[rocker9999]

Is it possible to play audio from music videos on You Tube and feed them into your integrated amp?
I have an iMac, so I'm thinking of taking a USB output into an outboard dac - then connect the RCA outputs into my old Marantz receiver.

Will this work?  Any input, much appreciated.
Thank you!

[FullRangeMan]

YT audio are MP3 compressed, not sure if this low quality interest tô you.

[rocker9999]

Thanks for the info FullRange, I didn't know they had squeezed the life out of their tracks. Do you know if Amazon's HD Music is worth the extra monthly charge?
 Seems like most folks here talk about Spotify or Qobuz. I initially thought about YouTube because of the flexibility of creating personal playlists - but I would certainly prefer higher rez than MP3.

[FullRangeMan]

Unfortunately I cant inform you on this, Iam a dinosaur using CD.

[Mike-48]

@Rocker9999 - I have been trying to do the same thing from an Android tablet. So far, I am using Bluetooth (my streamer will receive BT). I tried a Chromecast Audio instead, but its latency was so bad it drove me nuts. The BT is better, but really not good in that respect.

I have not tried USB, because the only USB input of my DAC is in use & I don't want to keep unplugging and plugging it in. I don't see why what you proposed should not work in your system. (In other words, I think it should work. )

Good luck! Please let us know what you find out.

[Letitroll98]

Yes, the quality on Tidal, Qobuz, and Amazon HD are CD quality and above.  Tidal uses MQA decoding for hirez that only a few DACs can decode, Qobuz has a clunky interface that I don't like and the catalogue is weighed toward classical if that's what you listen to more, it's also a little cheaper.  Amazon HD seems like a balance between those two.  I've been trying them all out and haven't got back to Amazon HD yet, but I'm thinking I might end up there.

[Phil A]

Youtube audio quality can vary widely and is still not CD quality - https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/youtube-music    I listen to things from time to time but not often.  Sometimes, if I'm looking at buying a CD of really old stuff (that may just have a few good songs of not the greatest quality but it has some nostalgic meaning to me), I'll just decide to listen via YouTube vs. purchase it (I have a NuPrime IDA-8 connected to the PC via USB with nice speakers).

[Mag]

Not familiar with iMac, but on a PC you need to go to Audio Settings and find usb output and activate it. I have mine set to dvd quality 48k. You can then output to outboard dac if it has a usb input.

I actually listen to Youtube videos regularly through my stereo.

[MttBsh]

It's amazing how much music that's not available anywhere else can be found on YouTube; concerts, clips of various sorts. Listening through headphones I'm surprised by the audio quality at times...I know it's only MP3 but some of it sounds truly excellent... sometimes I can't resist downloading the audio files to my hard drive.

[Mike-48]

I use YouTube a good bit, but differently from listening to audio only. I agree with those who say the fidelity is not as good via YouTube.

Yet YouTube makes it possible to see performers working their magic. I love the audio, but it's fun to see the thing, too. It adds a human dimension, especially if you've never seen the performer before. It can be a good way to sample something new.

If you're a classical music lover, there are many master classes available, with famous musicians helping younger ones learn. Such classes can be fascinating. And the other day, I watched an interview with (cellist) Janos Starker. It's interesting, too, to see concert halls around the world and the way different audiences react.

I loved watching Bernstein conduct Haydn with facial expressions only.

The fly in the ointment is the constant commercials now. Even musical performances are broken up in the middle of a measure or phrase to show you an ad for corn chips or hemorrhoid ointment. It's pretty awful. It's quite amazing how many advertisements one sees each day -- I'd think it's in the hundreds or thousands now.