Using the computers DAC is usually the worst choice and adding the headphone jack & associated circuitry doesn't help. It should sound better if you use AirPlay- are you using a repeater for the WiFi? Try hard wiring and see if it improves. Also, look at the sound settings in iTunes- if they're wacky, it can screw up the sound quality. In addition, if you plan to use an AVR or some other device to access your music, make sure it will work with iTunes- some don't, unless you're also using AirPlay. If you have a USB port on the laptop, install iTunes on a thumb drive and add some music, to test the ability to do this.