NUC pc with optical out?

[TB303]

Hello,

I'd like to use a NUC PC as a local client connected to a DAC - streaming files from a NAS.

My Dac is the Chord Hugo which has slightly better SQ via teh optical connection (Toslink).

Is there a NUC with optical out? or can I use some add on card? not sure about teh quality of using an external USB soundcard...?

Thanks!

 

[jjbomber]

Hello,

I'd like to use a NUC PC as a local client connected to a DAC - streaming files from a NAS.

My Dac is the Chord Hugo which has slightly better SQ via teh optical connection (Toslink).

Is there a NUC with optical out? or can I use some add on card? not sure about teh quality of using an external USB soundcard...?

Thanks!

Use the USB of the NUC to connect a Turtle Beach Micro II and then run an optical fron that to the DAC.

 

[Overdose]

Hello,

I'd like to use a NUC PC as a local client connected to a DAC - streaming files from a NAS.

My Dac is the Chord Hugo which has slightly better SQ via teh optical connection (Toslink).

Is there a NUC with optical out? or can I use some add on card? not sure about teh quality of using an external USB soundcard...?

Thanks!

Use the USB of the NUC to connect a Turtle Beach Micro II and then run an optical fron that to the DAC.

You are suggesting using a cheap USB device to connect a £1400 DAC, interesting.

Given that the conversion to optical is via USB (already a lower quality connection according to the OP), would it not be better to get a Pc with optical output as standard?

 

[TB303]

Thanks People, I think the case for a NUC is that it's fanless so less noise and RF - ideal for a High end HIFI set up. I wonder if there is some middle ground? I know there are soem pretty small PCI cards? Perhaps?

 

[cheeseboy]

the USB connection should be spot on in that DAC, and if you want to play DSD files you will have to use the USB connection anyways. Just make sure you install the driver, preferably the latest version from the Chord website.

 

[TB303]

You are probably right... I looked at prices of media PCs and they are literally double (£800-ish) just to be able to have an optical - and a basic one at that... Maybe the USB route is the best after all.

Thanks,

 

[Overdose]

Thanks People, I think the case for a NUC is that it's fanless so less noise and RF - ideal for a High end HIFI set up. I wonder if there is some middle ground? I know there are soem pretty small PCI cards? Perhaps?

I can't say that I've ever had a problem. I just plug in a source and it all works flawlesly.

 

[Overdose]

You are probably right... I looked at prices of media PCs and they are literally double (£800-ish) just to be able to have an optical - and a basic one at that... Maybe the USB route is the best after all.

Thanks,

You've just spent around £1400 on a DAC that arguably does far far less than a media Pc at just over half the price and has a USB input that apparently sounds worse than the optical one.

There's every chance that a fanless media Pc would be just as good with its analogue output as your DAC by the way, particularly if it has a dedicated audio card.

 

[pauln]

You've just spent around £1400 on a DAC that arguably does far far less than a media Pc at just over half the price and has a USB input that apparently sounds worse than the optical one.

There's every chance that a fanless media Pc would be just as good with its analogue output as your DAC by the way, particularly if it has a dedicated audio card.

Come on guys, the Hugo DAC has had such good reviews everywhere, it can't not be sensational...

I know this has been linked to on here before but just as a reminder:

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/high-end-pc-audio,review-32894.html

Not a flawless test procedure but nonetheless much food for thought.

I suppose there must be other reasons for dropping £1400 on a DAC than how it sounds.

 

[Overdose]

I suppose there must be other reasons for dropping £1400 on a DAC than how it sounds.

Well, it can't be looks, it's so small, you'd hardly see it.

The badge maybe?

The results of the review were interesting, although not entirely suprising. I suspect that the results will be a lot more interesting to people about to spend £1400, than to those that already have.

 

[TB303]

Mate,

What's your problem?

It's my DAC, my money and I think it's worth it.

Have you even listened to the Hugo?

I spent 2 weeks home demo with it and I think it sounds much better than anything else I've heard, including my iphone or indeed a soundcard connected with wire hangers to speakers...

If you'd bother reading some reviews you'd see it is increadibly well recieved everywhere - check this out: http://www.head-fi.org/t/702787/chord-hugo (surely not everyone is an idiot?) It actually reperesents a real technoilogical breakthrough compared to previous DAC designs.

It is being compares to Linn and naim streamers costing more than double its price - which to me sounds like a good deal.

I've also got a deal on the Hugo so paid about £1,200.

I understand you can't afford these prices, but seriously, why ruin it for everyone else?

