Hello, critique my system..

[admin_exported]

Hi, first id just like to say nice forum ive needed to find some info out sometimes and this forum has helped.

Ok I've been into hifi/home cinema for about 3-4 years now. In the time ive had a few different amps, DD and stereo however all have been connected to the pc in various ways (either 3.5.mm-2rca for analog stereo amp) or coaxial for dd.

Currently I have the following setup:

SB XFI XtremeMusic

3.5MM-2 RCA QED Qunex lead

Nad C350 AMP

B&W DM 110 speakers

I use foobar as my player of choice, most of my stuff is in mp3 format. I use audio creation mode with 44.1 khz setting and bit streamin ticked. ASIO enabled in foobar.

I'm pretty happy with the sounds but just wanted to know if there was something I was missing that could improve the sound without costing a fortune.

So what do you guys reckon I could improve on.

 

[JoelSim]

A CD player or turntable?

 

[Anonymous]

[quote user="fr0g"]

(Has anyone else realised the speed at which posts here appear on google???[/quote]

Yeah, I noticed that too. They must be using some serious technology.

 

[Anonymous]

First, I'd concur with the external DAC idea, but I might see if I could find one that will decode multiple streams for your interest in surround, I'm not sure the b*resford will do that, but I do hear it is a high quality DAC.

Also, unless you plan on recording music whilst playing other music back (i.e. amatuer studio recoring) then you need not bother with ASIO. All ASIO is is a sound driver that has a fixed sample length buffer of a pre-defined length. Without ASIO that buffer can be of any length that the sound card feels it needs to not stall and is generally quite high so your recorded music will be out of sync with music you recorded it alongside.

Having said that, it can't do any harm having it in that mode though, except that if you have a great deal of polyphony from multiple sound sources (a music creation package such as fruityloops is a good example of something that can cause that) then you may find buffer underruns occuring and have to tweak up the ASIO latency.

 

[the record spot]

A turntable; you got the digital bit covered by the looks of things!

Or, buy a standalone player and do a like for like with the PC/laptop applications. Interesting if you could clap hands on a home loan (yes, highly surreptitious I know...!!) - you'll probably get a machine they use for demo, so it'll be well run in and you can do a quick compare. if you like it enough, you can splash the cash.

Gut reaction though, record deck - anyday.

 

[Andrew Everard]

[quote user="tractorboy"][quote user="fr0g"]

(Has anyone else realised the speed at which posts here appear on google???[/quote]

Yeah, I noticed that too. They must be using some serious technology.[/quote]

Who, us?

 

[Anonymous]

Yes, I got to this forum via google and most of the results were pretty recent too.

Pretty good forum like I said, lots of replies already!

About the turntable that really would be useless to me as most of my collection is mp3. The DAC is an interesting idea and I did do some research on it, some people seemed to be of the opinion that it greatly helped the system but a few were not too enthusiastic claiming it as "DAC Hype"

I do recall when I used to have AV amps that I would connect them via a coaxial cable (with a 3.5-coaxial converter in my soundcard) and enable SPDIF out. The sound was then outputted in digital which I think meant that I bypassed the soundcards DAC and used those on the amp. I was pretty happy with the sound then too as it was quite clear.

So perhaps the DAC would help, however £100 is alot of money for me.

Would this do the same thing?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Edirol-UA-1EX-Sound-Card-by-Roland_W0QQitemZ110240350883QQihZ001QQcategoryZ123445QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

As it uses the USB port and not my soundcard would there be any disadvantages/advantages compared to using a DAC via the output on my soundcard?

Something like that would be quite good as I would still be able to use my soundcard for games and the Roland for my music.

 

[Anonymous]

[quote user="noobman"]
Yes, I got to this forum via google and most of the results were pretty recent too.

Pretty good forum like I said, lots of replies already!

About the turntable that really would be useless to me as most of my collection is mp3. The DAC is an interesting idea and I did do some research on it, some people seemed to be of the opinion that it greatly helped the system but a few were not too enthusiastic claiming it as "DAC Hype"

I do recall when I used to have AV amps that I would connect them via a coaxial cable (with a 3.5-coaxial converter in my soundcard) and enable SPDIF out. The sound was then outputted in digital which I think meant that I bypassed the soundcards DAC and used those on the amp. I was pretty happy with the sound then too as it was quite clear.

So perhaps the DAC would help, however £100 is alot of money for me.

Would this do the same thing?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Edirol-UA-1EX-Sound-Card-by-Roland_W0QQitemZ110240350883QQihZ001QQcategoryZ123445QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

As it uses the USB port and not my soundcard would there be any disadvantages/advantages compared to using a DAC via the output on my soundcard?

Something like that would be quite good as I would still be able to use my soundcard for games and the Roland for my music.

