PC as a source

Daniel · « **on:** 27 Mar 2004, 07:00 pm »

A handful of AC'ers have started using a PC instead of a CD player as a source. Hantra is a relatively recent convert with a great gift for the gab:wink: who has really piqued my interest, especially since he and I are Scott Nixon Tubedac+ brothers and he apparently now just uses the D/A in the soundcard. The best thread on the topic at AC is here.

I don't plan to pursue a PC solution for myself just yet but might help a downstairs neighbor set up such a solution. He is not prepared to spend $4000 on a VRS Revelation server so he'll need to assemble his own. I'll guide him but it will be the visually-impaired leading the blind. I'm so new at this that it seems simple. Surely it can't be.

Here is what I imagine it entails:
1) Purchase a PC optimized for quiet fan and HD performance. The HD might be a Seagate Barracuda 160 Gig.
2) Buy a badass soundcard, such as the Lynx L22, which is Hantra's pick. It comes with a cable that will plug directly into the pre-amp.
3) Install software for lossless ripping and playback. Hantra uses EAC for ripping and Foobar 2k for playback.
4) Figure out how to operate it remotely with a decent interface. Options include using a laptop via wireless networking or maybe a PDA. I need some step by step advice here.

Here are some specific questions:
--Are there any tricky parts to the above steps? Where am I going to run into trouble? Have I left anything out?
--Phat Phreddy alluded to Lynx vs RME vs Theta shootouts on AVS but I couldn't find them. Any late-breaking soundcard recommendations?

ooheadsoo · « **Reply #1 on:** 27 Mar 2004, 07:31 pm »

The lynx seems to have fallen by the wayside on head-fi.org ever since the RME got popular. I can't seem to find the comparison, but the consensus is that the RME is practically as good as the lynx L22 but at less than half price. The Lynx multichannel model is even more pricy, but many of us may not need the multichannel capabilities out of the computer since that would probably be left to the dvd-a/sacd player.

Here's a stereophile review of one of the RME cards:
http://www.stereophile.com//digitalsourcereviews/299/

And here's a thread on modding the RME card:
http://www5.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=59664

Here's a discussion on a product that will get you remote control functions:
http://www5.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=59297

Hantra · « **Reply #2 on:** 27 Mar 2004, 08:43 pm »

Gab eh?

I haven't even posted much in the last few months since I got this setup.

Anyhow, I would absolutely go with the Seagate Barracuda drive. They are as quiet as they come. I have tweaked a bit using Dynamat, and am ordering some foam to quiet the thing even more. Right now, it is almost as quiet as the ambient noise in here, and only a little noisier than my old Sony transport.

If you go wireless, it's best to get a USB wireless adapter with a long cable so you can get all that away from the rest of the components. Might not make a bit of difference, but it makes me feel better.

I just threw a Shakti stone on top of my power supply, and am pleased enough with the results to buy the thing. Don't discount a nice power cord. It makes as big an audible difference on this as it does on the DAC.

Need any tips or anything, post here.

B

Daniel · « **Reply #3 on:** 28 Mar 2004, 12:23 am »

Thanks! I spoke with my neighbor. He wants the *best* soundcard for playback, cost no object, so it may well still be the Lynx L22. The RME mods are cool but I'm not going there. No way.

Edit: The Hush Technologies AVX Music Server seems to be the gizmo you had in mind from that thread, ooheadsoo. Here's the link: http://www.hushtechnologies.com/. The don't say what they use as a soundcard. I imagine that may be where it comes in cheaper than the VRS Revelation. I worry it ain't audiophile quality.

Hantra, how do you interface with the PC? I took a look at Phat Phreddy's suggestion to go with J. Rivers Media Center 10 interfacing with Musiclobby on a PocketPC. It looks awfully good and permits lossless .wav ripping. Its friendlier looking than foobar2k by far and would replace the need for EAC.

It seems that the power supply would be an important component here as well as the power cable. Is there a clean one?

Which CD-rom would be optimal?

EchiDna · « **Reply #4 on:** 28 Mar 2004, 12:38 am »

I think this is the thread at AVS that you were refering to Daniel:

Analogue soundcard shootout

Using :

Soundcard 1: RME DIGI96/8 PAD £270
Soundcard 2: M-Audio Delta1010, costs £400
Soundcard 3: LynxTWO model B, costs £900
Control point 1: dCS Delius 24/192 D/A Converter, costs £6,000
Control point 2: Lexicon MC-12B Music & Cinema Processor, costs £9,000

enjoy

it's a long read....

Hantra · « **Reply #5 on:** 28 Mar 2004, 01:40 am »

Daniel:

I interface with a laptop using 802.11 and Remote Desktop Protocol.

I couldn't really tell you which power supply sounds best. I bought a Thermaltake Silent X-Power 480W with Active PFC. It's not quiet. hehe They say it's 17db. More like 30. But I went in and disconnected the one fan that was not controlled by rheostat, and now it's quiet as a mouse.

I would make sure and get active power factor correction. It just sounds like it would sound better.

Also, CD-ROMs. . . Get you one of those Lite-On 52x24x52x burners. Probably $50 or so, and they seem to be the best out now as far as accurate rips.

