DAC setup, macOS

Connection: macMini to an external DAC over USB

1. Connect a USB 2.0 Type A/B cable (also known as a printer cable) from the MacMini (or any Mac computer) to the external DAC's USB input port.
2. Once the DAC is powered on, macOS will detect the USB connection.
3. Allow the USB connection by clicking the "Allow" button when prompted.

System Sound Setting: USB DAC

1. In the system report of your Mac computer, the USB DAC will be detected as an Audio Output device.
2. You can find it listed under "System Settings" -> "Sound" in macOS settings.
3. Select the USB DAC as the output device for your Mac computer.

Audio Midi Setup: USB DAC

1. Launch the "Audio MIDI Setup" app from Launchpad.
2. In the app, you can configure the output format for your USB DAC.
3. Please set the format as desired. It's recommended to set the sampling rate to 44.1kHz for optimal performance.
4. Keep in mind that setting the output format's sampling rate higher than 384kHz may consume more CPU processing power. Depending on your CPU processing speed, you may experience stuttering, static, or dropouts.

High Fidelity Music Player Software

Now that you've successfully connected an external USB DAC to your Mac computer, the next step is to choose your music playback software. If you primarily stream music via Tidal or another streaming service, the Tidal app is sufficient. However, if you're looking for more powerful software to manage your music library and enhance your listening experience, you may consider Roon, Audirvana, JRiver, and others.

In this section, we'll showcase the possible setups using these software options and how you can optimize the settings for what we believe is the best sound quality.

TIDAL: Sound Output - USB DAC

Now, let's get started with configuring the Tidal software application.

1. Launch Tidal on your Mac computer.
2. Log in with your credentials.
3. Click on the "Loudspeaker" symbol located on the bottom right of the application.
4. An in-app pop-up will appear.
5. Select the desired USB DAC connected to the Mac computer.
6. Click on "More Settings".

TIDAL: Exclusive Mode

1. On the prompted pop-up, you will see various settings. Enable "Use Exclusive Mode".
2. Exclusive mode allows the music playback software to take full control of the USB DAC, bypassing the operating system's audio mixer. This ensures a direct and unaltered audio stream from the software to the DAC, resulting in superior sound quality.
3. If you do not use the digital volume control via the Tidal app, please enable "Force Volume".
4. Force Volume ensures that the volume control is handled exclusively by the DAC instead of the software. This bypasses the digital volume control in the app, providing a purer, unaltered audio signal. It's important to note that digital volume control can degrade the audio quality compared to using the analog volume control on your amplifier or DAC.

TIDAL: High Res Hifi/Master

1. Hit on the "Resolution" icon. An "Audio Quality" pop-up will appear. Select "HiFi/Master" resolution for the best sound quality.
2. Selecting the maximum resolution ensures that you are streaming music in its highest possible quality, providing you with the best listening experience. This setting allows you to enjoy Tidal's HiFi and Master quality audio, which offers superior sound fidelity compared to lower resolution streams.

For in-depth support on using the Tidal app, please visit: https://support.tidal.com/hc/en-us

roon: Initial Audio Setup

Now, let's get started with configuring the Roon software application.

1. Launch Roon on your Mac Computer.
2. Log in with your credentials.
3. Click on the "Settings" symbol to configure Audio Device settings.

roon: Audio Device

On the "Audio" menu, you'll see a list of available audio devices on the screen.

1. Enable the USB DAC connected to the computer.
2. Give it a meaningful name, like "myDAC".
3. Please note that if it's your first time using Roon, it might be a bit confusing.
4. If your computer is connected to a network via Wi-Fi or a network cable, you'll also see a list of available Network Audio Devices on the Audio setting page.
5. Pay extra attention to enable the correct device.

roon: Exclusive Mode

On the enabled USB DAC, click on the "Settings" button, and select "Device Setup".

1. An in-app pop-up will appear to detail the USB DAC parameters.
2. Configure the DAC as advised by the manufacturers.
3. If the DAC is Roon Ready, the parameters will be automatically configured for you.
4. Please enable Exclusive Mode.

Exclusive mode ensures that Roon takes full control of the audio device, allowing for the best sound quality and preventing other applications from interrupting the audio stream.

roon: Device Setup

The recommended Device Setup for DENAFRIPS DAC is as shown above. Please ensure that the settings are configured correctly.

roon: Lossless Playback

1. Select "myDAC" as the audio output device in the Roon app.
2. Choose your favorite music and hit the play button.
3. Click on the purple indicator, and a Signal Path pop-up will display the current signal path and whether it is lossless.

