A few things to keep in mind if you're using a Mac to supply your setup with music. You need to set up iTunes Preferences and Audio MIDI Setup properly.

iTunes Preferences:

Go to iTunes>Preferences>Playback -- UNCHECK all the boxes in the following fields. You don't want any processing on your music files.

Also go to the iTunes>Window (in menu bar)>Equalizer

And make certain that the Equalizer is UNCHECKED. It should not be active.

Next, go to System Preferences>Sound

And make certain the panel looks like this. If you have an optical minijack cable attached, then you will have a choice of that as Digital OUT:

soundproof:

Next, go to System Preferences>Sound

And make certain the panel looks like this:

Mine looks like this now, but instead of "internal speakers" mine says "Headphones".

Is that OK?

Now you have to find the Audio MIDI Setup utility, which is in the Utilities folder. It's a very powerful utility which configures itself automatically depending upon which soundcards, DACs, optical s/pdif connections, etc. you have connected to your Mac.

It should look like this, but may show digital output as source if you have a toslink minijack connected. If you have a stand-alone soundcard connected, via USB or Firewire, the name of that card will show as Properties for. Note that I've set mine to 24-bit, instead of the default 16-bit. If you have high-resolution files above 44.1kHz sample rate, having this set at 24-bit simplifies things without modifying the sound. Otherwise it should show 44100Hz and 16-bit. If you play lossless files, then 16-bit/44.1 is advisable. Higher resolution files will need to be set for the correct wordlength (bit) and samplerate. It's kind of cumbersome, but you have to do this manually, using Audio MIDI Setup:

Note the Configure Speakers option. If you are using multi-channel, you can use this to set various configurations. For two-channel playback it should look like this:

If you plan to do playback through your system from a DVD, using the Mac's DVD-player, be aware that the sound has been limited, to allow for the smaller range of computer speakers. You want to deactivate this limitation, to get the full dynamic range of the sound on your film or concert-DVD:

If you have an optical toslink digital s/pdif minijack cable attached, the above panel changes from System Sound Output to Digital Out - Built In. You still want to disable the Dolby dynamic range compression.

Following these instructions ensures that the original signal is not processed or changed while on its way from the file it's stored in to your processor, for instance that in the BeoLab 5 speakers, or in a stand-alone DAC unit, or in the BeoSystem 3.

You could otherwise be listening to seriously degraded sound, compared to its full potential.

At the Midi control panel mine says, "output not supported", I pretty much have a mirrored version of your screen.... What's that about?

Just saw it myself... I had the left side bar: Poperties for: I had put to "input". I now have the controls.

At this point I can't adjust the two levers called "1" and "2" Should I be able too? I don't have anything connected to the toslink, since I don't have the converter yet.

You shouldn't need to change the speaker configuration if you have a normal setup. That panel is mostly for surround configurations - see below. For regular L/R setups just leave it alone - if you want to reverse speakers you can do that through the panel, when you have the toslink connected.

I meant the two sliders on the Audi Midi page, the ones under  frequency and bitrate.

Ah, those you can only move with soundcards that allow it, or when you have set the sound output to variable. Digital OUT is at a fixed (maximum) level, and then the sliders are locked. If you're in a playback mode that allows control of the sound level from the Mac, then you will see these lower, for instance when you're using only the analog out, and you haven't locked the level.

soundproof:

Ah, those you can only move with soundcards that allow it, or when you have set the sound output to variable. Digital OUT is at a fixed (maximum) level, and then the sliders are locked. If you're in a playback mode that allows control of the sound level from the Mac, then you will see these lower, for instance when you're using only the analog out, and you haven't locked the level.

OK, thanks again Soundproof, you are really an asset to me and to this site.

Going to bed now, hoping the postman will bring me the converter tomorrow.

Cheers, Andreas

Make sure the volume on your BL5s is set very low when you run the first signal through the converter to them, just to be safe.

Good luck! For fun, try playing with and without the sync cable, I think you'll find that the sound improves significantly with the cable -- this is due to the two speakers being in absolute synchronisation with the cable in place, particularly important for the bass.

Above, you asked whether it was correct that the sound panel showed "Headphones" - when you have an analog minijack plug attached to the sound port, that's what will show. When you attach the optical toslink cable, you'll see it changes instantly to Digital OUT Built In.

Hello All

Possibly a stupid question...

I am playing mp3's and AAC files through my i mac mini via beport, through my beocentre 2 and beolab 9's.

I have no digital converter. Should I follow the guide above to get the best sound?

I must say having the equalizer on sounds better..but happy to take advice..

Regards

David Coyne

Sydney, Australia

Hello David,

The above suggestions are intended to ensure that you get an untouched, unprocessed digital signal from lossless to either a stand-alone processor, or to the BeoLab 5 speakers, which have their own processing. If you then wish to go back and apply Equalizer settings, then just go ahead. However, you should be aware that the soundcard in the Mac will then reduce the fidelity of the signal - and the built-in EQ is basic.There are other EQ solutions available, including software/hardware solutions that measure room response and then apply correction to the signal before it leaves the computer, which has now become easily possible through digital signal processing. But just go ahead and use the Equalizer if that's the sound you prefer.

What sounds best in music playback will always be subjective, room dependent, and relative to the type of music one plays. If the music has strong bass lines, then adding a little weight with EQ will probably fit just fine. The above guide is chiefly intended for playback of high-resolution and lossless files to a BeoLab 5 configuration, or through the digital-in ports of a BeoSystem 3, whether stand-alone BV4 or the version found inside BV7 and BV9. Your BeoCenter 2 doesn't have digital-in, which means you'd need a stand-alone DAC or other processor - so I'd recommend not going that route. But you may find that using a software EQ that is more sophisticated than the built-in one is a benefit.