Hooking up Computer to Reciever

[johnda]

I have changed over to a Behringer UCA222 U-Control USB sound card. It sells for around $35. If your computer has USB ports, it plugs into one and then becomes the sound card. Your internal sound card is bypassed. Rather then the mini jack output and inputs of a normal sound card, it uses RCA phono jacks for input and output, which can then connect to your stereo amplifier or receiver. It also has a mini jack for headphones or computer speaker system. I use the mini jack to connect my Cambridge Soundworks speaker system for use on the computer desk. I use 20' long RCA cables to connect to my stereo system at the other end of my study. The Behringer comes with all the software you need for sound editing and recording and is instantly recognized by your computer when it is plugged into the USB port. I highly recommend it.

 

[Mortsnets]

Just got a Nuforce Icon Mobile usb dac/headphone amp for $79 and I run the headphone out to aux in and sound is much improved over the laptop headphone out.

 

[Amcrebelfan]

www.audioengine.com best investment and the best way to do this! Outstanding

I believe it is audioengineusa.com

 

[nikkofan]

My Old PC

I have an old Dell Dimension 2400 running XP.
Audio out was just ok. I purchased a M-Audio Delta 44 PCI card and a Breakout box with 2 in and 2 out. I stream audio, use an iPod with an apple dock and record LP's. I couldn't be happier with the overall sound.
It brings new life to an old but reliable computer. Found it on eBay and got a good deal.
Good Luck,
"nikkofan"

 

[dnparadice]

I have a LaCie NAS (network server) hooked up to my ethernet at home. All computers and one Sony PS3 are wired in, and my son has his PS3 connecting wireless from his room. My second audio system is in his room and he currently has his iPod Nano attached to the Tape inputs through a cheap rca to miniplug. That works okay, but one channel drops out when you rotate the miniplug in the iPod, so we're looking into a way to either put his iTune library on the NAS or on the hard drive of his PS3 and wire it to the integrated amp Tape input.

I'm excited that he actually wants to use the vintage system as opposed to listening from his computer or earbuds/iPod . . . he never cared before So I want to help him enjoy the audio system as enough to help him learn to appreciate it.

His Mac Mini is also wired into the ethernet, so this weekend I hope to try different options and report back which works best. However, if anyone has some good cheap ideas, let me know. I don't plan on buying a DAC or anything else, since our "budget" will only allow a better adapter cable.

I have a bit of experience with this. You can put the itunes library on the external hard drive by pointing the location of saved music in itunes to the external hard drive then using the "consolidate library" function in the advanced menu This will move the entire library off the local computer on to the external hard drive which has its positive and negatives. I have a problem in that I have formatted my hard drives with a mac and PS3 does not like that. I think it looks for a FAT-32 formatted hard drive, The PS3 does not see any of my music servers, which is a bummer. They should note on the box of the PS3 "does not play well with mac." If your hard drive is formatted FAT-32, you can use the PS3 to search for music servers on your network from the main menu.

 

[Guest158]

New question here.I presently run a Dell mini tower in the garage for a lot of my listening.Using a mini plug to rca adapter cable.Doesnt sound bad,no hum,just think it could be better.I'm sure factory sound card is nothing special.
Been looking at dvd or blu ray players that have usb in-analog rca outs-24 bit/192khz dacs.There are some that are relatively cheap-so am I lol.
Would this be a upgrade?
Robert

 

[zeDoktor]

To get music on my PS3 I use PS3 Media Server ( http://code.google.com/p/ps3mediaserver/ ) which also works for video and handle all of the transcoding and whatnot for you. This is a decent option because the PS3 has a multitude of possible outputs that you can use (optical, hdmi, and l/r rca). New HT recievers are also coming out with media renderer capability (which means that they can play music from and be controlled by a PC) which is really great. I know Onkyo has a few newer ones with this feature and I'll probably end up buying one when I'm ready for that. To use media renderers I use foobar2000 with the UPnP plugin which can also serve music to your PS3--but not movies. I've had problems with the newest Xbox 360 dashboards and streaming music. Apparently they really want you to use Windows Media to stream music to it or bust.

 

[f1fordguy]

iTunes\Compaq Presario\minijack to rca jack adapter\aux in Sansui AU-717\Time Window 1's

No hum. No static. Sounds wonderful!!

Alternatively:

iTunes\Compaq Pressario\airport express\Onkyo sv70Pro set to 2 channel\klipsch Heresys

Again, sounds great. Might be my bias but I think the Time Window configuration sounds best and absolutely rocks the house!

 

[Homerx]

For the Ipod Nano you have a few Options.
You can get a Ipod Dock which the Nano would plug into using the connection on the bottom. The back of the dock has 2ch stereo outs.
http://www.amazon.com/Apple-Connect...XHGK/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1313715682&sr=8-2

next option is to take the itunes off the PC and transfer to a Memory card then plug that Directly into the PS3. you can play from the card or copy to the PS3

 

[Deacon Jubal]

First of all, I run 25' RCA cables from my M-Audio Delta 44 stereo output to the aux in my receiver. Sounds great.
My PC also has an HDMI connection. My Pioneer home theater receiver has a HDMI input. I have a fairly large collection of 5.1 music discs DVD-A/DTS, DD, and SACD. I want to archive them on my PC and be able to play them back using some sort of playback software, sending the file to my receiver via a HDMI cable I have that is long enough.

Question 1: Can these files be ripped onto my computer? If so, what program is necessary to do this?
2. Would I need a new DVD-ROM to read these?
3. Is there a playback program that will do playlists and handle these files?
4. Will I be able to output these files directly to my receiver, or will I require a separate 5.1 sound card?

 

[aabottom]

First of all, I run 25' RCA cables from my M-Audio Delta 44 stereo output to the aux in my receiver. Sounds great.
My PC also has an HDMI connection. My Pioneer home theater receiver has a HDMI input. I have a fairly large collection of 5.1 music discs DVD-A/DTS, DD, and SACD. I want to archive them on my PC and be able to play them back using some sort of playback software, sending the file to my receiver via a HDMI cable I have that is long enough.

Question 1: Can these files be ripped onto my computer? If so, what program is necessary to do this?
2. Would I need a new DVD-ROM to read these?
3. Is there a playback program that will do playlists and handle these files?
4. Will I be able to output these files directly to my receiver, or will I require a separate 5.1 sound card?

Interesting questions, I wish I had better answers. The code and procedure for archiving SACD has just been completed, but it takes uniqe hardware [1].

[1] SACD ripping imminent?, happy reading- 143 posts.

 

[Tom Bombadil]

Not much activity on this thread, but perhaps someone will see this and respond.

Many new PCs have HDMI outputs. Even some of the cheapest laptops. My >10 year old DAC doesn't have an HDMI input. However I see that Monoprice has an HDMI Audio converter, which accepts an HDMI input and produces both coax and Toslink digital output. Don't know if any processing is going on inside of it. Or of what quality that processing might be.

Anyone have an idea? Would this converter induce jitter or noise?

It would make things very simple for me if I could run my audio out of the HDMI and into my high-end DAC, which has Toslink, Coax, AES/EBU, and ST glass inputs.

http://www.monoprice.com/Product/?c...=1011412&p_id=10251&seq=1&format=1#largeimage

 

[DonaldF]

My PC and receiver both have optical connections and neither is newer than 5 years old. If you have them, this would probably be easiest and best. It would cost about $10 for a cable and you're done.

 

[Tom Bombadil]

My PC and receiver both have optical connections and neither is newer than 5 years old. If you have them, this would probably be easiest and best. It would cost about $10 for a cable and you're done.

That's what I would do, if my PC had an optical output. Those are hard to find on a laptop.

 

[ronscat]

Tom,
I have a Monoprice HDX-401Ta hdmi 4 port switcher with digital audio outputs that I run into my oldish Panny xr-55 receiver. The Panny doesn't have hdmi inputs but does have digital inputs. I have been running this for a coupla years with no jitter or noise introduced. I don't see it listed any more on Monoprice.

 

[dennismbird]

It's a matter of experimentation. You could start by connecting the chassis of the computer to the chassis ground of the receiver. If that doesn't work, it become much more of a crap shoot.

That was what happened to me a while ago. I just grounded all my signals through my power conditioner. Quick and simple.

Also make sure you eith grab GREAT cables or just make them yourself.

I make all my own cables. Buy good connectors and solder them yourself to high grade wires. Furthermore, making your own cables reduce hum for other reasons. A self made cable will be of correct length, coiling / wrapping cables together induces unwanted current through opposing magnetic fields.

Lastly, to eliminate hum, try using TV coax cable as your medium. They are shielded very well and are of higher quality than most RCA cables; Which are usually cheap headphone cables.

So in short: Use shielded cables and ground whatever you can.
You'd be supprised how good basic connectors can sound when used properly...

 

[jbl64]

Ground Loop Isolater

You can purchase this at Radio Shack for under $15.00. I have this cable connected to my older Dell {out put} to my Onkyo net receiver via 6ft belkin audio cable. I get no hum at all at full volume. Works great for me and should do the same for you. My newer Dell has HDMI out and that is connected to my Yamaha 7.2 net receiver and works awesome.

tell me again how to eliminate the AC hum?

 

[BrocLuno]

tell me again how to eliminate the AC hum?

When you look at your power cords, the side with the stripe or the ridge is the Neutral and goes into the taller of the two slots in your wall plug receptacle. That's the best place to start. Get everything lined up so all the plugs are same. Three prong plugs will automatically play this way.

If that does not do it, look for a place where you can use an optical link between components. That will break the physical ground connection and kill the ground loop.

 

[WattNot]

Probably a stupid question........I have a pentium 4 style computer running Windows XP. I would like to play songs off the hard drive as well as use the cd drive to play cd's. How will it sound?? Thanks for your help.
Tom

Forget the analog outputs (headphone or soundcard) and use a USB port out instead into your first DAC you are going to buy. You will be amazed at the difference. I started with a P4 with Win XP, an old printer USB cable into a Modi 2 Uber DAC and have since upgraded the P4 with an XONAR DG soundcard that has an optical output into the Modi and a nice software interface with a customizable EQ. You won't go back to analog transfer. Also check out Sony Media Go software or FooBar 2000 to organize your digital files, both are free and play hi-res files. Get that out of the way and then start swapping your amps and speakers around (and speaker placement) to find the sweet spot.

 

[aabottom]

Forget the analog outputs (headphone or soundcard) and use a USB port out instead into your first DAC you are going to buy. You will be amazed at the difference. I started with a P4 with Win XP, an old printer USB cable into a Modi 2 Uber DAC and have since upgraded the P4 with an XONAR DG soundcard that has an optical output into the Modi and a nice software interface with a customizable EQ. You won't go back to analog transfer. Also check out Sony Media Go software or FooBar 2000 to organize your digital files, both are free and play hi-res files. Get that out of the way and then start swapping your amps and speakers around (and speaker placement) to find the sweet spot.

Thanks: I outta try this on my ancient P4-W2k, but I gotta find a DAC first.

 

[statman122]

I tried running a USB from laptop to my DAC, but no sound comes through the USB port. My only option under sound prefs. is "conexant smart audio speakers"
Is there a way around this?