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oddsnsodds
7
Oct 23, 2018
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Are you building a PC or are you adding an audio setup to an existing PC?
The audio quality of PCs and motherboards can vary quite a bit.
Oct 23, 2018
ezseattle
39
Oct 28, 2018
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oddsnsoddsIt is just where my music is stored. Not a high end machine. I didn't know that about the mother board. Is it the processor? Where else would someone store music. I also have Google stream service. Can't afford Tidal which I believe is the highest stream level
Oct 28, 2018
oddsnsodds
7
Oct 29, 2018
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ezseattleOkay, so you already have a PC and you want to add a music system. The audio quality from a PC can vary because the analog stage of an internal board needs to be shielded from the EMI (static) inside the PC, and not every manufacturer spends the money for a good shield. A good place for you to start is to use a digital output from your PC: either an optical digital audio out, if your PC has one, or USB. Digital audio skips the chance for picking up static inside the PC. With a digital out, you need a DAC (digital-to-audioanalog converter), and something to play the music, like a headphone amp or speaker amp. So the next question is, does your PC have a digital optical audio out jack?
Oct 29, 2018
ezseattle
39
Oct 30, 2018
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oddsnsoddsnope. so usb it is? does usb 3 have any advantages?
Oct 30, 2018
oddsnsodds
7
Oct 30, 2018
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ezseattleA USB 2.0 port will have plenty of bandwidth for a stereo audio stream. If you're sending a 7.1 stream, you should use USB 3.0. Either will sound fine, it's a matter of being able to handle the data stream without interruptions. The most important purchase is your speakers or headphones. If you have a budget, plan to spend at least 50-75% on those, and the balance on a DAC and amp. The quality differences between cheap and expensive speakers are much greater than between cheap and expensive DACs or amps. Do you have a general budget in mind?
Oct 30, 2018
ezseattle
39
Nov 2, 2018
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oddsnsoddsno budget yet. I have some headphones. is the DAC? the next step? I can try with current headphones while I save up. are the DAC (?) and the amp the other key pieces?
Nov 2, 2018
oddsnsodds
7
Nov 2, 2018
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ezseattleYou'll need a DAC and amp. The DAC converts the digital stream to an analog electrical signal, and that needs to be amplified for your speaker or headphones, so you need both. You can get a DAC paired with just a headphone amp, and buy the speaker amp and speakers later, or you can get a DAC paired with both amps, and then you just need speakers. How good are the headphones you have now?
Nov 2, 2018
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