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[epidrost]

Hello all,

new user of Media center and a Dac. The line up is: Exposure 2010S2 amplifier/Arcam Irdac/Mac Mini (2007, snow leopard)/MediaCenter 19/Synology DS412+

I have connected the Mac mini to the Dac with an A-B USB cable. The connection works as I can here the music playing over my speakers (Athom GT 1 DV). Strange though is the screen they i get in audio/midi configurator:
In the audio/midi configurator i cannot seem to get the sound to go out over the irdac. See image 1.
I would like to get the best possible sound from the Mini/IrDac.
Another question is the different usb ports on the back of the Mac Mini, there are 5 and i think i have read somewhere that they have somewhat different capabilities.
Can anyone help me on the possible errors/possibilities.
Thank you kindly for your time,
regards

[MikeBRG]

"The connection works as I can here the music playing over my speakers"

Hi epidrost

I am no expert but may be able to help as I have a similar setup for testing. I do not quite understand how you can hear music from the settings you show on the images. The images suggest that although your mini can see the irDAC on the USB port, it appears you have have not told the mini to send the (digital) sound out via that port. You do this with another page you will find in the System Preferences menu. (The gear wheels icon in the dock). Select 'Sound' and then select the 'Output' button and you will see not only the internal speakers but also the irDAC listed. Just select it. You have to do this to make all the following pages that you show work correctly. I find that if I ever disconnect the DAC the mac reverts immediately back to core audio and internal speakers.

Its also worth ticking the box at the bottom of the Sound page to place a Sound icon in your menu bar. You can then rapidly make output changes by holding the alt key and clicking on the loudspeaker icon to see the choice of outputs. For example if you have restarted the mini or disconnected the DAC. Sometimes the mac remembers the DAC; sometimes it does not.

A quick check that the mini is talking to the DAC and amp is to open iTunes and play something. You can then move over to the delights of MC.

The Audio Midi Setup should not need altering but you will now find that the irDAC is highlighted as the operating output device.

When you now look at the MC19 Playback Options you will find the irDAC is now available in the first item (Audio Device) options rather than the '(default) core audio' you are currently showing.

On your second question, your mini should have four USB ports and 1 Firewire port. The USBs are all the same as far as I can tell.

Any luck?

MikeBRG

[epidrost]

Have been away for a while, will check all your suggestions and come back with the findings.
thank you very much for your help.

[epidrost]

well i have checked all the steps you mentioned and the question remains.
when i start iTunes the irDac is showing (under the speaker symbol in my dock) however when i stop itunes and start JRiver the sound keeps coming through my speakers and the irdac, as it is the only connection there is, but under the speaker symbol it now says the sound is via the internal speakers.
In JRiver the Irdac is selected as the device so all seems well.

It seems my (older) mac mini cannot handle the irdac/jriver combo.