PC playback as an alternative to CD Players

[Rockfella]

My brother doesnot want to sell his SE crappy phone, wants to use it as a music player after buying a BB phone. Unfortunately i can't convince him to buy a 2/4 GB Sansa! How ironical!

 

[007india]

Thanks Dr.Bass - I am on the same page now.
I also agree with Shanti - Storage space has come down significantly in price so one can consider uncompressed files.
Cheers
Sid

I have a different question but different context from this thread.
My Onkyo AVR 609 has network as well as USB port. Now I have lot of audio as well as music files in my PC. Right now my AVR can accept only music files through USB or network(NIC). So how do I transport my content to AVR, here are the options & constraints I found

To feed music files:
1) Can I connect my laptop to AVR through a ethernet cable(RJ45) and feed the content to AVR? But this requires my PC to be turned ON when ever AVR is in use which will consume more power.
2) Can I use a portable HDD with large capacity and connect it to my USB port to pla the content?
let me know which option is better, I think option 2 will be better.

To play video files of all format in my AVR
1) My DVD player can play variety of formats like MP4 or Divx ven through the USB port in it. But some times I find some MP4 files doesn't play. Some of the members in this group suggested to use hardware 'media player' like WD HD box which has a HDMI out to connect to AVR. But I find this quite expensive, also there is a major drawback as when in future new format comes, the existing media player will be obselete and I have to get as new one. So I thought of buying a Netbook with HDMI port(laptop with Intel atom pro + RAM + bigger HDD) to connect my AVR through a single HDMI cable which feeds multi channel audio + HD video signal.

pls provide your inputs.

 

[dovin]

I have hooked up my MacBook Air to the AV Receiver via a simple cable that plugs into the earphone out of the Mac on one side and to the Stereo Line-In of the Receiver. To my non-audiophile ears it sounds just as good as a CD player. I don't know if Mac just does a good job or when taking into all other factors including room acoustics and my own hearing sensitivity, it just evens out.

I'm actually planning to buy an Airport Extreme so I can stream wirelessly from mac to the receiver with iTunes.

What do the gurus think ? Am I really killing the music ?

This option (ITunes with Airport Extreme) is also available for Windows from what I know.

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

What do the gurus think ? Am I really killing the music ?

Probably. but...

Thirty years ago, I used to connect the headphone-out from a cheap radio-alarm-clock unit to my hifi. I could not afford a tuner, nor did my usage justify it. There is no way that such an arrangement could rival a tuner; it wasn't even stereo! It sounded a hell of a lot better than the clock radio's own one-inch speaker, though!

 

[dovin]

Its definitely not that bad. The output from Mac/Itunes is stereo and to me at least does not sound worse than the CD player. I'm using a Yamaha DSP A1 receiver and Magnepan MMG speakers. It sounds good enough... again, caveat being I'm not probably the most discerning listener.

 

[ajayk]

If keeping the PC on is not an option, then HDD is the way to go.

Else you can use a NAS server which can act as a central repository of all your files which your PC or networked AVR can access.

-Ajay

I have a different question but different context from this thread.
My Onkyo AVR 609 has network as well as USB port. Now I have lot of audio as well as music files in my PC. Right now my AVR can accept only music files through USB or network(NIC). So how do I transport my content to AVR, here are the options & constraints I found

To feed music files:
1) Can I connect my laptop to AVR through a ethernet cable(RJ45) and feed the content to AVR? But this requires my PC to be turned ON when ever AVR is in use which will consume more power.
2) Can I use a portable HDD with large capacity and connect it to my USB port to pla the content?
let me know which option is better, I think option 2 will be better.

