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Looking for EZ way to do audio fr PC and IPOD

OK, have read thru this forum and my head is spinning like the actress in the old Excorcist movie. Simple question (I know no such thing). Is there a straightforward way to setup a system so I can use both/either my PC and my IPOD as music sources. PC is late model w WIN 7 etc and IPOD is Classic 30 gig. Looking for how best to extract to my Cambridge 740C which has an outboard DAC capability. I am also willing to buy another free standing DAC if need be as well as a Squeezebox Touch. Ripped files are primarily WAV or Apple Lossless...about 15K of them. Keep it simple if possible. Thx.
joekapahulu
magfan
1,583 posts
 
How far does the confuser sit from the stereo?

If more than a couple yards......I'd consider wireless streaming to an Apple TV or some such.
Because of the powerful SMPS in the computer, I'd keep it well away from sensitive electronics from which I wish good sound.

You'll like the DAC section of the 740c, if it doesn't mind any jitter from a digital source. Make sure your player has up-to-date ....what's it called....firmware?

my 840c doesn't like the digital output of my Airport Express....
craig_hoch
65 posts
 
Hi Joekapahulu,

One simple, inexpensive solution for you might be to use a USB To SPDIF converter to get the signal from your PC's USB output into your 740C's digital input. Musical Fidelity has a newish converter out, the V-Link, which is very reasonably priced and is getting quite good press.

I'm using a Windows 7 PC and iTunes library as the sole source for my small secondary integrated based rig. As Larry said above, I found that it's easier (and less expensive) to get good quality sound from a PC rather than from an iPod, so I would suggest using your PC as the source for your 740C (which I have read is a great player BTW) and leaving the iPod for use while on the go.

In my case I have a 160GB iPod Classic, and I store the master itunes library for my PC on an external hard drive due to the space required for my large library (all of which is downloaded in Lossless). I feed my PC into an HRT Streamer II+ USB DAC, which gives good results on my modest secondary rig (less so on my main rig). I am going to order the V-Link next week in order to allow me to stream internet radio from my PC into my main rig via my CAL Sigma tube DAC. I'll post some results once I get the V-Link and play with it a bit.
joekapahulu OP
250 posts
 
Thx all who posted. Sounds like the PC is the way to go and the IPOD can be for mobile use only. Craig thx for your details. That sounds like a good way for me to go too. Please post on the V-link as that sounds promising. I just read a review in Stereophile and I am leaning that way now.
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