[kRed]

I once tried my MacBook Air M1 HP out while doing some tests... it sounded awful!

It sounded definitely worse than my apple dongle (muddy, less clarity, congested and compressed), which I find pretty ok but not great.

I was really surprised with Joshua Valour evaluation on the MB pro hp out, since he found it similar to the K9 Pro. To me, the K9 Pro is just on a different league compared to the apple dongle.

 

[emilsoft]

I once tried my MacBook Air M1 HP out while doing some tests... it sounded awful!

It sounded definitely worse than my apple dongle (muddy, less clarity, congested and compressed), which I find pretty ok but not great.

I was really surprised with Joshua Valour evaluation on the MB pro hp out, since he found it similar to the K9 Pro. To me, the K9 Pro is just on a different league compared to the apple dongle.

MacBook Air M1 HP out is quite bad indeed. The Macbook Pro M1 HP out is something else completely - it's just incomparable.

 

[tyk103]

Just wanted to add to this post that my 2021 14" MacBook Pro's DAC/Amp easily powers both my HD 6XX and Focal Clears. It sounds fantastic and can't tell a difference between the MBP and my DX3 Pro +.

 

[tyk103]

I once tried my MacBook Air M1 HP out while doing some tests... it sounded awful!

It sounded definitely worse than my apple dongle (muddy, less clarity, congested and compressed), which I find pretty ok but not great.

I was really surprised with Joshua Valour evaluation on the MB pro hp out, since he found it similar to the K9 Pro. To me, the K9 Pro is just on a different league compared to the apple dongle.

The M1 MacBook Air (or any MacBooks built prior to Fall 2021) use the old DAC/Amp, which doesn't sound good IMO.

 

[septembernights]

I have a macbook pro 16 and I think the headphone out sounds pretty good!

Actually I'm looking to split my headphone out somehow to 4 sources - two sets of headphones and two sets of speakers (I'll only be running set at a time) - I just don't want to unplug and replug repeatedly

Any suggestions best way to do this for maintaining good sound? I also have a Steinberg UR22 I could use if that helps (it connects via usb) but I don't need it connected...should I just get something like Fosi Audio PH04 4 channel headphone amp?

I'll be going to my AT M50x, Sens HD58x, iloud speakers, and my yamaha amp to other speakers. Thx for any advice

 

[andlum]

I currently own a Mac Studio, a Cayin RU6 and Neumann NDH30 and i am very unsure whether to keep the RU6 or sell it and buy more music with the money.

Any opinions about that decision?

 

[nadman12]

I currently own a Mac Studio, a Cayin RU6 and Neumann NDH30 and i am very unsure whether to keep the RU6 or sell it and buy more music with the money.

Any opinions about that decision?

I would say buy more music. I sold off most of my desktop amps and dongles after extensively comparing them to my M1 16" MacBook Pro 2021 which I believe has the same audio amp / dac as the Mac Studio. These included a Schiit Magni Stack, Hafler HA75, Audioquest Dragonfly, and a Lake People G109A. I'm currently using the Audeze MX4, Audeze Euclid's, and Sennheiser HdD600. (I think in order to really hear a clear difference you would need to step up to something in the ballpark of the RME Adi-2 or thereabouts.)

 

[emilsoft]

I would say buy more music. I sold off most of my desktop amps and dongles after extensively comparing them to my M1 16" MacBook Pro 2021 which I believe has the same audio amp / dac as the Mac Studio. These included a Schiit Magni Stack, Hafler HA75, Audioquest Dragonfly, and a Lake People G109A. I'm currently using the Audeze MX4, Audeze Euclid's, and Sennheiser HdD600. (I think in order to really hear a clear difference you would need to step up to something in the ballpark of the RME Adi-2 or thereabouts.)

I find RME ADI-2 worse to be honest. It has a terrible crystalline and ringing timbre in the upper mids/treble. The M1 headout is more coherent even if not as uber clean.

 

[emilsoft]

FYI - the iPad 9 (the last one with the 3.5mm out) sounds incredible with headphones especially IEMs - no clue what they did but I find it even better with my sensitive IEMs than the Macbook m1 pros - it's smooth, fleshed out, detailed and just nice sounding without any grain or nastiness associated which cheap dacs.

If Apple put back 3.5mm in phones with the same attention, we can kiss DAPs goodbye

 

[andlum]

Interesting. Is there any DAC/Amp combo which will provide greater benefits in comparison to the Apple M1 jack? And if so - which i assume - which price bracket are we talking and which device?

I was thinking about getting the RME, but that’s additional 1k.

 

[emilsoft]

Interesting. Is there any DAC/Amp combo which will provide greater benefits in comparison to the Apple M1 jack? And if so - which i assume - which price bracket are we talking and which device?

I was thinking about getting the RME, but that’s additional 1k.

At first I loved the RME due to all the bells and whistles, after some time I couldn't figure out why my speakers sounded so forward and fatiguing in my room, I tried different speakers, speaker stands - I blamed everything but the RME.. as soon as I moved to Apogee Element and Hiby RS6 as source the sound immediately got more relaxed and natural, I could listen to my speakers and enjoy them.

I can recommend: Apogee Element (or later other models) if you have a Mac. Mojo 2 if you can only use it with good optical reclocking source (I used Wyred4Sound).. both of these improve upon the Macbook.

 

[samuelawachie]

Why would you use an analog 3.5mm jack when you could use the HDMI to output cleaner audio?

 

[Heyyoudvd]

Has anyone tried one of the new M2 Mac Minis?

I’m thinking of picking one up but I’m not sure how the headphone out is.

And if I have an amp like a Topping L30, do I plug it directly into the headphone out or do I need to get a USB DAC connector?

 

[chesebert]

Interesting. Is there any DAC/Amp combo which will provide greater benefits in comparison to the Apple M1 jack? And if so - which i assume - which price bracket are we talking and which device?

I was thinking about getting the RME, but that’s additional 1k.

Yes, everything in my profile sounds better than M1 jack. But none is portable.