andrewtayloruk

Hi Rance, 1) The Mac will come with TOSLINK and USB. You plug a USB DAC into the USB port which will then give you COAXIAL out. 2) Bit beyond me 3a) I'll leave this one as well 3b) Firewire is just like USB, it's a method of connection. As well as USB DACs you can get Firewire DACs, the Mac Mini comes ready with a firewire port, so, it's just a case of choosing a DAC which supports Firewire or USB to XLR. I'm sure Chris will be along shortly with some specific device advice. Andrew

Thanks for the feedback, it's reassuring. I've been reading about the Grado SR60's - I think I'll give them a try, I was listening to some Greenday earlier, perhaps they're not the most musical of bands If I could just set a benchmark of where I want to get to, that would be enough. On another note, and without starting a new thread; any idea where I'd get some SR60's in Florida? I'm going to both Orlando and Miami in November and it should workout a bit cheaper. I've checked here in the UK and the SR60's run the equivalent of $140. Andrew

Hi, This seems like a slippery slope, but, I've just got to get an idea if I'm tone-deaf or not. I've got all my music in Apple Lossless, I've also got them converted at 160Kbps AAC for my iPod. I'm currently in the process of building a system, but, I presumed my Shure e3c's would give me pretty good representation of sound quality. I honestly can't tell the difference between Apple Lossless and AAC. I really can't. I'd like to, I'd like to get this ethereal sound, but, it's no different. What are the deciding factors? Are my earphones really not that good, or, is it the use of the line-out of my Mac. Thanks Andrew

Hi, I'm far from the best voice on these topics, but, I'll chime in my thoughts on some of your questions and you can go from there: 1) If you're not a big PC guy, I can't see any reason not to buy a Mac. I'm in the IT business and I still choose a Mac everytime, the quality is there, and, they're extremely easy to use. With it being your first time, you'll have no problems picking up iTunes et al. 2) No, the MacBook will give you massive scope for whatever you need to do. I'd suggest getting the cheapest one available, and, upgrading the RAM to 2GB. I'd always reccomend not getting the RAM upgrade from Apple because it's so expensive, however, in your case, this might be appropriate if you don't want the hassle of getting it done later. I'd also advise against the DVD-RW upgrade, you can buy a cheaper external device that you can upgrade in the future. 3) Yes, you can't store the soundfiles on the TimeCapsule, and, you'll need more than a NAS to connect to your DAC. The MacMini is an obvious choice, but, it depends on how your home is laid out. If you going to put the component in with the rest of your kit, the MacMini will be best (as it's small and comes without a display). If you can route the sound via another device and store a machine in another room, something like the iMac is a great option. You get a great desktop computer and it will obviously do the business for you in terms of a home for your music files. 4) There's three real options for you here; AIFF, FLAC and Apple Lossless. I'm really in no position to advise of the audiophile benefits to one over another, other than, you can change formats easily in the future if need be (as they're all lossless). I went for Apple lossless, this may preclude you from using non Apple-technology in the future, but, if you're going down the Apple route, it's extremely easy to work with. It sits right in iTunes, you can tag and categorise, and, they're around half the size of a non-compressed file. As for ripping, I'd suggest not using the standard drive that ships with a macbook/mac mini. I'd buy an external enclosure and go for a USB connected device. This is more about speed and accuracy of the rip than the quality, I've just ripped 300 CDs and found the external device much better suited to the job. These types of things can be had for very little money from almost anywhere, in the UK I paid the equivalent of around $50. I'm going to skip 5/6 as I don't feel sufficiently experienced to offer good advice, however, I'd say that if you've already invested in a good quality DAC, the Mac can do optical (TOSLINK) out, this may be all you need. The other option is a USB DAC, this presents itself to the Mac as a new sound card. This may be overkill with you having a DAC already. 7 - I'm not quite sure about this, I'd imagine the limiting factor would be the output type of the Mac. With a SPDIF output this would not be an issue, I'm not sure about the TOSLINK.