To play video files of all format in my AVR
1) My DVD player can play variety of formats like MP4 or Divx ven through the USB port in it. But some times I find some MP4 files doesn't play. Some of the members in this group suggested to use hardware 'media player' like WD HD box which has a HDMI out to connect to AVR. But I find this quite expensive, also there is a major drawback as when in future new format comes, the existing media player will be obselete and I have to get as new one. So I thought of buying a Netbook with HDMI port(laptop with Intel atom pro + RAM + bigger HDD) to connect my AVR through a single HDMI cable which feeds multi channel audio + HD video signal.

pls provide your inputs.

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

Haven't been in the market recently to know prices, but from the news, it seems that, although SSD prices have reduced, they are still luxury items. Only the recent steep price rises in HDD, due to flooded factories and stock loss, are making them look more attractive --- as in, not quite so financially unattractive as before!

I think that anyone wanting to buy terrabyte-class storage still needs to be very rich to do that in SSD.

For once in my life, I bought at the right time: a couple of 1Tb externals, before the disaster.

 

[hydra]

^^ Yup. The current steep increase in HDD prices is the only reason SSDs are looking attractive enough (in applications where a lot of storage is not needed).

The current HDD prices are just insane. There is news that some HDD factories in Thailand have now started production, though at very decreased capacity. I hope the prices will come down much before the projected Q2 2012 dates.

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

... Well, this is mostly an excuse to get an SSD for the Music PC (heh heh), and I know this is probably an unnecessary expense, but I wanted to let the logical side of my head to work for a bit and see if it is really worth it. I also have about 3.9K on credit with theitdepot that I can use.

Thought of you when I read this just now...

Texas Memory Systems gets some enterprise street cred

Unfortunately, I don't think you have quite enough credit to cover one

 

[hydra]

Unfortunately, I don't think you have quite enough credit to cover one

O_O

No, my credit balance will not quite cover that monster

In another 4-5 years, I'm sure our NAS-nuts will be using something like this to store data.

I decided against the SSD for now. Maybe I'll think of one when my Music PC has a midlife crisis of sorts.

I'm keeping the credit right there with theitdepot for the time being: I'm sure I will find something or the other to buy from them over the next few months. (I'm already thinking of a good & silent 120mm cabinet fan for the new PC.)

I've ordered a 1 TB Seagate Barracuda 7200rpm HDD from Flipkart. The rate in Flipkart is more than Rs.1200/- lower than the rate mentioned on theitdepot website for the same HDD. Then there is free shipping by a better courier agency to boot. (EDIT: Updated price difference)

 

[Bluu]

Thought of you when I read this just now...

Texas Memory Systems gets some enterprise street cred

Unfortunately, I don't think you have quite enough credit to cover one

I raise you: Got A Petabyte's Worth of Music (and nowhere to put it?) | AudioStream

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

That thing is very expensive for a room heater!

(I'm already thinking of a good & silent 120mm cabinet fan for the new PC.)

... always interested in fans!

Recently I've tried a Silverstone and this expensive Cooler Master

The silverstone is especially designed for blowing, but it seems to me to beat my stock Antec Tricool at sucking, too. I have one sucking (extractor) and another blowing over my 1TB disk, which has lowered its temperature substantially.

The Excalibur is a disappointment, especially given the price: more noise than the Antec, but the system temperature is a degree or two higher. Time to rearrange stuff. Again. Hey, it's my hobby

Unfortunately, only two of the four fan headers on my MB are actually controllable. I wish they all were.

 

[hydra]

...

Recently I've tried a Silverstone and this expensive Cooler Master

...

Those fans do look like they mean business! I'll be looking to buy a fan only if the new PC needs more cooling. It will be on 24/7, without any other fan in the room during the night, and that is why I'm a bit concerned.

Once it is up, I'll run the new PC for a couple of days as it is (the cabinet has a 120mm fan on the top already, to expel hot air) and then take a call on the fan. The free 120mm slot is on the side, and there's a free 80mm slot on the bottom. I'm now beginning to think that an 80mm fan sucking in fresh air from the bottom might be a better idea than a 120mm fan sucking in fresh air from the side. Unfortunately, the cabinet (a Cooler Master Elite 360) does not have any provision to cool the HDD

Unfortunately, only two of the four fan headers on my MB are actually controllable. I wish they all were.

