[JLM]

A few years back I tried a modded SB3.  Sounded fine, but various technical "glitches" kept popping up every few weeks that rendered me without music until I could resolve the matter (typically by trial and error, so never really knowing how I "fixed" it).  I got tired of being "held hostage" by the technology.  Frankly I'm a KISS guy and didn't like not being able to haul my "player" to friends houses or needing to rip their CD's before listening at my house.  So I punted and have been slumming with an Oppo.  I also bought a used Behringer DEQ2496 for room/speaker EQ and have considered having the DAC in it modded.

Now I'm ready to move up and have been looking at several other options before I pull the trigger.  I've looked at the Olive stuff, but the cost is a bit high and I don't see how I can add DEQ.  Storage and backup for 500GB would be another requirement.  Keeping in mind that I'm very satisfied with the rest of the my system (that I consider a destination system) my question to you all is:

Is there a bullet (idiot) proof, inexpensive, off the shelf PC audio option out there for under $1k?  TIA

[JLM]

Well, at least thanks for looking (not that I'm terribly impatient, but may not get back to a computer for the next few days).  The sad part is the entire CD format is dying so I will probably end up listening to MP3 and HDFM.

[Doublej]

I think it's as simple or as complicated as you want to make it.

Assuming the DEC has a S/PDIF input, buy a $300 Dell computer with  a CD or DVD drive in it, buy a a USB to S/PDIF converter such as the Hagerman Technology HagUSB, connect the computer to the DEC via the converter and you should be all set.

Or do the same with a Mac mini and a converter. 

[bpape]

If the PC can be reasonably close to the system, you could just get a USB DAC and skip the external hardware all together.  There are a ton of software interfaces on the PC that could then be used for playback, playlists, etc. 

Bryan

[Bob in St. Louis]

To tag a little on the back of what Bryan said:

"Media Monkey" handles FLAC and burns CDs.
I use it all the time, works very well. Very user friendly.

Bob

[richidoo]

Sonos is rock solid transport. Extremely easy and intuitive to use. With network problems, it fixes itself where the Duet would just crap out. Newer versions released this year have even stronger wireless networking. The Sonos ZP90 player requires mods to achieve high end performance for both the analog and digital outputs. It has built in server so any dumb/slow $200 NAS will work. The system can be expanded to use throughout the house, easy enough for all family members to enjoy. In my house it allows the whole family to enjoy the hifi rig without asking permission or being afraid to break something. Great tech support, even for dummies.

[Goosepond]

To tag a little on the back of what Bryan said:

"Media Monkey" handles FLAC and burns CDs.
I use it all the time, works very well. Very user friendly.

Bob

Hi Bob,

I'm thinking of dipping just my little toe in the PC audio waters and would like to on the cheap side. 

The other day, I got an email from Stereophile with a link to HDtracks.com for a free FLAC 24/96K D/L. After D/Ling it, of course I needed to get me some s/w. I had already installed FooBar but never figured out how to use it.

But the HDtracks website had a link to MediaMonkey so I D/Led it too. Haven't installed it yet but reading around I began to wonder if this path was a good one. I'll still be using my PC for regular Internet access so I don't want to disable anything I'll regret.

So my question to you (or others) is, did you mess with that ASIO thingy to make Windows behave like it should for PC audio or does MediaMonkey take care of that stuff for you.

All this started when I saw someone here with one of those USB converters for sale cheap. I hadn't even heard of such a thing, but it seemed maybe this would be an inexpensive way to try PC audio.

Thanks,

Gene

[JLM]

DoubleJ:

Did you skip the part about software with guarantee that everything will work together regardless of whatever (bullet proof, simple like a CDP)?

bpape/Bob:

I want a complete off the shelf solution.

richidoo:

Who mods Sonus?  I've only quickly glanced at it before as I considered it inferior to my previous (modded SB3).  Only slightly interested in the whole house thing as I already have a 2nd audio system in the living room and an A/V system in the family room, so I don't see the point in Sonos as you still need a source.

[Doublej]

If you want as bullet proof as what you have today stick with what you have today. Otherwise

Most bullet proof - Take the audio out from the Mac mini or any Macintosh and plug it into your stereo via a stereo mini to stereo RCA cable but this won't feed a DAC.

Nearly as bullet proof as the first - Take the audio out from a PC and plug it into your stereo via a stereo mini to stereo RCA cable.

Otherwise buy a Mac or PC and a USB to S/PDIF converter or buy a PC and add in a soundcard with S/PDIF. If you have a problem it will be initially and should take no more than an hour to resolve. From that point on you should be fine.

[richidoo]

richidoo: Who mods Sonus? 

Cullen is the only one I'm familiar with. I thought Emprical Audio also did one, but I don't see it on their new snazzy website.

I have not read this thread yet, but it might mention others.

EDIT:  Empirical's Sonos "mod" is their Pace Car reclocker. A word clock input can be added to the Sonos to slave it to the PaceCar. Website link. Probably more info on Empirical circle too.

[Taterworks]

If you're not opposed to adding new hardware to your PC, pick up the ASUS Xonar D1 sound card. It's your cheapest entry into the state-of-the-art in PC audio, and that's 192kHz sampling. Why? Because upping the sample rate reduces the amount of harmonic distortion added in the high frequencies by the final leg of digital-to-analog conversion. Sampling at 192kHz means your sound card can produce a good digital picture of a waveform that contains information up to 19.2 kHz. This simple tweak has done more for my PC audio enjoyment than any other -- I use an ASUS Xonar D2 feeding a NuForce Icon-1 and S-1 system via the analog input of the Icon-1, and the improvement in transparency is astounding when switching from a 48kHz sample rate (that of the Icon-1's internal DAC) to a 192kHz sample rate.

My PC Audio System:

Source: FLAC lossless encodings directly from CD (44100 Hz)
Player: Foobar2000 (an excellent PC audio 'transport' with fantastic purity)
DAC: ASUS Xonar D2/PM PCI sound card (192kHz PCM, Burr-Brown DACs and opamps)
Cable: Audioquest Mini-A 2m 3.5mm-to-RCA
Amp: NuForce Icon-1 USB DAC/Integrated Amp (via analog RCA inputs)
Speakers: NuForce S-1 (Black/Black)
Subwoofer: Velodyne Impact Mini