2. digital
  3. 146811-2116

Novice Digital (wired) Question(s)

I just acquired a tube integrated which only has RCA inputs.  I’ve ripped my entire CD collection to iTunes on my Mac which resides in a work space several rooms away from this amp.

1.  What sort of (USB?, other??) wire on one end to left & right RCA cable on the other end would I need to route, in wall/ceiling, from Mac to integrated amp to achieve the same sound quality from these ripped files as what I previously experienced with a stand alone CD player ?  (My Denon DCD-1560 player, from the mid ‘80s has bitten the dust.)

2.  Would the use of some sort of go-between device (line amp/DAC/etc.) be necessary to achieve this?

I ‘d be controlling iTunes on the Mac via the “Remote” app on my iPhone.

Thanks.
lg1
ljgerens
44 posts
 
The first thing you need is a DAC. There are many out there anywhere from $100 to thousands of dollars. I would go with a reasonably priced one from one of the better known manufacturers to start with. You can always upgrade later if you feel the need. The next thing is getting your ripped CD files to the DAC. I would recommend going wireless and use Apple Airplay because you already have a Mac and are using iTunes and your Mac is several rooms away.  If you use Airplay all you need is a 2nd Gen Apple Airport Express or 3rd Generation Apple TV to receive the signal and export it to the DAC. You can do this with an optical cable or coaxial cable. I have been using airplay for my lossless ripped files to an Apple TV or Airport Express for over 8 years in 4 different systems in different rooms and have never had a dropout or any issue. It always works flawlessly.
lg1 OP
49 posts
 
Going the Apple Airplay route, would you anticipate any appreciable loss in sound quality as opposed to via a cable?  Actually, I’ve been using an Apple TV to more or less do this thru an AV receiver prior to getting the tube amp.  Trouble (?) is that, due to limited inputs on my PrimaLuna Prologue Classic, all such video sources are routed thru the TV, which functions as a switchbox (degradation of signal?). However,... I just happen to have an unused Airport Express lying around.   I guess the only missing link is the DAC then?  One other concern — I’ve digitized a ton of vinyl via Audacity in the form of 16 bit AIFF.  Would this present a problem for a lot of DACs?  Thanks again!
ljgerens
44 posts
 
I haven't noticed any loss in sound quality going wireless.

I incorrectly mentioned using a coaxial cable for the output of the Apple TV and Airport Express. I was thinking of something else when I typed that. They do not have coaxial outputs.
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