[lcrim]

I was hoping for some help or suggestions. First post on this forum. I would like to get started using a PC as source but am budget constrained. I could put the PC in an adjoining room to help w/ the noise but the big issue to me is where to do the d to a conversion. I am strictly looking for best 2 channel sound, gaming not an issue. I can get a PIII ~700 Mhz for free and install an OS either WIN2K or XP, EAC for ripping and Foobar2K for playback, don't know what to use for setting up playlists etc.
The choice of a soundcard is a big deal. I think that two main paths present themselves. Keeping the data stream digital and using an off PC DAC like the Channel Islands that has a toslink input and then running interconnects to the preamp or getting a sound card that has good DAC chips and then finding the correct adapters for the outputs on the soundcard to interface w/ decent interconnects and then to the preamp.
I was hoping to keep the total cost under what it would cost to buy a decent used CD player $400-500.
TIA
Larry

 

[jefemeister]

Welcome to head-fi. IMO, you should keep the signal digital as long as possible. As long as you have an economical way to get a bit-accurate digital signal out of your box, I would put everything into an external DAC and interconnects. Some good possibilites for the digital out portion: Chaintech 710, M-audio transit, emu-0404. For a DAC, I would look through audiogon. There is little risk associated with buying used DACs as there's really nothing about them that breaks easily. Good luck, let us know what you do, and we hope you decide to stick around.

edit: you may also want to look into the Slim Devcies' Squeezebox and Roku's Soundbridge. These are evices that hook to your network and provide digital/analog out anywhere in your house with remote interface and a decent display.

 

[lcrim]

Thanks for the suggestion. Does anyone know which DACs can accept a fiber cable and on the other side which cards have a coax digital output?
Most external DAC's are coax inputs with only a few like the Channel Islands or the extremely pricey and excellent Benchmark DAC1 accepting Toslink. There must be some decent cards that can output a coax (SPDIF) digital signal.