Digital Output from MacBook

Have you switched the itunes equaliser off ?

open in the audio/midi application in applications>utilities and see how its outputting.

If you don't like the sound you don't like the sound. My question would be what are you outputting from the macpro and what are you outputting from the SB, is it the same library of music?

Thanks for the suggestions.

Yes the itunes equaliser was set to none.

When I open the audio/midi application I see it is outputting to Apple default.

The macbook pro rip was ripped with itunes set to aiff, 16bit 44.1. The sb3 rip comes from an old powerbook with itunes set to aiff, 16bit 44.1. Although the music doesn't come from the same library, they are to all intents and purposes the same rip.

It's not a question of not liking the sound from my macbook pro. It is good but clearly inferior to the results from my sb3.

Keith

Is the Mac output volume set to maximum? If I recall correctly the audio output quality is compromised on Mac's if the volume is at anything less than 100% (this would be in iTunes as well as in the Control Panel. This is certainly the case with Line Out but not sure about Digital Out though.....maybe worth looking to see.

Digital output quality from my MacBook Pro into my Beresford DAC is excellent.

Cheers

Jim

Jim,

I think it affected iTunes up to v7.

But it does no harm to ensure the iTunes volume is set to max on any version.

Steve

My feeling is you simply prefer the sound from the SB.

There is very little in the way of adjustment available when it comes to digital output.

quote:

Originally posted by thesherrif:
Have you switched the itunes equaliser off ?

To my ears, this is the most significant factor. It really transforms the performance of the system, makes the music more sparkling and detailed, I can hear more musical nuances that I did not hear before.

Steve

quote:

I think it affected iTunes up to v7.

This wasn't (if I recall correctly) an iTunes issue but was related to the way that the Mac itself handles audio....I'll do a bit of digging to find the actual articles...but as I said it may not be that relevant with digital out anyway.

Cheers

Jim

The iTunes 7.7 equaliser effects the digital out.

Anyone using their mac laptops through a dac to their Naim amps should try another digital source like a squeezebox. The difference is startling and IMO the SB3 is much better. For less than £200 you are looking at a huge hike in performance. That is if you can part with the pretty graphics of front row and make do with the sb3 display.

If you like the display then use an apple tv or an express with a touch for remote. In both scenarios you don't have the equaliser

quote:

Originally posted by Keith L:
The iTunes 7.7 equaliser effects the digital out.

Anyone using their mac laptops through a dac to their Naim amps should try another digital source like a squeezebox. The difference is startling and IMO the SB3 is much better. For less than £200 you are looking at a huge hike in performance. That is if you can part with the pretty graphics of front row and make do with the sb3 display.

Hi Keith,

Not good advice. You need to do your home work . It's about trying to get your device to send a bit transparent stream, and this is achievable in both the SB3/Duet and MAC.

Here's great link for MAC configuration:
MAC to DAC1

Peter

Peter,

I'll certainly look into this. This is why earlier in the thread I was asking if anymore could be done to improve the mac's output. I'll report on my findings.

Keith

Peter,

I looked into my settings on the mac and they are as Benchmark suggested. Leopard defaults to 24 bit output as preferred by Benchmark. As noted earlier I deselected the crossfader and the sound enhancer. So I think I am getting the best digital output my mac can muster.

Keith

Hi Keith,

From a MacBook I use lossless (with correction) streamed to AE or directly connected by optical. I also use a CD transport by coax.

In all cases the sound is excellent even when compared to CD players costing many £ks more. So it does sound like something may be amiss.

Where are you located?

Steve

Hi Steve,

I'm in SE London. If I have a minute tonight, I'll try setting the digital output to 16 bit 44.1. I read somewhere if the bit rate setting is incorrect, you get a softer sound, lacking in attack. That's a good description of what I hear from the mac compared to sb3. Have you ever had a sb3 in your setup?

Keith

quote:

Originally posted by Keith L:
Hi Steve,

I'm in SE London. If I have a minute tonight, I'll try setting the digital output to 16 bit 44.1. I read somewhere if the bit rate setting is incorrect, you get a softer sound, lacking in attack. That's a good description of what I hear from the mac compared to sb3. Have you ever had a sb3 in your setup?


Keith

Hi Keith,

I'm in NW Kent so it would not be far for me to drop by and try my lappy, if you like. Let me know how you get on. "Softer" or lacking compared to CD is not what I'm getting.

Cheers,

Steve

Funny.... Macs are supposed to be more inuitive and easier to use.

Both PCs and Macs require the same attention in setting up properly for optimum audio playback.

I can easily help someone set up a PC for the best possible performance. But, even as I own a Mac, I wouldn't use it for this application.

But I guarantee, a few searches at hydrogenaudio will uncover a "guide" to optimize a Macs settings.