HTH,

B

Rob Babcock · « **Reply #6 on:** 28 Mar 2004, 02:09 am »

I have a Lite-On and it's a good drive, but I think Plextor is considered the best. Don't quote me, I'm not positive, but that's what I hear. And for pure quietness, I think the Samsung optical drives are about the best.

bubba966 · « **Reply #7 on:** 28 Mar 2004, 02:12 am »

If you can find one, a Kenwood 72X TrueX drive is killer. Unfortunately they quit making them a year or two ago...

Hantra · « **Reply #8 on:** 28 Mar 2004, 02:18 am »

According to www.hydrogenaudio.org, the Lite-On is 100% accurate in all the rip tests with EAC. So is the Plextor, but it's $$$. 100% is 100%. The Lite-On also reads scratched discs better than the Plextor. That was a concern for me on some of my old discs that have rolling around the car for a few years.

Rob Babcock · « **Reply #9 on:** 28 Mar 2004, 02:31 am »

Yeah, my Lite-On works great with EAC. I think the Plextor has less published compatibility problems with some of the media I use, but again I'm not dead sure. You can't beat Lite-on for performance vs price. My only bonehead move was getting both my drives in beige- my PC has little flipup drive covers, so I decided to save a couple bucks. Then I got a new black ANTEC 3600 BQE. D'oh!

Hantra · « **Reply #10 on:** 28 Mar 2004, 02:51 am »

Quote from: Rob Babcock

Then I got a new black ANTEC 3600 BQE. D'oh!

Krylon!!!!

jakepunk · « **Reply #11 on:** 30 Mar 2004, 06:45 am »

My audio PC fulfills all five of Daniel's requirements, and I did it with Linux.

You can read about it here.

I ripped all my CDs in FLAC format, and I use flac123 for lossless playback.

Phat Phreddy · « **Reply #12 on:** 2 Apr 2004, 06:22 am »

You could of course just contact carrilion for thier high end studio type audio PC's but where would the fun be in that...

Build a silent PC (consider the RME 9632, i hear good things about it)...

Add a VFD for track listing info and audiotron style control with LCDMaster..

Add an IR input for IR control via pronto and supernudelist...

Consider interface a PDA and Netremote for 2 way brosing control...

Consider a touchscreen and MusicLobby for very slick GFX..

Use MC10 and APE for ripping / tagging / encoding / playback via ASIO..

I have done almost all of the above (not PDA) as well as watercooling silencing etc at various times... My HTPC is my main audio source.

Daniel · « **Reply #13 on:** 3 Apr 2004, 03:11 am »

Thanks jake and Phatty! I'm having a great time with this. Nice tips!

vpolineni · « **Reply #14 on:** 3 Apr 2004, 03:25 am »

many thanks to phat phreddy.. he's given me some great advice in selecting a soundcard... the rme 9632 is awesome!

Hantra · « **Reply #15 on:** 3 Apr 2004, 03:47 am »

Quote from: vpolineni

many thanks to phat phreddy.. he's given me some great advice in selecting a soundcard... the rme 9632 is awesome!

You've heard it!? I didn't know you had it up yet. . .

vpolineni · « **Reply #16 on:** 3 Apr 2004, 04:04 am »

Brandon,
yeah, I have it up and running. Currently, I'm using rca's with the breakout cables that came with it. All the help you have provided is to use a balanced connection and Robert at Ridge Street audio is building that adaptor to go along his Poiema! balanced cables... I'll let you know if there is an improvement (there better damn well be for the extra money i'm putting in!).

Adarsh · « **Reply #17 on:** 28 Apr 2004, 07:36 am »

Does anyone know if it's possible to use the Nokia 6600 as a remote control?

EchiDna · « **Reply #18 on:** 5 May 2004, 06:28 am »

Quote from: Adarsh

Does anyone know if it's possible to use the Nokia 6600 as a remote control?

yep you can!
check it out here

Carlman · « **Reply #19 on:** 17 May 2004, 01:59 pm »

I've been debating this audio pc idea for some time... My options are to get the universal truth mods done to my existing player, about $700.
Pros are easy use, no change to cd methods... dedicated device, simple, clean solution.
Cons are that what if I don't like it... or it doesn't do what I'd hoped. It starts over.

If I buy a silent PC and nice sound card, the pro's are excellent sound, customizeable sound.
Cons are, change in the way I play music, I have a PC in my sound room, and what if it doesn't sound like I'd hoped... (for my budget).

While the cons are a little heavier with the audio PC, I might be willing to try it if I can keep costs down.

What's the recommended configuration for 2-channel music-only PC's? i.e.:
Is 2 Gig too much processing power?
How much memory is needed? What kind?
How much cooling is needed?
What's the best soundcard for the money? I saw someone post there was an RME clone out there... that was cheap. However, I'd like something with L&R RCA outputs on the card. Does the RME have that?

It has become apparent I'll have to build this piece by piece. So far I'll probably get the Seagate Barracuda HD and the Lite-on CD drive looks nice..

Now... What case, motherboard, and power supply do you recommend? I've seen some on quietpc.com but that place seemed pricey on everything.

Just looking for help... cheap and small would be nice. I'm not using it to surf the web, no email, nothing but audio.

Thanks,
Carl