[Dr Livor Mortis]

I have been listening to music through my Sony CD-changer and my Onkyo receiver for years. I listen to lots of records and sometimes I would even plug my iPod into the receiver through the auxiliary.

I have been ripping my hundreds of CDs onto my external hard drive. I have a MAC Powerbook G4. (not to be confused with the new macbook pro.)

I don't love the way the music sounds when I plug my headphones into the jack.

I was considering hooking my laptop to a receiver.

How do I go about doing this?
Is there an external soundcard I should look into?
What are my options for great sound from a Mac?
For both headphones AND speakers?

 

[Dr Livor Mortis]

Anyone?

Any help or opinions would be great.

 

[fraseyboy]

Theres quite a few external sound cards and DAC's you can use... Some cheap ones include the M-Audio Transit, E-MU 0404 USB and ones in this thread http://www.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=199941

 

[Dr Livor Mortis]

But is an external soundcard the way to go?

What about a receiver?
I'm kind of new to the "computer as source" thing.

 

[pedxing]

For the most part, the choice of receiver should be chosen base on your current setup such as your speakers, headphones, and other sources. Most receivers have poor headphone jacks, although some Onkyo's have reasonable headphone jacks. The only other choice I see about replacing the receiver is to replace it with a dedicated headphone AMP.

The external sound card/DAC is the most versatile and flexible solution for the lap top. You can usually connect the external sound card to the USB port. A good external DAC can convert the digital signal to high quality analog signals which your receiver can amplify.

 

[Happy Camper]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr Livor Mortis /img/forum/go_quote.gif But is an external soundcard the way to go? What about a receiver? I'm kind of new to the "computer as source" thing.

Get an outboard dac to get the most out of your laptop. From there to your receiver. Also look at threads for music players and setup options. Foobar + ASIO.

 

[Dr Livor Mortis]

Thanks a lot dudes!