[/quote]
It's a midi device, a soundcard plus dac, so in essence it can convert a digital signal to analogue, but I would be cautious. I do n't know this device and the simple fact that it can convert digital to analogue doen't mean it does it well enough to make an improvement.According to a german hifi magazine that conducted a test on budget hifi dacs/soundcards the best solutions are external soundcards/dac via usb. Their favorites are the tascam us 144 L, edirol FA-66 (firewire) and Echo, Echo Layla 3g. My own experience with the tascam us-144 is that is gives a very clear, detailed sound, no or hardly any noise- a major improvement over the internal soundcard. Drawback is the supplied software- it's really a pain in the neck.My suggestion would be to search ebay for a bargain, but limit your search to external soundcards/dac and certain brands, like emu, Echo, tascam, beresford dac, edirol. And please, please don't buy the very cheap stuff that's not worth the effort.

 

[Anonymous]

For example the Beresford TC-7510 Mk6/3 dac, Item number: 180231589994, bidding starts at 30 pounds...(100 new)

 

[Alec]

Sorry for the interruption, but probably a useful question nonetheless - fr0g - in your opinion, any point using the M-Audio card and the Beresford at the same time...? If not, i take it you'd go with the beresford over the M-Audio card...?

 

[the record spot]

[quote user="fr0g"]
Record deck?

Why would someone obviously interested in computer based music want to step back in time with great big lumps of black plastic ? If he has a bunch of old lps maybe, but there is no way I would recommend someone start along that route now.

The DAC I mentioned will transform your stereo. I wouldn't bother trying to find one that will do the same for surround, better to get yourself a cheap receiever for those duties.[/quote]

The original post did make reference to computer based media, you're right.

On the other hand, it also stated the guy had been into hifi/home cinema for some time and was there anything else he could do his system? it didn't specify what, so that in my book is open season in the absence of further info. He's running a NAD C350 and it's no stretch of the imagination (although it looks like I'm being proved wrong here) to add a phono stage and a t/t to that, had he wished.

As it is, we now know he's not up for that as he hasn't got any LPs, so problem solved. I didn't ask why he would or wouldn't want vinyl (or any particular change for that matter), I just answered an open question and presented an option.

Not sure why on earth you wouldn't recommend vinyl as an option for someone on the basis they haven't got any LPs - that's simply a nonsense. I don't have any golf clubs, but is that a reason for me not to take the game up? I haven't a telescope, so I guess astronomy's out the question...the lsit goes on. The logic doesn't hold up.

PS - and "step back in time"? Maybe it's worth speaking from an informed position before your post that kind of thing old son....?

 

[the record spot]

[quote user="noobman"]
So perhaps the DAC would help, however £100 is alot of money for me.[/quote]

Unless you can land one used, although they may hold their value, you might be better off saving for a while until you can get the Beresford, which sounds like top VFM on a restricted budget?

 

[mattc76]

Re-rip all your cd's into a lossless format like flac. Much better than mp3, particularly when you're putting it through a quality amp like yours - and its free!!

 

[Alec]

Thanks, but im still a little confused there then...? Another card worth considering (perhaps...?) is the Auzentech X-Fi Prelude 7.1...? Tho i hear so many good things bout the M-Audio that i'd probably go for that. two quick asides 1) Whats vinyl...?; 2) fr0g - "PM"...

 

[the record spot]

[quote user="fr0g"]
lol.
The OP was quite obviously into computer based music rather than ancient, redundant tech. I have liistened to quite a few TT based systems, including a very highly specced LP12 based system, and I feel the almost religious love people have for them is OTT. Its old tech that I have absolutely no time for myself. I have about 100 LPs that I will never play again... and will probably end up in the skip. I hate them, I dont agree they sound better... different, yes, coloured, usually, and the sooner they stop taking space in my local store, the better.
Maybe I should try to sell the OP some of my VHS tvideos I have too?

Or a better analogy... maybe I should recommend he buys a reel to reel or gets into Laserdisc recordings.[/quote]

LOL - take a pill, chill and go and work out your argument minus the invective. Maybe it didn't register the first time - what was apparently obvious and what was asked for were two completely different things.

Everything else in your post? *chuckle*

 

[the record spot]

Yup, that's pretty much what it all comes down to. I use EAC myself from time to time and the dreaded iTunes for the Nano. Very convenient and the sound quality's not bad at 192kb/s.

I hear you about the Linn though. That said, I'd say any hardware can sound duff if it's not put together with a bit of thought. Maybe the LP12 had the spec, but was the wrong bit of the jigsaw?

Best bit of hardware I invested in recently was the cartridge below - the AT440 if anything is as near to a 'digital' sound as you'll get; very analytical, open, good bass. Can't stand too much warmth...!