Macbook Pro As CD Source


I recently purchased the latest Macbook Pro. I kind of like using it to play CDs sometimes when listening to my stereo setup. (Macbook Pro to W4S DAC 2 to Bryston 14BSST) Sounds pretty good even being fairly new. Does the Macbook as a cd source have potential, or is the best it can perform going to be limited to a subtractive sound?
foster_9
Get a nice USB cable and Spotify and you have a pretty nice jukebox. Wyred4sound has one.
I am running my PC to my wryed4sound DAC and it sounds great. I read a review on some gear and I have a high probability of finding that same piece of music the reviewer is using. At the end of the day, audio gear is great, but new music might be even better.
Isn't that w4s DAC sweet? :^)
I use mine as a CD player, via it's FireWire output into the FireWire input of my Apogee Dac.
2bgeorge yes, my W4S2 is still breaking in and the system sounds better and better as the days go by!. I like it. I'm using a Furutech Formula 2 USB cable. The Macbook Pro is breaking in too.
No matter what music base I access, my Macbook Pro going into my ARC Dac8 doesn't sound as involving as from my CD transport going to the same Dac.
A quick question, is there any real sonic difference between the Macbook pro and Mac mini, as a source for a DAC? Thanks
David12, in my experience sonically there is no difference between the Mini and the Powerbook Pro, except that the Powerbook has the screen and is portable. I have only used both with Pure Music and FW, however. Now my Mini is from Empirical Audio using a raid system.
David12,

I used aMac Mini and a MacBook Pro into the same FireWire Dac, and didn't detect any difference.
This isn't strictly an Apples to Apples comparison but at a recent DAC shootout, I brought along my MBAir 13" 1.7GHz i5, 4GB of RAM, 128GB SSD while my friend brought along his MacMini Server (Quad Core i7 2GHz), 8GB of RAM and 120GB SSD.

His is a dedicated music machine. Mine isn't

We were running Amarra, iTunes serving out the same files to the same DAC and we all thought the MacMini sounded cleaner. The Air was running off batteries.