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MacBook Pro or PC soundcard

Hi,

My system components are:

MacBook Pro >> Dock >> PreAmp >> PowerAmp >> Speakers.

I have some concerns regarding my MacBook Pro soundcard quality. Comparing MacBook Pro with PC. Which is the better way to play 24 Bit. 'Cause I do not know what they use in MAC but If I build a PC It would be made of the best components up. Does it make changes ?
nickodavidoff
doggiehowser
672 posts
 
Internal soundcards are susceptible to a lot of noise.

A USB DAC is a bit like a soundcard. It's just that the components usually benefit from better isolation from the insides of a PC, and usually have better power supplies as well.
cerrot's avatar
cerrot
1,700 posts
 
A usb dac is nothing like a soundcard, all due respect. A sound card goes into a PCI (or PCIe) slot and outputs music via an spdif connector. A usb dac tries very poorly to convert usb audio into spdif, though it does a very poor job. USB was invented to conect printers and mice, not for music.
doggiehowser
672 posts
 
USB may have started off clumsily but that's the thing with PC audio. It keeps getting better. The async USB interface from Gordon Rankin and Nugent were big strides in getting to a good quality connection from PC to DAC. Most PCs are full of EMI and RF noise that affects the internal sound card.
cerrot's avatar
cerrot
1,700 posts
 
Definitely agree it is getting beter. Just not there, yet.
doggiehowser
672 posts
 
It is better than what you are suggesting though (an internal soundcard).

I've found that a Mac with Audirvana Plus and a decent USB interface is now very close to a disc spinner.
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