# Macbook soundcard. Suggestions?



## gggfff (Dec 18, 2006)

Anyone using and external sound card with their macbook / pro? I used to have a Audigy PCMCIA in my T42, and was really pleased with the functionality and quality.

http://www.creative.com/products/welcome.asp?category=1

I know that the macbook has an optical out, but I don't have an spare external DAC or receiver I can use. I want to hook it up to my 2 channel Marantz power amp. I will be mainly using the macbook for listening to music in stereo. So 5.1 is not important. 

Any suggestions? Anyone?

I was looking at the creative Xmod:

http://www.creative.com/products/product.asp?category=209&subcategory=668&product=15913

and the M-audio transit:

http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/Transit-main.html

Both sample at 24-bit/96kHz. Although the M-audio does seem like a more legit product. Any feedback or suggestions is appreciated.


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## Macified (Sep 18, 2003)

I havent checked, but doesn't the MacBook have a headphone jack? A simple 1/8 inch to RCA should do the trick for simple two channel stereo. Works great on my iPod, iBook, PowerBook, Mac Mini, etc, etc,

For the truly decadent stereo, get an AirPort Express and run that same cable between the AE and the stereo. You will have wireless audio. Keep the MacBook with you to control the audio but not be shackled by wires.


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## gggfff (Dec 18, 2006)

Macified said:


> I havent checked, but doesn't the MacBook have a headphone jack? A simple 1/8 inch to RCA should do the trick for simple two channel stereo. Works great on my iPod, iBook, PowerBook, Mac Mini, etc, etc,


Thats what I'm doing right now. But I want a dedicated sound card / external DAC to improve the quality of the output. There's nothing wrong with it. To tell you the truth, I'm actually pretty impressed with output of the headphone jack compared to previous notebooks I've owned. Just looking for something better, to run an expensive pair of Hi-Fi speakers.


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## fyrefly (Apr 16, 2005)

I've heard good things about the mAudio device, but I can't find any links to that info right now.

Here's a review of the XMod - from a definite non-professional - but they seemed to like it. However, like you said, it seems the xMod is a less professional device. 
http://www.tuaw.com/2006/12/14/hands-on-with-the-creative-xmod-and-the-mac/

I have the mAudio MobilePre USB for getting XLR Inputs to my iMac, and I've been pretty impressed with it.


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## Kosh (May 27, 2002)

Frankly, unless you're going to use 5.1 speakers, an external soundcard is wasted money. The internal sound system on the Macbook is described as: 



> Connect external speakers, headphones, or optical digital audio equipment. The headphone / line output jack accommodates optical digital audio output, analog audio output with a 24-bit, 44.1-192 kHz D/A converter, digital audio output up to 24-bit stereo and 44.1-192 kHz sampling rate and supporting encoded digital audio output (AC3 and DTS). For analog headphone / line output a standard audio cable with 3.5mm metal plug should be used. For digital audio, a standard toslink cable with a toslink mini-plug adapter can be used.


So it provides good sound quality. And if you want to run an expensive pair of speakers, just get a stereo receiver/amplifier that accepts audio optical in (Toslink). Toslink must be standard on stereos nowadays. I think that's what your problem is, is you don't have amplified speakers, just plain expensive stereo speakers, so you need an amplifier. An external sound card won't help this. Maybe I'm wrong.


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## CanadaRAM (Jul 24, 2005)

To use the optical output at all, or encoded 5.1 signal, you have to have both an optical input and a decoder. Very few powered speaker sets do. The pricier receiver / home theatre amps do, but the OP didn't say they were in the market for a new amp.



> so you need an amplifier


 - no, they already have a Marantz stereo amplifier (1st post)

Apple throws around the usual marketing specmanship -- they mention the analog headphone output in the same sentence as the 24 bit / yadda yadda digital specs. These "good audio quality" specs have no bearing on how the stereo ANALOG outs sound. That is down to the quality of the D/A converters inside the Mac. 

The point of external D/A convertors -- whether or not you are using 5.1 -- is to get a higher quality conversion to analog (and more connection flexibility) than the commodity level parts and stereo minijack outs inside the Mac.


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## Macified (Sep 18, 2003)

Long & McQuade carries an Edirol and a Behringer USB audio in/out which has both analogue (stereo) and digital out. I picked one up for $59 bucks a little over a month ago. I haven't really tried it out to compare with the headphone or AirPort audio solutions. I would imagine that the digital out would be better than either, possibly with the stereo as well.


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## gggfff (Dec 18, 2006)

Thank you CanadaRAM! Finally some one who understood what I was saying. I have a pair of JBL studio monitors, and a 200 watt Marantz power amp, but no receiver ... hence no DAC. And I don't want to blow $500 on a stand alone processor or a receiver just to convert the signal. Simply looking for an inexpensive and compact solution to get better output from the macbook. Any suggestions RAM? 




CanadaRAM said:


> To use the optical output at all, or encoded 5.1 signal, you have to have both an optical input and a decoder. Very few powered speaker sets do. The pricier receiver / home theatre amps do, but the OP didn't say they were in the market for a new amp.
> 
> - no, they already have a Marantz stereo amplifier (1st post)
> 
> ...


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## gggfff (Dec 18, 2006)

Thanks. I'll check it out. Is the the L&M @ Markham / 401 or progress your talking about?



Macified said:


> Long & McQuade carries an Edirol and a Behringer USB audio in/out which has both analogue (stereo) and digital out. I picked one up for $59 bucks a little over a month ago. I haven't really tried it out to compare with the headphone or AirPort audio solutions. I would imagine that the digital out would be better than either, possibly with the stereo as well.


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## CanadaRAM (Jul 24, 2005)

M-Audio also has the Transit however that is still stereo analog outs on a 1/8 inch jack. They used to have one called the Sonica Theatre but it is discontinued

The Griffin Firewave gives you a Firewire-attached 5.1 analog output and a built in digital decoder.

There are many (many!) pro-audio interfaces which will give you stereo out with high quality D/A converters, as well and microphone and line ins with good preamps, if you are into recording live sound. Edirol and M-Audio are the initial brands to look at, Presonus, Focusrite, Apogee, eMu, ESI, MOTU, Mackie, Digidesign, the list goes on.


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## WorldIRC (Mar 7, 2004)

gggfff said:


> Thanks. I'll check it out. Is the the L&M @ Markham / 401 or progress your talking about?


Check me out at my LM Location (Steeles and Keele - 2777 Steeles Ave West). I can help ya out. There is a location at Markham and Ellesmere though!


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## gggfff (Dec 18, 2006)

cool. will do.


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