Best Way 2 Connect

[pip1st74]

Hi All

At the moment im playing my music from my laptop through my Onkyo amp via the headphone port,

But am getting really annoyed with interfearance coming through the amp.

Is there a better quality way of playing my music from my laptop 2 my amp ?

 

[professorhat]

What laptop do you have? It's worth checking to see if it has an optical output - I'm assuming your Onkyo amp is an AV receiver and thus has optical inputs?

 

[pip1st74]

Laptop is a 3 year old Sony VGN-NR31J Amp Is an Onkyo TX-SR875

 

[professorhat]

A quick Google hasn't given me a lot of info unfortunately - do you have the manual still? Worth checking in there to see if it has an optical or S/PDIF output.

If not, you can get external USB soundcards which will provide this from the likes of M-Audio and Creative - I've not really any experiences with them so I'll leave others to recommend some.

 

[pip1st74]

Alais No optical or S/PDIF output.

So how do i get the sound from the laptop 2 the amp using an usb sound card ?

 

[daveh75]

pip1st74:
Alais No optical or S/PDIF output.

So how do i get the sound from the laptop 2 the amp using an usb sound card ?
USB from laptop to USB Soundcard, then either optical or digital coaxial cable (depending on soundcard) from sound card to your Onkyo.

 

[pip1st74]

Sweet.

Thanks Guys, Anyone out there no a good 1 ?

 

[daveh75]

The M-Audio Transit, that prof mentioned above, gets high praise on various forums...Though not heard it myself, so no idea if/or how good it is!

 

[pip1st74]

Ive just tried the Creative Sound Blaster X-FI Go,

But 2 my disappointment i still seem 2 be keep interfearance & feedback through the Amp.

Any other ideas, Do i need 2 go down the DAC route ?

Im just lost now,Wot r my options ?

 

[professorhat]

From what I can see that Creative device doesn't have a digital output? If so, it could be that whatever is causing the interference in the digital to analogue conversion in your laptop is still affecting it even when using this soundcard.

Hopefully you haven't purchased the Creative (or if you have you can exchange it?) as I'd try and get a soundcard with an optical output (like the M-Audio linked above) and connect this to your amp via optical and see if this improves things. I don't think you need to go the external DAC route just yet as the DAC in your Onkyo amp will be of a decent quality, it's just a matter of getting this conversion done outside of your laptop by connecting it up directly to the amp using a digital connection. I'd therefore recommend the optical route as this should be a bit more resilient to anything external which might be causing the interference.