Topic: Real Rhapsody(PC) -> Home playback

[BCostigan]

I've just discovered Comcast Real Rhapsody.     All this music to listen to for $9.95/mo is quite tempting but I'm trying to figure out how to best get the signal from my PC to my home playback.  I know it's mp3 but I'd much rather listen through my system than here at my PC through headphones.

I'm thinking of getting a 25' set of RCAs to go:

Stereo mini out of pc -> RCA via an adapter -> playback

Anyone have any input if it would be worth getting a soundcard with coax out? 

Any help is appreciated!

[ducati]

You're going to have problems driving a 25' set of cables off the headphone out on your PC.  I think a soundcard would do a much better job.  Coax SPDIF out would be a waste as I don't know of a DAC that would handle an MP3 stream.

[MattD]

If you go through a soundcard, the data is already in WAV format when it hits the card. An mp3 player (like Winamp) sends the card WAV data "reconstructed" from the mp3.

[BCostigan]

What about this thing....for $50 I'm tempted to try.     Anyone tried one or something similar?

http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Xitel-HiFi-Link-Audio-Processor-HIFILINK-/sem/rpsm/oid/113329/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do

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

The stock soundcard on my PC had a Line-Out.  The headphone out on my machine was actually on the speakers.  Plug the powered computer speakers into the line-out and viola.

An extension of this, and I've been doing it for a few years now is to run the Line-Out from your PC to the AUX input on your receiver.  I used a 1/8" TRS>RCA Y-Cable:  http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLG&product%5Fid=42-2551

Last year, when I got a digital pre-amp, I also bought a Zoltrix so I could go optical out from the PC, but I haven't been able to get that working quite right - I can't get 48k playback...

BUT (huge but here), my PC makes a lot of electronic noise and I can hear it when I playback thru my PC.  I used to think it would be convenient, etc. to pop a SHN CDR into the CDRom and play with SHNAmp thru the stereo, but I find it to be a PITA with all the digi-noise...

However, when working right, it rules.  I can switch between dozens of shows in MP3, SHN. FLAC, whatever without any pauses or disc changing, but I'm slowly starting to burn my listening to CDR for playback rather than using the PC>Stereo route...

Good luck with it!!!

Terry