Good external Soundcard for iMac ?

[NordmoleX]

Hi,
just wondering if any of you knows a good external Soundcard for the use with an iMac. I recently switched from PC to Mac, and with that I lost quite a good sound from my Asus Soundcard there, in combination with a 5.1 Boxset, that sound was really something.

And I am not saying that the iMac does have too bad sound, but if you're used to what I had, the iMac sound just doesnt do it. I know there are many external soundcards out there, but most have bad reviews and seem to sound really bad. Not to mention that those are usually reviewed on Windows, so I dont even know if they work good or at all on Mac.

I wonder if someone here maybe also got the same problem that I have with the Sound, and already found a good solution. Not to mention that I dont always want to listen via Headphones, but mostly speakers. If someone here has good experience with an external soundcard that is a mix of A) affordable and b) sounds really good and c) is working on Mac, please let me know.

I am surprised about the sound on the iMac, which is not bad at all, for a all-in-one in any case. But still, if you had the b00msound rocking, you cant go back to the sound of the iMac speakers.

 

[Fishrrman]

The Mac's audio capabilities are pretty much "built into it".

If all you're looking to do is hook up speakers, I can think of a couple of ways to go:

1. Get USB-connectible speakers, and utilize digital/audio out via USB.

2. Get a USB-digital audio converter (DAC). They come in all kinds with prices from reasonable to astronomical.

 

[matreya]

2. Get a USB-digital audio converter (DAC). They come in all kinds with prices from reasonable to astronomical.

I bought one of these, which I connect to a headphone amp:

https://www.amazon.com/Cambridge-Audio-DacMagic-100-Black/dp/B0078Q35PG

https://www.cambridgeaudio.com/products/hifi-and-home-cinema/dacmagic-100

 

[NordmoleX]

And how did you connect that to the mac? Chinch out to the 3.5 mm of the Mac?

 

[Fishrrman]

The Cambridge device looks like it can connect via either:
- USB connection
or
- digital/optical (from headphone port)

 

[matreya]

And how did you connect that to the mac? Chinch out to the 3.5 mm of the Mac?

I connect it via USB. Provides superb audio quality.

 

[NordmoleX]

Ok, so I need that, attach it to USB, and a speaker set that I can use. For my PC i had an older 5.1 Logitech Speaker set which was fine, and a very nice Asus Soundcard. I simply miss that sound. You think I can do that with this Dac ?

Is that correct, there is no headphone possible on that thing ?

 

[matreya]

Here's something a little cheaper, with optical output.

https://smile.amazon.com/Behringer-U-Control-Ultra-Low-Interface-Software/dp/B0023BYDHK/

 

[BrianBaughn]

Definitely a USB sound device and I'd be looking for one with a USB cable long enough as to not put stress on the USB port. You can find devices with just a 3.5mm stereo jack in/out or others with separate L/R input/output jacks. Some have stereo output jacks and an additional headphone jack. The one matreya just posted above fits that description.

 

[NordmoleX]

From what I can read in the reviews on german Amazon, it seems like its a good device, the Behringer, but hard to setup. I suppose there is no real driver for this thing for Mac, at best an ASIO driver, correct ? From what I read there, and thats not about Mac, it seems that thing sounds quite good but not easy to get there. Is that correct ?

 

[BrianBaughn]

On the US Amazon site the reviews from searches of "MacBook" or "iMac" are mostly 5 stars. No drivers are required for it to work with the Mac.

 

[colodane]

I have used this FiiO model for several years on my iMac. Inexpensive, but excellent sound, easy to use and reliable.

https://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E10K-He...8&qid=1500036050&sr=1-1&keywords=fiio+usb+dac