Hi, Thanks for the feedback. I hadn't thought about doing it that way. The Dell doesn't sit on the same subnet as the Mac (as the Mac is behind a firewall) but this isn't a big issue, if this is the way to go, I'll have to reconfigure. Is the Squeezebox software idea a no-go? Thanks Andrew

Hi, Up until now I've been using my Apple Mac with AAC encoded versions of my music. I use iTunes because I like the interface and management of music. I've recently started looking at the better quality solutions and I've invested in some decent bookshelf speakers, my next purchase will be a better AMP and a USB DAC. I realise that the AAC versions of the files will no longer be suitable for the better quality sound setups and I'm looking at how to integrate lossless in to my setup. I have all of my CD's ripped as Apple Lossless from when I first ripped/converted to AAC. I'd like to maintain my AAC versions of my music on my laptop for when I'm travelling and for syncing with my various iPods and Apple.TV However, I'd like to be able to get full use of my Lossless files when I'm sitting in my office and my machine is connected to the DAC and AMP setup. I have around 80GB of lossless files sitting on a Dell Poweredge server connected to my network via CAT5. The Dell does pretty light work, a bit of WebServer work, and, someother light duties. Is it possible to put something like SqueezeCentre on it and use that as a library for my lossless files without having a Squeeze device? Can I access it through the Softsqueeze software and still make use of the DAC?, or, will this not work? Any comments? I can't load both libraries to my MacBook as I don't have sufficient room, and, I don't like the idea of having two seperate iTunes libraries that I have to hotkey in and out of. I can't run it as a seperate user because I can't then work and playback music at the same time. The key to me is retaining the AAC version library on my MacBook for use with the iPOD, but, also being able to have good control and access to the Lossless version when I'm at home. Thanks Andrew

The AE2 look great, but, I'd be worried about wall mounting them, also, the volume etc is on the rear of the unit. After a lot of searching, I think the solution may be a KingRex T20U USB Amplifier it combines a DAC and an AMP, I can use it with any passive speakers. Anyone ever heard this setup, or, can anyone see a drawback in my plan? Also looking at the specifications for the KingRex, how do I know what to look for in a pair of speakers? Thanks Andrew

Hi, Well, I suppose that harks back to my original question. Where will I get the most value: 1) Traditional AMP and Speakers, adding DAC at a later date or 2) Active Speakers and a DAC now It's really difficult, and the choice available here is limited so I'd have to order over the internet, I wouldn't be able to demo the kit. Thanks again for everyone's help. Andrew

Thanks for the warm welcome and the prompt feedback. It's all a bit confusing this audio game so I'm grateful of the helping hand. Do you think something like this http://www.richersounds.com/showproduct.php?cda=showproduct&pid=TANG-EVO-GREEN Would be a good bet? I'm struggling to find the brand you reccomended this side of the pond. I'd originally started looking at the M-Audio active speakers but I could use the Tangent speakers with an AMP and then add a DAC at a later stage as you suggest. I'm actually going to be in the USA in November so I might be able to pick one up there. As for the AMP, I have a small Denon system that I'm not using (http://www.superfi.co.uk/index.cfm/page/moreinfo.cfm/Product_ID/530) Do you think this would fit the bill, or, would I be doing myself a dis-service. Thanks again, it's really interesting to read about it all. Andrew

Hi All, I was just about to push the button on an order of basic AMP and Speakers for my home office, then I came across this site and got to thinking a bit more about it. I have my entire collection of CDs ripped in Apple Lossless, I work using an Apple MacBook, I need some speakers so I can listen to music and podcasts whilst I work. Will I get better value for money (and quality) with a pair of basic speakers (looking at Tangent EVO) and a basic Amp, something like a Cambridge Audio A5 connected via the line-out of my MacBook, or, will I better with some active monitors such as the M-Audio Studiophile. Also, would I be better investing in a USB soundcard or USB DAC for the MacBook. Total budget is realistically $450 (although I'm in the UK so the prices are not as good). My main concern is something with good quality that isn't too in your face, and, I need to be able to wall mount the speakers as I don't have any room on my desk. I listen to a lot of pop, rock and Hip-Hop, so I like my bass tight and fast, but, I don't want the bass to shake the house. I want to me able to hear it, not feel it. I also quite like a lot of vocal and piano style music, Alicia Keys, Elton John, Vanessa Carlton, so I like the clarity at the top end. Any pointers for a first timer? Many thanks Andrew