Powered Speakers RCA vs optical difference?

[johnpdoe]

Hi,

I'm buying a pair of HiVi-Swans OS-10 powered speakers for my desk. I was planning on using the bundled 3.5mm jack to RCA cable to connect them to my MacBook Pro, but I see that they also have optical and coax inputs.

I know these are quite low budget speakers, but is it worth buying a USBC-S/PDIF adapter and use the optical speaker input instead? I guess I would lose volume control on the laptop, but the speakers have a little remote.

Is my understanding correct that using the 3.5mm jack to RCA cable from the laptop, the laptop would do the DAC conversion, the speaker would first convert the analog signal to digital again, apply the DSP, and then back to a analog? Whereas using the optical input, there is only one signal conversion applied after the DSP?

Would that make any difference at all for low budget equipment like this?

Thanks!

 

[Koeitje]

There is no way to tell what is better without measurements. Unless you can test it and the sound quality difference is so noticeable that its immediately clear.

 

[staticV3]

is it worth buying a USBC-S/PDIF adapter and use the optical speaker input instead? I guess I would lose volume control on the laptop, but the speakers have a little remote.

There are USB to SPDIF converters which support volume control from your MacBook.

The PO100 Pro is one such converter.

The Cubilux converters may also support it, though I don't know for sure.

Is my understanding correct that using the 3.5mm jack to RCA cable from the laptop, the laptop would do the DAC conversion, the speaker would first convert the analog signal to digital again, apply the DSP, and then back to a analog?

That is only correct, if the speaker applies DSP internally.

It's also possible that the speaker uses an analog crossover, and the RCA input goes straight to the built-in Amp with no ADC conversion in between.

Whether the Swans uses an analog or digital crossover, you'd have to ask the manufacturer.

Would that make any difference at all for low budget equipment like this?

If the crossover is analog, then for sure using the digital input would not make a difference. The MacBook's DAC is plenty good enough.

If the crossover is digital and the Swan's built-in ADC sucks, then yes. It's possible that switching to digital input could get rid of some noise.

 

[twsecrest]

I'm buying a pair of HiVi-Swans OS-10 powered speakers for my desk. I was planning on using the bundled 3.5mm jack to RCA cable to connect them to my MacBook Pro, but I see that they also have optical and coax inputs.
I know these are quite low budget speakers, but is it worth buying a USBC-S/PDIF adapter and use the optical speaker input instead? I guess I would lose volume control on the laptop, but the speakers have a little remote.
Is my understanding correct that using the 3.5mm jack to RCA cable from the laptop, the laptop would do the DAC conversion, the speaker would first convert the analog signal to digital again, apply the DSP, and then back to a analog? Whereas using the optical input, there is only one signal conversion applied after the DSP?
Would that make any difference at all for low budget equipment like this?

If the Swan converts all incoming analog audio signals into a digital signal, then uses it's own DAC function, then might as well just use the Macbook Pro's optical output.
The Mac's headphone/line-output might also function as an optical output?
If the Swan's analog input goes straight into the amplifier, than you can use the Mac's DAC function (3.5mm to RCA cable)
Apple products usually come with a very decent DAC function.
Or get a USB DAC, to connect between the MAC and the Swans.

 

[johnpdoe]

Thanks both replies!

I'm going by this review from Paul Carmody's. My noob reading was that there was digital DSP in these swans.

 

[johnpdoe]

If the Swan converts all incoming analog audio signals into a digital signal, then uses it's own DAC function, then might as well just use the Macbook Pro's optical output.
The Mac's headphone/line-output might also function as an optical output?
If the Swan's analog input goes straight into the amplifier, than you can use the Mac's DAC function (3.5mm to RCA cable)
Apple products usually come with a very decent DAC function.
Or get a USB DAC, to connect between the MAC and the Swans.

Thanks.
Unfortunately new-ish Macs don't have an optical out anymore. I think they stopped adding that to the headphone jack somewhere around 2016, so I was thinking of getting something like this.
That said, I just found an amazon review stating that they tried both RCA and optical connections and could not hear any difference at all, so I'm probably overthinking this.

 

[twsecrest]

Thanks.
Unfortunately new-ish Macs don't have an optical out anymore. I think they stopped adding that to the headphone jack somewhere around 2016, so I was thinking of getting something like this.
That said, I just found an amazon review stating that they tried both RCA and optical connections and could not hear any difference at all, so I'm probably overthinking this.

Me personally would not get the Swan's (I'm not anti-Swan), but I would rather buy pure analog studio monitors and use a USB DAC.
The Swan's appear to be more for the average consumers, who likes everything built in and is simple to install and use.
It cost money to add features like the ADC/DAC DSP functions to the Swans, which lowers to amount spend on the amplifiers (for manufacturing).
Pure analog studio monitors (like the Pros use) will come with 2 amplifiers per unit (each powered speaker), great for audio detail.
Where as average consumer (self-powered) speakers might come with all in one amplifier unit that drives both the tweeter and the woofer (cheaper to manufacturer).
So you would end up spending more for Pure analog studio monitors and a USB DAC, over the Swans and a USB/SPDIF converter.
Or just spend all your budget for pure analog studio monitors and use the Mac's DAC function.

 

[johnpdoe]

Thanks for the advice. I agree. I had some passive wharfedale and a small little amp back at home and loved the setup, even if it was not terribly expensive. But this is more of a temporary setup as I'm abroad and I'm tired of working at home with headphones. Just want a simple and cheap as possible setup. These seem to have nice reviews and are not expensive, so as long as they don't have some terrible hissing (which I read some can have) they should do. But, if a simple thing like getting an extra cable and switching the input was meant to make a difference, I could that too.

 

[ElMediaVida]

Hey John!

I had the exact (almost, I have Air M2) settings.

I had a Cabilux USB-A to SPDIF (I think it's the same thing with USB-C).
To control the volume without any extra software I virtualiced the audio output with this https://github.com/briankendall/proxy-audio-device

That allows you control volume with the keyboard shortcuts and keeps the audio resolution. Also you can setup the proxy to activate only when you connect the SPDIF adapter.