Yours,

 

[pauln]

I understand you can't afford these prices, but seriously, why ruin it for everyone else?

'Mate'

Your understanding is seriously flawed. What a crazy thing to say anyway, you haven't got the vaguest idea what any of us can or cannot afford.

 

[Overdose]

Mate,

What's your problem?

It's my DAC, my money and I think it's worth it.

Have you even listened to the Hugo?

I spent 2 weeks home demo with it and I think it sounds much better than anything else I've heard, including my iphone or indeed a soundcard connected with wire hangers to speakers...

If you'd bother reading some reviews you'd see it is increadibly well recieved everywhere - check this out: http://www.head-fi.org/t/702787/chord-hugo (surely not everyone is an idiot?) It actually reperesents a real technoilogical breakthrough compared to previous DAC designs.

It is being compares to Linn and naim streamers costing more than double its price - which to me sounds like a good deal.

I've also got a deal on the Hugo so paid about £1,200.

I understand you can't afford these prices, but seriously, why ruin it for everyone else?

Yours,

You see, this is my point. You are now trying to justify your position.

Chord is a 'high-'end company and all of its new products are likely to get rave reviews, but do you seriously think that they have reinvented the wheel?

As far as price vs performance goes, I think that it is a rather naive approach to buying anything and you are well on a fools errand if this leads your purchases in the future.

As to affordability, it's rather crass, but the main reason I could well afford this DAC is that I don't waste my money on such things in the first place. I may want audibly flawless performance, but I'm well aware that I don't need to spend a fortune to get it.

In todays world of hifi, the only component left that remains unable to give a truly faithfull replay of the music, is the speakers and that's where I would concentrate my money.

Anyway, if you are happy with your purchase, fine, but I would recommend that you at least try to prove the benefit of your DAC during the'run in' process (all high-end gear seems to have this) so that you might be able to return it, if after some honest testing you found that it sounded no better than your iPhone.

Seriously, I don't actually like people being seen off.

 

[markbbailey]

Unless you really want a NUC, the Gigabyte Brix range includes some models that have a headphone socket which also supports S/PDIF output. Have a look here:

http://uk.gigabyte.com/products/list.aspx?s=47&ck=104

I've got a couple of the Brix Pros (not for audio purposes though) and they're well made devices.

 

[Overdose]

Unless you really want a NUC, the Gigabyte Brix range includes some models that have a headphone socket which also supports S/PDIF output. Have a look here:

http://uk.gigabyte.com/products/list.aspx?s=47&ck=104

I've got a couple of the Brix Pros (not for audio purposes though) and they're well made devices.

Nice, presumably the OS goes on an external HD or is there room inside for one (they look tiny)?

 

[markbbailey]

They are indeed tiny but there's actually room for two hard disks; a 2.5" hard disk and an mSATA drive. If it's going to be used as an HTPC, streaming stuff from somewhere else then I'd got for an mSATA SSD as the only drive.

 

[cheeseboy]

Nice, presumably the OS goes on an external HD or is there room inside for one (they look tiny)?

says it supports 2.5" hard drives, so good to go for the all in one unit

 

[TB303]

Unless you really want a NUC, the Gigabyte Brix range includes some models that have a headphone socket which also supports S/PDIF output. Have a look here:

http://uk.gigabyte.com/products/list.aspx?s=47&ck=104

I've got a couple of the Brix Pros (not for audio purposes though) and they're well made devices.

Looks fantastic,

Thansk mate!

They're fanless too, right?

 

[markbbailey]

The Brix Pros aren't fanless and I'm pretty sure the normal Brixs aren't too. Under load the fans on the Pro can make a noise but I'm talking about maxing out an i7-4770 processor here. Playing back music (of any sort) is pretty undemanding so I'd expect the units to remain very quiet.

 

[cheeseboy]

if it's literally just for streaming, have a look at the raspberry pi and volumio. No fan, cheap as chips and the volumio software has a really nice interface.

 

[pauln]

You could build a really nice silent PC in one of these - http://www.kustompcs.co.uk/acatalog/info_0989.html - with ssd's and fanless it would be silent. Mini ITX motherboard would also support optical output. If it's only for music, low powered components would do and you could probably build one for half the cost of the Hugo. Looks nice too.

 

[TB303]

You could build a really nice silent PC in one of these - http://www.kustompcs.co.uk/acatalog/info_0989.html - with ssd's and fanless it would be silent. Mini ITX motherboard would also support optical output. If it's only for music, low powered components would do and you could probably build one for half the cost of the Hugo. Looks nice too.

Thanks Mate!