Simple, But Good Quality Interface For Audio Out

[BigRedX]

I have taken delivery and set up my shiny new Mac Studio, and now I'm discovering all the extra things that I need, which I'd forgotten about.

One is a way of connecting the Mac to my studio amp and speakers. With my previous MacPro I was using the optical output and was very happy with the quality, but obviously there is no optical out on the Mac Studio.

There is a 3.5mm jack socket with a headphones symbol on the back, but I assume using this will disable the internal speakers and I'd prefer not to have various system alert sounds blaring through my monitor speakers, so I was looking for a dedicated good quality audio interface to use.

I have seen some that can extract the audio signal from an HDMI connection which I'm not currently using as all my monitors connect via Thunderbolt. Are these any good?

I don't need audio in because the only external sound sources I will be recording are guitar and bass and those are done using my Helix as an audio input, so just output.

If I really wanted to do some fully-fledged input and outputs I have a Focusrite 18/20 in my live rack that I could use. I'm just looking for something to connect to my studio amp and speakers.

Amp has conventional analogue inputs on phono connectors and digital inputs on S/PDIF phonos and optical.

What do you recommend?

[Drew Stephenson]

Something like this maybe?
https://www.amazon.co.uk/SDKDZKG-Extrac ... d_source=1
Keep it digital until it hits the amp?

[BigRedX]

That was the sort of device I was wondering about. Has anyone tried one? Are they any good?

[MarkOne]

Just wondering why a 13 quid box from Amazon would have a better audio performance than the 3.5mm jack out on the Mac?

My experience of Macs is that the audio out isn't actually that bad. I've gone direct to a DI from my MacBook pro a couple of times for my MainStage rig and it certainly was far from terrible.

[BigRedX]

Just wondering why a 13 quid box from Amazon would have a better audio performance than the 3.5mm jack out on the Mac?

My experience of Macs is that the audio out isn't actually that bad. I've gone direct to a DI from my MacBook pro a couple of times for my MainStage rig and it certainly was far from terrible.

On all the Macs I have owned before plugging something into the line out or headphone out jack socket kills the internal speakers and routes all the alert sounds to the output device. The great thing about using the optical output of the MacPro Was that I could keep the alert sound low level through the Mac's built-in speaker and just have the important audio piped to my studio monitors. I'd like to keep this arrangement if possible.

[James Perrett]

Just wondering why a 13 quid box from Amazon would have a better audio performance than the 3.5mm jack out on the Mac?

As I understand it, the intention is to use the optical output rather than the analogue output which will feed a hopefully better quality convertor in the AV receiver.

[Drew Stephenson]

Just wondering why a 13 quid box from Amazon would have a better audio performance than the 3.5mm jack out on the Mac?

It doesn't, but the amp might have. You're shifting the DtoA conversion from the inbuilt soundcard to the amp.

EDIT - what James said. ^^^

[OneWorld]

Something like this maybe?
https://www.amazon.co.uk/SDKDZKG-Extrac ... d_source=1
Keep it digital until it hits the amp?

I've got something similar, not from Amazon, though I don't suppose that makes any difference, and it works great

[ef37a]

https://cpc.farnell.com/startech/icusba ... =Computing

There are much cheaper USB D/As about and of course very much more expensive 'audiophool' devices but I have always found Startech kit to be OK.

Also, re "system sounds"? The first thing I do with any of my PCs is kill the bleeps and bloops "Stop System Sounds". Do macs not have that facility?

Dave.

[BigRedX]

Also, re "system sounds"? The first thing I do with any of my PCs is kill the bleeps and bloops "Stop System Sounds". Do macs not have that facility?

Dave.

Yes they do, but because this computer is primarily for my work some of them like the various email and messages alerts are extremely useful to have on. I just don't want to have them pumped out of my studio speakers at music listening volumes.

Mac's are very good at being able to route different audio events to different outputs, but IME the built-in analogue audio output and the internal speakers are seen as a single destination, hence my desire to add an extra one for music output. Unless anyone with a Mac Studio knows that the internal speakers and headphone output are two different destinations?

[ef37a]

Also, re "system sounds"? The first thing I do with any of my PCs is kill the bleeps and bloops "Stop System Sounds". Do macs not have that facility?

Dave.

Yes they do, but because this computer is primarily for my work some of them like the various email and messages alerts are extremely useful to have on. I just don't want to have them pumped out of my studio speakers at music listening volumes.

Mac's are very good at being able to route different audio events to different outputs, but IME the built-in analogue audio output and the internal speakers are seen as a single destination, hence my desire to add an extra one for music output. Unless anyone with a Mac Studio knows that the internal speakers and headphone output are two different destinations?

I see, well I would certainly think "USB Audio" would be a valid other destination?

Dave.

[Luke W]

Mac's are very good at being able to route different audio events to different outputs, but IME the built-in analogue audio output and the internal speakers are seen as a single destination, hence my desire to add an extra one for music output. Unless anyone with a Mac Studio knows that the internal speakers and headphone output are two different destinations?

I've just tried here on my MBP (running Sonoma 14.6.1) and when I plug a cable into the 3.5mm socket I get External Headphones and Built-in Speakers showing up as two separate audio devices.

I'll try it on my Mac Studio next time I'm at the studio, but I wouldn't have thought it'd be any different.

[alexis]

...

this computer is primarily for my work ...

Ah, therein lies the rub, as Robert Kraft surely must have said at some time

[BigRedX]

I've just tried here on my MBP (running Sonoma 14.6.1) and when I plug a cable into the 3.5mm socket I get External Headphones and Built-in Speakers showing up as two separate audio devices.

I'll try it on my Mac Studio next time I'm at the studio, but I wouldn't have thought it'd be any different.

If that is the case, then it's a welcome change to how it used to be. Certainly the last time I tried it, on a MacPro 3.1, plugging in to the headphones output simply routed anything set to play on the internal speaker to this output.

I'll see if I have a suitable lead with a 3.5mm jack plug and give it a go.

[dave_bass5]

I recently got the Arturia MiniFuse 1. Lovely interface. just the one line in/XLR as im using soft synths so no real need for any analogue inputs (I have other interfaces I could use).
Very small and light, and has meters on the front. It even has a USB A port on the back, which ive found more useful than I thought I would.

[zenguitar]

Just a thought...

You are using your Helix for audio inputs when required. Does it have outputs as well you could make use of?

Andy

[BigRedX]

I've just tried here on my MBP (running Sonoma 14.6.1) and when I plug a cable into the 3.5mm socket I get External Headphones and Built-in Speakers showing up as two separate audio devices.

I'll try it on my Mac Studio next time I'm at the studio, but I wouldn't have thought it'd be any different.

Just tried it with my headphones and it appears as a new output, so for now the problem is solved. I'll order a 3.5mm jack to phono lead (would you believe I don't actually have one?) and see how I get on with that.

Thanks to everyone who contributed.

[Rich Hanson]

Just as a note about audio destination, on my M3 Pro MacBook you can separately route to the internal speaker and to the headphone output (as I found out when I wanted to listen to something in the office, plugged in my headphones and woke up my colleagues when I hit play because it was still coming out of the speakers I would assume the Mac Studio would work the same way)

[BigRedX]

Just as a note about audio destination, on my M3 Pro MacBook you can separately route to the internal speaker and to the headphone output (as I found out when I wanted to listen to something in the office, plugged in my headphones and woke up my colleagues when I hit play because it was still coming out of the speakers I would assume the Mac Studio would work the same way)

As I have discovered and mentioned in my previous post.

However having obtained a suitable 3.5jack to phono lead, there is a slight but noticeable difference in audio quality between the same file played from the Mac Studio via this lead and played from my MacPro using the optical output and applying D/A conversion at the amp.

Does using the HDMI output apply any data compression to the audio stream?

[tea for two]

https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/focusrite-vrm-box
I use this usb small Focusrite Vrm Box aboot 15 squid used 2nd hand on my mac.

[Rich Hanson]

Just as a note about audio destination, on my M3 Pro MacBook you can separately route to the internal speaker and to the headphone output (as I found out when I wanted to listen to something in the office, plugged in my headphones and woke up my colleagues when I hit play because it was still coming out of the speakers I would assume the Mac Studio would work the same way)

As I have discovered and mentioned in my previous post.

Oops, missed that!

However having obtained a suitable 3.5jack to phono lead, there is a slight but noticeable difference in audio quality between the same file played from the Mac Studio via this lead and played from my MacPro using the optical output and applying D/A conversion at the amp.

Does using the HDMI output apply any data compression to the audio stream?

I did connect my MacBook to my AV amp with HDMI recently and pretty sure the amp reported PCM so that indicates it is uncompressed.

[BigRedX]

I did connect my MacBook to my AV amp with HDMI recently and pretty sure the amp reported PCM so that indicates it is uncompressed.

Thank you.

[BigRedX]

https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/focusrite-vrm-box
I use this usb small Focusrite Vrm Box aboot 15 squid used 2nd hand on my mac.

I'm sure it's fine for your needs, but I need something to connect to my studio amp rather than headphones only.

And even if it was possible to buy one the "latest" version of the software is over 10 years old, so probably won't work with a brand new Mac Studio.