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[Audio Project] Audio box + Netbook + Dac + External HD and more

post #1 of 18
3/14/10 at 6:01pm
Thread Starter 
Hi to everyone
I'm a student and for many reasons i can't use my rig at home, I must use my notebook and a pair of headphones with a soundcard on my pc.
Altought I'm thinking to build a little rig where listen my music and use the pc for others purposes.
My idea is to use a netbook such as a EEE pc asus or similar with a good soundcard/DAC and an amp to listen the music that I have on my HD usb (flac or mp3 320).
So the ideal complete rig could be:

HD usb -> EEEPC -> DAC -> Tube Amp -> Headphones

The EEEpc will be used with foobar (on linux with wine?) correctly configured with KS/ASIO for the best use as "music box" without unnecessary things no-frills

I'd like to build this with the cheapest possible. (EEE pc used on ebay ).

P.S. I've noticed that foobar on wine sounds really bad. If I'll use a dac the quality is the same like in windows or sucks anyway??

it worth or is only a waste of time/money??
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post #2 of 18
3/15/10 at 4:21am
whats the problem with using windows ? If cost of OS is the problem then all i can suggest is to use W7 starter. Or try Ubuntu.
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post #3 of 18
3/15/10 at 5:48am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by forbigger View Post
whats the problem with using windows ? If cost of OS is the problem then all i can suggest is to use W7 starter. Or try Ubuntu.
because I'd like build a sort of server and I prefer Ubuntu for this aim using foobar at the same time.
I think that I'll use W7 anyway...
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post #4 of 18
3/15/10 at 6:00am
I failed to see the "insane"......
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post #5 of 18
3/15/10 at 6:33am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by m11a1 View Post
I failed to see the "insane"......
Why?
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post #6 of 18
3/15/10 at 5:38pm
because there is nothing insane in it. It is a completly standard setup. nothing cool.
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post #7 of 18
3/15/10 at 6:46pm
Sounds fun. Pics when project is completed
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post #8 of 18
3/15/10 at 7:49pm
I would stick with a Linux based music/media player, you don't HAVE to use foobar. This way, if you get a nice DAC that supports 24 bit, you'll actually be able to play 24 bit files through it instead of keeping everything at 16 bit with Windows.

You may want to try Audacious with the JACK plugin. Jack is basically like ASIO but for Linux. However, most people just use ALSA and are done with it.
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post #9 of 18
3/15/10 at 9:40pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by djselbeck View Post
because there is nothing insane in it. It is a completly standard setup. nothing cool.
yes, i know, but I don't know how many people have already done something similar

Quote:
Originally Posted by .Sup View Post
Sounds fun. Pics when project is completed
I hope as soon as possible but at the moment I don't have money and time
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post #10 of 18
3/15/10 at 9:54pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by pacmantravis View Post
I would stick with a Linux based music/media player, you don't HAVE to use foobar. This way, if you get a nice DAC that supports 24 bit, you'll actually be able to play 24 bit files through it instead of keeping everything at 16 bit with Windows.

You may want to try Audacious with the JACK plugin. Jack is basically like ASIO but for Linux. However, most people just use ALSA and are done with it.
I don't know Audacious but i'll try it soon.
Do you have aver try wineASIO? I prefer foobar anyway.
Maybe wineAsio can be work foobar under wine with a good quality?
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post #11 of 18
9/21/10 at 12:07pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by pacmantravis View Post

I would stick with a Linux based music/media player, you don't HAVE to use foobar. This way, if you get a nice DAC that supports 24 bit, you'll actually be able to play 24 bit files through it instead of keeping everything at 16 bit with Windows.

You may want to try Audacious with the JACK plugin. Jack is basically like ASIO but for Linux. However, most people just use ALSA and are done with it.


In my experience it's much easier to get Windows XP to playback files with 44, 48, and 96kHz sampling and 24-bit data. The music player softwares (like Foobar2k and Media Monkey, etc.) have DirectSound available and can easily give bit-perfect digital output with various sample rates. On the Linux side you have to fiddle with ALSA and SRC way too much.

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post #12 of 18
9/21/10 at 3:35pm

I am trying to build something similar to you.  However, EEE PC's USB controller will be a huge bottom neck issue. (Especially with 96kHz sampling and 24-bit data) Anyhow, is better wait for USB3.0 implement, or netbook with good motherboard that bandwidth won't be a issue(I do saw some netbook with nice motherboard, however it cost above 1k$).


Edited by noonealive - 9/21/10 at 3:37pm
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post #13 of 18
8/15/11 at 3:04pm

hey this is what i wanted to do, buy a **** netbook and connect dac + amp to headphones, it wouldnt make the quality worse would it? the dac would bypass the netbook inbuilt sound anyway.

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post #14 of 18
8/15/11 at 3:13pm

Using foobar with Wine is the worst thing you can do...but then if you can't hear a difference in sound quality vs. a native Linux audio software like Deadbeef for example or MPD then go with it.

 

Have fun!!!

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post #15 of 18
8/15/11 at 8:07pm

Before it fried itself, I had an Eee PC 701 4G running Windows XP. Foobar2000 with ASIO. All of my music files ( FLAC at the time ) were on a Buffalo USB external HDD. I then had it running to my uDAC and finally to my ATH-M50's, and I have to say, for what it was, it sounded rather awesome, IMO. Beauty part was, it all fit, including all cables ( minus the headphones ) into my little sling bag for easy storage/transport and when in use, it took up very little space.

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