PC as my music system, advise please.
MS
I'm going to turn a spare mid-range PC into my primary music system. I
have a few questions concerning components to get - I know people will say
you will have a quality loss using a PC rather than high quality audio
components, but I am physically disabled and have been converting my CDs
to FLAC, so that I can use a point-and-click interface (WinAmp) to play
any 'CD' I want. I can live with a small quality loss for the convenience
of selecting and playing music with a few mouse clicks.
There are so very many audio components to choose from, I don't have a
huge budget but would like advise on what components are good within my
price range.
Firstly what I am going to do is connect my sound card to an external amp,
which will also have my CD player attached, and then mostly play music
from the PC through the amp to its speakers.
a) What sound card should I buy? --I'm not a gamer, the sound card is just
for playing music through. Someone suggested a Creative SoundBlaster X-Fi
Xtreme Music, URL below, but others say Creative is not a good option.
http://uk.europe.creative.com/products/product.asp?category=1&subcategory=208&product=14066&nav=0
b) What Hi-Fi amplifier?
c) What speakers to connect to the Hi-Fi amplifier?
Re. parts b) and c) - there are just so many to choose from, I started
reading some reviews but honestly I am a bit daunted, the reviews are
aimed at hi-fi enthusiasts and not at a newbie (my current CD, Amp, and
speakers were bought in 1991). My budget is about UK£300 (approx. US$600)
for both amp and speakers but I don't even know which to prioritize,
should I spend UK£150 on each, UK£200 on an amp and UK£100 on speakers,
the other way around, etc.?
I'd very much like some advise about this, and am hoping there are some
gurus reading this who have some serious knowledge and are willing to
share their expertise.
Thanks all.
PS. In case it makes a difference I am in the UK.
theorganloft
> Hi,
>
> I'm going to turn a spare mid-range PC into my primary music system. I
> have a few questions concerning components to get - I know people will say
> you will have a quality loss using a PC rather than high quality audio
> components, but I am physically disabled and have been converting my CDs
> to FLAC, so that I can use a point-and-click interface (WinAmp) to play
> any 'CD' I want. I can live with a small quality loss for the convenience
> of selecting and playing music with a few mouse clicks.
I use Audacity for track recording on WIndows XP. The sound boards
are ECHO Mia Midi and the MOBO mounted VIa built-in sound board. I
use the MIA for recording and the Via for playback. You do not have
to do this but I do it so that I do not get any feedback through my
external Mackie mixer. Audacity can export to MP3 and other formats.
It does not create CD's so you are going to need NERO or equivalent.
I also use Ubuntu Studio that is a LINUX based studio package with
Audacity and other audio sequencers such as RoseGarden. It is free to
download.
>
> There are so very many audio components to choose from, I don't have a
> huge budget but would like advise on what components are good within my
> price range.
A windows pc (3.0 Ghz with 1Gb of memory will suffice) with Windows XP
is a good start. Obtain a Soundblaster Live 5.1 PCI card. It is
great for recording. Download Audacity from www.sourceforge.audacity.org
(FREE!) and you are on your way.
> Firstly what I am going to do is connect my sound card to an external amp,
> which will also have my CD player attached, and then mostly play music
> from the PC through the amp to its speakers.
You can do this but I would use a mixer. Then you can attach a studio
condensor mic and other audio equipment. A behringer B1 (or B2) is a
good start and inexpensive. They require a mixer with phantom power.
Look for swing arm mounts on EBAY.
You should use amplified near-field monitors but you can get away with
a home stereo in a pinch.
>
> a) What sound card should I buy? --I'm not a gamer, the sound card is just
> for playing music through. Someone suggested a Creative SoundBlaster X-Fi
> Xtreme Music, URL below, but others say Creative is not a good option.
Soundblaster Live. Cheap on EBAY and great for recording. If you want
to step it up go to ECHO MIA MIDI or a Delta card. I have EMU cards
and don't really like them too much.
>
> http://uk.europe.creative.com/products/product.asp?category=1&subcate...
