Is there an amp which lets me use passive speakers with my Mac and also connect a turntable?

[philipus]

Hello everybody

I hope I may ask this question here even though it is not strictly about amps. Apologies also if this is a stupid question with an obvious answer.

In our house we have our music on a Mac which shares its library via Home Sharing. I access the music at my desk via another Mac (a Mac Pro) and listen using wired headphones. What I'd like to do is to add speakers to this Mac.

I know that I could get a pair of active speakers, but I'm more interested in passive speakers to be honest. At some point I'd also like to get a turntable, so what I'm wondering is if there is an amp which would let me use passive speakers with the Mac Pro and which would also let me later connect a turntable?

I hope this could be possible and look forward to your replies.

Cheers
Philip
The Hague

 

[Purité Audio]

You need digital ‘in’ and analogue ‘in’ and ideally built in phono eq and stereo power amp.
I suspect there is one unit that has everything, certainly a dac with analogue in and phono does exist and a separate stereo power amplifier.
Keith

 

[raindance]

Almost any integrated amp with a phono input.

 

[Purité Audio]

With digital ‘in’?
Keith

 

[raindance]

With digital ‘in’?
Keith

The Mac has no analog outs?

 

[Purité Audio]

Depends upon age, they used to have a mini headphone jack.

Keith

 

[JustJones]

Some integrated amps have digital in as well as usb in and phono.
Yamaha A 801 is one example , there are others.

Yamaha A-S801 (Silver)

Stereo integrated amplifier with built-in DAC

www.crutchfield.com

 

[Vincent Kars]

You need to bridge the gap between Mac and amp.
Analog: a 3.5 headphone to 2x RCA cable does the job at a very low price.
A USB DAC if you want to improve on the on-board audio of the mac.
Modern amps often function as a USB DAC. All you need is a USB cable.
S/PDIF is popular in the home audio. A USB to SPDIF converter bridges the gap.

 

[JustJones]

You could also get a preamp or dac with usb in and a power amp.

 

[Mikig]

there are many. Look, they have a USB input and a built-in phono stage. Cambridge CXA, Musical Fidelity M series, Yamaha AS, Rotel, are just the first that come to mind. Otherwise, if your Mac has headphone outputs, you can use a normal RCA jack cable and plug it into the amplifier in any non-turntable input.

 

[JeffS7444]

Don't overlook turntables which can connect via Bluetooth! Here's an example:
https://www.audio-technica.com/en-us/turntables/type/direct-drive/at-lp120xbt-usb
The wireless option allows greater flexibility for placement.

 

[Roland68]

Hello everybody

I hope I may ask this question here even though it is not strictly about amps. Apologies also if this is a stupid question with an obvious answer.

In our house we have our music on a Mac which shares its library via Home Sharing. I access the music at my desk via another Mac (a Mac Pro) and listen using wired headphones. What I'd like to do is to add speakers to this Mac.

I know that I could get a pair of active speakers, but I'm more interested in passive speakers to be honest. At some point I'd also like to get a turntable, so what I'm wondering is if there is an amp which would let me use passive speakers with the Mac Pro and which would also let me later connect a turntable?

I hope this could be possible and look forward to your replies.

Cheers
Philip
The Hague

The simplest and most space-saving would be the Loxjie A40 with approx. 2 x 107 watts measured power at 4 ohms, with additional phono input, high-quality DAC, headphone amplifier, channel-equal volume control, inputs for USB, Bluetooth, SPDIF coaxial & optical, analog and HDMI (ARC). Subwoofer output for 2.1 and remote control.
In my opinion and experience, the cheapest all-in-one solution, not just for the desk.

 

[DVDdoug]

You don't need digital if your Mac has a headphone output. Or you can get an Apple Dongle or similar. A headphone output can double as a line-output* (into regular RCA line-inputs with the right adapter cable).

In case you don't know this, you'll need a phono preamp for the turntable. Traditionally, they were built into receivers, preamps, and integrated amps, but not all modern receivers have them (My cheap AVR does not have phono input). Some modern turntables have them built in. Otherwise can get a separate phono preamp. Oh... Traditionally, the phono cartridge is also a separate purchase.

The all-in-one solution is an AVR (audio-video-receiver). It's usually more economical than an integrated amp because they are mass-produced and sold into a competitive market.

If you ever want to add a subwoofer, you need a surround decoder to get the "point one" LFE channel, and an AVR is the easiest way get a surround decoder. Without the surround decoder you'll still get the regular bass from the other channels but an AVR is still the easiest way to integrate a sub. And with an AVR you get remote control and some other features that you might not get with an integrated amp.

At some point I'd also like to get a turntable,

If you are not familiar with vinyl, my advice is to skip it! Although it's popular with some "audiophiles", it's an inferior and outdated format. I grew-up with vinyl and the "snap", "crackle", and "pop" always annoyed me, even though it didn't seem to bother most people. I was amazed with the dead-silent background when I got my 1st CD player.



* It doesn't work the other way around. Line-outputs can't drive headphones (properly) because of the lower headphone impedance.

 

[JiiPee]

Some examples of integrated amplifiers that have usb input, phono preamp, and headphone amp (in case Your Mac does not have a separate analog out for headphones):
- Pro-Ject MaiA DS3
- Creek 4040
- Fezz Torus 5060

 

[antcollinet]

Some integrated amps have digital in as well as usb in and phono.
Yamaha A 801 is one example , there are others.

Yamaha A-S801 (Silver)

Stereo integrated amplifier with built-in DAC

www.crutchfield.com

Or the AS301 at about half the price:

Yamaha AS301 (Black)

Shop for Yamaha AS301 Black Stereo Amplifier with Richer Sounds for expert advice and lowest prices guaranteed

www.richersounds.com

@philipus knowing your budget would be a help.