CalvinandHobbes2020
Head-Fier
I'm not a huge stickler for mobile sound quality as I'm usually listening in loud environments such as coffee shops anyhow. BUT, the output via the 3.5mm jack on a 2021+ Macbook Pro 14" sounds REALLY good.
Typically, I listen to streamed music from PC or Mac laptops via an Audioquest Dragonfly Red. I know there are definitely better sounding portable DACs around, but the Dragonfly Red has a punchy and reasonably refined sound that I've found to better the built-in DACs in most laptops. I was listening via my 14" MBP / Dragonfly Red DAC in a coffee shop when it occurred to me to plug my cheap and cheerful Sennheiser HD 400S directly into the Macbook's 3.5mm headphone jack. Immediately and quite surprisingly, the sound seemed more expansive, yet also more refined in tone. First thing I did was to turn down the volume when using the 3.5mm jack because I thought louder volume via the 3.5mm jack could be a key factor in it seeming to sound better than via the Dragonfly Red. I switched back and forth several times between Dragonfly Red and the 3.5mm jack and my impressions stayed consistent.
I got home and did the same listening comparison between the Dragonfly Red and MBP's 3.5mm jack with Sennheiser HD 280 Pro headphones. I thought that perhaps slightly better headphones might reveal some advantage of the Dragonfly Red DAC over the 3.5mm output from the Macbook Pro. Nope, same result. the 3.5mm output from the MBP still sounded better. The sound output from the 3.5mm jack sounds both more expansive and also more refined than via the AQ Dragonfly Red DAC. I guess there's no point in wasting my energy carrying around my Audioquest Dragonfly Red DAC and USB-C dongle anymore.
Anyone else have experience with the built-in DACs in recent model Macbook Pros?
Anyone know if the newer Macbook Air laptops with M1 and M2 processors have a similar DAC to the Macbook Pro 14 & 16? If so, that would be a huge selling point for me to get a Mac laptop over a comparably priced PC Ultrabook.
Thanks!
Typically, I listen to streamed music from PC or Mac laptops via an Audioquest Dragonfly Red. I know there are definitely better sounding portable DACs around, but the Dragonfly Red has a punchy and reasonably refined sound that I've found to better the built-in DACs in most laptops. I was listening via my 14" MBP / Dragonfly Red DAC in a coffee shop when it occurred to me to plug my cheap and cheerful Sennheiser HD 400S directly into the Macbook's 3.5mm headphone jack. Immediately and quite surprisingly, the sound seemed more expansive, yet also more refined in tone. First thing I did was to turn down the volume when using the 3.5mm jack because I thought louder volume via the 3.5mm jack could be a key factor in it seeming to sound better than via the Dragonfly Red. I switched back and forth several times between Dragonfly Red and the 3.5mm jack and my impressions stayed consistent.
I got home and did the same listening comparison between the Dragonfly Red and MBP's 3.5mm jack with Sennheiser HD 280 Pro headphones. I thought that perhaps slightly better headphones might reveal some advantage of the Dragonfly Red DAC over the 3.5mm output from the Macbook Pro. Nope, same result. the 3.5mm output from the MBP still sounded better. The sound output from the 3.5mm jack sounds both more expansive and also more refined than via the AQ Dragonfly Red DAC. I guess there's no point in wasting my energy carrying around my Audioquest Dragonfly Red DAC and USB-C dongle anymore.
Anyone else have experience with the built-in DACs in recent model Macbook Pros?
Anyone know if the newer Macbook Air laptops with M1 and M2 processors have a similar DAC to the Macbook Pro 14 & 16? If so, that would be a huge selling point for me to get a Mac laptop over a comparably priced PC Ultrabook.
Thanks!
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