Cal Blacksmith Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 Lots of ways to do it, the most common have been brought up, the OP did not say what PC quality he was working with but I built my PC for gaming so built into the high end video card is the ability to output HDMI or tosslink to an external audio system, I have no short fall of audio quality, just saying, again the OP did not say what he was working with. YMMV! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taz Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 A simple solution would be to run an 1/8" to RCA adapter out of the back of your PC to your receiver. From there to your speakers. Thats what I use when using the computer and often when I'm not using the computer. Haven't noticed that much difference between computer and CDs. However my hearing may not be the same as yours. I'd try the simple solution first. If you don't like it your out about $5. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mallette Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 (edited) Gents, I said nothing about 10.00 sound cards. I mentioned the best MB solutions, Intel 1701 permutations, various Via Vinyl, 200.00 or less better cards such as Xonar. Any of the above sound as good or better than most CD players and the Xonar sounds as good as anything I've heard...that is, it cannot be heard in and of itself which is all that is required. No problem with disagreement, but let's make sure we are disagreeing about the same thing. Dave Edited March 18, 2014 by Mallette Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave A Posted March 18, 2014 Author Share Posted March 18, 2014 OK, back in for lunch and a pile of replies. I do not want to use the USB port on the Onkyo with a flash drive. I like the features of Windows media to sort, compile and edit lists and to be able to click directly on a file and open it without the mindless scrolling that the USB and flash drive combo demands. I have no idea what quality the sound card is but all my PC's are workstations and in general use better than consumer components. I will have to check the one in the shop and see what ports it has but I do think I remember seeing a co-ax connection if this implies digital output. Just went out there and I think all I have are USB ports and the regular jack type for speakers like a Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 would plug into. Looking for good sound quality but don't expect to ever get audiophile quality in a shop full of hard flat surfaces. But that having been said all introduced problems stack up and I don't mind spending some money. I just don't want to jump right in and start throwing money at things that may not require it. I can see how quickly this can get out of hand. I will have a look at the other suggestions as I have time later today. Thanks all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dude Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 As someone mentioned I think the best place to start would be 1/8" to rca from the standard jack of the comuter to the cd or dvd in or a like of the receiver. If you want to up grade then yes a external usb dac would be the next upgrade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CECAA850 Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 As someone mentioned I'm someone! I knew some day I'd amount to something. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mallette Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 (edited) I just don't want to jump right in and start throwing money at things that may not require it. I can see how quickly this can get out of hand. Perhaps the most ignored good idea in the audio world. Don't fix problems you ain't heard... I'll bet there are far more excellent audio systems in this country alone than there are first class source files (LP, tape, digital...regardless of age or medium) to play on them. Dave Edited March 18, 2014 by Mallette Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mustang guy Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 OK, back in for lunch and a pile of replies. I do not want to use the USB port on the Onkyo with a flash drive. I like the features of Windows media to sort, compile and edit lists and to be able to click directly on a file and open it without the mindless scrolling that the USB and flash drive combo demands. I have no idea what quality the sound card is but all my PC's are workstations and in general use better than consumer components. I will have to check the one in the shop and see what ports it has but I do think I remember seeing a co-ax connection if this implies digital output. Just went out there and I think all I have are USB ports and the regular jack type for speakers like a Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 would plug into. Looking for good sound quality but don't expect to ever get audiophile quality in a shop full of hard flat surfaces. But that having been said all introduced problems stack up and I don't mind spending some money. I just don't want to jump right in and start throwing money at things that may not require it. I can see how quickly this can get out of hand. I will have a look at the other suggestions as I have time later today. Thanks all. Oh, and in case none in the pile has said it yet. Welcome to the forum! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mallette Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 Oh, and in case none in the pile has said it yet. Welcome to the forum! No time for such pleasantries with fresh meat in the house... Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rudy81 Posted March 19, 2014 Share Posted March 19, 2014 If you are using windows 7 or later and have HDMI output on your PC, you should be able to bypass your audio card and send the signal directly to your receiver and let it do all the decoding and DAC duties. That is, assuming you have some software that can accommodate the task. I use JRiver Media Center to do thin in my HTPC. I get a bit perfect signal sent to my Pre/PRo for decoding. There are other advanced pieces of software that will do that for you as well. You can also read many music file formats as well. If this might be possible for you, run a search for bit perfect audio on HTPC and windows 7. Prior versions of windows are workable, but not via HDMI. With Win XP you can bypass the windows kernel and get bit perfect transmission, but you will then need the proper audio card. