[mbay1455]

[size=medium]Advice please?[/size]
[size=medium]I have a significant amount of mp3’s (some 128Kbps, most 160Kbps) on an external hard drive that I want to play through my stereo receiver.  Problem is my computer and stereo are 70ft apart and whatever I use to connect them will go into the wall, up and through my attic, then back down to the stereo(total of 70ft).  Computer is recent Dell desktop with integrated soundcard(plenty of room for a pcie card).  Stereo receiver is older Yamaha RX-V995.  Paradigm speakers.  Goal is best sound I can get given the source.[/size]
[size=medium]Should I:[/size]

• [size=medium]Just come out of the computer digitally and run RG6 to my receiver and let it do the DAC work?       -or-[/size]
• [size=medium]Get a good sound card and come out of the sound card analog for the long run to the receiver?       –or-[/size]
• [size=medium]Insert a DAC at one end or the other?[/size]
• [size=medium]Your recommendation on another alternative?[/size]
• [size=medium]Am I overthinking this…ie: either way will be fine?  The long run has me wondering what will be best.[/size]

 

[obobskivich]

RG-6 is what I'd do. Or a wireless solution. Or something network based.

 

[mbay1455]

Thanks obob...when you say network based do you mean cat5 or cat6 or just back to coax anyway?  I must be mis-understanding cause that seems like I'm introducing even more hardware into the mix.  Generally I'm guessing I'm better off going digital for a long run because long analog runs have more chance to introduce noise or degrade.  I'm mostly wondering whether I'm putting too much thinking into trying to make the mp3's sound better...or at least as good as they can.

 

[obobskivich]

I mean get something like a wd tvlive and have it connect via your home network, and it becomes the source device. Would give you local control and independence from the pc.

 

[mbay1455]

Thought I'd post a solution proposed to me on another board.  This seems a reasonable approach and one I intend to try.  Seems to solve my specific problem concerning long digital run.  In my particular case wifi solutions aren't the best since my home wifi experience from this PC location has been less than perfect.

 
Anyway, here's the suggested solution:
 

---

"The correct way to EXTEND a digital sPDIF signal like coax 75-ohms OR TosLink would be to use Extenders.

There will be 2 small boxes; one is a Sender - the other a Receiver. The interconnecting cable between the "Sender" & "Receiver" is a CAT-5 cable. 100 metres the signal can be pushed without any deterioration.

The Sender box is kept a few feet from the PC. The Receiver a few feet from the AVR."

Gefen, LLC - Digital Audio Extender

the device though costs $199

 

[obobskivich]

Yeah, I wouldn't do that. What I'd do is run the same CAT5/CAT6 for an actual network (you know, like normal folk?) and just drop a WD TV Live or similar on the end of it at the TV. It'll be an independent client for media playback and will offer you other services like Netflix and so on (depending on how fancy you get). Will be a better control and I/O paradigm imho. And cost less than $200+ for some wannabe "network" device (you know, where we don't use Ethernet the way it was originally intended, because obviously slow and insecure WiFi is the only way to network, and Ethernet just exists for super expensive proprietary fluffies ).