What is the best way to bypass/decrapify computer audio?

[hakunamakaka]

I’ve worked with numerous mac setups and they never changed the staging or treble, unless of course the software you’re using allows you to change the audio or does so by default (such as iTunes and loudness normalisation).

G

Everything was used as default without any software tweaks. We tested with qutest/rme-adi2/toppings dac's and all of them benefited from ddc instead of direct usb input to dac.

It was very obvious during complex passages in music. Sound didn't feel as forced and staging was way clearer. Even though you could hear those nuances going directly to dac, but it had less pronounced positioning and space between notes. With good speakers it was a game changer, but with less resolving headphones I'm not sure if it's worth the hassle and only user could tell. If possible I would suggest anyone using macbook as a source to try something like iris/gustard u18 with return policy and see themselves that I'm not kookoo

 

[gregorio]

Everything was used as default without any software tweaks. We tested with qutest/rme-adi2/toppings dac's and all of them benefited from ddc instead of direct usb input to dac.

Again, I’ve tested numerous Macs over the course of 2 decades or so, with numerous DACs, none of them audibly changed the frequency response or stereo image and none of them benefitted from a ddc.

It was very obvious during complex passages in music. Sound didn't feel as forced and staging was way clearer.

It was very obvious with any type of passages in music that the Macs were not audibly affecting staging/positioning, freq response or anything else, both from controlled listening and objective tests. Again, if Macs did always do what you’re suggesting, professional sound/music engineers would never use them.

With good speakers it was a game changer, but with less resolving headphones I'm not sure if it's worth the hassle and only user could tell.

Excellent speakers do “change the game” in terms of accuracy of freq response/balance and stereo positioning/soundstage but only in well designed/treated listening environments and then they reveal no differences in staging with Macs, Macbooks or other sources, with the previous caveats of course.

G