|
Audio Asylum Thread Printer Get a view of an entire thread on one page |
For Sale Ads |
67.176.62.39
In Reply to: Re: Ripped cd's to HD, now what???? posted by Ron on September 7, 2006 at 09:29:39:
Right now I just want to learn 'how' and 'what I need' to get the best sound from my PC to a SINGLE home stereo system.Well, "best sound" is impossible to answer. There are as many opinions on this subject as there are people in this forum. But I'll list some alternatives.
1) High quality sound card->analog out->stereo
2) High quality sound card->RCA S/PDIF out->external DAC->stereo
3) High quality sound card->TosLink optical out->external DAC->stereo
4) High quality USB external sound card->analog out->stereo
5) High quality USB external sound card->RCA S/PDIF out->external DAC->stereo
6) High quality USB external sound card->TosLink optical out->external DAC->stereo
7) High quality Firewire external sound card->analog out->stereo
8) High quality Firewire external sound card->RCA S/PDIF out->external DAC->stereo
9) High quality Firewire external sound card->TosLink optical out->external DAC->stereo
10) Squeezebox->analog out->stereo
11) Squeezebox->RCA S/PDIF out->external DAC->stereo
12) Squeezebox->TosLink optical out->external DAC->stereoThat's a lot of alternatives, and I wouldn't be a bit surprised if I missed a whole bunch too. This is why the question is difficult to answer.
As an aside, I got my Benchmark DAC1 from sweetwater.com. They cater to a lot of pro audio stuff. I get their catalog in the mail. Because pro audio is becoming more computer-oriented, there is a totally mind boggling array of computer sound devices available. It's as amazing as it is confusing.
I'm sure I will eventually want multi-room audio. Probably two to three rooms. What options if I want to go this route?
This question is easier to answer because there are fewer alternatives. The most commonly used solution is the Squeezebox. At its price point of $300, it's higher quality than cheaper solutions like the Roku, but not nearly as expensive as more elaborate solutions like Sonos. You can start out with a single system with just one Squeezebox. If you want higher sound quality, you can get an external DAC and hook it up to the S/PDIF or TosLink digital outputs. If you want multi-room, you just buy more Squeezeboxes. The SlimServer software can control each one individually, or it can sync them. This is the most scalable solution. I have not tried the Sonos or Roku, so I can't comment on them.
Follow Ups:
Andy, everyone..You say for better sound quality to use an external DAC with the S/PDIF or Toslink outputs. I assume using these you have to have a WIRED squeezebox right?
Or does the external DAC just hook up to the squeezebox via the mentioned outputs and still connect wirelessly to the music server?
I would rather go wireless if I go the SB route.
What are some decent external DAC's under $300?
What are some popular decent powered speakers?
Thank you all for the help..
Ron,First let me correct an error I made earlier. As John Swenson mentioned, both the RCA and Toslink digital signals are technically considered S/PDIF. I had erroneously assumed that the physical medium had to be coax for it to be considered S/PDIF.
Or does the external DAC just hook up to the squeezebox via the mentioned outputs and still connect wirelessly to the music server?
Yes, that's exactly correct. The wireless SB also has a wired connection. So if you later move into a home that's wired for ethernet, you're not constrained to use wireless.
What are some decent external DAC's under $300?
That I'm not sure. Some DACs in this price range may not be that big of an improvement over the internal SB DACs. It depends on the manufacturer. The digital forum is probably the best place to ask that question. If you do get the SB, it might be a good idea to just use it by itself for a while to see if you're satisfied with the sound quality. Then you can add a DAC at any time, taking your time to find what's best for you.
What are some popular decent powered speakers?
I assume you're talking about some kind of small setup for the second room? This forum is oriented more toward high-end audio fanatics integrating computer audio into their main systems, rather than the more general subject of computer audio. That said, a relative of mine bought a Logitech 2.1 setup for his computer (small satellites plus sub) that sounded really good for what it was. If it's a small, inexpensive setup like this you're looking for, that might be something to consider. In a higher price range, there are lots of powered mini-monitors for pro audio use. I have a sweetwater.com catalog that lists a whole bunch of them. I have no idea if they sound any good though. Judging by prices and features, you seem to get a lot for your money going this route. You might check the sweetwater.com site, and also the pro audio forum for better info.
I think I listened to the 7.0's and while they dont pretend to be a big speaker they had great imaging and a soundstage that extended beyond the speakers tehmselves.
Is the SB very user friendly? Do you only access it with the remote?
Is the SB very user friendly? Do you only access it with the remote?Here's what you should do to answer this. Download the SlimServer software and set up the SoftSqueeze software that comes with it. SoftSqueeze displays a graphic that looks exactly like the display of the SB hardware itself. It also displays a graphic that looks exactly like the remote. You can test drive the actual hardware system by clicking the mouse on this "virtual remote" and observing the "virtual SB" display. This mimics the actual hardware behavior almost exactly.
But this is not the only way to control the SB. You can also sit at the server and control it entirely through the SlimServer UI. The SlimServer UI is web based and displays in your web browser.
This brings up a third way to control the SB. I use a laptop next to my listening chair for this, but any wireless or wired network device that supports a web browser can be used. By putting a special URL into the web browser, one can connect to the SlimServer remotely, and the display looks exactly like what you see when running SlimServer on the server itself.
You should really try out SlimServer with SoftSqueeze. It works with your existing sound card. The people who don't like the SB usually are that way because they don't like the software. You can check it out all beforehand and avoid surprises later.
This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors: