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Iphone 13 Qobuz to McIntosh 2100 maximum lossless

I did a search on the forum. I’m sure this has been discussed before but I can’t seem to find a thread. 
I am trying to iphone 13 stream Qubuz Premium maximum lossless. 

I just read to forget about Bluetooth because it can only stream at 48. 
Apple says I need their lightning to 3.5mm headphone jack to direct wire that maximum streaming rate. As you know, the McIntosh 2100 doesn’t have a 3.5mm headphone in jack. 
i can only see two choices: 1) lightning to 3.5mm then 3.5mm to RCA or,

2) Amazon sells a lightning to RCA cable but I don’t know about what I read as the cable needs a built in DAC. Idk how Apple’s 3.5mm is supposed to be able to do that however does the lAmazon’s listings of lightning to RCA’s accomplish the same thing?

i am so very sorry for what probably has been discussed in the past. Please bear with my ignorance. Thanks. 

128x128geworthomd
4 responses Add your response
dgluke
100 posts
 

Call Audioquest or check their website. I’m clueless. 

sfar's avatar
sfar
1,760 posts
 

There aren't any cables that have a built-in DAC. If you use a cable to connect the iPhone to the Mac you will be using the DAC inside the iPhone to convert the music from digital to analog. That will work but is not ideal for the best possible audio quality. 

The most common solution is to use the iPhone running the application for your streaming service to send the signal over your WiFi network to a streamer of some sort which either contains an internal DAC or routes the signal to an external DAC and then on to the Mac through analog RCA cables. 

There are many ways to do that but just as a relatively inexpensive example you could get a Bluesound Node streamer and use its internal DAC connected to the Mac or use it just as a streamer connected to a higher quality DAC on the way to the Mac. 

blackbag20
469 posts
 

I'd try BT ... be surprised if you could discern a difference

geworthomd's avatar
geworthomd OP
98 posts
 

Awesome. Yup the Dragonfly takes the 44 kb/s iPhone and eventually you can end up with RCA at 24 bit 96 kb/s if you use this direct wire technique. Wifi is not a problem but lightning connector is speed limited. Bluetooth is super duper limiting factor so forget about that Rocket Fish. 
Thank u for your help and suggestion. I will find a used Sony 1TB DAC and use my iphone, internet tv and laptop to control it. 
192 kb/s with a library here I come lol

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