quality audio output from macs: via usb with extra hardware or via just audio out plus well amped sp

hi there

i want to have decent audio output of itunes:

should i just stick to the audio out channel provided by apple and add some
good amplifier and good speakers or are other hardware D/A converters
preferable? does a good amp make no sense without a better D/A converter?

and which hardware solutions are recommendable for audiophiles?

thanks, olli

 

I quit listening to external speakers some time ago and substituted a
pair of high-quality earphones. They're sufficiently good enough to
provide satisfactory reproduction of Charles Muench's Beriloz Requiem.

Try the new Bose noise-canceling 'phones (the larger set that comes with
a CD player). You might be pleasantly amazed at the quality.
Alternatively, a pair of Beyer phones will do the job, but they permit
external noise to creep in.

If we want truly high-quality audiophile reproduction, then go into the
living room and fire up your main stereo system.

 

That would make them music lovers -- only randomly related to
audiophiles.

 

The audiophiles would go to the jazz club and bitch about the
acoustics.

 

There is one important reason to use a add on audio output. That is
that you can route system sounds differently than your music.. Having
the start-up chime blare at you through the stereo speakers can be
surprising, to say the least.

 

No. A sound output device that have better specs will sound better,
even if the source is imperfect. Take this example :

What would sounds better, a vinyl LP recorded on a cassette or a vinyl
LP recorded on a CD?

The CD will be better, of course. The cassette will add its own noise
and distorsion to the already imperfect source. On the contrary, the CD
will at least preserve what is on the LP.

Other example : a cassette will have better sound on a pair of B&W
speakers than on a boombox, even if the cassette's flaws are readily
audibles.

That being said, Macs have good sound quality out of the box, as you
pointed out. I use them since 1997 to playback soundtracks and sound
effect in live shows. They surpasses even the pro open-reel analog tape
decks they replaced.

If the original poster insist on even better, there are several semi-pro
unit available. I fetched a M-Audio Duo used on eBay and I'm thrilled
about it's quality. It'll do 96 kHz/24 bits in and out, as well as
having a nice dual channel mic pre-amp with XLR connectivity. I paid
162 USD and they often go for less than that.

 

I often listen to music from the computer at enthusiatic volume, hummm!
A couple of years ago, I sometime had a difficult time geting good sleep
and wondered why.

Turned out I had left the sound system cranked up before going to sleep.
The computer was left running and every 30 minutes, Outlook Express
chimed its "no mail" sound at full volume, in my case, in full range
glory with several hundred watts, complete with dual 12 inches subs...

The chime would wake me up before I could realise what shit was going
on, all night long!

 

Well, one can load AIFFs into it, if one has the disk space and source
material. You won't be getting that from the Apple store tho.. 99 cents
doesn't buy a whole hell of a lot these days.

Billy Y..