>
> b) What Hi-Fi amplifier? Any amp will do
>
> c) What speakers to connect to the Hi-Fi amplifier? You should use near field monitors (passive in this case).
>
> Re. parts b) and c) - there are just so many to choose from, I started
> reading some reviews but honestly I am a bit daunted, the reviews are
> aimed at hi-fi enthusiasts and not at a newbie (my current CD, Amp, and
> speakers were bought in 1991). My budget is about UK£300 (approx. US$600)
> for both amp and speakers but I don't even know which to prioritize,
> should I spend UK£150 on each, UK£200 on an amp and UK£100 on speakers,
> the other way around, etc.?
>
> I'd very much like some advise about this, and am hoping there are some
> gurus reading this who have some serious knowledge and are willing to
> share their expertise.
>
> Thanks all.
>
> PS. In case it makes a difference I am in the UK.
Just watch your frequencies and voltages.
I built my studio from used parts obtained on Ebay and shopping in
thrift stores. I have a nice high quality studio with track
recording, Midi, sound modules, and video editing. I use Windows XP
and Ubuntu Studio (Linux) . My main studio keyboard?synthesizer is a
$275 Yamaha 61 key that drive my Yamaha, ALesis, and Roland Sound
Modules. I use a Mackie VLZ 12 channel mixer bought on EBAY for $50.
The guy thought is was broken - he was wrong it works perfectly. I
have other video camcorders and DVD video recorders connected too. My
receiver is JVC from a thrift store and the speakers from a garage
sale. People do not know what they have. I also have USB Midi
keyboards for custom compositions done on the LINUX servers.
GOOD LUCK!!!
Julien BH
Did you read the OP at all? He just wants to listen to his MP3's
through a home stereo & speakers (which he doesn't have)
That said...
Get any soundcard, I don't think it really matters which one.
You need a stereo out that's it.
You'll need at least a stereo amp which is quite uncommon for the
consumers market these days (all 5.1or 7.1 or whatever the number. You
only need 2.0 for stereo)
Cambridge, Denon should work but I don't know if you got that where
you live.
Also for the speakers... well this is to your own discretion. Go hear
it and see by yourself.
At 200$ / speaker pair you get something good enough (but what is
enough?) + 200$ amp + 100-150$ card + 5$ converter from 1/8'' to 1/4''
& wire (from the output of your soundcard to the input of your amp)
William Sommerwerck
Arny will get upset for my saying so, but several British manufacturers make
decent, modestly priced amps. You don't need to spend a lot of money.
> What speakers to connect to the Hi-Fi amplifier?
Whichever ones you like. I advise against tiny mini-monitors, which cost too
much for the quality they deliver. I recently bought some compact Missions,
and was very, very pleased with them (and I'm not easily pleased).
I'd spend about 1/3 of your budget on the amp, about 2/3 on the speakers.
David Martel
Why do you want to buy anything? Your computer probably already has a
sound card with line level audio out. You also already have an amp and
speakers. All you need is a cable from the computer to the stereo.
Are you unhappy with what you have? Do you need more power? Do you want
better speakers? What's the problem?
Dave M.
Laurence Payne
<No.Wa...@No.Spam.Thank.You.com> wrote:
>I'm going to turn a spare mid-range PC into my primary music system. I
>have a few questions concerning components to get - I know people will say
>you will have a quality loss using a PC rather than high quality audio
>components, but I am physically disabled and have been converting my CDs
>to FLAC, so that I can use a point-and-click interface (WinAmp) to play
>any 'CD' I want. I can live with a small quality loss for the convenience
>of selecting and playing music with a few mouse clicks.
>
>There are so very many audio components to choose from, I don't have a
>huge budget but would like advise on what components are good within my
>price range.
>
>Firstly what I am going to do is connect my sound card to an external amp,
>which will also have my CD player attached, and then mostly play music
>from the PC through the amp to its speakers.
>
>a) What sound card should I buy? --I'm not a gamer, the sound card is just
>for playing music through. Someone suggested a Creative SoundBlaster X-Fi
>Xtreme Music, URL below, but others say Creative is not a good option.
