New starter

[admin_exported]

Hi,

I am a new starter to comp based music.

I have just upgraded my home cinema so i now have only Bray for music, But have approx 5/600 cd's, I also use itunes but do want a descent music set up,

Questions

Should i go for comp based set up

Hifi set up

What is the first step in com based set ups

Look forward to any comments

 

[idc]

Your PC based setup will be part of your hifi setup. The PC replaces your CDP as your source. Your first steps are -

1 - hopefully you have imported your CDs to itunes in lossless, though if you have not do some compariosns between bit rates to see if you can hear a difference. Just import a CD a different bit rates and switch between them. The consesnsus is that it best for sound to have bit rates as high as you can.

2 - get a DAC. The DAC will take a digital signal from the PC, usually by a USB cable and convert it to analogue. Phono interconnects will then connect to an amplifier

3- the amplifier and speakers are your traditional end of the setup.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for replying and advice,

1, I have imported a few cds to itunes for my ipod but only in standard form. i ,have now put on hold until i know what was best, My next step is to sort lossless and put all cds on to pc

2, A DAC then is only any use when connected to amp,speakers?

3, What makes a DAC good? What should i be looking for?

4, Could i connect to my cinema set up to start with KEF 2005.3 Yamaha rx v765

5, is a cd player required if playing music this way?

Sorry for all questions, Just very vague on subject

 

[idc]

Happy to help as I started out because of forum help from a no-knowledge starting point as well.

1 - in itunes go to edit - preferences - general - import settings - there you will find a drop box with options for bit rates and you want apple lossless

2/3 - you can use a minijack to phono cable to connect your PC to an amp. The minijack end goes into the PCs headphone out socket, the phonos into the amp. Then you use the PCs own DAC in its soundcard. But for best sound quality results you want a separate DAC as the DAC itself will be better quality. The PC sends a digital signal to the DAC which converts it to analogue for the amp.

4 - if your Yamaha has a digital input and a DAC in it then yes. You would just need a suitable digital or optical or USB cable to connect the PC to the Yamaha, depending on what the various connection types are.

5 - no your PC replaces the CD player. Furthermore with a PC you will be able to play from internet based music sources such as Spotify and Last FM and the thousands of radio stations on the web.

 

[JoelSim]

iamthetimberman:
Thanks for replying and advice,

1, I have imported a few cds to itunes for my ipod but only in standard form. i ,have now put on hold until i know what was best, My next step is to sort lossless and put all cds on to pc

2, A DAC then is only any use when connected to amp,speakers?

3, What makes a DAC good? What should i be looking for?

4, Could i connect to my cinema set up to start with KEF 2005.3 Yamaha rx v765

5, is a cd player required if playing music this way?

Sorry for all questions, Just very vague on subject

Your computer hard drive will connect to the DAC, as can other sources such as DVD players. The DAC will then improve the quality of the sound over and above the computer's DAC. This will then feed into your amp.

In other words it can be a virtual CD player, just using the transport (ie drive) from your PC and the DAC itself (a CD player in very basic terms is a transport and a DAC combined).

You should be looking at Beresford Caiman and Cambridge Audio DACMagic to give great results (so I'm told). Then you don't need a CDP. Of course if you're ripping lossless it will take a while but in the meantime use your disk drive on your computer to play CDs.

To stream from your PC/Mac wirelessly you will also need something like an Airport Express/Airtunes.

 

[Anonymous]

Thats great thanks,

My first step now will be to start importing, Will keep looking at reviews on DACS and hopefully soon be listening to my music throughout the house,

One more question please

once it is all on pc will it be ready for sonos if i wanted?

 

[Dave_]

iamthetimberman:

once it is all on pc will it be ready for sonos if i wanted?

Yes, or squeezebox and various other streaming devices.