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taz Posted March 19, 2014 Share Posted March 19, 2014 No problem with disagreement, but let's make sure we are disagreeing about the same thing. Dave I would presume we can agree that we all need only what it takes to satisfy us personally. What is bare bones for one person may seem extreme to me. Or the other way around for the old cylinder gramophone crowd. Not that there is anything wrong with the Gramophone. A Giant leap in technology for the times! John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mallette Posted March 19, 2014 Share Posted March 19, 2014 (edited) Not that there is anything wrong with the Gramophone. A Giant leap in technology for the times! For sure. 0 tracking error... Dave Edited March 19, 2014 by Mallette Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joessportster Posted March 19, 2014 Share Posted March 19, 2014 (edited) Gents, I said nothing about 10.00 sound cards. I mentioned the best MB solutions, Intel 1701 permutations, various Via Vinyl, 200.00 or less better cards such as Xonar. Any of the above sound as good or better than most CD players and the Xonar sounds as good as anything I've heard...that is, it cannot be heard in and of itself which is all that is required. No problem with disagreement, but let's make sure we are disagreeing about the same thing. Dave Dave the Op asked for solutions to connect his pc to his lascala, He made no mention of his pc type. Of all the people I know only 1 has a pc they built themselves. Everyone else has bought a consumer level Pc. My comment about soundcards was based on that fact (IE... most people buy off the shelf pc, and be it work stations or typical consumer based They simply dont offer High quality soundcards. That is where 99% comes from And further on audio based forums it is widely fealt that those sound cards are inferior and an outboard dac is a solution, Of course one could go out and buy a better card (like yours for instance) and install it, and accomplish the same goal. It has simply not been my experience that the majority of people are willing, or have the ability to work on a pc. And so that leaves outboard dac as a SIMPLE solution to the original question My intentions were not to impugn your soundcard, Its great you found it and are happy with it. As to Disagreeing about the same thing, I made a statement that 99% of soundcards suck when it comes to sound quality, you disagree with that based on your experience, My retort was we would just have to disagree (I was talking about the same thing) When I mentioned 10.00 soundcards I was not comparing that to your card in any way, I was stating what my experiences were with cards installed in off the shelf PC's Which is what most people buy therefor 99% suck IMHO Edited March 19, 2014 by joessportster Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tromprof Posted March 19, 2014 Share Posted March 19, 2014 Some sound cards and computers have S/PDIF outputs. If that is the case, connect yours to your receiver. You will need a cord. PS: S/PDIF comes in two flavors, TOSLINK also known as optical, and RCA phono connectors also known as digital coax. +1 A very good and cheap solution. The receivers DAC is probably pretty good, much better than the computer most likely. If your computer does not have optical out a cheap sound card with one ($10-20) will get you there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schu Posted March 19, 2014 Share Posted March 19, 2014 I covered all this in post number 3... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave A Posted March 19, 2014 Author Share Posted March 19, 2014 Thanks again for the replies. A bit overwhelmed and I am going to start with the cheaper solutions and work up from there. One thing I am discovering is the problem that Dave M mentions. I sat out in my shop last night listening to a Bach organ download and was once again disappointed. 192 bit rate and lots of hiss in the background and just not good definition like I had from an old E Power Biggs recording I have somehow lost. It caused me to get other files out and seriously listen and I have come to the conclusion that somehow people can make lossless and FLAC and high bit rate files out of junk so what I get to hear is junk. So add to the mix now where the heck do you reliably get decent quality to play so you can even figure out if what you are doing with the speakers is worth while? One thing leads to another I suppose. I can turn the Onkyo up way louder than I could if I was playing anything and there is not even a hint of noise from the system so I am pretty sure the Onkyo is not a part of the problem except for the hookup issue I have talked about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mallette Posted March 19, 2014 Share Posted March 19, 2014 When I mentioned 10.00 soundcards I was not comparing that to your card in any way, I was stating what my experiences were with cards installed in off the shelf PC's Which is what most people buy therefor 99% suck IMHO You are correct about my being unaware that whatever OTS PCs you are talking about still come with sound cards at all, good or bad. I assumed from my own experience that the majority of such came with MB audio chip sets from Intel and Via. At this point, those sound better to me than the all but the very best and expensive sound cards from 10 years ago or so. When I built my first DAW in 2001 on board audio was ghastly and cards the only way to improve on it. I had a 10 channel ESI and a two channel Card Deluxe, both very highly regarded, at least in PC and scientific circles (for which the Card Deluxe was developed). The Card Deluxe was the first PC card $tereophile really went nutzoid over and compared favorably to a Mark Levinson DAC. However, on this forum at the time I was uniformly poopooed for using a PC at all as it couldn't possibly produce anything but noise, RF, EMF, and such. I did it anyway, and it sounded great to me then, and the recordings I made still sound excellent. A few years back I did an A/B with a room full of pretty accomplished ears between the Crystal Clear "Fox Touch" LP and a 24/88.2 recording of the same disk. The result was a nearly perfect uniform split as to what was what. My feeling is that the audiophile world still has a lot of bias concerning PC audio. I judge only from what I hear. The recently introduced Wolfson WM5110 audio chip set for phones is said to be extraordinary and provide 24/192 capability. So far, I've drawn the line at phone audio. But it may not be long when I am packing my good stuff on a 500gb or so microSD card and sticking it in a phone. "If it sounds good, it IS good." Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mallette Posted March 19, 2014 Share Posted March 19, 2014 192 bit rate and lots of hiss in the background and just not good definition like I had from an old E Power Biggs recording You have my respect! I had the same experience with (possibly the same) download of an E Power Biggs classic recording. I have an extensive library of Biggs and while not all are top quality, the overall quality of his recorded output is outstanding. I have perhaps 5 LPs of "French Organ Music" alone and the Widor Toccata on that disc was the first REAL bass that really got my attention on an LP. Most media, from 78 rpm to the present, have the inherent ability to deliver musical excellence...but it's ALL about the engineering! Mogen David poured in Waterford crystal doesn't taste anything more like a vintage Bordeaux. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joessportster Posted March 19, 2014 Share Posted March 19, 2014 When I mentioned 10.00 soundcards I was not comparing that to your card in any way, I was stating what my experiences were with cards installed in off the shelf PC's Which is what most people buy therefor 99% suck IMHO You are correct about my being unaware that whatever OTS PCs you are talking about still come with sound cards at all, good or bad. I assumed from my own experience that the majority of such came with MB audio chip sets from Intel and Via. At this point, those sound better to me than the all but the very best and expensive sound cards from 10 years ago or so. When I built my first DAW in 2001 on board audio was ghastly and cards the only way to improve on it. I had a 10 channel ESI and a two channel Card Deluxe, both very highly regarded, at least in PC and scientific circles (for which the Card Deluxe was developed). The Card Deluxe was the first PC card $tereophile really went nutzoid over and compared favorably to a Mark Levinson DAC. However, on this forum at the time I was uniformly poopooed for using a PC at all as it couldn't possibly produce anything but noise, RF, EMF, and such. I did it anyway, and it sounded great to me then, and the recordings I made still sound excellent. A few years back I did an A/B with a room full of pretty accomplished ears between the Crystal Clear "Fox Touch" LP and a 24/88.2 recording of the same disk. The result was a nearly perfect uniform split as to what was what. My feeling is that the audiophile world still has a lot of bias concerning PC audio. I judge only from what I hear. The recently introduced Wolfson WM5110 audio chip set for phones is said to be extraordinary and provide 24/192 capability. So far, I've drawn the line at phone audio. But it may not be long when I am packing my good stuff on a 500gb or so microSD card and sticking it in a phone. "If it sounds good, it IS good." Dave See you and I are more alike than we may think. I was one of those vinyl only junkies, and no one, or nothing could convert my thinking. After I was injured I was forced to sale all my gear and vinyl to survive. I was able to keep my Cd's but had to ace the jewell cases for space restraints. Looking through those books with 800 Cd's Got old fast (I hate those cases, They eventually put scratches on the discs which drives me nuts) My only option was to rip my music to my Pc. Tons more convenient Now through necessity I find my PC is easily equal to all but 1 Cd player I have heard (Electroacompanient EMC 1 up. 6000.00) Although it did require an outboard DAC to achieve the SQ I could live with (not to say a nice sound card would not get me there as well, I dont have the expertise required to open a laptop and replace a sound card) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joessportster Posted March 19, 2014 Share Posted March 19, 2014 (edited) Thanks again for the replies. A bit overwhelmed and I am going to start with the cheaper solutions and work up from there. One thing I am discovering is the problem that Dave M mentions. I sat out in my shop last night listening to a Bach organ download and was once again disappointed. 192 bit rate and lots of hiss in the background and just not good definition like I had from an old E Power Biggs recording I have somehow lost. It caused me to get other files out and seriously listen and I have come to the conclusion that somehow people can make lossless and FLAC and high bit rate files out of junk so what I get to hear is junk. So add to the mix now where the heck do you reliably get decent quality to play so you can even figure out if what you are doing with the speakers is worth while? One thing leads to another I suppose. I can turn the Onkyo up way louder than I could if I was playing anything and there is not even a hint of noise from the system so I am pretty sure the Onkyo is not a part of the problem except for the hookup issue I have talked about. DaveA here is a link to an interesting article about high def audio http://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/when-high-resolution-audio-isnt-hd/#!AyrqC Also I have a usb dac (schiit modi) thats collecting dust, If you would like to try this option without spending $$$$ I would happily loan it out, you can read up on it at Schiit Audio. They are Highly regarded for there price point............They will not fix CRAP recordings though Edited March 19, 2014 by joessportster Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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