Macmini-Toslink-Dac Magic ... harsh sound

tadd · 26th October 2011, 12:50 PM

Hi all,
I have got a sound server composed by a mac mini (audirvana to read music files) and a dac magic, connected both by a short toslink cable; the analog out is connected to a Bellini pre by semi balanced DIY cables (tasker microphonic cable).
Comparing the sound server performances with my cd reader (cec cd3300r) I hear an harsh sound with sound server.
Could I have improvements using a USB-SPDIF converter (like M2TECH Hiface) or changing something else?
Thanks and sorry for my bad english.

Stefano

zigzagflux · 26th October 2011, 04:01 PM

With no expertise in computer audio and little to no understanding with audio formats, I have had poor results with MANY different macs running iTunes to the optical output. Other sources have been able to output optical spdif with no issues. At this point, my best solution was to go USB to coax spdif. I purchased the minidsp converter, which also comes with I2S output for the future.

kevinr · 26th October 2011, 04:54 PM

Folks say you can get greatly improved sound via their iTunes library on their Mini with the $33 Decibel software by S. Booth available from his site or at Apple.com.
You need at least Snow Leopard to run it though

qusp · 26th October 2011, 10:10 PM

yeah nothing wrong with the mini as source, my 2011 model is a great little music server

SoNic_real_one · 26th October 2011, 11:22 PM

...except the fact that probably he is playing a lossy compressed format.

qusp · 27th October 2011, 12:57 AM

what is a semi-balanced cable? on that note what is a balanced cable? a cable isn't balanced or single ended it just is what it is.

tadd · 27th October 2011, 08:10 AM

Hi all,
a semi-balanced cable, as commonly named, is a cable grounded only on one side plugs.
I'm playing hi res files, usually 24/96 flacs.
The installed OS is leopard, the cpu is a 1.66 MHz intel dual core, the RAM amounts to 2GB.
The music files reader (audirvana New OSX Opensource audiophile player : Audirvana | Computer Audiophile) seems to be on better ones group, I'll try the one proposed.
Thanks all

SoNic_real_one · 27th October 2011, 10:29 AM

From what I know, Dac Magic is fine piece of equipment, with any kind of flac files and any input - you can try it for comparation with a regular DVD player spdif output.
The only unkown is the software player in yoru Mac - it sould not process at all the signal past the actual decoding.

marce · 27th October 2011, 11:47 AM

Err isn't balanced to do with the signal, so your signal is still single ended not balanced or semi balanced (though you could argue that if you take away the inverted half of a balanced signal (single ended) you end up with a semi balanced signal)

qusp · 05:11 PM

thats what i said, i work in the cable business and I've never seen a semi-balanced cable, besides i would call something grounded only on one end a mistake

I know what you mean, its a dodgy way to hook up balanced gear to single ended inputs, but its not anything more than single ended using a cable with an XLR connector on one side

26th October 2011, 12:50 PM	#1
tadd diyAudio Member Join Date: Nov 2010	Macmini-Toslink-Dac Magic ... harsh sound Hi all, I have got a sound server composed by a mac mini (audirvana to read music files) and a dac magic, connected both by a short toslink cable; the analog out is connected to a Bellini pre by semi balanced DIY cables (tasker microphonic cable). Comparing the sound server performances with my cd reader (cec cd3300r) I hear an harsh sound with sound server. Could I have improvements using a USB-SPDIF converter (like M2TECH Hiface) or changing something else? Thanks and sorry for my bad english. Stefano

27th October 2011, 05:09 PM	#10
qusp Sometimes a square peg fits a round hole just fine diyAudio Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Brisbane, Australia	thats what i said, i work in the cable business and I've never seen a semi-balanced cable, besides i would call something grounded only on one end a mistake I know what you mean, its a dodgy way to hook up balanced gear to single ended inputs, but its not anything more than single ended using a cable with an XLR connector on one side Last edited by qusp; 27th October 2011 at 05:11 PM.

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26th October 2011, 04:01 PM	#2
zigzagflux diyAudio Member Join Date: Oct 2006	With no expertise in computer audio and little to no understanding with audio formats, I have had poor results with MANY different macs running iTunes to the optical output. Other sources have been able to output optical spdif with no issues. At this point, my best solution was to go USB to coax spdif. I purchased the minidsp converter, which also comes with I2S output for the future.

26th October 2011, 04:54 PM	#3
kevinr diyAudio Member Join Date: Jun 2009	Folks say you can get greatly improved sound via their iTunes library on their Mini with the $33 Decibel software by S. Booth available from his site or at Apple.com. You need at least Snow Leopard to run it though

26th October 2011, 10:10 PM	#4
qusp Sometimes a square peg fits a round hole just fine diyAudio Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Brisbane, Australia	yeah nothing wrong with the mini as source, my 2011 model is a great little music server

26th October 2011, 11:22 PM	#5
SoNic_real_one diyAudio Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Virginia	...except the fact that probably he is playing a lossy compressed format.

27th October 2011, 12:57 AM	#6
qusp Sometimes a square peg fits a round hole just fine diyAudio Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Brisbane, Australia	what is a semi-balanced cable? on that note what is a balanced cable? a cable isn't balanced or single ended it just is what it is.

27th October 2011, 08:10 AM	#7
tadd diyAudio Member Join Date: Nov 2010	Hi all, a semi-balanced cable, as commonly named, is a cable grounded only on one side plugs. I'm playing hi res files, usually 24/96 flacs. The installed OS is leopard, the cpu is a 1.66 MHz intel dual core, the RAM amounts to 2GB. The music files reader (audirvana New OSX Opensource audiophile player : Audirvana \| Computer Audiophile) seems to be on better ones group, I'll try the one proposed. Thanks all

27th October 2011, 10:29 AM	#8
SoNic_real_one diyAudio Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Virginia	From what I know, Dac Magic is fine piece of equipment, with any kind of flac files and any input - you can try it for comparation with a regular DVD player spdif output. The only unkown is the software player in yoru Mac - it sould not process at all the signal past the actual decoding.

27th October 2011, 11:47 AM	#9
marce diyAudio Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Blackburn, Lancs	Err isn't balanced to do with the signal, so your signal is still single ended not balanced or semi balanced (though you could argue that if you take away the inverted half of a balanced signal (single ended) you end up with a semi balanced signal)

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