Mu-so & DAC. Any value?

I have a MuSo and use its Toslink input for my TV.  I am pretty sure it would work with your Mac, too. If you need multiple digital inputs, you might benefit from a DAC into the single MuSo Toslink input.  

The MuSo is purpose built and limited.   That is a feature for my application.  It might be a defect for yours.   Audition one and see what you think.  We love ours.  We also have a UnitiQute which might be a better fit for what you need if you have or want to buy speakers.

Thanks for the response Skip,

I only use the Mu-so for music, and it's the primary source in our home (A UnitiQute2 & a pair of Guru's or LS50's are a distant dream). 

Generally it's music streamed from the Mac via AirPlay, or from Tidal (Premium HiFi), either directly from the App, or via the naim App. 

I guess my question is, if I added an asynchronous DAC, and wired the connection from iOS & OS X, would the gain in music quality be worth the expense?

As mentioned above, a system upgrade is some way off, and I'm just looking for a way to really get the best out of what we do have. 

A rather strange suggestion, while not meaning it's wrong. You might also first consider exploring the improvement on nas and Ethernet cables.

The dac improvements might not shine through. But as with all these things - one needs to hear before getting to conclusions ....

Another factor is what format are you using for streaming the music?

If you are using MP3 then you should try some FLAC files (you will notice the difference). 

Also, a wired Ethernet connection will also give a noticeable improvement.

Thanks for the suggestions. How would wiring the Mu-so directly to the router via ethernet provide better sound quality? Apologies for my ignorance.

PeterJ - music is from various formats, but lot's of FLAC and WAV in there too. 

I was thinking of using the meridian explorer from my laptop to the optical input on the muso, will this improve things??

Why would you take a digital signal, run it through a DAC, then use a digital output from the DAC into a device with another DAC in it?

Wouldn't that mean the DAC in the middle was essentially acting as a very elaborate digital cable (ie completely redundant)?

I switched from a powerline Ethernet adapter to a direct Cat 5 link to the router and there was a noticeable improvement in the sound quality.

A direct wired connection through the router gives a more stable path for the music streaming.

Direct connections, better cables, nas with stable powersupply - all contribute to better quality of sound and also quite audible.

PeterJ, Bert.

Thank you, will have a tinker this weekend. Many thanks for the input. 

Rich.