2. pc-audio
  3. 1019684067

How do you get Good Sound from a PC ?

Currently one of my computers has an older soundblaster live card w/44khz digital input/output. Another has a 44hkz digital output on the motherboard (Asus A7N266-E). I have the soundblaster connected to a phillips cdr-880 which I use as a 44khz D/A and A/D unit. Sound quality is so-so.

I would like to integrate a digital recording system into my main audio system so that I can record and playback music from my lp's and from mp3's.

What would give me the best sound in the 200-1000 price range ? Also where can you buy the items below cheaply ?

My current considerations for hardare upgrades are
- the audiophile 2496 soundcard,
- the 96khz Apogee Rosetta ($1000!),
- an alesis 9600 hard disk recorder($1000+!),
- or the ART DIO with some hot-rod modifications.

My main audio system has an SCD-1, a tuner & a record player.
john_l
cbird1
21 posts
 
Rather than a soundcard per say, which seem to introduce a fair amount of jitter by their nature, you may wish to consider a Sutherland dax7. In its stock format, it is digital in - analog out and a volume control. It uses 12ax tubes in the output stage and is great for going form digital broadcasts on line into a main system. It was a huge upgrade in quality and opened all the digital radio stations into listenability. My version was highly modified, so the are flexible as to your nsystems needs and impedances. stock unit is $1600.00. Don't know if it is on the used market yet.

good luck

cbird
lazarus28
339 posts
 
instead of reposting my suggestions, just read this thread, it should help.

http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?htech&1017678271&read&3&4&

good luck
njonker
107 posts
 
I use a Mark Of The Unicorn 828 hooked up to the computer through FireWire. It has 8 channels of balanced / unbalanced I/O and built-in D/A and A/D converters and works nicely. It also supports LightPipe I/O which allows you to use an External A/D/A box, and has SP/DIF I/O. The 828 is a separate chassis sitting outside of the PC, so no noise from within the computer to deal with. It works very well. Reasonably priced under $1K.
jhaddad5407
5 posts
 
I use the Stereolink 1200 (www.stereolink.com) which connects to the USB port on my laptop. It costs $150. The DAC's are pretty decent. I don't have much to compare to, but it sure beats the stock soundcards that come in PC's these days.

I actually learned about this on audiogon a couple of years ago.
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