Can I wireless stream to DAC (via, eg. Sonos), without loss in sound quality?

[keysersoze311]

Dear Computer Audiophile,

 

The dream is to have a high quality hifi, that is controlled by my Macbook, on which I will store 1000s of songs. So, I want to connect the Macbook to a DAC. I have been told that I will be limited by my laptop's soundcard if I use it to store FLAC files, which is a bit of a bummer.

 

If I wirelessly connect to the DAC, (to save having a digital cable going halfway across the living room), can I do this without a loss in sound quality?

 

Indeed, what would be even better, is if I use Sonos to connect wirelessly, DO I BYPASS THE LAPTOP'S SOUNDCARD? Or must I use an external converter to do this?

 

Please help... Is there any point spending £3000 on a DAC if I'm not bypassing soundcard?

 

Keyser

 

 

[Audio_ELF]

Yes, using Sonos will bypass the soundcard in your MacBook, but the digital output on a Sonos is likely to be only similar quality to using the TOSLink on your laptop. The realy "bad" part of a laptops sound card is usually the DAC(onversion) and analogue parts which WILL be bypassed even if only using inboard SPDIF to a DAC.

 

I think you mentioned using the Naim DAC earlie as one option: you may be better to wait and look at the Naim NDX which recieved music from a UPnP AV server (usualy built into NAS device) and includes all the conversion to analogue you need. This is controllable via laptop or handheld iPhone / iPod Touch device.

 

Eloise

 

[iamimdoc]

Another issue

 

Itunes (I presume you are using Itunes as you are using a Macintosh) will not play FLAC files. With some "kludgery" (check out the 'net for solutions), FLAC supposedly can be played.

 

Another issue

 

I am also not aware of any wireless connection to (only) a DAC. There are some USB extenders (fancy extension cord solutions)for USB that you might consider. but I have not seen comments on there quality. This is still a long cable around the room, however.

 

Perhaps you could put the laptop at the music system and you use an itouch/iphone to control?

 

Another solution, usually not liked on the CA website, would be to wirelessly send music (After the FLAC issue is resolved) to an Airport Express and thence via cable to a DAC.

 

If you get a SONOS, you don't even really need the laptop (per se) but you do have to have a method to access the music on a drive somewhere. But the flexibilty would be there and wireless is no longer an issue

 

[keysersoze311]

Thanks guys,

 

Eloise, do I avoid the Macbook's DAC if I use any digital output, eg. s/pdif, USB, etc?