Some things you will want to do independent of ITunes settings and you general Mac settings:

Ticks and pops can occur in long playlists when the hard disk becomes fragmented
or the system is overtaxed. Unless you use Foobar.

To rip your CD's, use a DVD-R/WCDROM drive. Always clean the CD before ripping.
Kill all other applications.
No screensaver
No virus software or auto updates.
Only have online when needed.
2.4GHz Pentium is recommended with 2Gbyte RAM.

PCStocktons advice above refers to PCs and not macs.

For macs there is only two areas itunes itself (Turn off equalisation and the enhancer)

And check settings in the audio midi application.

The end.

If you don't like the sound fair enough. I sold my CDX as I never used it since hooking up and AppleTV. Everyone is entitled to their opinions on music replay and some people are not going to like Apples.

Garyi,

Not true.

There are other things to do to ensure the best rips and the best sound on a Mac.

I have one, so I know.

I tunes CANNOT handle enormous playlists. Try using over 60,000 songs in Itunes and then tell how it sounds.

Specific to Mac users would be,
- defrag your hard drive
- turn of screensvaer
- Make desktop static
- Lock the dock
- Dismantle dashboard (tiger)
- turn of ALL energy saving software, Uncheck "put hard drives to sleep"
- For ripping, best results are achieved ripping to a second hard drive.
- Turn off sharing
- Of course shut down ALL other applications
- Turn off Universal Access, Bluetooth, Speech Recognition, and Internet Sharing if You Don't Use Them


Just to name a few....

quote:

For macs there is only two areas itunes itself (Turn off equalisation and the enhancer)

And check settings in the audio midi application.

The end.

Steve/Garyi,

You are absolutely correct. There is nothing more to do. I've set the digital output to 16bit 44.1 and it still sounds the same..... heavy and lacking attack and sparkle. The sb3 is very different. Steve, when can you make it over? I'm very interested in your opinion. kleonard59ato2dotcodotuk

ATB Keith

quote:

Originally posted by pcstockton:
Garyi,

Not true.

There are other things to do to ensure the best rips and the best sound on a Mac.

I have one, so I know.

I tunes CANNOT handle enormous playlists. Try using over 60,000 songs in Itunes and then tell how it sounds.

Specific to Mac users would be,
- defrag your hard drive
- turn of screensvaer
- Make desktop static
- Lock the dock
- Dismantle dashboard (tiger)
- turn of ALL energy saving software, Uncheck "put hard drives to sleep"
- For ripping, best results are achieved ripping to a second hard drive.
- Turn off sharing
- Of course shut down ALL other applications
- Turn off Universal Access, Bluetooth, Speech Recognition, and Internet Sharing if You Don't Use Them


Just to name a few....

Christ on a bike. I never went through any of that malarky.

Went to iTunes preferences, set import settings to Apple Lossless with correction. Job done.

Sounds superb. Totally unable to hear any difference between Apple lossless, FLAC or WAV copy of the same track. What cloth ears I must have.

Gary is right re-the audio settings, simple enough.

Keith, I'll mail you. My addy is in my profile.

Steve

PC

Apple seems to disagree with you on the need to defragment an HFS hard drive and actually advise that it may degrade performance.

Cheers

Jim

Steve

quote:

Christ on a bike. I never went through any of that malarky

Me neither, except I have convinced myself that I can hear a difference between WAV and Apple Lossless (but I probably wanted to hear a difference anyway...).

I have no clue why Keith is experiencing such poor SQ.

Cheers

Jim

quote:

Originally posted by pcstockton:


I tunes CANNOT handle enormous playlists. Try using over 60,000 songs in Itunes and then tell how it sounds.

That one's worried me rather - I'm heading towards c40,000 tracks and haven't noticed any thing worse than a longer start up time for iTunes. Does the figure of 60,000 vary depending on such factors as the use of an external drive? I've got all my music on an external 1TB drive so I was hoping there was still a fair bit of headroom.

I now rip new CDs into lossless format and then rerip those lossless files into 320 AAC. The latter is for my ipod and represents a trade-off between A/ the best possible quality and B/ battery life/the fact that I tend to listen on the train. Anyway, the point is that one track on a CD becomes two tracks in iTunes, so I'm a bit concerned by the notion of a maximum playlist.

chaliapin

quote:

so I'm a bit concerned by the notion of a maximum playlist.

...PC didn't say there was a maximum playlist size...he alluded to the fact that in his opinion there was a problem with sound quality (which I have looked for online and can find no reference to it anywhere). Bear in mind, he stated previously that he would not use iTunes for anything so there may be some personal bias involved.

Besides, if you are using an iPod then you have to use iTunes anyway so you don't have much choice.

Just make sure you have everything well backed up.

Cheers

Jim