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I do about half my listening in each of two different rooms.At this point in Moore’s Law (digital audio), are there any moderate $ ways of accessing FLACs or more sensibly (sharing one good DAC) analog signals in another room, preferably with access to a reasonable subset of a good interface?
To avoid any loss of sound quality, audio via cable.
If it lowers the cost, access to the PC for the interface for me at least, could also be by cable.
Follow Ups:
The AirPort Express drivers now support multi-cast, so you can do multiple rooms, each with an AE using iTunes.
Use your PC as controller in your main room and use a Squeezebox in the other. Slimserver is not perfect but it is very workable. You can run iTunes and Slim Server simultaneously. And you can run whatever program material you want in each room. Plus you get streaming Internet radio which gets better daily, including a computer free option. And you get your choice of SPDIF or analog outs. Very respectable as is for many, cost effectively upgraded to satisfy all but the very pickiest at Bolder Cable. Or you could pop for their Transporter.Wireless works fine for many - it's room specific
Option B is to look into Airport Express
A high quality sound card (almost an oxymoron) will cost more and do less
If you want to distribute the audio signal from your DAC, the right way to do it will be balanced (XLR) at +4 not single ended RCA at -10. You may also find that you need a distribution amplifier of some kind. Hopefully all your gear will magically turn up on the same phase leg and you won't have any insoluble ground loop problems between the two rigs...Please note that any kind of scheme like this is purely analog and takes absolutely no advantage of Moore's law or any other digital goodness. And will cost more...
And you still end up with a significant problem which is how do you control the source from the second room... (yes you can have a local volume pot) but you can't select your tunes which is one of the principal advantages of a digital approach.
I hadn't heard of the Airport Express; look around seems to show less $ than a Squeezebox, for less functionality.> Use your PC as controller in your main room and use a Squeezebox in the other
Am I right that you need to buy the Squeezebox and PC software, min total about US $500?
$250 wired, $300 wireless - no charge for the squeezebox software - you can download it for free.
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You can access audio files from any computer on your network if you share the directory they are in. Just install iTunes (or whatever) on all computers. This will require multiple DACs but if not critical just use the sound card's DAC in those locations. This will have the advantage of different music at the same time in different rooms.If you must use one DAC, you'll need some sort of remote PC control software like VNC and also some switching / routing for the analog signal. Unwieldy IMO, when the other option is so easy and more flexible. The extra DACs if you DIY'd them, could cost as little as the analog cabling and routing hardware.
Jeffif the Squeezebox cost less, and had total flexibility on internet radio, then I would be tempted
> if you must use one DAC
the DAC in the M-Audio sound card is good, and it's desirable to not duplicate/ spend more.
I'm not looking for SOTA from day 1, in both rooms ~ until the price of Squeezeboxes or similar comes down, I'm beginning to lean towards forgoing control in "room 2"; and from the PC sound card, use a simple 1 > 2 splitter and analog cable to the room 2 amp.
> You can access audio files from any computer on your network
The SWMBO problem is mostly space.If a notebook was used . . processing & storage is all the server end, so would an old 500 Mhz machine do?
Any problems with notebook audio peripheral(s)?
> You can access audio files from any computer on your networkAlas there is no computer in this other room, and SWMBO would veto it . .
So a controller of some sort.
> This will have the advantage of different music at the same time in different rooms.
That is highly desirable. (Maybe off the one PC, dual processors are needed??)
A Squeezebox? Then you have to use SlimServer.
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