how to connect Macbook to Denon reciever?
Oct 10, 2011 at 3:21 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 8

Bee inthe Attic

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A little help needed please.
 
Instead of buying a headphone amp, I put all my allotted money into 2 new headphones (Grado 225's, and soon to buy the Beyerdynamic 770-Pro 80ohm or the DT 990 32ohm/or/250ohm).
 
I have a Denon AVR-810 receiver that I'd like to plug my headphones into and then connect to my MacbookPro to play music/dvd.
Question is, how do I connect the receiver to the MacbookPro?? Please advise.
Thanks
 
ps: this is what it looks like:
http://www.canuckaudiomart.com/view_images.php?cat=Receivers&catnick=receivers&cfid=175847&image_id=1572149
http://www.canuckaudiomart.com/view_images.php?cat=Receivers&catnick=receivers&cfid=175847&image_id=1572156
 
Oct 10, 2011 at 3:33 PM Post #2 of 8
....as a side note, I'm also using Logitech Z-2300 THX 2.1 speaker system.
This has a headphone jack. If I use it will it provide my 'phones with proper amplification (maybe better than the receiver above?)?
 
http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Z-2300-THX-Certified-Speaker-Subwoofer/dp/B0002SQ2P2/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1318274895&sr=8-2
 
Oct 11, 2011 at 11:48 PM Post #3 of 8
Easy.  All macbooks can send a digital signal from their audio/headphone out.  Just use a toslink-to-mini optical cable and connect the toslink end to your Denon's optical input.  You can find them on monoprice for any length you need.  
 
Oct 11, 2011 at 11:55 PM Post #4 of 8
After looking at your receiver, it sadly doesn't have a digital input.  Just buy a mini to RCA from monoprice instead.
 

 
 
 
 
 
Oct 13, 2011 at 3:22 AM Post #6 of 8
The built in sound card is not the best on the macbook pro at least from my experience. You can get a cheap DAC like the Music Streamer II. Just plug one end into usb and then you have RCA connectors on the other side to run into your amp. It will sound much better then running it off your macbook pro.

When I ran off my built in sound card I always heard interference from the computer itself. Small chirping noises general noise etc. If you get a DAC not only does the noise completely go away but you also have just a much cleaner more detailed wider sounding quality to it.
 
Oct 13, 2011 at 11:33 AM Post #7 of 8
I agree with Gatepc. Using the monoprice RCA cable is the cheapest and easiest way to do it.   The best way would be for you to buy a DAC (a Digital to Analog Converter), bybass the Macbook's inferior conversion by using the USB out, connect it to the DAC's input and connect a RCA cable from its output to into a cd/tape/aux input on your Denon (avoid using the phono input).  There are 100s of DACs to choose from, but some of the most popoular ones include the HRT Streamer II, the Musical Fidelity VDAC and the NuForce Icon uDac.  You'll find plenty of info on them and others in this forum and elswhere on the web.
 

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