2. pc-audio
  3. 1139784453

Bit perfect digital output from pc

I'm hoping someone can help me grasp the difficulty in getting a 44.1KHz signal from my pc to dac. I'm putting together my first 2 channel HT/audio pc.

Reading this forum, I gather you firstly need a sound card that will output 44.1KHz without first resampling to 48KHz. Any recommendations?

Secondly, it appears Windows will not in fact allow a 44.1KHz output. Can someone explain why this is? Is this something that will be corrected in Vista? Are Macs similarly handicapped?

Thirdly, there seems to be some very complicated ways of bypassing whatever it is in Windows that prevents the 44.1KHz signal using ASIO or kernel streaming. Can someone please explain what these are and how to use them?

Lastly, it seems you need a software player capable of a 44.1KHz signal - I see Winamp mentioned a lot. Will Windows Media Player not do the job? Any other software recommendations?

Thanks for your help. I just want my computer to output a standard cd signal and I really don't understand why it should be this complicated.
baileyincanberra
rhing
89 posts
 
It's not complicated. Get a soundcard with ASIO drivers (Budget: M-Audio, E-Mu, Echo Audio, ESI; Mid-to-High: Digital Audio Labs, RME Audio, Lynx Studio), and download Foobar2000 and Exact Audio Copy. In Foobar2000, select the use of ASIO drivers and/or kernel streaming to bypass the Windows 2000/XP k mixer.
baileyincanberra OP
34 posts
 
Thanks for the response - that makes it sound kinda easy! Is there any sound quality difference between using ASIO drivers or kernel streaming?
ckorody
643 posts
 
And no - Mac is not similarly handicapped :-)
racerxnet
54 posts
 
You can get the Chaintec 710 for about 25.00 dollars and set the output to 44 khz. Output to the DAC is toslink only on this card. Foobar as the frontend with kernel streaming. Should be no differnce in sound output when you are bit perfect.
gigi
20 posts
 
Airport Express from Apple will stream (wire or wireless) 44.1KHz signal from your pc to dac but you have to used iTunes as your media player.
More to discover