Do I need an Airport Express?

[617arg]

I would like to get some better sound when listening to iTunes and internet radio. Do I need to use an AirPort Express in order to connect my amp to my Mac Pro, or could I connect the amp directly to the Mac Pro? (not really sure how to do this or if it is possible.)

Eventually I will probably go ahead and purchase the AirPort Express in order to have the ability to listen to music in different rooms. If I did that would I be able to listen to different things in different rooms? That would be the ideal setup. Right now however I just need it in my studio since one of my computer speakers crapped out.

Sorry if this questions sounds very uninformed. There seem to be many audio inputs/outputs on the back of the Pro, but I just don't know much about audio.

Thanks for any help.

 

[waw74]

the airport express would sound the same as the output on the mac pro. I'm not sure if the mac pro has optical out, but the express does.
One advantage of the express would be that no system sounds (new mail, sending mail, IM) would come out of the stereo, just the speakers on the computer while your music continues uninterrupted from the stereo.

you can have different music out of different expresses on the same network. but you must do so from different instances of iTunes, so if you have a laptop, and 2 expresses, the mac pro could play to one and the laptop to the other, or you could play to both expresses simultaneously. you can also play music out of the computer speakers and the express at the same time.