I have the same issue with the MB in my Music PC. I use this to control three fans. I bought it from Amazon a while back, and it ran to just a bit over Rs.1K.

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

Good.

My CPU fan is controlled, of course --- and I leave it entirely to the bios. Anyway, my cooler is a monster, and the CPU temperature is well below 40 (34C just now) with the two 140mm fans at less than 1,000 RPM.

My Coolermaster Excalibur is under Linux fancontrol control, which means I can configure how it responds to sensed temperatures. It is not too bad at around 1,500 (general case temperature, just now, 41 --- I'd like it to be lower) but would be a roarer at its uncontrolled max 2,000.

Antec Tricool have their own three-speed switches.

The Silverstones: can be pwm-ed (sounds like something nasty hackers do!) but I'm using 12/7/5 volt adapters to supply 5 or 7 volts.

My 850W power supply is a bit like a big Merc at 40kph ... it doesn't even purr: the fan is absolutely silent. According to my UPS, my PC actually draws about 112W!

A side fan, or even grill, would be good for getting air to the CPU, especially if it has a down-blowing cooler. However, my CPU (also being used, mostly, at a small percentage of capability) is actually the coolest thing in the system!

currently:

Ambient: 28
Disks: 36, 38
System temp: 41
N. Bridge/GPU (built-in): 39
CPU: 34

I don't actually know what "system temp" is sensing!

The system is not silent, although I don't think I hear much more than air moving (invitation to audiophiles: listen to my PC, you can hear the "air" ). It is, however, completely masked by an AC machine, and mostly masked by a fan on "2" or more.

At 2.0am, with no crows, nearby builders, fans, ACs etc etc, I can hear it over quiet passages through the open-back headphones . Should have gone for one of these

 

[dheerajjotwani]

on the lines of the ALIX mentioned here earlier, i have a similar setup with MPD running off a GOFLEX NET device. it runs on debian. i used to use a puny usb soundcard for the output till i bought the squeezebox... reading here about alix has rekindled the faith albeit with a DAC in the chain. could you gurus suggest a dac for a beginner. looking to feed a TP20 + MA BR2 combo

 

[awedeophile]

Another "high-end" USB to SPDIF Converter...
This one uses PC bus power which is known to be noisy.. Wonder why they didnt use an external PS..

soulution 590 USB-Converter

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

i used to use a puny usb soundcard for the output till i bought the squeezebox...

A good soundcard, internal, USB, etc, would quite likely have given you good results.

The squeezebox solves a specific problem: how to connect your PC to your hifi when space and/or positioning make cables impossible. Just the same as wifi connects your computers when you can't run a cable.

If you can run a cable ... run it!

 

[dheerajjotwani]

thanks Thad,

now the golfex hosts the sqbx server along with playing host to 8tb worth of disks in a jbod setup.

i am content with the squeezebox but for an alternative setup, wish to use the goflex with mpd again but this time please suggest a good usb soundcard/dac

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

Internal: Juli@ (ESI) is the forum favourite, and, although I've never heard it, I feel sure I'd be happy with it too.

Otherwise, there are only a few alternatives (even with a much bigger budget) for the pc-audio person seeking just stereo sound. Mostly they are aimed at home-studio, semi-pro and pro audio applications, which has left the stereo field wide open for the hifi DAC manufacturers.

If you really only ever want to play, and never record, using your PC, this is probably the way to go. The simple solution would be a USB DAC. The only reason to convert USB to anything else is if you already have a really good DAC that requires that conversion, and you want to make it the central source component of your system.

 

[dheerajjotwani]

Yeah no recording, just to use three go flex as transport and USB output fed to an external dac, amp and then speakers. For a beginner of hi fi equipment, dac of your choice?

Tapatalk ka jalwa !!!