[schmalgausen]

Any difference in sound HW (DAC, amplifier)?

 

[tyk103]

Any difference in sound HW (DAC, amplifier)?

The new M1 Pro (2021+) MacBook Pros come with a more powerful DAC/AMP built-in compared to the previous gen M1 MBP and MBA.

DAC: Cirrus Logic CS42L84A-CWZ Audio Codec
AMP: Texas Instruments SN012776B0 Audio Amplifiers

When you connect headphones with an impedance of less than 150 ohms, the headphone jack provides up to 1.25 volts RMS. For headphones with an impedance of 150 to 1k ohms, the headphone jack delivers 3 volts RMS. This may remove the need for an external headphone amplifier.

I have no problems driving my HD 6XX with the new '21 MBP out of the headphone jack. The stock jack is good up to 24-bit/96kHz but an external DAC can yield more.

 

[schmalgausen]

How to detect if that new feature exists on some Mac?

 

[tyk103]

How to detect if that new feature exists on some Mac?

It's only available on all new Macs:

• MacBook Air (M2, 2022)
• MacBook Pro (13-inch, M2, 2022)
• MacBook Pro (14-inch, 2021)
• MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2021)
• Mac Studio (2022)

 

[aj-kun]

Logged in after years of not posting just to give my 2 cents and say that the MacBook Air m2 output is cleannnnnnn. Back to hibernation o/

 

[schmalgausen]

Clean and good are not the same.

 

[chesebert]

Clean and good are not the same.

What are you looking for? I just use APP2 when I am traveling with my MBP.

 

[aj-kun]

Clean and good are not the same.

Take some headphones to an apple store and have a listen. Careful though you might catch a virus from the 3.5mm socket. New socket transmitted diseases are everywhere. Can never be too careful. /s

 

[odanovich]

I am currently testing a Chord Mojo 2 against my Macbook Pro 16" 2021 M1Pro Chip with my Audeze LCD-X and I think I like my macbook's aux port better than the Mojo2. It is close enough for me to not justify the price tag of the Mojo2, but the Bass slam is much tighter and more controlled on my Macbook Auz Port which finalizes it for me. I would say the difference is very minor and I will be selling my Mojo2 because of it. Overall I am impressed with the DAC/AMP combo on the new Macbook Pros. However I have not used a headphone with high impedance.