Lossless audio quality ensures that the music you're streaming via Roon is an exact replica of the original recording, without any loss of data or quality. This means you'll hear every detail and nuance as the artist intended, providing a more immersive and enjoyable listening experience. With lossless audio, you get the full richness and clarity of the music, from the deepest bass to the highest treble, just as it was recorded in the studio. This is crucial for audiophiles who demand the highest possible sound quality from their music streaming service

roon: MUSE / Oversampling

To enable oversampling at higher sampling rates on PCM or even DSD, follow these steps:

1. Right-click on the myDAC icon.
2. Select "MUSE" from the menu.
3. The MUSE page will appear with a great deal of details.
4. Choose the desired output sampling rate.
5. Enable the Sample Rate Conversion to convert the original track to the desired sampling rate.

roon: MUSE / Oversampling / DSD

MUSE oversampling in Roon offers several benefits:

1. Improved Sound Quality: MUSE oversampling enhances the audio quality by upsampling PCM or DSD tracks to higher sampling rates, resulting in smoother, more detailed sound reproduction.
2. Reduced Jitter: By converting audio signals to higher sampling rates, MUSE helps minimize jitter, resulting in clearer and more accurate sound reproduction.
3. Customization: MUSE allows users to customize the output sampling rate according to their preferences, offering greater flexibility and control over the listening experience.

Overall, MUSE oversampling can significantly enhance the listening experience, providing more detailed, lifelike sound reproduction.

YMMV.

Audirvana Studio: Audio Output Device

Now, let's configure Audirvana Studio.

1. Launch Audirvana on your Mac computer and log in with your credentials.
2. Click on the "Loudspeakers" symbol to select the connected USB DAC as the audio device.

Audirvana Studio: Audio Setting

On the Audio settings page, you'll find plenty of parameters to configure your desired settings like Digital Processing, Upsampling, Volume Level/Control, etc. For beginners, please do not modify these configurations. Leave them as default for now.

Audirvana Studio: Output Device Setting

1. Click on the "Setting" symbol of the Output Device.
2. A DAC parameter pop-up will appear.
3. Please enable Exclusive Access.

Enabling "Exclusive Access" in Audirvana Studio ensures that the audio device has exclusive control over the audio output, preventing other applications from interfering with the audio stream. This helps in delivering the best possible sound quality, reduces latency, and ensures a smoother playback experience.

Audirvana Studio: Streaming 44.1kHz

1. Back to the main screen of Audirvana
2. Choose your favorite music track and hit the play button.
3. You will notice a 'Lock' symbol turn purple, indicating that the USB DAC is now exclusively used by the Audirvana software.
4. The sampling rate currently playing will also be indicated.

Audirvana Studio: Upsampling

Feeling fancy and want to upsample your music tracks? No problem!

1. Go to the Audio settings page, click on the setting icon of the Upsampling column.
2. Select the desired 'Forced Upsampling Type' and start playing your music tracks with Audirvana Upsampling!

JRiver: Initial Setup

JRIVER has been a widely used software in the past, and I believe it's still relevant to cover it.

1. Launch the JRIVER app on your Mac computer (license required).
2. Click on the "Settings" symbol to configure the connected USB DAC as the audio device as well as some important parameters.

JRiver: Audio Device

A pop-up window will appear with options. Select your desired USB DAC as the Audio Output Device.

JRiver: Exclusive Mode

1. Once the DAC is selected, click on "Device Settings".
2. A pop-up window for Core Audio Settings will appear.
3. Enable "Open Device With Exclusive Access".

Enabling "Open Device With Exclusive Access" in JRIVER ensures that the audio device has exclusive access to the system's audio output. This prevents other applications from interfering with the audio stream, resulting in improved audio quality, reduced latency, and fewer playback issues.

JRiver: Memory Playback & DSD

1. We recommend loading the decoded file into memory (RAM). This setting allows for faster access to the audio data, reducing the likelihood of interruptions during playback and providing a smoother listening experience.
2. If you require DSD playback, please enable DSD in Bitstreaming.

JRiver: Streaming PCM

1. Back to the main screen of JRIVER. Choose your favorite music track and hit the play button.
2. Music should stream to the selected Audio Device (USB DAC).
3. Click on the setting icon, and a detailed Audio Path will be shown.