What DAC/AMP to use with a MacBook Pro to stream audio to LDAC Bluetooth headphones
Jun 19, 2022 at 6:10 AM Thread Starter Post #1 of 18

Jakelemi

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Hello,

My first post and I hope I'm doing it right :) ... otherwise let me know, and I'll be better the next time :p

I would like to get help to choose a DAC/AMP to pair with my MacBook Pro to be able to listen music on HI-quality on my LDAC Bluetooth headphones.

I'm not an expert of this topic, so I have difficulties to understand what could be good for me.
Furthermore, I saw several YouTube reviews about FIIO, 5k and other DAC/AMP, but I cannot really understand what is good for me he-he :D

My budget, I'm not really sure, but I would like to not spend a lot of money if it is not necessary to my usage.

I will be using it mostly paired with my Mac and maybe using an EQ to customize the audio in the way I like, but I'm not an expert :)

If you had any recommendation, I will be happy

Thank you for your help
 
Jun 19, 2022 at 8:46 AM Post #3 of 18
Yes I saw thanks for pointing me on the right direction :)

So, as I understood, I can get HiBy R3 for example and attach that via USB-c to my Mac and output via Bluetooth to my headphones that audio in HI-res that great :D

Very helpful than you :)
 
Jun 21, 2022 at 11:40 AM Post #4 of 18
fiio bta30….
not really an amp, but so useful for many, many uses.

like adding wireless to any device, also can receive, and useful for converting usb to coax/toslink etc..
 
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Jun 21, 2022 at 2:53 PM Post #7 of 18
Thanks all for the suggestions

The HiBy R3 is that a good device?

I'm asking because it is available where I'm otherwise I don't know other brands than FIIO :)

The HiBy R3 Pro does support LDAC and bi-directional bluetooth capability and SHOULD be able to act as a DAC for your Macbook Pro and provide a bluetooth LDAC signal to your bluetooth headphones, per this review and product pages:

https://twister6.com/2020/01/07/hiby-r3-pro/4/#:~:text=With bi-directional 2-way,it into a BT DAC.

https://store.hiby.com/products/hiby-r3-pro-saber

https://www.amazon.it/HiBy-R3-Pro-Saber-portatile/dp/B089YBD38H/ref=sr_1_1?__mk_it_IT=ÅMÅŽÕÑ&crid=2N54V1ARPMM6C&keywords=hiby&qid=1655836289&sprefix=h,aps,232&sr=8-1
 
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Jun 22, 2022 at 4:55 PM Post #10 of 18
Jun 23, 2022 at 1:42 AM Post #12 of 18
If the TS want to connect it to his Mac, he must use USB. In that case LDAC to the headphone is not supported.
If you use the USB input of the BTA30, it is limited to 16/48!
i find this comment interesting in that I always force my LDAC to 44khz (no dithering of the original signal) (24 bit is useful for ‘non destructive digital volume controls (32bit technically ‘even more so’..))
I use LDAC from a range of sources, and have always preferred not trying to make it do what it technically does not (‘lossless ‘hi res’ @ 24bit 96khz)..
In fact in any use case I would choose Apt X HD over LDAC 990 (more akin to LDAC 900 the way I use it),.. Apt X HD, to me, is the superior format for a range of reasons, but mostly because APT X HD @~600kbps is equal in sound quality to LDAC @ 900+kbps & crowded areas/fast moving metal carriages (think: public transport) trying to make 990kbps transport via bluetooth is going to be a ‘spotty affair’ (at best)..
Less bandwidth of Apt X HD, plus better effective compression to achieve the same sound quality makes the ‘lesser bandwidth codec’ the SMART CONSUMER CHOICE.

Those PS5 controllers basically cook ones lap, and I have to use them in wired mode (with wireless disconnected), or else I shuffle the controller constantly from the left side of my body to the right (I wont’t hold it directly in front of my core for more than a few moments, without noticable discomfort-) admittedly i am sensitive to ‘this stuff’; I cannot use planar magnetics headphones for very long, and I like my phone away from my body when making calls; heck even my bluetooth headsets- I prefer the neckband style designs, ideally with GOOD antenna chips and hence a low power output requirement to communicate, well, with my other devices.

As someone who has done the research, I am happy that the Apt X HD codec is at parity to LDAC 900+kbps, and I enjoy the lesser radio frequency saturation..
LDAC for me, falls apart in the city, during peak hours (too many people with too many multipoint bluetooth devices), and is why LDAC scales (And often defaults) to lower bandwidth.
APT X HD seems to work flawlessly, even in ‘tricky places’.

I always compliment my partners allergies (whenever partners have them), as ’being sensitive’ to things that are not good for us is actually a great radar to have.
My inability to wear planars meant I finally bought some Ultrasones, a company whose products I had always wanted as far back as the early 2000s when I was studying natural medicine at uni. Ultrasone were commissioned to build headwear that could be worn all day (by surveillance/government bodies; no doubt they had decades of evidence of ‘health related issues’ for people wearing magnets on the sides of their heads… Some designs are different to others, eg I had no interest in the model 2 of the MDR Z7 as they had ‘increased magnet strength’. Interestingly, Beyer with their ’Tesla’ designs use clever cage and ‘a very controlled magnetic field’ and never caused me any issues…
A little off topic, but, Apt X HD is a win in more ways that medicine/science is bothering to research or understand.
The companies selling these technologies keep wanting to increase the field range eg Bt with a 30 feet range to extend to 100ft etc.
Having lived in an apartment a few years ago, everyone now having wireless lightbulbs/air conditioners/fans/vacuum cleaners/coffee machines etc.. my wireless mouse (a high end design) wouldn’t work 1 ft/30cm from the transmitting unit (that sat on the desk- line of sight and no electronics nearby, my computer fully encased in metal etc.. and I was on an ‘end apartment’.
Sure we moved due to health issues, but most do not have that option, so ‘educate the consumer’; if everyone turns their wireless network to ‘low power’ then everyone can have working kit; it is only when we all demand high bandwidth streaming (eg LDAC 990 in public places) that things get tricky… (my sensitivities are subjective, but objective/‘real world’ usage shows that the easier to use bandwidth like Apt X HD stays locked in busy places…

TL: DR LDAC happily transmits CD quality audio (it actually does this better and is recommended for 16bit 44khz files), although I’d recommend Apt X HD (same quality, better reliability)
 
Jun 28, 2022 at 1:27 PM Post #15 of 18
Thank you I did exactly the same as mentioned in the article but the device says waiting airplay to connect.

I tried to play some audio but nothing happen and I waited minutes

Then I also get the error from airplay cannot connect to device R3

I have no idea what the issue is very annoying.
 

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