"can't I get better sound using a mini-rca from the Mac's headphone jack and running it into the DAC's Toslink input?"
yes you will most likely get better sound.
yes you will most likely get better sound.
Connect Macbook Pro to DacMagic DAC
What is the best cable option to comnect my Apple Macbook Pro to my DacMagic DAC? The usb cable provided by Cambridge works okay but can't I get better sound using a mini-rca from the Mac's headphone jack and running it into the DAC's Toslink input? Or, is there such a thing as a mini-rca to coaxial spdif cable? What is the best cable you've ever used for this application?