Getting Started - Another Newbie Asks The Obvious! :o)

[ESP2009]

I have finally got around to rescuing our Dell Dimension 5100 Tower PC from our study that had turned into a junk room, making it all but inaccessible. We both tend to use Dell Inspiron 6400 laptops nowadays, so the Dimension has been languishing, virtually unused. I plan to re-jig the whole home (wireless) network to more sensibly organise the storage. I also want to begin exploring the potential of PC-based music. Therefore advice is welcome based on the following.

My traditional hi-fi is centred around an Audiolab 8000S amplifier. At the moment, I have simply run a relatively inexpensive (8m) phono cable from the PC jack output to the Tape2 inputs of the amp. The sound is OK but nothing earth-shattering and requires the volume knob turned past 12 o'clock to get anything like decent output (based on a quick listen to Spotify at the weekend which is all I've had time for thus far).

The Dimension has a 250Gb hard drive (approx 75% free) and I also have a Maxtor 1Tb back-up drive and now a Western Digital 1Tb external hard drive. Between them, they will principally be used to store/back-up photographs and music files. At the moment there is more than enough space to do both.

Without going mad, what is the sensible course of action to start off? Should I simply purchase a good quality phono cable and dedicated sound card? From necessity the PC has to be at the other end of the room from the hi-fi and TV, etc. Is there a USB alternative? Or what about a quick-fix, cheap wireless solution?

I have noted that there are various DACs and the Airport Express and so on, but am not intending to lash out on such goodies just yet - maybe in the autumn. Until then, do I just accept the cheap and cheerful (but maybe improved) long cable option? Are there any system tunings I could do?

I recognise that there are various other forum threads I should start to check, but for now a quick and simple response would be appreciated to start off and save me some time. Thanks.

 

[Anonymous]

As regards the cable - a "good quality" phono cable could actually set you back a fair bit if it needs to be 8 metres long. I guess it depends what you mean by good quality - and you may have noticed that this kind of question can lead to some heated, if ultimately pointless, arguments on this forum. First up I would check how much this will cost you and see if you think this will be a worthwhile investment. See here for example.

As regards wireless options, I don't think there is anything cheaper that Airport Express, and you would also need to purchase the separate Airfoil software - out of the box, AE only works with iTunes, not Spotify or anything else.

For budget DACs, try here, although there are other options.

I can't advise on soundcards, but no doubt someone else will be able to help. I guess it comes down to what your future plans are. In your position, I would probably stick with what you've got for the time being and see how you get on. Further down the line, you may have a better idea of how much you want to spend and on what... or you may be happy as you are.

 

[ESP2009]

Tractorboy, thanks for the response. You make a lot of sense and I will check those links. I imagine that sooner or later I will be looking at the Airport Express and other such options. I can't imagine that I will be satisfied with what I've currently got in the computer-based department.

It's useful to know what options I have to try to make the most of what I have without spending too much just yet (I have recent hi-fi purchases and holiday expenses to recover from!) Sometimes it's easy to overlook something, so I am open to suggestions.

And, no, I don't want to get into yet another cable debate! ;0)

 

[idc]

Hi ESP. I am just going to back up what Tractorboy has already advised. The simplest route for PC to hifi with the best music is PC - USB - DAC - analogue interconnect - amp. If you are running a cable over 8 meters I would do 7 of them with the USB and the last meter with analogue cable. I recently asked about USB cable lengths and the response form more than one person was that it was no great issue. There are plenty of USB cables to choose from on Amazon. I use a USB from Oehlbach. It is more expensive than others but it is very solid, bends and stays put and has a ferrite core, but it may not be sold in long enough lengths. Also there you will find What Hifi recommended interconnects from QED.

As for a DAC, Beresford, DacMagic, Musical Fidelity V-DAC, Fubar from Russ Andrews and Pro-ject all do USB connections.

 

[ESP2009]

Thanks chaps - pretty much as I expected, really. I reckon I will take another look later in the year at a more serious solution - I was vaguely considering adding a DAC at some point (for CDP and maybe PC). But I really need to lay off the hi-fi purchases for a few months now.

 

[ESP2009]

Just a quick update: I made a minor upgrade via Fleabay, purchasing a different 10m cable (again for under £10) which claims to be screened as well as having gold plating, etc, etc. A quick comparison with the first one purchased off Amazon (Fisual, I think, whereas this one is Pro-Signal and slightly thicker) revealed a definite and perceptible improvement. Better definition, more presence, and a deeper, more solid bass. I think I can live with this quality level for a level - it arguably begins to challenge the actual hi-fi! In fact, scarily, I have just put Beverley Craven's 'Promise Me' on, having played it earlier on my CDP, and it's possibly just as good from Spotify as from the original CD pressing.

I won't be getting rid of the hi-fi separates just yet; after all, what happens if the computer 'dies'?

 

[Anonymous]

I see that you have two backup drives. I trust that they are not stored in the same building!

 

[knacker]

ESP2009:

In fact, scarily, I have just put Beverley Craven's 'Promise Me' on, having played it earlier on my CDP, and it's possibly just as good from Spotify as from the original CD pressing.

I would think it would sound equally as boring on any format that you played!