Topic: Stereo / PC integration completed - loving XP Media Center

[cachesoul]

Greetings, I dont post much but I have gleaned so much knowledge, advice about NJB3 from the threads here, I cant thank you all enough.

Obviously gushing a little bit, but I finally completed the integration of my stereo system and my PC.  You might tell me that you have done it for years, but I am here to tell you that the new MS XP Media Center edition is awesome!  My new PC came with capture card, but most importantly a great soundcard and video outputs.  Media Center edition has fonts and graphics large enough to see on a normal TV set.  This was the ringer for me, the remote control for my pc controls everything, access to all the digital music, photos etc on my pc.  Had an eargasm listening to a 16bit 48k recording of Railroad Earth that I taped… woa Nellie, having way too much fun… just gotta remember to point that remote at the PC instead of the TV

My digi tunes System:

Northgate Media Center PC with XP Media Center edition, RF remote control
http://www.northgate.com/content/products/notebook_desktops/bto/index.cfm?template_id=1&config_id=157
Creative Audigy soundcard
Optical digital audio output to stereo
ATI video card
SVHS video output to stereo

Yamaha Dolby Digital Receiver,
Infinity Kappa 7.1 main speakers
Infinity Kappa center channel
Infinity rs6 for surround channels

[twatts (pants are so over-rated...)]

Yeah, I do the same iwth my Zoltrix card...  I'm waiting on the video part...

But you might want to check into the Creative Audigy soundcard.  Most traders and tapers AVOID Creative card like the plague becasue of resmapling and noise issues...

Terry

[Nick's Picks]

I keep looking at one of these....
http://turtlebeach.com/site/products/audiotron/producthome.asp

also, check this out: http://turtlebeach.com/site/products/audioadvantage/indetail.asp

[dnsacks]

Nick:

What advantage does the turtle beach unit have over the squeezebox (http://www.slimdevices.com/)?

Neither appear to support resolutions above 16/48, but at least the squeezebox will play flac encoded files (and is reputed to have a VERY nice sounding low jitter digital out).

That Audio Advantage Micro is SWEET -- wonder if it's bit-perfect? 

[Nick's Picks]

yea, that slim device is pretty cool.  I hadn't seen it.

turtlebeach cards resample on input...but who knows about output.
It doest' look like they packed much electronics in that little usb thingy....

Hey D...
i'm thinking of coming out to CO for some Kimock in jan/feb.  i'll know more when the tour schedule is posted.  depends on the time...Sarah is due in early March.

[cachesoul]

Those are both cool, coulnt find prices for the turtle beach unit.  givin me ideas for phase 2 that would provide network to the stereo in our bedroom.

[twatts (pants are so over-rated...)]

Nick:

What advantage does the turtle beach unit have over the squeezebox (http://www.slimdevices.com/)?

Neither appear to support resolutions above 16/48, but at least the squeezebox will play flac encoded files (and is reputed to have a VERY nice sounding low jitter digital out).

That Audio Advantage Micro is SWEET -- wonder if it's bit-perfect? 

The obvious advantage is that the Turtle Beach will play SHN files thru SHNamp.  Since 85 percent of my tunes are in SHN, I'd hate to convert them all over to FLAC just for playback through a wireless playback system.  No even sure if the wireless system is bit-perfect.  What the use of a digital in and out if it resmaples...

Here is an ETREE article about soundcards, including the Turtle Beach:  http://etreenews.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=551&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0

[kindms]

If you haven't already done so this website / forum is great for integrating the whole thing. These folks have more of a lean towards the HDTV side of things but their HW reviews etc I find very helpful and they take great pictures.

http://www.htpcnews.com/


They talk ALOT about noise and creating a HTPC that is virtually quiet and has all the bells and whistles etc. I took away a lot of knowledge from their site when I was building my new PC. I had considered going this route but I opt'd to go with a traditional mid-tower until I get enough cash for the really killer componet-like cases they have out there now and most importantly DISPLAY. I am not gonna spend a ton of cash and not have a display worthy of the build

[dnsacks]

terry -- I didn't see the little usb device (audioadvantage) at first and was commenting solely on the big audiotron which, as far as I can tell only plays wav/wma/mp3.  

I believe there's a real easy way to determine whether a digital out resamples -- play a dts-encoded source through it (like the am digital 5.1 version of gd10/9/89).  A non-resampling digital out will enable the target device to properly decode the dts-encoded source, a resampling digital out will not.

FLAC re-coding.  I'm now making a habit of re-encoding everything I download/store on my hard drive into flac format.  Not only would it enable future streaming on a squeezebox-type box, but I can also burn audio disks directly from flac using nero, split flac files (and save as flac) using cdwav and even digitally edit flac files in audacity.  Right now none of these can be done using shorten.

Bottom line, I've got 120gb of tracked out flacs on my pc's hard drive right now.  It's full-up and I'm about to throw another 200gb of storage online.  Sure would be nice to have all of this instantly accessible to my main stereo system via a bit-perfect digital connection without the need for format conversion or burning to audio cd.


Check out the thread here for an interesting comparison of the squeezebox's digital out to a Wadia 860x CD transport http://lists.slimdevices.com/archives/discuss/2004-June/030513.html