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Getting good sound from MacBook via DAC.

Hello everyone,

I decided to go down the digital path and picked up a Bryston BDA-2.  I hooked up an Audioquest USB 2 cable from my MacBook to the BDA-2  to play music from my Itunes and it sounds awful.  What am I doing wrong?  I tried playing with the sampling rates thru the MacBooks Audio Midi set-up but no help there. it sounds compressed, over extended bass, lack of detail and soundstage, just plain awful.  

Ive been using the DAC with my Simaudio CD player with excellent results. I also have a WADIA 177 hooked thru the DAC for my IPod which sounds surprising good. I like the idea of using the MacBook and was thinking about getting a dedicated Mac Mini for music files.  
128x128jetmek
erik_squires
16,056 posts
 
Try running on batteries. From several comments, the problems seem to come from the switching power supplies.
jetmek's avatar
jetmek OP
10 posts
 
No difference.  I'm thinking it has to do with the music file format in Itunes but Im not sure. 
sbank's avatar
sbank
3,378 posts
 
You aren't doing anything wrong, iTunes sound quality sucks, as mentioned the power supply on your mac doesn't help, spinning discs in your computer add noise,and it all adds up to not great sound. You can go a few routes, and all is far from lost...
FWIW, I did the same as you many years ago and learned from all the pain. I replaced mac with dedicated mini for music server, used all the major software(e.g. Audirvana+, Amarra, etc.), added USB isolators/filters, etc. 
The best route by far IMHE, and agreed with by many on computeraudiophile is to store your files on a NAS in another room, run ethernet into your audio room and use a dedicated single purpose renderer/streamer to bring your files to your DAC from the NAS via the ethernet cable. Read the Sonore microRendu review by Chris Connaker on CA (product of the year) and you will understand. Other products like Aurelic Aries and their Mini, Bluesound, Aurenders(at higher price points), and Melco all head in this direction although some focus more on internal storage than taking full advantage of an isolated NAS). 
There are plenty of threads describing how many here have switched away from PC & mac based solutions and got happier.
Cheers,
Spencer
ghosthouse's avatar
ghosthouse
4,306 posts
 
Ran a MacBook Air via USB out to a Gungnir DAC for a good long while. Listened to ripped CDs from external hard drive and also to Spotify from the MBA. I was very happy with the sound. Sounded better than direct from the CDP. But then, maybe I’m not a true audiophile (though the improvement over the CDP was confirmed by a gust who owns some very fine gear).

A couple of things I believe helped the sound: 1) Installed BitPerfect on the MBA to be the "music server" instead of iTunes. $10 from the App Store. It accesses the iTunes files but in Hog Mode it keeps iTunes from mucking around. Better sound with BF than without (i.e., letting iTunes run things). Just be sure to follow the set up instructions. It’s not hard and the folk(s) at BP are very responsive and helpful.   There are a number of other pricier/more feature-laden music services.  Pick your poison.  2) Ran USB out from the MBA to a V-Link 192 USB/SPDIF converter.  SPDIF from the V-Link to the DAC. Had a double headed USB cable so power to the V-Link was from an external source and not from the MBA. Things sounded very good to my ears.

Another thing I believe helped was that the MBA itself ran from a solid state drive and NOT from an internal hard drive. Seemed like SSD makes for a very quiet setup.   V-Link 192 not made anymore but there are other USB/SPDIF converters.  I'd look at something from iFi were I buying new today.  Still using the V-Link with the Auralic Aries Mini that has replaced use of the MBA.  It made a huge difference with the Aries Mini.  

Good luck.
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