macbook pro -ethernet or wifi?


Hi all-

I'm considering taking the computer audio plunge, and have already learned a lot from your responses to an initial query, and also from being directed to the computer audiophile site. Thanks!

One other question now to help me figure out if this is feasible. I'm considering playing music from my laptop, which is a new Macbook Pro. (I would probably hook that up to a usb converter and an external DAC....). Does my laptop needed to be wired in via ethernet, or will a wi fi connection suffice? I ask because my ethernet is across the room from where my stereo is, and I think I would need to put in a new ethernet line to hook it up. On the other hand, the wi fi connection is very good. Is there an issue with using wi fi for this application?

with thanks and best wishes for 2014!
mc
mcanaday
"Does my laptop need to be wired in via Ethernet or will a wi-fi connection suffice?" It's not entirely clear what connection you are talking about. Are you talking about how your laptop connects to your router or are you talking about how your laptop connects to some other component and, if so, what component?
Oh sorry. I was talking about how the laptop connects to my router. Maybe this is irrelevant?

Thanks...
How the laptop connects to the router (whether wired or wireless) is irrelevant to playing back music stored on your laptop's harddrive. The only relevance I can see would be if you were using your laptop to access and stream music that's stored somewhere on the Internet. In that event, a wireless connection to the router would be subject to signal dropouts that an Ethernet cable connection would avoid.
If your computer needs a wired connection, I suggest you use an Ethernet over power-line connection. This means you use your electrical power line to connect your computer to your router. I have been using this method and it works great.