What sound card do you HAVE? The onboard sound on a modern computer
is very competent for music playback. There will be a Line Out
socket.
>
>http://uk.europe.creative.com/products/product.asp?category=1&subcategory=208&product=14066&nav=0
>
>b) What Hi-Fi amplifier?
>
>c) What speakers to connect to the Hi-Fi amplifier?
Anything with a pair of Lnie In or Aux In sockets. Which covers just
about every hi-fi system ever made except maybe the very cheapest
integrated boxes. What do you play CDs on now?
MS
I must admit that's exactly what I was thinking (though primarily flac not
mp3). The thought had occurred to me that the poster was actually replying
to a different post but, in error, had clicked reply to me. :)
> Get any soundcard, I don't think it really matters which one.
> You need a stereo out that's it.
>
> You'll need at least a stereo amp which is quite uncommon for the
> consumers market these days (all 5.1or 7.1 or whatever the number. You
> only need 2.0 for stereo)
> Cambridge, Denon should work but I don't know if you got that where
> you live.
>
> Also for the speakers... well this is to your own discretion. Go hear
> it and see by yourself.
>
> At 200$ / speaker pair you get something good enough (but what is
> enough?) + 200$ amp + 100-150$ card + 5$ converter from 1/8'' to 1/4''
> & wire (from the output of your soundcard to the input of your amp)
Okay, thanks for the advise.
MS
Thanks for your reply. I've taken a look at Mission speakers and quite
like the look of Mission M33i speakers. They are floor standers, about
which I have a question. I have a large open plan flat; kitchen, living
room & dining area all in one big open plan - this is about 1000 sqr feet
- it also has a wooden floor throughout. Are floor standers my best bet
given the description of the room, or would speakers on stands be a better
option?
Thanks for the advise of prioritizing money spent on speakers rather than
the amp. Do others agree with this prioritization?
Many thanks.
MS
The problem is simply that I want better sound quality. My system is 17
years old and was relatively cheap even then. Hearing the sound quality at
a friends house recently made me realize just how poor mine is. Better
speakers, amp, and playing using lossless FLAC or CD will improve the
sound quality immensely.
Thanks.
MS
> is very competent for music playback. There will be a Line Out
> socket.
Sound is onboard.
>> http://uk.europe.creative.com/products/product.asp?category=1&subcategory=208&product=14066&nav=0
>>
>> b) What Hi-Fi amplifier?
>>
>> c) What speakers to connect to the Hi-Fi amplifier?
>
> Anything with a pair of Lnie In or Aux In sockets. Which covers just
> about every hi-fi system ever made except maybe the very cheapest
> integrated boxes. What do you play CDs on now?
At the moment I play CDs through a PC.
The plan is to improve quality, so I'll get myself a decent sound card and
components.
Cheers.
Laurence Payne
<No.Wa...@No.Spam.Thank.You.com> wrote:
>> Anything with a pair of Lnie In or Aux In sockets. Which covers just
>> about every hi-fi system ever made except maybe the very cheapest
>> integrated boxes. What do you play CDs on now?
>
>At the moment I play CDs through a PC.
>
>The plan is to improve quality, so I'll get myself a decent sound card and
>components.
Leave the sound card for now. Pick a hi-fi amp and speakers that suit
you. (Remember that speaker positioning and room characteristics are
almost more important than speaker choice. Don't try to cover a large
area with quality sound - it can't be done.) There's a huge choice,
at a huge spread of prices. What systems have you heard, and, liked
at friends' houses? (Discount any hard-core audiophiles unless you
want to join that sect and have money to burn :-)
William Sommerwerck
news:nm2fg3dv9dkt47mrt...@4ax.com...
> Leave the sound card for now. Pick a hi-fi amp and speakers
> that suit you. (Remember that speaker positioning and room
> characteristics are almost more important than speaker choice.
This is true only in the context that a bad room and bad positioning can do
a lot to ruin the sound. But it can't do anything to improve it. Regardless
of the room, you have to pay attention to speaker quality.
> Discount any hard-core audiophiles unless you
> want to join that sect and have money to burn. :-)
You don't have to spend a huge amount of money to get good sound. And I'm
saying that as "hard-core" audiophile.
