Help needed re Computer based music system

[Al ears]

I currently have a HTPC sitting around doing nothing. I have a plan to use it primarily for music (flac files) and to then use it in conjunction with my Sony AV amp in my main living room.
As such would like to know would I be OK using the current onboard sound or would it be better to invest in a dedicated sound card? If going the dedicated route what would I need in the way of DAC / cables etc to link it up to my AV amp.
I know it sounds a bit vague but I'm very much a newby at this - give me the old black disk anyday!

 

[Al ears]

Perhaps I should have added that the PC has a bluray drive fitted and is connected the AV amp via HDMI cable. It is primarily used as a bluray player. I want to connect purely to playback lossless files through 2 channel stereo.

 

[Anonymous]

Hi,

i have a hifi and regualy use a pc as an input. A good outboard sound card makes a world of difference. The one i use is a complete interface as i use it for recording. its a Roland Quad capture and it sounds a million times better than the internal one i used previously. Its a USB but supports 24-bit 192kHz over 2 channels (its only 2 channel).

However if you only want it as a sound card i have heard cambridge audio Dacs seem it be pretty handy!

Matt

 

[Overdose]

If outputting over HDMI, your Sony AV DAC should do all of the necessary, no need for additional cables.

 

[drichardb]

I currently use an Asus Xonar D2X soundcard which I am very very happy with. I found the quality to be a big step up from the on board sound I had used on my pc's in the past. Since I changed my front & center speakers to B&W the quality has jumped even further. I just need to scrape together some cash for a proper AV amp...

In your situation though I would recommend the Asus Xonar HDAV as it has twin phono analogue outputs but also has an HDMI output that supports both HD audio formats so you would be able to get the best out of your Blu-Ray drive.

 

[Anonymous]

The HDAV works very well in an audio and video machine: not only is the analog stage OK, and upgradeable, but with its 4-pin Molex input it lets you make some choices about how it's powered (crucial for best performance) and you've always got the option of a reasonably well clocked optical SPDIF output if you choose to go with an 'off-board soundcard' - AKA: DAC - later.

 

[Anonymous]

That depends on how you're going to connect to your receiver.

I have my HTPC connected via SPDIF and depending on the audio chip on your mobo, you can upscale to sound. This really improves sound quality, with mp3's.

Using SPDIF or digital coax gives the best sound, if you mobo doesn't have SPDIF or digital coax you can buy a SPDIF bracket online. The analogue connections on mobos are rubbish.

If you can't find a bracket or your mobo isn't compatible with one, just buy a soundcard with SPDIF or digital coax and use that to connect your HTPC. Just make sure the Sample Rate and Resolution form the digital or analogue outputs meet (S/PDIF Digital Output:
44.1K/48K/96K/192KHz @ 16/24bit, Dolby Digital, DTS ) your need.