Music Source Labyrinth
 

You guys know me as a frighteningly brilliant contributor across an unbelievably wide range of topics but when I try to learn about DAC systems and bluetooth and optical audio and coax and USB and streaming, the acronyms and complexities make my head hurt. I'm looking for someone to simplify this for me.

I have a preamp, amp and speakers that I like very much. Seriously, I can hear the expression on Norah Jones's face and how much spittle is in her mouth and throat. But I feed that system from the 3.5mm headphone jacks of my android phone, MacBook air, and a miniscule DAC so cheap it is nearly free which converts the optical audio out from TV. I think my system can be improved by sending a better analog signal to the preamp.

Let me explain the depth of my ignorance: I have no idea how my MacBook Air would output a digital signal. It has several different kinds of output plugs/ports and I have heard it might also provide an optical audio output from the headphone jack (of all places!). Perhaps it can output digital audio in multiple ways. I have no idea. I may take it to the geeks at Best Buy where I purchased it, and let them inform me. I cannot seem to find this information on the Internet. I have heard that Apple software is already pretty good.

I don't even know if a better DAC would improve my system.

I hate Apple's strategy of providing services that limit my options. iTunes BLOWS! iStore BLOWS!

I currently have Amazon Music, and the quality is CD-quality or better. It arrives on a Comcast cable, and my devices receive it from a router.

Bluetooth would be convenient, eliminating the physical cord, if this can be done while preserving sufficient sound quality.

That's all I know.

USB audio, super simple and almost all dacs have USB these days.

As far as your computer is concerned its just a fancy pants peripheral sound card.


as per the other thread I think a blue sound node is your jam if you can swing the 600$. You CAN bluetooth to it, but its better to put it on your network and send it music from your devices. Download the blueos app on each device and you are off. Simple and hifi, off to the pub

Find a 12 year old boy in the area that can help you.

iTunes indeed sucks major league bad.

I just pay the money for Pandora. After years of listening to Pandora, I have station of favorites that plays some new music and "deep cuts" of artists I like, plus lots of the old classics. For my tinnitus affected ears is sound fine on the systems I play it on. I can stream it on road trips and never one commercial. I have the Blaupunkt Bremen in my 911 and it sounds great. I can stream it to my Bluetooth noise cancelling ear buds while mowing the yard.

Mac Book Airs, at least recent ones, don't have the optical output. What I would do is one of two things-if you don't want wireless, get a Schitt Modi, which accepts usb inputs. I'm not a Mac guy, but you may need a USB C/USB conversion cable. https://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/digital-audio-out-from-2019-2020-macbook-air.943564/page-2

Option B, if you want wireless from the Mac, get a 2nd gen Airport express (on ebay, 50-60 bucks). Later than 2nd gen lack optical out, older only do 2g not 5g. Run an optical cable from the express to the Schitt. Play music on the Macbook and stream to express using airplay. I do this from my phone to 4 different audio systems in my house and it works great.

I have a really really dumb question. Anyone feel free to just ignore it if it is offensive somehow.

But I read in the other thread people just casually say "oh stream your music", or "Pandora" or some sort of USB.

My question is how do you get songs that you WANT to LISTEN to? To me, that's the main reason for buidling the system. In other words, if I wanted to listen to music that was put together by someone else, I'd just switch on an FM radio. I tried Pandora, but the channels that I liked had fewer songs than my own playlist from both Amazon and iTunes (iTunes sucks donkey balls). And I have USB inputs, but frankly the process of editing, arranging and burning to USB sort of seems laborious. It would have to be easy enough for an idiot to do it, at least once per month for me to be able to pull that off.... When there is an easier way, I choose the easy way.

Edit: I also tried playing straight to USB from the iPod. It worked, but cleaning up the signal with the mixer and amp sounds WAYYYYY better.

This is where spotify is different than Pandora. Spotify is all full albums, you can curate your own playlists and over time it will also build playlists for you that have been very good at uncovering stuff I had not heard before and really liked. I use a couple old apple airports and run a headphone jack to rca into my stereo. Do the same but using bluetooth in my car.

With spotify you can even download your playlist for time you might be away from cel service.

Supe if I were you i'd...........

Anyway, leave the TV as is, it's fine.

Buy a SONOS Connect (gen 2) used for between $100 and $200 on ebay.

Put Sonos S2 app on your phone and also on the macbook.

Play music from the app on your phone OR on the macbook, doesn't matter.
You don't need any USB cables,
You don't need any 3.5 cables,
You don't need any adapters,
Nothing. Done. Plug the RCA outputs of the Sonos into an RCA input of your preamp.

Sonos app can play pandora, spotify, or the music stored on your computer or phone. If you create a playlist on your phone, walk over to your computer and it will be there too.

Thanks Gogar and everyone. After more thorough review and input from many sources, and considering my specific (modest) A/V needs I ordered a Topping DX3 Pro+, which offers bluetooth, various other input options such as Optical, a remote, remarkable performance and, surprisingly, a quite modest price. Amir was apparently impressed:

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/topping-dx3-pro-review-dac-headphone-amp.27148/