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Macbook Pro As CD Source

I recently purchased the latest Macbook Pro. I kind of like using it to play CDs sometimes when listening to my stereo setup. (Macbook Pro to W4S DAC 2 to Bryston 14BSST) Sounds pretty good even being fairly new. Does the Macbook as a cd source have potential, or is the best it can perform going to be limited to a subtractive sound?
foster_9
tmsorosk
1,013 posts
 
No matter what music base I access, my Macbook Pro going into my ARC Dac8 doesn't sound as involving as from my CD transport going to the same Dac.
david12
1,454 posts
 
A quick question, is there any real sonic difference between the Macbook pro and Mac mini, as a source for a DAC? Thanks
tbg
5,263 posts
 
David12, in my experience sonically there is no difference between the Mini and the Powerbook Pro, except that the Powerbook has the screen and is portable. I have only used both with Pure Music and FW, however. Now my Mini is from Empirical Audio using a raid system.
richardfinegold
196 posts
 
David12,

I used aMac Mini and a MacBook Pro into the same FireWire Dac, and didn't detect any difference.
doggiehowser
672 posts
 
This isn't strictly an Apples to Apples comparison but at a recent DAC shootout, I brought along my MBAir 13" 1.7GHz i5, 4GB of RAM, 128GB SSD while my friend brought along his MacMini Server (Quad Core i7 2GHz), 8GB of RAM and 120GB SSD.

His is a dedicated music machine. Mine isn't

We were running Amarra, iTunes serving out the same files to the same DAC and we all thought the MacMini sounded cleaner. The Air was running off batteries.
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