[RoadTripper]

You may have noticed I haven't been around here for awhile. Three years probably. I've been off pursuing other hobbies. But now I want to get a simple system going in my garage and I want to drive it off an old Windows laptop. By old, I  mean about 8 years old.

Rather than reading endlessly here in order to absorb all the latest tech. developments, can any of you get me up to speed on how to go about getting a decent system going? I have in mind NOT using powered speakers, but to use some kind of an amp.

I'm way out of touch.

Thanks.

[srb]

You have to get the audio out of your laptop and you have several options:
 
1.  Use the headphone output into an analog input on your amp or receiver.  This will usually give you less than stellar sound quality.
 
2a.  Use a digital S/PDIF audio output into an amp or receiver with a digital S/PDIF input (coaxial or optical) or into an external DAC.  Most PC laptops do not have a digital audio output, but a few models here and there did have a combination analog headphone/Mini Toslink optical digital output jack.
 
2b.  Use a USB port to feed an external USB to S/PDIF converter and then into an amplifier or receiver that has a digital S/PDIF input (coaxial or optical).

3.  Use a USB port to feed either an external USB DAC or an amplifier or reciever with a USB digital input.
 
4.  Use a Squeezebox, Squeezebox Duet or Squeezebox Touch network music player that would be fed by either a wired Ethernet LAN connection on the laptop or a wireless WiFi signal.  The music player software would be the native Squeezebox software.  The Squeezebox devices have a decent analog output (built-in DAC), particularly the Touch model, or it can output digital S/PDIF into a better external DAC.
 
5.  Use an Apple Airport Express that can wirelessly stream iTunes and has both analog and digital ouputs.
 
I will assume that your 8 year old laptop is using Windows XP.  You should have the latest Service Pack (SP3) installed if you are going to use one of the USB audio solutions.  Another consideration would be the size of the laptop hard drive and whether that will have enough space or require an external USB hard drive for your music library.
 
With a little more information, like if there is an existing amplifier or receiver you want to use, and what your budget is, specific recommendations can be offered.  A super-budget USB audio interface like the Behringer U-Control UCA222 ($35) would work, a little higher budget USB DAC like the HRT Music Streamer ($150) would be better, and of course there are many higher priced solutions, like the above mentioned Squeezebox players, USB digital input equipped amplifiers like the Peachtree Decco or Nova, or external DAC and amplifier combinations.
 
While there are many software media players available, if you are not using the Squeezebox and it's player software, Apple iTunes is free and has an easy to use interface and good feature set.
 
Steve

[RoadTripper]

Thanks for that helpful response. I realize I didn't give a whole lot of info regarding my parameters.  I could opt to use my relatively new MacBook Pro instead of my old Windows (yes, XP) laptop. My real system is computer based and all loaded onto my main desktop which is now running Fedora, being pumped wirelessly to a Squeezebox. Back when it was also Windows XP, my laptop (the Windows laptop) could see it and all the music loaded onto it. Now that the desktop is Fedora, I'm not sure I still have all that connectivity.

Having nosed around a little, I may want to retract my statement about not wanting to go with a powered speaker. It would be nice to have a two part system: namely a laptop and the speakers. Would that be possible? This is for a garage setup to listen while working on stuff so it doesn't have to sound like Carnegie Hall.

[srb]

If you already have a Squeezeserver library and wireless router, I'm not sure why you would need another computer (the laptop) in the mix, just get a second Squeezebox and stream to it also, sending the analog outputs to a powered speaker set.  If the garage location is too far away or there is too much interference, you could just add another wireless router configured as an extender.
 
As far as powered speakers, I would recommend the

- Audioengine A5 (or the diminutive A2 if you don't need much bass)

- Quad 11L Active

- Kanto iPair 5 (which I have because of it's remote control that I needed because in my case my source doesn't have remote volume control and I also needed to switch between two sources).
 
Steve

[RoadTripper]

Your suggestion is a good one. I'm not sure why I'm overcomplicating things. To make it even more simple, could such a powered speaker as the Audioengine be connected to my little MP3 player?

[srb]

Your suggestion is a good one. I'm not sure why I'm overcomplicating things. To make it even more simple, could such a powered speaker as the Audioengine be connected to my little MP3 player?

Absolutely.  If you have the option to use a true line out connection from the MP3 player (like you can from the bottom dock connector on an iPod), that will give you your best sound.  Otherwise, you'll have to take the output from the headphone jack and fine tune to get the best sound for your setup with the player's volume control.
 
Steve
 
 

[RoadTripper]

My MP3 player  sounds really good but it does not have a line-out option. Are MP3 players with line-out more common these days?

[RoadTripper]

For anyone still watching, I am now set up with sound in the garage. I got the Audioengine A5 and it took me about 2 minutes to decide that running them off my Mp3 player was not ideal. It worked fine except when my goofy Sanza acted up.

So, I ordered the Audioengine wireless transmitter and receiver. And I am running straight off my desktop. There was a bit of a problem there since I had no FLAC player running on Fedora. So I got xMNS installed there with the FLAC plugin and it all works great.

And the sound is WAY more than acceptable. I'm relatively stunned actually. Thanks for all the guidance!

[srb]

I'm still watching!  I had no reply to the question about a line out on other "MP3" players because I've only owned iPods.
 
Glad to hear you have accomplished your goal and getting decent sound.  Although I own a different speaker, the Audioengines seem to be the "go to" powered speaker in that price range and it seems that no one is ever dissatisfied with them.
 
Steve

[RoadTripper]

Yeah, Steve. I am amazed that these things put out a sound stage and more or less disappear. I fed them Fleck's Flight of the Cosmic Hippo to hear how they handle bass. Very impressive.

[JEaton]

If you're already set up with a Squeezebox Server and a wireless network, then another Squeezebox would be an ideal source.  I would find a used SB2 or SB3.  My garage system:

- Squeezebox2
- Yamaha CR-620 receiver (circa 1977)
- Genesis Physics 1+ speaker (circa 1979)

[RoadTripper]

Hi. I definitely considered the Squeezebox option. But, I got the Audioengine transmitter-receiver and I doubt that a SB would be any better sound wise. The Audioengine device has absolutely no setup and allows me to plug it into any computer. Half of my needs besides listening to my 200GB of ripped FLAC files involves listening to stuff straight off the internet in MP3 format. Linux/Fedora (which is where my FLAC files are served) doesn't support MP3 directly due to licensing issues. So, to listen to downloaded audio in MP3 I had to have something that would plug in to my laptop (MAC Powerbook) and render MP3.

The Audioengine is the ticket.

[JEaton]

The Squeezebox plays Mp3 natively, including both Mp3 files and Mp3 streams from streaming radio stations.