Discless for beginners

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pansixt

Discless for beginners
« on: 6 Feb 2011, 12:35 am »
I didn't want to jump in unrelated to other topics with my Discless for Dummies questions.
While waiting for my DAC from Frank, I am pondering how to listen to my digital tunes from PC, IPOD
or Laptop to the DAC to start out.
I had Blue Jeans make a coax cable 1/8 mini to RCA and hope to connect my laptops headphone out
to coax in on the DAC.
Again this is to start me out. Would someone care to give me recommendations or issues I may face with this?
I do have an old AMD machine that I can run Linux on and go VBOX eventually.
Thanks if anyone will advise.
James

jeffh

Re: Discless for beginners
« Reply #1 on: 6 Feb 2011, 03:00 am »
I had Blue Jeans make a coax cable 1/8 mini to RCA and hope to connect my laptops headphone out
to coax in on the DAC.


Headphone out would be analog.  You need a digital out to connect to a DAC.

timind

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Re: Discless for beginners
« Reply #2 on: 6 Feb 2011, 03:03 am »
My Mac Mini headphone out provides a Toslink signal as well as analog but no spdif. I use the toslink in to my dac. Not sure what your cable will do.

avta

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Re: Discless for beginners
« Reply #3 on: 6 Feb 2011, 03:05 am »
Computer Audiophile (http://www.computeraudiophile.com/ ) has lots of very useful information.

pansixt

Re: Discless for beginners
« Reply #4 on: 6 Feb 2011, 03:56 am »
Thanks Jeff,
Darn. Of course headphone out is analog. Forget the laptop. There I go thinking again.
I'm so used to thinking in analog terms. Got to go dig out from the sound card.
Looks like I'll be putting a server together sooner than I thought. Or just do a wireless thing.
My main PC is across the room. Don't want to run a cable across the LR floor.
Damn Fossil.

srb

Re: Discless for beginners
« Reply #5 on: 6 Feb 2011, 03:58 am »
My Mac Mini headphone out provides a Toslink signal as well as analog but no spdif.

Just as a matter of definition, the Toslink output is S/PDIF as well, transmitted optically via fiber optic cable versus transmitted electrically via coaxial cable.
 
 
I had Blue Jeans make a coax cable 1/8 mini to RCA and hope to connect my laptops headphone out to coax in on the DAC.

You didn't say which model AVA DAC you're getting and whether it only has an RCA coax input or if it has a Toslink optical input as well.
 
If your laptop has a combo analog/digital optical headphone jack (like the Macs) and the DAC has a Toslink optical digital input, then you could connect them with a Mini-Toslink to Toslink cable.
 
If the DAC has only a coaxial digital input then a separate USB to S/PDIF converter with a coaxial output would allow you to connect your laptop.
 
Steve

Len_Dreyer

Re: Discless for beginners
« Reply #6 on: 6 Feb 2011, 04:04 am »



My brother really likes the iStreamer Dac to play music from his iPod through his second system.

Len


pansixt

Re: Discless for beginners
« Reply #7 on: 6 Feb 2011, 04:24 am »
Vision EC DAC. Plenty of inputs.
My XPS laptop, does only have an analog out. I was thinking lazily.
Coax from cable box (30'). Optical from the CDP.
That leaves one of each input on the DAC for whatever I decide.
Thanks to AC and this circle, I have plenty of intellectual inputs.


Mike Nomad

Re: Discless for beginners
« Reply #8 on: 6 Feb 2011, 05:10 am »
Headphone out would be analog.  You need a digital out to connect to a DAC.

For the sake of clarity, it depends on the laptop. Some MacBooks have digital optical out through the headphone jack. Use requires an Apple specific cable, made for them by Monster.

srb

Re: Discless for beginners
« Reply #9 on: 6 Feb 2011, 05:31 am »
Although Monster may manufacture the particular cable sold on the Apple website, it is not a cable that is proprietary to Apple.  It is a standardized Mini-TOSLINK connector, the same cable that can be used with PCs that have the combo analog/digital headphone jack as well as many other devices, and is manufactured by hundreds of companies.
 
Steve

pansixt

Re: Discless for beginners
« Reply #10 on: 6 Feb 2011, 06:03 am »
But Jeff is absolutely right in my case with the XPS laptop. Unfortunately, only an analog audio output.
His Kung Fu is strong in this case.
Just another reason for the Mac crowd to crow.

Mike Nomad

Re: Discless for beginners
« Reply #11 on: 6 Feb 2011, 06:10 am »
Although Monster may manufacture the particular cable sold on the Apple website, it is not a cable that is proprietary to Apple.  It is a standardized Mini-TOSLINK connector, the same cable that can be used with PCs that have the combo analog/digital headphone jack as well as many other devices, and is manufactured by hundreds of companies.
 
