Is it worth getting a DAC for my media centre pc!!!!!!!

[admin_exported]

hello,

I have got a sony vaio media centre VGX-XL301 connected to a rotel ra-04 amp driving a pair of monitor audio rs1 speakers.I usually use my rotel rcd-06 cd player for listening to my music but have just put all of my music onto the sony vaio so i can play them using windows media centre. The sound i get from the pc isn't as good as from the cd player but its not that bad & is convenient, great for parties, just hit play all & shuffle.

What i want to know is there any way of improving the sound from the sony vaio VGX-XL301?

I have heard of these external dac's but would it be worth getting one & is there any software that would improve the sound.

Any help would be appreciated.

Rotel ra-04, Rotel rcd-06, monitor audio rs1, sony vaio VGX-XL301, 40"samsung le40m86,xbox 360,sky hd.

 

[Alec]

i think you would hear an improvement. Try the beresford or cambridge DACs and return or sell them if you're not happy.

I've tried various "enhancement" software in the past, most of which has added unwanted noise "making the sound superficially more "fullsome") and maybe a crude boost to the volume. Most of these have been free apps, however, and there may be better stuff out there.

If you're using windows, perhaps try using a different media player such as winamp and asio4all (can someone correct me if i typd that wrongly?) to get round kmixer.

are you playing songs from the hdd just now or using the CD drive? if you're playing ripped songs from the hdd, what foramt are you using...?

 

[Anonymous]

I am playing the music which i have loaded onto the hdd. most of them are just mp3 at 320kbps some may be of lower quality. i didn't want to use a lossless format as it would have taken up to much hdd space..

Are winamp & asio4all music playing software or do i install them and still just use windows media player. I prefer the look of window media player as on my 40" tv things like itunes and the like are to small on the screen so selecting tracks is difficult..

thanks for the help & and any other suggestions would be great.

 

[Anonymous]

Of course unless you have an spdif out, you will need a USB DAC (DacMagic, etc), otherwise the excellent and very cheap Beresford will work well also.

As for wether it will improve the sound...YES. Absolutely, and by quite a margin I suspect.

 

[Gerrardasnails]

pudley:
Of course unless you have an spdif out, you will need a USB DAC (DacMagic, etc), otherwise the excellent and very cheap Beresford will work well also.

As for wether it will improve the sound...YES. Absolutely, and by quite a margin I suspect.

I'm ripping my cds (yes I know it's illegal) using windows media player (lossless) and playing them through a media center extender and the CA DacMagic. It sounds brilliant. I would say that you would be amazed how good.

 

[Anonymous]

The outputs available are Optical S/PDIF OUT & Coaxial S/PDIF OUT. does that mean i could use the beresford or i would need to go for the usb dac.

thanks for the help

 

[Anonymous]

m1rfy:
The outputs available are Optical S/PDIF OUT & Coaxial S/PDIF OUT. does that mean i could use the beresford or i would need to go for the usb dac.

thanks for the help

No, The Beresford would do great. I have one in a similar system, and the difference it makes is pretty stark... Clarity, musicality and separation all destroy all but the very expensive computer sound cards. The advantage the Beresford has too, is it has a headphone amp built in (not the last word by any means, but very decent for the overall bundle price). If you order that one, order the Beresford coax or optical cable too...very good quality at a fraction of some of the named brands.

ÿ

Oh and dont worry that you are using MP3. If you are ripping them well, the difference between them and lossless is small, and they benefit equally from a good DAC.

ÿ

ÿ

The other positive I would say, that the Beresford on the site is now a latest version (an improved version on the WHF 5 star AFAIK)ÿ

 

[Anonymous]

thanks for the quick replies pudley. This may sound stupid but if i was to rip the cds in a lossless format & use the beresford would that give an equall sound to just playing the cd in my rotel rdc-06. thanks

 

[Anonymous]

m1rfy:thanks for the quick replies pudley. This may sound stupid but if i was to rip the cds in a lossless format & use the beresford would that give an equall sound to just playing the cd in my rotel rdc-06. thanks

I would guess it might beat it. But at least be on a par.ÿ

 

[Gerrardasnails]

pudley:
m1rfy:thanks for the quick replies pudley. This may sound stupid but if i was to rip the cds in a lossless format & use the beresford would that give an equall sound to just playing the cd in my rotel rdc-06. thanks

I would guess it might beat it. But at least be on a par.ÿ

Pudley is spot on there. You would basically be missing out on the transport part. By the way, I demo'd that Rotel a while back - the DacMagic is a lot sweeter.