Topic: External DAC with Pianoteq?
Would using a high quality external DAC noticeably reduce latency or improve the sound of Pianoteq?
I am running Pianoteq 6 on a 13” early 2015 MacBook Pro, 2.9 GHz i5-5287U CPU, 8GB RAM. Powered studio monitors are connected directly to the headphone port. Internal and host sample rates are set at 48KHz, and the buffer size is 512 samples, which yields a displayed latency of 10.7ms. However, I sometimes run both sample rates at 88.2 KHz with the buffer set at 512 (OK for the Model B) at which the displayed latency is 5.8ms. Max polyphony is set at 128.
One DAC I am considering is the Grace Design m9xx/m900 (384 KHz max sample rate—overkill?). Other options I might try include a Roland Quad Capture, a Geffen High Res USB Decoder, or a Yamaha MG10XU mixer. All three of these options operate at 24 bits/192 KHz max. I don’t have the equipment needed to measure latency, distortion, etc., so I’d be relying on my ears, and most people’s ears are in better condition than mine.
Is the built-in D/A converter in a MacBook Pro good enough in most instances? Would you likely hear the difference? I will appreciate any advice provided.
A Pianoteq reviewer recommended the Grace DAC. It has impressive specs, but would most musicians hear the difference?
https://441k.com/review-modartt-pianote...204264de17
What D/A device do you use?