Comp-based system. I need advice.

[admin_exported]

I'm new here so first of all hello to everyone. I've got almost all of my music stored on my laptop's hard drive and as you can presume built-in speaker are not good enough to
listen music. I would like to build some system but I need a little advice about it.
As I wrote my laptop will be the source (I'll propably buy CD asap) and now I'm little confused what to do. I see some possibillities:

PC => DAC => amp => speakers

or

PC => DAC => active speakers

I think the better is to buy amp and matching speakers so I can develop whole system later. What do you think?
Because it's my first hi-fi I don't want spend a lot of money on it. I was thinking about used amp and speakers from ebay. About my budget: it's sth around 300-350. I've checked ebay and I think I could buy some amp and speakers for about 150-200 connect it to PC and then look for DAC or external sound card. Do you think it's worth to search ebay or maybe easier way is
to buy ready system like:
http://www.superfi.co.uk/index.cfm/page/moreinfo.cfm/Product_ID/3856
Music I listen to is: metal, rock sometimes reggae or jazz.
Here is my room drawing:


http://g.imagehost.org/0094/room.jpg

I'm thinkg to install speaker on the desk or on stand on the sides of it.
Can you advice me what are the amp, speakers (active or passive) and DAC options for me.
Thank for any help.
PS sorry for my english

 

[Anonymous]

This is difficult to answer - some suggestions:

[*]Forget the plans with the cd player as long as you are on a tight budget, just rip cd's with your laptop, and buy an extra hd if space becomes limiting.
[*]A cheap dac I have read good things about is the simple m-audio transit but there are more options. Also amp+usb input, like the russ andrews. Be aware that you need usb PC input, not usb memory-drive input on the amp if you buy an amp with usb!
[*]I would never buy speakers thru ebay unless you can audition them, with a cheap amp I would have less problems. Start with listening to speakers.
[*]If you decide not to by extra gear like cd players, it could be that active speakers offer more value for money (in the price range you mention it is value for money rather than 'better' that is important). Make sure that they have a proper volume control (with remote probably?) digital volume by using the laptop is not the best option.

Good luck!

 

[idc]

Hi kouczan. The future of hifi is 'PC => DAC => amp => speakers'. I would go for the set up on Superfi, but instead of getting the CD player get a DAC instead. With any money left over get some decent cables and speaker stands. From there, as more money comes available you can start the joy of upgrading!

 

[Anonymous]

That superfi deal is quite intriguing, its certainly worth considering. I don't think you need a CD player, at least not initially since you're planing on saving your music to the computer and ripping it with error correction turned on in a preferably lossless format should give you excellent quality no matter what CD-ROM drive your computer has.

Its always tough coming up with a setup for somebody else (too easy to spend other people's money perhaps!!) but I think in your situation I'd go a slightly different way. Whatever computer you have and then add the excellent little Cambridge Audio 340A for £170 plus some real (ie not tiny little active computer) speakers such as Cambridge Audios' own S30 or perhaps the Roth Audio OLi1 or Tannoy Mercury F1 which have all recieved 5 star reviews on What HiFi and are £100 or just over. For the best sound qualtiy, you are going to want to add an external DAC between the computer and intergrated amp and my first choice would strangely be yet another Cambridge Audio product using their DacMagic (I promise I don't work for them, just in this instance they have good matching products) but buying that sould put you a little over your price guide. If you could stretch to include the DacMagic I do think it would be the best product as it is excellent (I do own that Cambridge Audio product as it happens) and will offer you room to grow no matter what you do down the road but if you need to stick to something a little more reasonably priced then perhaps I'd go for either the Beresford TC-7510 or the Musical Fidelity V-Dac. The last option if none of the DAC's look good to you would be an external sound card, although Creative Labs doesn't have quite the selection of USB sound cards it once did. They do have the Xmod which will certainly be better than using the computer's internal DAC, and its only £50. It is a little limited in its abilities as it doesn't have all the ports of the above external DAC's and the fancy engineering they've devoted to getting music to sound its best, however it will give your computer audio a very good upgrade and is resonably priced.

Out of the Beresford or Musical Fidelity I'd go for the Beresford. Please make sure your computer has a digital optical out port though as the Beresford doesn't have a USB port apparently. If you don't have a digital optical out on your computer, then the Musical Fidelity would be a great option as it does also have a USB port and every computer has a USB port so you'd certainly be able to hook it up between the computer and intergrated amp.