Dummy Guide on What's Needed to hook up Mini Mac

Thanx Jax2,

I'm not familiar with the terminology. I ment ripping my cd collection to the computer with apple lossless and then playing them from the computer.

I had a typo also. I ment playing DVDs not DCDs from the computer.

So I probably can get 220 lossless cds on a 80 gig hard drive. Correct?

No whirring noise if playing from iTunes. Yes, you'd rip them via the CD drive on the computer. Yes, you could play DVD's on the MacBook - the software comes with the operating system. Yep around 220+ lossless CD's on your 80gb drive....correct.

Marco

If you are wanting to get the best sound for the least investment using a Mac as your source, see my thread: Digital Playback Comparison which I posted yesterday. There is a significant difference in sound quality from the different methods of using a Mac in the system.

Interesting review, Bruce_1. Thanks for posting your comments. My experiences have been somewhat similar to what you observed, and I agree, a burned CD can frequently sound better than the original. I tried my friends HAG USB converter and didn't much like it - preferred the Waveterminal U24 I was using at the time (no longer available). Airport Express has certainly not been much of a thrill to me either, and has occurred as a major compromise to me (fine for non-critical listening and convenience). I also have marginally preferred coaxial over toslink in most applications, while in others could not hear a difference. I'm sure this depends upon the actual components involved as well as the cables. Thanks for posting that - it's always good to hear what others' experiences are like with this stuff.

Marco

laptops would be the worst type of computers to use for a constant music source, they get hot, fan gets really noisy, and the life of the computer will be shortened. Heat is the worst thing for a laptop. why do you think they make those cool pads with fans in them, so they can cool your laptop. I know, i have a macbook and have friends that have macbook pro's. if you look at a true server type of machine, you will find multiple fans or in the case of the mini, a design that gets the heat out.
there was a review of the airport express a few years ago that a stereophile guy wrote on the airport express using his mark levinson dac and he raved about it. a good dac or a great dac will improve the sound whether it is from a toslink or coax cable more so than a $100 usb dac will provide.