Direct Optical mode - How to

[alandbush]

I currently use two Golds with optical connection only (CD player and record deck). I frequently use one Gold only when we stay in a second home with a Macbook Pro and lossless files. In this situation, until now, I used the wifi mode through Sparks. In order to improve this one Gold configuration I’ve decided to switch to a cable-connected one. I’ve bought a DAC « Cambrige Audio Dacmagic Plus » that I want to connect between the Macbook Pro and the Phantom.
 
I’ve done the Mac/DAC/Phantom connexion as indicated in the Cambridge manual but I got no sound ! 
 
The digital audio input connection is correct since the Mac actually sees the DAC after I’ve switched to it in the System Preferences / Audio Output Device option. But I’m quite confused with the DAC/Phantom digital audio output connection option I used because it is apparently (but not so clear told in the manual) indicated for recording only. The second option would be using the RCA/phono output with a toslink adaptator to connect the Gold. But before falling back to this option I wonder if somebody can help with the optical output option issue.

@Jean-Claude

I may be the bearer of bad news, but it is based on a couple of assumptions.
They are that you are connecting the Mac and DAC via USB and that you have selected the USB input on the DAC.

The DAC Magic manual, as you mentioned, does state the digital output can be used for recording.
That does not preclude connecting it to the Phantom input which should behave like a recording device.

However, the manual also states

“These outputs loop or pass- through unprocessed digital audio from the selected digital input.”

Now, although the USB input could be classed as a digital input, I suspect that the manual is referring to the coax/optical inputs.

It should also be noted that the digital output is of fixed volume, I.e. it is not adjusted by the digital volume control which only affects the analogue output.

If you have the opportunity, I would return the DAC Magic for the Yamaha WXC50 which a number of DC members are using successfully.

Alternatively, I believe, some MACs can output a digital signal through a Toslink mini adapter.  But then you are using the DAC Magic purely as a very expensive pass through device.

Similarly, adding an analogue to digital converter to the DAC Magic output seems, dare I say, illogical.  You may as well stick with wi-fi and Spark.