I am curious about how Apple's computer DACs are implemented, especially on computers like MacBooks and iMacs. I have been trying to figure out if the 3.5mm output on Apple devices (specifically a MacBook Pro, for me) is controlled by the system volume level through an analog section after the actual DAC, or is it reducing the volume digitally before the DAC?
I can't seem to find any good info about it. Does anyone know?
Best Answer
The volume control on a computer (specifically, your MacBook) is usually handled by your audio API, which on Mac OS X is CoreAudio. All computers these days will act like this, but I seem to recall one Toshiba laptop of my parents’ running Windows 98 with a physical dial on the side for audio. Obviously this is not practical today due to modern laptops getting thinner and digital audio outputs such as SPDIF and HDMI audio. I might be rambling a bit, but I hope this answers your question.