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Quality of sound from computer to A/V Receiver

post #1 of 18
7/12/09 at 4:16pm
Thread Starter 
Hello everyone :),

I have this small problem. Well, actually it's not really a problem, because nothing needs fixing, it's just something I need to figure out ^^.

It's like this: I'm planning on buying a A/V Receiver (Onkyo TX-SR706), to which I'll connect my PS3, Projector, CD-Player, and Surround Speakers. Now, I have been wondering about something.
You see, I personally like to keep ALL my music in the same place (on the same HDD), so that means it's on my computer. And that also means that, if I want to listen to that music through the surround speakers, I'll have to connect my desktop to my Receiver.

I've already figured out how it can be done with my current motherboard's sound card. I can choose between an analog connection, and a coaxial one, so I guess I could go for a coaxial one with my current soundcard.

But now I was wondering if it wouldn't be a good investment to buy a better soundcard that would enhance the quality of the music, something like what the Creative Fatal1ty soundcards do for games on the PC.

I'm not an expert on all this stuff, so I don't even know if it'll make any difference about what will come out the surround speakers when changing to a better soundcard ^^, so please correct me if I'm wrong :).

Anyway, thank you all a million in advance !

Greets !
Crydevil
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post #2 of 18
7/12/09 at 8:23pm
I think a sound card might be overkill.  I have one of THESE, and the sound quality from it is excellent.  Can't really beat it for $30.
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post #3 of 18
7/13/09 at 2:43am
Thread Starter 
Hey John :),

So with that product you can actually transfer you music either way between your computer and receiver (both playing back music from your computer to you receiver, as well as playing CD's or Vinyl's on the receiver to put the music on the computer, is that right ^^) ?

Thanks for the reply man !

Greets !
Crydevil
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post #4 of 18
7/13/09 at 6:19am
That is just an external sound card.  Same features as an internal model.

Have you thought about how you will control your PC remotely?  Will you get up and use the keyboard every time you want to change songs or play lists? 

Have you thought about using a digital media player?  They will access your computer over the network (wired or wireless depending on model) and stream your music.  No need for an new sound card.  They come with a remote.  Most have excellent digital to analog converters built in.  The soundbridge.roku.com/soundbridge/index.php is a great example of many available.

-Robert
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post #5 of 18
7/13/09 at 7:53am
You already have a device to play your music remotely.  Get a program like TVersity on your PC and use your PS3 to play the music (your PS3 should be connected to your home network).

Just keep in mind that the better your audio gear gets, the worse compressed formats like MP3 will sound.
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post #6 of 18
7/13/09 at 7:57am
FLAC for the win.

The Squeezebox Classic is the best performing music streamer without getting into expensive hardware. It's a little more expensive than some of the other products out there, but its quality is second to none. You can use its IR remote (or a universal remote). It works with just about every non-DRMed music file format.
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post #7 of 18
7/13/09 at 10:20am
Steven, the others bring up points you should consider.  Also, I doubt the digital output of any device will vary.  In theory, it is just passing on the bits it receives.
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post #8 of 18
7/13/09 at 12:04pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Robert_J View Post

That is just an external sound card.  Same features as an internal model.

Have you thought about how you will control your PC remotely?  Will you get up and use the keyboard every time you want to change songs or play lists? 

Have you thought about using a digital media player?  They will access your computer over the network (wired or wireless depending on model) and stream your music.  No need for an new sound card.  They come with a remote.  Most have excellent digital to analog converters built in.  The soundbridge.roku.com/soundbridge/index.php is a great example of many available.

-Robert
Hey Robert :),

Actually I hadn't thought about any of that ^^, so thank you for bringing that up. I guess a digital media player will be a good solution, but will it play ALL media, including the protected type from the iTunes store?

Thanks for the recommendation, I'll definitely look into it! :D

Thank you for the reply !

Greets !
Steven
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post #9 of 18
7/13/09 at 12:11pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by David Willow View Post

You already have a device to play your music remotely.  Get a program like TVersity on your PC and use your PS3 to play the music (your PS3 should be connected to your home network).

Just keep in mind that the better your audio gear gets, the worse compressed formats like MP3 will sound.
Hey David :),

Thanks for the tip :). I already use TVersity for streaming movies from my PC to my PS3, and generally it works great, but the problem is that, when I want to listen to music, I obviously have to choose a track, and that means booting my beamer over and over again, which (I think) is gonna fatigue the beamer lamp quite a bit faster than just using it for games and movies (and I spend way more time listening to music than playing games or watching movies ^^).

This is just my speculation :), so please correct me if I'm wrong ^^.

Thanks a million for the reply !

Greets !
Steven
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post #10 of 18
7/13/09 at 12:12pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by nolesrule View Post

FLAC for the win.

The Squeezebox Classic is the best performing music streamer without getting into expensive hardware. It's a little more expensive than some of the other products out there, but its quality is second to none. You can use its IR remote (or a universal remote). It works with just about every non-DRMed music file format.
Hey Joe,

Thank you for the reply & recommendation, I'll definitely look into it :).

Greets !
Steven
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post #11 of 18
7/13/09 at 12:15pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnRice View Post

Steven, the others bring up points you should consider.  Also, I doubt the digital output of any device will vary.  In theory, it is just passing on the bits it receives.
Hey John,

Indeed they do ^^. I just wish I hadn't bought some of my favorite albums digitally (iTunes store); so I could just put 'em in the CD Player and blast away. Ofcourse I can burn the music to CD's, but those are quite a lot of albums :(.