MS
Thanks guys.
I'm unsure what type of speakers I should be looking at.
I have a large open plan flat; kitchen, living room & dining area all in
one big open plan - this is about 1000 sqr feet - it has a wooden floor
throughout. Are floor standers my best bet given the description of the
room, or would speakers on stands be a better option?
Do you guys agree with the -earlier given- advise of prioritizing my
budget by spending more on the speakers and less on the amp.? It was
suggested I spend 2/3 on the speakers and 1/3 on the amp.
Many thanks.
David Martel
Ok, so what do you currently have for an amp/receiver and speakers? What
sort of music do you listen to? How loud? I suspect that your computer and
sound card are adequate.
Dave M.
David Martel
It's really not reasonable to divide your budget until we know what must
be replaced. I doubt any stereo system will deliver high quality sound to a
1000 sq ft open plan apartment, so you need to accept the idea that there
will be a "sweet spot" where you'll have a good stereo sound and the rest of
your apartment will have something audible.
Dave M.
William Sommerwerck
> one big open plan -- this is about 1000 ft^2 -- it has a wooden floor
> throughout. Are floor standers my best bet given the description of the
> room, or would speakers on stands be a better option?
You have what would in the US be (roughly) called a "studio" apartment.
You are likely to have significant problems. If the acoustics aren't on the
neutral-to-slightly-dead side (and they probably aren't), the liveliness of
such a large area/volume will probably cause almost any speaker you buy to
sound "small" and "lost". On other hand, you can turn this liability into an
advantage, as I'll explain later.
It's difficult to make an exact recommendation without seeing the floor
plan, but you need to pick a section of the aparment where the speakers can
be properly positioned. In broad terms, this means close enough to the walls
and corners to get some bass enhancement, but not close enough to strongly
color the sound. (I'll leave it up to other members to discuss the details
of speaker placement.)
You then have to damp the walls and floor around the speakers, to kill early
reflections. This means at least an area rug on the floor, and some kind of
wall treatment extending behind, to the sides, and slightly in front of the
speakers.
The rest of the apartment can remain untreated. You don't have to worry much
about the long reflections, because they don't color the sound anywhere
nearly as much. You'll have an LEDE (live-end dead-end) arrangement, where
the sound from in front of you is primarily the direct sound from the
speakers, while that from behind is much more diffuse.
A system with "satellite" speakers and a separate woofer allows for more
flexibility in placement, and might be slightly less expensive than two
floor-standing speakers.
> Do you guys agree with the earlier given advice of prioritizing my
> budget by spending more on the speakers and less on the amp?
> It was suggested I spend 2/3 on the speakers and 1/3 on the amp.
Expensive amplifiers are justified only in systems with really good
speakers. (Pace, Arny.) There's no justification for spending as much on the
amplification as the speakers. In any price range, a "good" amplifier * will
come sonically closer -- much closer -- to perfection that a "good" speaker.
Given a decent-sounding amplifier, the speaker will be the prime limiting
factor. Given a careful choice of components, $400 worth of speaker and $200
worth of amplifier will give you noticeably better sound than $200 worth of
speaker and $400 worth of amplifier.
Much of the confusion of how to apportion system costs was started by the
infamous Ivor Tiefenbrun, who liked to point out that what comes out of the
turntable cannot be improved by anything further down the stream. This is
true, but Ivor's perverse logic (he sold turntables) lead to the conclusion
that one should buy horribly expensive turntables. This conveniently ignores
another fact -- you don't hear just the turntable -- you hear the preamp,
the amp, the speakers, and the room, as a complete system. You don't combine
an expensive, highly refined component (such as a $1000 turntable) with a
not-so-good $200 amplifier and $400 speakers. A $300 turntable and $1100
speakers will give much better overall sound.
* By a "good" amplifier, I mean one whose errors are primarily subtractive
(a loss of detail, a narrowing of the soundstage, a lack of depth, etc),
rather than additive (grain, grit, hashiness, hardness, brightness, etc).