The MACs tend to have a pretty good DAC. I have a Chord Hugo and it sounds better than the MAC Dac, but not by a "huuuge" amount. In other words, IMO, the MAC DAC is that good. On the other hand most if not all MACs have the 3.5mm out work both as an analog output as well as an optical Toslink output. So you can either use the DAC or bypass it depending on which cable you plug in.
Yes, I keep reading that the DACs on Macs are "pretty good" but I'd love some actual numbers.
Honestly, I was a bit surprised to learn the audiophile community doesn't have these numbers at the ready as they are so ubiquitous. Imagine walking into a coffee shop and seeing a dozen people with the same external DAC feeding their headphones, but being unable to find measurements of the unit online.
I guess I could simply buy a new DAC and see if I can tell the difference (only thing that matters really), but that seems to undermine the point of all reviews and measurements.
@amirm I appreciate what you've built here, and understand this is a challenging ask. Thank you.