Thanks for the reply ! :)

Greets !
Steven
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post #12 of 18
7/13/09 at 2:07pm
If it's just a connection that you want, I've used the Audioengine AW1 and have never had a problem, as long as you stay within the 100' transmission range.  There's no beating a really good USB DAC, though, if you're going for pure quality.  If you want mediocre sound, but a really expensive soundcard, if you want great sound, buy a DAC.  Pro-Ject's USB box is a pretty good one, as well as Wadia (there's a series 1 DAC coming out later this year that's a little cheaper then the rest of their decoders), and Headroom makes some smokin' awesome ones.  I'm sure there are many other really great quality products out there, these are the few that I am familiar with.  For control of PC etc options, URC (Universal Remote Control) makes network remote products MX5000, & MX6000 that have the ability to control either your iTunes or your Windows Media Player and give you feedback on the remote control.  It's pretty slick.
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post #13 of 18
7/13/09 at 7:35pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Crydevil View Post



Hey John,

Indeed they do ^^. I just wish I hadn't bought some of my favorite albums digitally (iTunes store); so I could just put 'em in the CD Player and blast away. Ofcourse I can burn the music to CD's, but those are quite a lot of albums :(.

Thanks for the reply ! :)

Greets !
Steven

 

Since you purchased those "albums" from the iTunes store they are not CD quality.  Even the more expensive versions of the songs are still compressed and lower than CD quality.  Burning them to CD will do nothing for the quality.  That is one reason I have never purchased a single song from iTunes.

There is an Apple 'air port' or something that allows you to stream copy protected material from your PC running iTunes.  Again, I'm not an iTunes expert so someone else will have to chime in on this.

-Robert
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post #14 of 18
7/14/09 at 6:37am
If your sound card has a coaxial output that's what to use.  Don't bother with an additional sound card, what you have is fine hardware wise. 
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post #15 of 18
7/14/09 at 8:53am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Robert_J View Post

Since you purchased those "albums" from the iTunes store they are not CD quality.

I finally get to correct Robert on something.  The term "album" does not refer to LPs.  The term came from the days of EPs, and even earlier, when a "disc" (at first, pre EP) could only play maybe 3.5 minutes on a side.  So, when someone put together a collection of songs, it was put into an "Album" because it may be ten or more discs.  The name stuck, even into LP times, when most albums were no longer IN albums.  So, taking the term "Album" in the sense it has been used for more than half a century, it refers to a specific collection of songs, not an LP.  Dark Side of the Moon is an album, regardless of what medium it is on.

As Philip points out, if your sound card has a digital output, that is all you need.  You will get no improvement from another one.  The sound files you have are the best of what they can be, there is no improving them other than buying the physical CDs.  Also, Robert mentioned the Apple AirPort Express.  If you have a wireless network (any wireless network, not just from Apple hardware) it can connect and stream wirelessly from iTunes.  There are software patches allowing it to stream audio from any source on your computer.  It has an optical output which requeres a toslink cable with a mini connector on the end that connects to the AirPort.
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post #16 of 18
7/14/09 at 12:47pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnRice View Post




I finally get to correct Robert on something.  The term "album" does not refer to LPs.  The term came from the days of EPs, and even earlier, when a "disc" (at first, pre EP) could only play maybe 3.5 minutes on a side.  So, when someone put together a collection of songs, it was put into an "Album" because it may be ten or more discs.  The name stuck, even into LP times, when most albums were no longer IN albums.  So, taking the term "Album" in the sense it has been used for more than half a century, it refers to a specific collection of songs, not an LP.  Dark Side of the Moon is an album, regardless of what medium it is on.
 
I learned something new today.  My introduction to music was in the 8-track and 45 days.  Sounds like you started a little earlier than that.
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post #17 of 18
7/14/09 at 2:28pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by CaseyL View Post

If it's just a connection that you want, I've used the Audioengine AW1 and have never had a problem, as long as you stay within the 100' transmission range.  There's no beating a really good USB DAC, though, if you're going for pure quality.  If you want mediocre sound, but a really expensive soundcard, if you want great sound, buy a DAC.  Pro-Ject's USB box is a pretty good one, as well as Wadia (there's a series 1 DAC coming out later this year that's a little cheaper then the rest of their decoders), and Headroom makes some smokin' awesome ones.  I'm sure there are many other really great quality products out there, these are the few that I am familiar with.  For control of PC etc options, URC (Universal Remote Control) makes network remote products MX5000, & MX6000 that have the ability to control either your iTunes or your Windows Media Player and give you feedback on the remote control.  It's pretty slick.
Hey Casey :),

Thanks for the recommendations! I've been looking around for DAC's and they're lots to choose from ^^. I'll definitely look into the one you've named up. :D

Thanks a million for the reply !

Greets !
Steven
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post #18 of 18
7/14/09 at 2:33pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Robert_J View Post




Since you purchased those "albums" from the iTunes store they are not CD quality.  Even the more expensive versions of the songs are still compressed and lower than CD quality.  Burning them to CD will do nothing for the quality.  That is one reason I have never purchased a single song from iTunes.

There is an Apple 'air port' or something that allows you to stream copy protected material from your PC running iTunes.  Again, I'm not an iTunes expert so someone else will have to chime in on this.

-Robert
Hey Robert,

Thanks for the reply. Yeah I've heard of this Apple device, but to be honest, I'm not a fan of wireless streaming, or almost anything wireless for that matter (don't even know if it makes a big difference with or without a cable, but I like to play it safe ^^).

And yeah, it probably wasn't such a good idea to buy music through the internet, but I just hope I won't hear the difference in quality that much (between CD & iTunes music).

But anyway, thanks a million for the reply ! :)

Greets !
Steven
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