Hey Dorian,
I found the following on Mac DACs at Google ( audio circuits in M1 Macs):
From support.apple.com -
Use high-impedance headphones with MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, or Mac Studio
You can connect high-impedance headphones directly to Mac laptops introduced in 2021 or later or Mac Studio.
The 3.5 mm headphone jack on Mac laptops introduced in 2021 or later and Mac Studio features DC load detection and adaptive voltage output. Your Mac can detect the impedance of the connected device and will adapt its output for low- and high-impedance headphones, as well as for line-level audio devices.
When you connect headphones with an impedance of less than 150 ohms, the headphone jack provides up to 1.25 volts RMS. For headphones with an impedance of 150 to 1k ohms, the headphone jack delivers 3 volts RMS. This may remove the need for an external headphone amplifier.
With impedance detection, adaptive voltage output, and a built-in digital-to-analog converter that supports sample rates of up to 96 kHz, you can enjoy high-fidelity, full-resolution audio directly from the headphone jack on your Mac.
Compatible Mac computers
These Mac computers support high-impedence headphones with the built-in headphone jack:
MacBook Air (M2, 2022)MacBook Pro (13-inch, M2, 2022)MacBook Pro (14-inch, 2021)MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2021)Mac Studio (2022)
ON THE DACs:
Play high sample rate audio on MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, or Mac Studio
The hardware digital-to-analog converter (DAC) built into Mac laptops introduced in 2021 or later and Mac Studio supports sample rates of up to 96 kHz.
Mac computers that feature a high-quality built-in hardware DAC can convert up to 96 kHz digital audio to analog audio. You can connect analog devices like headphones or speakers directly to the headphone jack on your Mac and monitor your audio at full resolution without needing an external DAC.
To set the sample rate for the headphone jack, use the Audio Midi Setup app, which is located in the Utilities folder of your Applications folder. Make sure to connect your device to the headphone jack. In the sidebar of Audio MIDI Setup, select External Headphones, then choose a sample rate from the Format pop-up menu. For best results, match the sample rate for the headphone jack with the sample rate of your source material.
Compatible Mac computers
These Mac computers have a built-in hardware digital-to-analog converter:
MacBook Air (M2, 2022)MacBook Pro (13-inch, M2, 2022)MacBook Pro (14-inch, 2021)MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2021)Mac Studio (2022)
I also found Apple claiming the DACs of earlier (2013 & up) Macs are even better:
Play high sample rate digital audio on Mac computers
The audio hardware in some MacBook Pro, Mac Pro, and iMac computers supports 176.4 kHz and 192 kHz digital audio when connected using optical output.
This article has been archived and is no longer updated by Apple.
These computers support up to 192 kHz sample rate for audio playback:
MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Late 2013) through MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2015)MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Late 2013) through MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2015)iMac (21.5-inch, Mid 2014) through iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2014)iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, Late 2015)iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2014) through iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2015)Mac Pro (Late 2013) Mac mini (Late 2014) To set your Mac to play high sample rate audio:
Connect one end of a TOSLINK optical cable to the headphone port on your Mac, and connect the other end to your audio device, such as an AV receiver.Open Audio MIDI Setup, which is in the Utilities folder of your Applications folder.Select your audio device from the list on the left side of the Audio Devices window.If necessary, choose “Use this device for sound output” from the Action pop-up menu  .Select a sample rate, such as 176400.0 Hz or 192000.0 Hz, from the Format pop-up menu.If the audio hardware in your Mac doesn't support high sample rate audio, you can use a third-party digital audio interface.
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Published Date: April 19, 2022
Ultimately, I'd also like to know how good the AtoDs are in the Mac for recording audio. |
