in intel soundcard on my macbook pro.

I also use an iBasso D2 at work for my IEM.

I use all USB, but the optical works just as well on my MoodLab.

The MoodLab Dice is more money and portable DAC/amps are much cheaper.

 

[Ninety]

Thanks for the reply. Sorry if I'm being thick, but is the optical out on your computer a 3.5mm or a TOSLINK connector? And you notice no difference in sound between optical and USB?

The iBasso D2 looks good, but I can't see a line level output - the site states it can be used as a DAC + amp or standalone amp. A standalone DAC is what I need.

So basically there's no difference between a USB-in DAC and an optical-in DAC apart from the connectors? In which case, if my computer will output an optical signal, I can use an optical DAC?

 

[minidiscs]

My macbook pro has a 3.5mm optical out.
I haven't noticed a difference between usb and optical. Both signals should output the same digital data, and the dac has to process it to analog form.

The iBasso D2 has no line level output. Just an all in one dac/amp. I just like it because its handy and it just works.

Personally if you have no use for USB I would get the MoodLab Concept which is just optical in. Personally USB will come in handy when you get a new computer where there is no optical out.

 

[blessingx]

If your comp outputs optical it should work fine with a traditional optical DAC. There are debates on TOSLINK v. USB over jitter, but as you've found there are some wonderful deals on eBay concerning vintage DACs. That and Audiogon are where I've bought mine. Optical would give you the option of using a Squeezebox/Airport Express/etc. in the future away from your computer too.

 

[Ninety]

inidiscs - good shout on the Concept - I hadn't seen that at first!

blessingx - that's exactly the answer I was hoping for. Back to the Watch List...

Thanks everyone for your help. I'll post back my experiences once I'm up and running.

To throw a further spanner in the works, I went to pick up a new stylus today, spoke to the guy in the shop about DAC availability and he pointed me to the Chordette Gem...not yet.

 

[blessingx]

The Chordette Gem USB is interesting, but since it seems aimed at Bluetooth and as far as I can tell Bluetooth A2DP doesn't support lossless/uncompressed, I do wonder about its SQ. Like the Cambridge Audio DacMagic and its gaming references I wonder the intended audience.

 

[Ninety]

That's interesting to know - I don't have any music in lossless (yet), but I do have loads in OGG and that doesn't appear to be supported either (I was assuming that the decoding would happen at the PC end and the Bluetooth signal would be like a wireless equivalent of what would otherwise go through a digital cable to a normal DAC, hence codec support wouldn't matter - bear in mind I'm no expert and I may be totally confusing myself!).

With all that in mind, as far as the audience goes, it seems like a strange idea. If the lossless thing is correct, then that'd be enough to put purists off and I can't see Chord as a brand meaning anything to people who use their phone as source, certainly not enough to part with GBP400.