best way of connecting Laptop to Amp for under £100

[admin_exported]

Hi there i have recently bought a Marantz PM6003. I need to cennect my dell studio 17 to it. My laptop only has a mini jack or hdmi output. I listen to 90% of my music from my laptop e.g bbc iplayer and spotify. I was hoping to find a budget DAC or maybe a good external sound card?

This is what i have found so far

M-audio transit http://www.boomerangsounds.co.uk/product.php?xProd=253 £58

logitech squeezebox http://www.superfi.co.uk/index.cfm/page/moreinfo.cfm/Product_ID/3876 £90 (will i be able to stream bbc iplayer?)

Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi 5.1 External Sound Box http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0019JDDC8/ref=asc_df_B0019JDDC8716193?smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&tag=googlecouk06-21&linkCode=asn&creative=22206&creativeASIN=B0019JDDC8 £62

I have know idea how any of these sound like, can any one else make any other suggestions??

Many thanks Mark

 

[Anonymous]

If it is stereo you're interested in the Creative would be an odd choice.

The MF VDac I can reecommend but is slightly over budget.I'd check out the Nuforce udac also, with the added benefit that you can use it w/o your amp as a headphone amp. Both are wired by usb cable.

The logitech would indeed do the job wirelessly, just as streaming via airfoil to an airport express hooked up to the amp would.

 

[Anonymous]

Have you tried a straight forward wired connection from laptop to amp with phono connection to mini jack terminal to see what it actually sounds like through your amp? The most cost effective solution by far but might not sound all that great...not sure if your HDMI would be useable with your amp ??

Slightly over your budget the HRT Music Streamer II (£140) got rave reviews last month in WHF but haven't tried one...you maybe able to shop around to get a better deal...but there are loads of external dacs out there and I would do some more research...

Good Luck

 

[rana_kirti]

I'd recommend these USB DACs as i'm myself in the same position as you... I wonder if anyone here has compared these...

NuForce Udac vs. Music Streamer II...???

 

[iiee]

STAY AWAY FROM THE CREATIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The drivers are an unholy mess at the moment and the features are pretty useless.

I don't know anything about the squeezebox so that might work for you but the add suggests you might need the control if you dont have one already and that increases the cost to £250 pounds

The others have already suggested two very good dacs with usb ports but as one seems to be over budget so im going to suggest you try getting a cheap usb soundcard with a spdif out and then go to ebay and try to pick up a beresford tc 7510 (they go for between 70-80 i think) which fits the bill nicely and will work well imo.

Failing that go visit your local superfi and have a look at the project usb box. I dont think its a match to the Beresford personally but it should do the job and will come in under budget. Any thoughts on those ideas anyone.

*edit* link to the topic on the project dac http://community.whathifi.com/forums/t/183712.aspx

 

[Anonymous]

hi dont know about your amp but my acers have hdmi and run via hdmi to my pioneer lx-60 so every thing on my pc goes through my amp spotify,you tube ect. also if your laptop has hdmi as mine do you will be able to play cds dvd and blue ray also copy as well , hope this helps mike

 

[pip1st74]

Hi Mark

Wouldnt bother with the M-audio transit for your setup as your amp doesnt have an optical input.

Ive just got one for my set-up & connected via a mini jack there is no difference from straight connected to laptop.

I may end up getting a new Laptop with hdmi like your as i tried my bro's one with direct hdmi & the difference is amazing.

best of luck finding the answer

 

[Anonymous]

i have a silverstone eb01 works well, usb only and usb powered mine cost £58 delivered from scan computers

 

[idc]

Lippo, just to confirm something, your laptop also has USB and that can be used to connect to a DAC. Most of the DACs in your budget use USB and WHF liked this little baby in a recent review
http://whathifi.com/Review/CYP-AU-D3-DAC/

 

[Anonymous]

My laptop does have a usb output. the cyp would be perfect but it doesnt use usb, only optical and coax. my laptop has neither of these connections

After doing more research i really like the NuForce udac, but its alway out of stock? and only a 16bit DAC

http://amazon.nuforce-icon.com/NuForce-Icon-uDAC-USB-DAC-and/M/B002VNIRWM.htm?traffic_src="GB&utm_medium=CSE&utm_source=GB&id=uk"

Also theres the firestone fireye 2 £85 16bit dac has any1 had any experiences with this?

http://www.firestone-audio.eu/shop/products/allproductslisted/fireye2.php

and because they are so small will they even be worth the money???

 

[idc]

Sorry, i did not see the DAC I liked to did not have USB. I have a Firestone Fubar DAC and the Fireye is similar and smaller, but the Nuforce gets loads of praise particularly on the Head-Fi forum. They will be so worth the money as often more expensive DACs have other functions such as a headphone amp added to make them better value for money. That is why I got the Fubar, it was £125 new and I was only paying for what I needed.

 

[Big Nads and Woofer]

It may be worth you taking a look at the musiland Monitor 2 here...

http://www.pacificvalve.us/MusilandMonitor02.html

A friend has one and it's a really cost effective way of upgrading, much better than your suggestions too..

Plenty of reviews around...