Connecting MacBook Pro to Naim DAC

Posted by: Kevin Rodgers on 25 January 2015

I have a couple of beginners' questions about playing hidef files through Naim kit.

The first i hope will be trivial to the experts out there. i have a Apple MacBook pro Retina (late 2013 model). How should I connect this to my Naim DAC so that I can play hidef audio files? I undertsand that the Mac's digital audio output is through the headphone socket. Do I need a cable with male 3.5mm audio jack at one end and USB A at the other, or what? I have connected an iPod into the USB port at the front of the DAC and it worked fine.

The second question is slightly trickier. I put two albums (downloaded from 'HD tracks') onto a Kingston 16GB USB 2 stick. One is 16/44 FLAC, the other is 24/96 FLAC. When I plug the stick into the front of my (2010 vintage) HDX the n-Serve software can 'see' the first album but NOT the second. I have reformatted the stick and tried again - same result. Curiously, my Uniti (in a differnt part of the house) can see and play both. Any ideas of what is going on? Frankly, I'm not wild about using USB sticks but I tried it as an alternative to playing from my Mac.

Thanks in advance to anyone who can help with these questions.

Posted on: 25 January 2015 by aht

Can't help you with the FLAC files, but for the MBP, you need a toslink optical cable, not a regular analog cable, with a 3.5 mini-plug on the source end. There are cheap cables out there (Monster), but the expensive Wireworld Super Nova 6 sounds much better. (Now they're up to Super Nova 7, evidently).

Posted on: 25 January 2015 by Kevin Rodgers

And does that plug into the front of the DAC into the USB (which would be convenient as I would only occasionally use the MBP for audio, or into one of the SDIF pots at the back of the DAC? Sorry to sound so ignorant! And thanks for your - very quick - help.

Posted on: 25 January 2015 by aht

It plugs into the back of the DAC. Underneath the numbered BNC and RCA coax terminals you will find toslink receptacles. The DAC automatically detects whether a coax or toslink plug has been inserted into a given input.

Posted on: 25 January 2015 by mutterback

USB only works with memory sticks or an iPod.

You can get a USB > SPDIF converter (like the Halide Bridge or many others) if you don't want to go optical. But, several here use optical and love it.

I'm not sure about the HDX, but there was a software upgrade for the NDAC which increased its ability to "see" files on USB. Had some limitations before one of the upgrades.

Posted on: 25 January 2015 by garyi

As a start off, get an SPDIF cable with a mini on one end.

Type in 'SPDIF to mini' into ebay and its pretty much the first option.

If the sound floats your boat you might consider an USB to SPDIF convertor. Not convinced they make a terrific difference, but it is another box of shiny shiny for the rack.

Posted on: 25 January 2015 by Kevin Rodgers

Thanks guys. Have ordered cable (toslink to mini toslink). On the n-DAC software update do I need to go back to naim on that or is it downloadable somehow?

Posted on: 25 January 2015 by Kevin Rodgers

That should read 'on the HDX software update'.....

Posted on: 25 January 2015 by garyi

You can download the software from naims new website. Its all very new age now so you have to rely on some sort of zen to find it.

However you need a CD/DVD burner as this is how the software update is applied. Macpro Retinas do not have this

Posted on: 25 January 2015 by mutterback

https://www.naimaudio.com/updates

Posted on: 25 January 2015 by Bart

Originally Posted by garyi:

You can download the software from naims new website. Its all very new age now so you have to rely on some sort of zen to find it.

However you need a CD/DVD burner as this is how the software update is applied. Macpro Retinas do not have this

I had to buy an external Apple "Super Drive" and I think the only thing I use it for is to burn Naim update discs for my uServe. Well I have used it to rip a few cd's with XLD too -- multi-cd sets where if I ripped them with the uServe I couldn't turn them into one big album as I like.

Posted on: 25 January 2015 by GregU

Dude. The apple super-drive is a total rip-off. Samsung external optical drive. 25 US dollars. Or as yoose guys would say, about 15 quid