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MacBook's High Impedance DAC is different in the EU version?

DrSapolskyRocks!

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I wanted to buy a MacBook Air M3, but I wanted to make sure that the one sold in EU is not having an underpowered DAC, like the USB 3.5mm to USB C adapter EU version from Apple.

I talked with the Apple Support and they don't have a clue. There's conflicting information regarding this online, some claiming that the DAC in the EU version of the MacBooks sounds different.

Can any MacBook users from the EU confirm that Vrms output is same as in the US version?

Thank you in advance!
 
There's conflicting information regarding this online, some claiming that the DAC in the EU version of the MacBooks sounds different.
Well, there’s your mistake.

So these online sources have 2 identical configuration of MacBooks, both imported next to each other, one from US, one from EU, and they’re claiming different sound? Facepalm.
 
The EU has some loudness limits but I don't know how it's supposed to work since different headphones & in-ears have different sensitivity.

And I don't know if the EU version is different and if it is, I don't know if it's a hardware or software difference.
 
I had to return my Walkman bought in EU, did not knew it had the high gain disabled, it turned out that EU policy forced them to put a cap on the output. Such a bummer, considering there's various IEMs and Headphones which require certain power level to drive them to normal listening levels.
 
I cannot assure it 100% because I don't fancy reading the directive, but chances are it doesn't apply to laptops. It applies to "personal music players" defined as:

"personal music players" are defined as battery-powered consumer electronic devices that play music through headphones or earphones and allow the user to walk around while listening. They can reproduce music at high sound levels without distortion and are very widely used, especially by young people. Mobile phones which can play music through headphones or earphones are also considered as personal music players.
 
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I had to return my Walkman bought in EU, did not knew it had the high gain disabled, it turned out that EU policy forced them to put a cap on the output. Such a bummer, considering there's various IEMs and Headphones which require certain power level to drive them to normal listening levels.
I don't have a Macbook but I have a Mac Mini M2 and the headphones out is very powerful and really good sounding. I must say as good and as powerful as my Audioengine D1 dac (og model). It drives properly every iem I have, Shure 840A, Sony WH1000XM4, Hifiman HE-R9, Sennheiser HD 660S ...
 
Aren't all Macbook Air made in China? I find it hard to believe that they would make special models for EU.
 
Maybe as they do with smartphones, they simply can limit them at a software/firmware level.
That was the case with Sony. I could install the Japanese firmware and that would circumvent the power output limit, but it would void the warranty and can potentially brick the device if something goes wrong while flashing the firmware.

It remains ambiguous how Apple implements the EU policy on Apple Devices. Someone on the forum mentioned in a post related to Apple's USB-C Dac, that the EU version of dongle has the same hardware as the US, but it is limited by the iPhones and iPads firmware. Strange considering, there's no headphone jack on either, but Apple decides to put a limit on the adapter which is sold separately..
 
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