Connecting MacBook/iTunes to Stereo

I'm trying to connect my MacBook and use iTunes on my stereo. I have a DAC to connect it to. Should I use a USB cable or an optical cable through the headphone jack? Will the all digital signal be preserved under either method? Thanks.

Hugo831 wrote:
I'm trying to connect my MacBook and use iTunes on my stereo. I have a DAC to connect it to. Should I use a USB cable or an optical cable through the headphone jack? Will the all digital signal be preserved under either method? Thanks.
Does your DAC have a USB input? Does it like USB input? Do the specs for the DAC differ between the inputs? Were it me, I might audition both methods. Not having a MacBook, I'm assuming Apple is still using the cool analog/digital output jack. You'll likely need a toslink mini adapter or cable with built in mini on one end to use the optical out.
If you want your MacBook to live further away from your DAC the express is a nice option. I have an iMac as a music server and I stream to several express's around the house. It works well.

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Ugh! I'm so frustrated. I'm barely computer literate ... use a 2010 MacBook Pro(6.2) to check emails, read the news, use MSWord. That's about it.
I also have iTunes and a couple of crappy desktop speakers hooked into the earbud jack.
I don't watch television, so I never bought an HDMI TV ... still have a large tube TV that's just fine for watching the rare occasional DVD.
I do have a two or three year old Onkyo RT390 5.1 stereo receiver with multiple HDMI inputs. I really enjoy high-end audio quality from my many concert DVDs - to the point that I don't care that the picture is on an old tube TV. I care much more about the soundtracks and just listening to CDs than watching video.
Right now, all I'm trying to do is get iTunes audio from my MacBook Pro to the Onkyo so I can get quality music. I don't want to use the 1/8" jack because I've read the audio quality is not that great from the 1/8" jack ... and I also move the MacBook around a lot and it probably wouldn't be a few weeks before I damage the jack by repeatedly jerking the plug in and out.
I know nothing about Mini Display ports, ethernet, or Firewire 800 (jacks which my MacBook has) ... but I found an article about using the Mini Display port to get audio out to HDMI in on a stereo, but all the terminology went over my head and I was completely lost.
I also read up on Airport, but apparently without an expensive external DAC, that's a compromise in sound quality too.
Somehow, the solution is in getting digital audio from my Mac straight to the digital-ins on the stereo ... but I'm clueless on this stuff.
Can anyone simplify getting quality audio from the Mac to my stereo ... to the point where a techno-illiterate can understand the instructions and put this thing together?
And yeah, I've googled it. Have not found a single article that makes it easy and inviting to do. Every article I've found assumes exhaustive knowledge in terminology and interface standards.

Nope. Nix that. Airport Express is out.
Scrolled down the Airport Express discussions and saw numerous posts that suggest that the product does not work properly for streaming music under any circumstances. Frequent skips and jitters.
I have exactly one white hair for everytime I've heard a CD skip. I don't want any more.
Very large number of posts all saying the same thing.
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4104819?start=0&tstart=0
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2687974?start=0&tstart=0
Looks like I'm back to learning about cables and such.

I have a 16GB iPhone 3GS. Tried synching my phone through iTunes (11.0.1 I think... on a 2009 Macbook Pro). Now when I connect to iTunes, it says it does not recognise the content on my phone. Is this because my phone (and laptop) are too old?

I have a 16GB iPhone 3GS. Tried synching my phone through iTunes (11.0.1 I think... on a 2009 Macbook Pro). Now when I connect to iTunes, it says it does not recognise the content on my phone. Is this because my phone (and laptop) are too old?
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I'm trying to free up space on my phone by removing [literally] thousands of old photos which were originally synched to the phone, because I had forgotten to uncheck the photos button when I synched it ages ago.
I have also tried synching it on my 24" iMac (running OSX Snow Leopard). But again, when I try restoring the phone through itunes, it says the file is corrupted. It sggests unplugging the device, and then plugging it in again. I have done this numerous times with no success.
I'm guessing it must be because my phone (and versions of iTunes, and OSX) are all too old.
Please can anybody help.
Cheers,
Dan_nz.

There are multiple reasons that lead to issue. You should read the troubleshooting guide to get the right solution to solve the issue: iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch not recognized in iTunes for Windows - Apple Support

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I am having the same problem. I have just tried this. Unplug iphone > open itunes > delete all music from itunes library > close itunes > re-open itunes > add music from original folder > plug in iphone > select songs > press sync > unplug iphone using eject button onscreen > checked phone .... still nothing in music folder on phone. On itunes the "On this iphone" tab the songs remain there but greyed out.

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I am conneting my Ipad to mutiple Pcs, (windows and Mac) and it is not being recognized in the device list on itunes or the computers. the ipad is fully charged, I have reset it numerous times and it gives me the apple icon and then the "connect to itunes" message.... but dose nothing after that. I had it all set up and gave it to my daughter who tried to sync it with her macbook when it did this. We are using direct connections to the computers usb ports, the cables are new, ituens is newly updated on all pc's...
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Did you already have a look at this article?
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HT1414 I have just tried to update the software on my iPad and it is now asking me to connect to iTunes. The last time I did this it did not tell me to do this. I'm currently travelling and do not have my MacBook with my iTunes.Can it be resolved without

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I hope that you can see this response. The forum software is acting quite bizarre today.
You really do want to restore with your own computer. There is an off chance that you might be able to backup first, but I really think it is a very slight chance now since you got the connect to iTunes screen. But on the chance that when you connect, it sees the iPad and allows a backup, I would to not have you wait to use your own Mac.
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Your iPad is going to show "Connect to iTunes" screen until you either set it up successfully or restore it. If you've already set your iPad up in the past, "Connect to iTunes" typically indicates the iPad is in Recovery Mode and you must restore it.

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Hello e2011,
I'm sorry to hear you are having issues with your iPhone. If your iPhone isn't being recognized in iTunes on your MacBook Pro, you may find the info and troubleshooting steps outlined in the following article helpful:
If you don't see your connected device in iTunes for Mac - Apple Support
Regards,
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Hello everyone,
I have a MacBook Pro 10.4.11. I never had problems connecting to the iTunes Store before but recently it's been just impossible to do it. Everytime i open my iTunes and click on iTunes Store, a window pops out with the following message:
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Yes, i tried all the suggestions one by one and it's rather difficult to do something wrong if one follow the steps.
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I think i'll have to take my computer to an Apple Store

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Have you cleaned out the charging port area with a wooden toothpick or a soft clean brush? You would be amazed at the amount of fluff and debris that gets packed in there that you can't see.

Connecting MacBook/iTunes to Stereo

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