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How do I put a DAC to good use?

I have a Pass Labs DAC 1 that is not being used. I thought about selling it, but I think it's one of those components that's probably to hard to sell. So I thought why not stream music through it. I have a Mac with iTunes and a Airport Express, but the AE only has USB out. How do I go from a USB to any of the DAC 1 inputs, be it XLR, COAX or Optical. Is their a component that can go inbetween these two? Thanks for all your input.
zippyy

Showing 2 responses by sfar

sfar's avatar
sfar
1,768 posts
 
This isn't an answer to your question but a clarification. The USB port on the Airport Express isn't an output, it serves only as a connection for a shared network printer.

The output of the Express is a mini-optical jack. You can stream wirelessly from the Mac to the Airport Express, then go directly from it to the DAC 1 by using an optical cable. The direct USB connection you're after is supposed to offer higher quality but you could try the setup just with a cable and the adapter for the mini-optical port. I've been happy with a glass cable I bought from a member on this site, Captnstarstripe.
sfar's avatar
sfar
1,768 posts
 
Zippyy, I was responding to your original statement that the AE has only USB out.

The devices Gmood1 sent links to don't connect to the USB port on the Airport Express, they connect to the USB port on your PC or Mac. To get an audio signal from the Airport Express you can plug either an optical cable or a stereo mini analog cable into the single audio jack on the AE. It's a dual-purpose port and either an analog cable or optical digital cable will work as long as you have the right size connector on the cable. The USB port on the AE does not provide the same audio-out capability as a USB port on the computer.
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