Steve

That's what I thought. Until I tried one from Hosa (I think). Did not fit (I guess I got a bad one). So, I went with The Brand. Sorry if I came previously as a FUD Meister.

srb

Re: Discless for beginners
« Reply #12 on: 6 Feb 2011, 06:27 am »
That's what I thought. Until I tried one from Hosa (I think). Did not fit (I guess I got a bad one). So, I went with The Brand. Sorry if I came previously as a FUD Meister.

Hmmm, not sure what the problem was with the Hosa. I didn't want someone to think they specifically had to buy the Monster brand, as whenever I have the chance to encourage others not to support a company with such a fanatical dedication to legal bullying and frivolous lawsuits against hundreds of companies (including Blue Jeans Cable and Pixar's Monsters, Inc.) - I take it!
 
Steve

Mike Nomad

Re: Discless for beginners
« Reply #13 on: 6 Feb 2011, 06:46 am »

Hmmm, not sure what the problem was with the Hosa. I didn't want someone to think they specifically had to buy the Monster brand, as whenever I have the chance to encourage others not to support a company with such a fanatical dedication to legal bullying and frivolous lawsuits against hundreds of companies (including Blue Jeans Cable and Pixar's Monsters, Inc.) - I take it!
 
Steve

I'm with you there. I am no fan of The Monster. Having been burned plenty times over the years needing Apple Specific adapters, etc. I wasn't in the mood for some sort of... quest. I just figured Apple was trying to take more of my money.

pansixt

Re: Discless for beginners
« Reply #14 on: 6 Feb 2011, 07:23 am »
Hmm. Steve,
I guess I'm remiss in reading the legal pages.
Haven't heard any of what you mentioned about those folks.
Well, at least I have none of their stuff in my system.
Plenty of Blue Jeans though. And very happy with it.


JLM

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Re: Discless for beginners
« Reply #16 on: 6 Feb 2011, 01:00 pm »
Consider one of the Logitech music servers (Duet or Touch) if you have a wireless network.  Once you music on your hard drive these servers can import them wirelessly, provide a display with organization, and export to your DAC (via coaxial cable) or directly to an integrated or power amp (they have volume controls and DACS).  Wayne at Bolder Cables (right here at Audio Circle) can modify either (digital/analog or both sections).  Plus these products can also import internet streaming (radio) and use remote controls.  The Duet has a screen in the remote, the Touch can handle high resolution files.  When it works right (this is the computer, not dumb old school audio world) it is very slick.

timind

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Re: Discless for beginners
« Reply #17 on: 6 Feb 2011, 01:43 pm »

Just as a matter of definition, the Toslink output is S/PDIF as well, transmitted optically via fiber optic cable versus transmitted electrically via coaxial cable.
 
 
Steve

I did not know that. It's great to learn something new first thing in the morning. Thanks.

Vincent Kars

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Re: Discless for beginners
« Reply #18 on: 6 Feb 2011, 05:38 pm »
You can only connect gear if they have a common interface.

Your audio has a line in.
Your PC has a headphone out.
You can connect them using a Y-cable, headphone out to line in (RCA) of the amp.
This works but in general PC on board audio (DAC + amp) is not really high end.
Sound quality will be mid-fi probably.
But it is a very cheap way to get you started and allows you to fool around a little with ‘computer audio’.

If your amp has a digital in (SPDIF) and your PC a digital out, this is a better option.
If you’re lucky both have a coax (electrical) or optical (Toslink) interface.
Apple and Toshiba have Toslink connections; the headphone doubles as a normal headphone out and a Toslink out. You need a mini Toslink adapter.
A lot of multimedia PCs have a SPDIF out.

Most of the time a PC doesn’t have a SPDIF out.
If it is a desktop you might try a sound card.
This is PC speak for what in the audio world is called a DAC.

In case of a laptop, you don’t have the space to accommodate a sound card.

All PCs have one or more USB ports.
Most amps don’t have one (but their number is growing).
A USB DAC is the answer.
A couple of years ago good quality USB DACs where rare. Today you have a lot of choice.

If you have a good DAC, a USB to SPDIF converter is an option.

An alternative is Firewire.
This is a common interface in the pro-world.
Some think because of this it is superior to USB.
I do think it is by and large a matter of timing.
When they start using a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) Firewire was the only bus able to deliver low latency and multi-channel. USB 1 was simply a number to small.

As there is no standard for Firewire audio like USB audio class 1 and class 2, Firewire audio never got momentum outside the pro-world. Even today the number of Firewire DACs is small and often combined with an AD converter.

A bit more detail about connecting a PC to the audio: http://thewelltemperedcomputer.com/HW/Connect/index_connect.htm

pansixt

Re: Discless for beginners
« Reply #19 on: 8 Feb 2011, 04:11 am »
Vincent,
I went to your site.
Wealth of info there.
Nicely put up.
I also found an earlier topic in this circle. I should have been more thorough.
Thanks,
James