YouTube video music

Youtube videos actually have quite excellent sound quality, especially if you configure the player to do higher resolution such as 720p or 1080p. However, if you are using a streaming device such as Roku or Amazon Firestick FireTV, etc, the Youtube app on these devices is absolute crap. The usability is very poor. The audio and video quality is absolutely horrid, even if you have an excellent internet connection. This is really weird because the streaming apps for other things (such as netflix, etc.) are really excellent. It’s just the Youtube app that is written poorly.

Using a computer web browser will give you superior results on this every single time for Youtube!!! You can manually set the resolution in the player within the web browser and searching/usability is obviously superior. You don’t need an expensive high performance computer for this either. A cheap low end computer will be just fine for Youtube streaming. There are a few ways to approach this:

1. Mac Mini - You can get an older generation Mac Mini for a couple hundred bucks and this will do just fine, or get something newer if you want. These generally have both HDMI and USB output, so you can use your external DAC if you want.

2. Mini PC running Windows 10. The "Mini PC" or Intel NUC devices are the PC version of Mac Mini. They generally have both HDMI and USB outputs. You can get one of these for as cheap as a hundred bucks if you look around (i.e. ebay).

3. Mini Tower PC running Windows 10. You will probably spend at least a couple hundred dollars or more for something like this. But it allows for a higher quality solution. Get a cheap video card with HDMI if the PC is missing an HDMI. You can add a high end sound card, such as Asus Xonar Essence or EVGA Nu Audio (sound card is essentially a DAC with RCA analog outputs). Alternative, you can even go as far as a JCAT USB card to produce a cleaner higher quality USB output for your external DAC.

If you decide to go with the PC Windows 10 route, install Firefox browser for Youtube. The Firefox browser actually gives the best audio quality from this platform (yes, there is a significant difference in audio quality between Firefox / Chrome / Microsoft Explorer / Edge). You can still route HDMI output of this to your AVR if you wish.

auxinput

thanks, I just downloaded Firefox, hopped about YouTube music videos

Firefox is definitely better than YouTube via Google

I'm going downstairs to download it onto my PC into my HT, and compare the Smart TV's YouTube to the PC's Firefox YouTube

@elliottbnewcombjr - are you running an Intel or AMD cpu? What video card are you using?

I use a PC with Intel Audio and Intel Video on the Motherboard to avoid the need for a separate video card and it’s heat which activates fan noise.

You simply do not know it is on.

https://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c05737506

Integrated audio

• Audio Codec: ALC3863-CG
• High Definition (Azalia) 5.1 channel audio support

  NOTE: The motherboard supports 5.1 surround sound. If the computer does not have the required audio jacks for a 5.1 configuration, additional hardware is required to use 5.1 surround sound.

• Audio jack presence detection

  NOTE: An internal speaker is not included with integrated audio. External speakers or headphones are required to hear sound.

  NOTE: Integrated audio is not available if a sound card is installed.

You can use it horizontal as I do, smaller than a AVR. HDMI out to AVR ’game’ input.

I use a wireless mini keypad/touchpad/mouse buttons to control the pc from the sofa. Mine is batteries, this one is rechargeable. Size of a small thin remote.

https://www.amazon.com/Rii-Wireless-Keyboard-Lightweight-Controller/dp/B00I5SW8MC/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=...

I do keep a full size wired keyboard and wired mouse on top of the PC in it’s horizontal position, for the few times I might need them.

I have the identical PC for my office, also quiet, and it’s hard drive is extremely quiet, very important when sitting right next to it.

Permanent Full Size Keyboard and Trackball in the office. I just overhauled my office for much improved audio, especially imaging, chair and monitor dead on the center of the speakers. Speakers and Monitor and seated Ear Height all perfectly aligned horizontally.

Headphone jack to RCA to Chase Remote Line Controller (remote switch/volume/balance), to Carver Amp to B&W bookshelf pair and Velodyne Sub. TT, R2R, perfect listening triangle, so I am in a great position to hear the benefit of Firefox better YouTube audio over Google Chrome’s audio which is pretty enjoyable itself.

I installed Firefox downstairs in the small HT, it also seems better than Google Chrome audio.

Downstairs, Smart TV, I haven’t been using the PC like I needed in the past, but now I will compare Firefox sound to Smart TV’s sound, always thru my AVR to 5.1 system.

Thanks for that link to the mini keypad/touchbad!  I've forwarded that on to a friend of mine who uses a Mac Mini to do youtube and streaming in his audio room.  It would be a great replacement for the normal mac keyboard/mouse.

There's another idea you can explore that may improve your audio/video from your HP slimline.  I have found that the upper end Nvidia video cards actually have a significantly better video quality.  I found this out when I upgraded my cheap little stock video card to a Palit Kalmx 1050 Ti video card (this won't work in your situation because of the size of the card and heatsink).

The best video card you can get in your HP Slimline is the Nvidia 1030 in a low profile card.  EVGA is an excellent video card company and offers a good solution which has a passive heat sink (no fans!):

https://www.amazon.com/EVGA-GeForce-Passive-Graphics-02G-P4-6332-KR/dp/B073VPKV26

It also comes with a low profile "short" bracket that's easy to replace (just unscrew the two bolts on the DVI port to replace the bracket).  These cards really don't get hot at all when doing 2D graphics (i.e. youtube videos, DVD/Bluray/etc.).  It's only when you do 3D gaming that the GPU heats up. 

These higher end video cards are better because in addition to the GPU, they have a number of capacitors along side the GPU to give stronger/smoother power current.  Also, I think they have much better HDMI transmitter chips and power supply.  This is likely to improve the audio quality as well (for digital audio over HDMI line).  For $100 investment, it could be a big game changer.

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Second idea is have you every thought about switching out the hard drive for an SSD?  This would lower the power supply requirements and also remove that slight "whine" from the hard drive motor.  It would also be cooler inside the case and a LOT faster than the standard hard drive (which is a higher speed 7200 rpm).  The SSDs have gotten really cheap nowadays.  You can get a 1TB SSD for about $100, or a 500GB SSD for $50 (depending on your storage needs).