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Requesting input from iMac users

I have been playing my iTunes library through (into) the main system via a Toslink coming from the headphone jack on the iMac to the input of the Krell HTS 7.1 processor. It sounds good to me, however, a friend is telling me that this is the lowest quality option for playing the music. According to him the headphone jack is putting the music out through a very inexpensive DAC in the iMac thus diminishing the quality out and causing the processor to accept the music via analog, converting to digital and then back out again in analog. A series of distortion causing steps.

I do have a Pop Pulse (never used) that would allow for coming out of the iMac via USB into the Pop Pulse and back out with digital cable (SPDIF) to the processor. Apparently this eliminates some extra DAC conversions. Would this be a better option? How do you do it?
puerto

Showing 1 response by sufentanil

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sufentanil
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I use the toslink out on my iMac to the DAC on a Music Hall Mambo integrated amp. It sounds just fine to me. I can't tell you if other options sound better because I haven't tried them, but if it sounds good to you, then why mess with it?

I believe that the Toslink plug and the headphone jacks share the same general area on the back of the iMac, but that they aren't the same. If you plug a 3.5mm headphone plug in, you will get analog output (through the iMac's DAC), whereas the toslink adapter should give digital output. I haven't tried plugging a regular headphone into my iMac. Can someone else verify this?

Your options include:

1) Sticking with the Toslink
2) Using a USB-based approach
3) Using an ethernet-based approach, such as a Squeezebox

I've used both the Squeezebox and Toslink in this particular system and they both sound the same to me.

Michael
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