Computer Audio Asylum Music servers and other computer based digital audio technologies.

---

[ Follow Ups ] Thread: [ Display  All  Email ] [ Computer Audio Asylum ]

---

[ Alert Moderator ]

---

Re: A couple questions about PC's that provide 'Digital Out'

Posted by audioengr (M) on November 7, 2006 at 13:11:20

In Reply to: A couple questions about PC's that provide 'Digital Out' posted by dburna on November 6, 2006 at 15:12:23:

"2. In theory , a computer providing S/PDIF out should be better than USB->S/PDIF->DAC, correct?"

No, just the opposite. The external converter, if well designed, will outperform the integrated computer output, for several reasons:

1) the power from the computer is not used for the converter
2) the clock in the converter can be higher quality than that in the computer or on a PCI card
3) Most computer S/PDIF outputs are not galvanically isolated, so ground-loops are created between the computer and audio system
4) Toslink provides isolation, but has by far the worst jitter of the interfaces

"I also have an Airport Express that has a (mini-) optical audio out. I know you can't play FLAC files on an Apple system directly, but can you use a laptop to play FLAC files and stream the output to an Airport Express? I guess the question is this: when a laptop streams audio to an Airport Express, in what format does it do so?"

Yes, the AE will output audio data from the Toslink output. You just need a special cable or an adapter (I can give you one for free). The format of the AE is Apple Lossless. Everything is converted to AL and then decoded at the AE end.

This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:

Kimber Kable

---

[ Top of Page ] [ Contact Us ] [ Support/Wish List ] [ Copyright © 2024, Audio Asylum, all rights reserved ]

---

[ General ] [ Speakers ] [ Tubes ] [ Vinyl ] [ Digital ] [ Hi-Rez ] [ Video Asylum ] [ Cables ] [ Tweaks/DIY ] [ Music ] [ Films ]

---