[game_fanatic]

Hey guys, I just had a few quick questions just to see if what I'm planning is plausible, and if it's practical. I'll be moving back home soon, and I'd like to have easy access to all my music in my basement apartment. I plan on purchasing a Media Centre computer, and ripping my CD's in lossless format to iTunes. If my Media Centre is connected to my wireless network, I should have no problem accessing my lossless iTunes library from any computer running iTunes, correct?

Secondly, will I be listening to true CD-quality, or will the tunes lose quality since they are being transmitted over a wireless network?

Lastly, I would prefer to just skip the AppleTV entirely and just connect my Macbook to my HDTV + receiver, but I'm worried the analog audio from my Macbook to my receiver would be of poor quality. Am I right in assuming this? Is there a quality 3.5mm-->RCA cable that would maximize the sound quality?

 

[darkswordsman17]

Shouldn't be any loss in quality, but that's assuming the network will play it back flawlessly. It wouldn't compress the lossless to a lower bitrate, it would stutter or skip. It shouldn't be a problem for a wireless network if its just music.

What Macbook do you have? Some have optical out integrated into the jack, in which case you could do digital output to your receiver. I wouldn't drop a lot on an analog cable, you'd be better off getting something that would let you do digital output to the receiver, or an external DAC which you could then feed analog signal to your receiver for amplification.

 

[game_fanatic]

I have the original Macbook Aluminum, which seems to only have an audio line in. So I would connect the DAC to my Mac's USB port, and run an optical cable from the DAC into the back of my receiver, and voila? Better quality sound? Would the DAC also allow for analog output to the receiver? I have a simple 2.0 set up in my bedroom, so I could take the DAC and my Macbook into my bedroom, plug the DAC into the Macbook and use the analog cables from the DAC into the stereo receiver? Thanks for the help guys!

 

[gbacic]

The aluminum macbooks have a mini optical out in the analog jack. I figured that out with my mother's laptop.

Hope this helps, if not apple probably has some tutorials on their website.

 

[game_fanatic]

Great, thanks gbacic! Looks like I'll need this cable from monoprice.com! That solves my question on connecting the Macbook to my home theatre system, but in my bedroom I will have a 2.0 setup (unsure if I'm getting a stereo amplifier or a stereo receiver); if I get a receiver, I won't have any problems since it will have a digital optical input, but if I get an amplifier, I'll be using standard analog connections, so most likely a 3.5mm-RCA cable. Would I notice a big different between the two on entry-level bookshelf speakers (Energy C-100's)?

Also, would a DAC/AMP be a good investment anyways, or in my situation is it sort of a waste? Thanks guys!

 

[etiolate]

holy crap... i had no idea the macbook pro (which you guys are calling aluminum, lol) has a mini-optical output built-in. i've had this thing for 3 years... i feel like an idiot. i knew my mac pro had one because its the normal size and obvious. they don't advertise this enough!! and you think with the way mac exploits every little detail of their products, they would, lol. i'm usin this bad boy from now on when i'm at home.

edit: i don't have the correct cables yet, so i have yet to test it.

 

[game_fanatic]

Well I don't own a Macbook Pro...it's a Macbook Aluminum...there is a slight difference heh.

 

[etiolate]

huh... i had no idea... lol. well, both have it i guess.

 

[game_fanatic]

So I have a few options for my bedroom audio setup:

1) Use a 3.5mm-->RCA cable to connect my Macbook to a stereo amplifier
2) Use a mini-toslink-->toslink cable to connect my Macbook to a stereo receiver
3) Buy a DAC/AMP and connect my Macbook to the DAC/AMP with a mini-toslink-->toslink cable, then connect the DAC/AMP to the amplifier using RCA cables.

Which option sounds the best?

 

[etiolate]

3). It's what I'm doing.

 

[darkswordsman17]

Quote:

Originally Posted by game_fanatic /img/forum/go_quote.gif So I have a few options for my bedroom audio setup: 1) Use a 3.5mm-->RCA cable to connect my Macbook to a stereo amplifier 2) Use a mini-toslink-->toslink cable to connect my Macbook to a stereo receiver 3) Buy a DAC/AMP and connect my Macbook to the DAC/AMP with a mini-toslink-->toslink cable, then connect the DAC/AMP to the amplifier using RCA cables. Which option sounds the best?

#3 would probably sound the best, but if you already have a receiver then I'd probably say just do #2.

 

[game_fanatic]

Alrighty, #3 sounds like the best option, since I'm leaning towards getting a nice NAD or Cambridge Audio amp

So what are the good-valued DAC/AMPs out there? I was leaning towards getting the Sennheiser HD555's, the Shure SRH440's or the Grado SR125i's, but I might just save up and get a realllly nice pice of phones, like the Denon AHD2000, Sennheiser 650's, or the Beyerdynamic 990's, so I figure whatever AMP/DAC I get will have to powerful enough to sufficiently drive those types of headhones. Thanks again guys!

 

[game_fanatic]

Sorry guys, forgot to add that whatever Amp/DAC I end up with, it will need to have RCA outputs since I've decided on a Marantz amplifier that doesn't have anything by RCA inputs. Thanks!

 

[etiolate]

just about any DAC you get is going to have RCA outputs... what kind of budget are you on for the DAC? people around here really like the little dot dac if you're on a <$400 budget.

 

[Peter_T]

Quote:

Originally Posted by darkswordsman17 /img/forum/go_quote.gif #3 would probably sound the best, but if you already have a receiver then I'd probably say just do #2.

Agreed - if your amp has an optical in and a decent DAC then #2 is cheap and easy, and should sound very good.