Connecting PC to Home Audio System

[Iggy64]

Forgive me if this has been asked and answered; I have searched the forum but not found what I need.

I am using MM to organize my extensive MP3 and WAV collection on my aged desktop Windows 2000 PC. The sound card is an old Sound Blaster 16 PCI.

I would like to play my MP3s through my equally old home audio system, which is based around a Technics receiver that has only RCA analog inputs. My PC is about 40 feet from the receiver. Searching the internet for advice has turned up all sort of options, including wireless systems that cost many hundreds of dollars (which I can't afford). There are also external USB sound cards supposedly specially designed for this task, some including shielded cables (although usually not long enough) - for about $50-100. And FXSound.com offers a 50 foot cable to run directly from my existing internal sound card - for about $50.

Can someone give me an overview of the pros and cons of my various options, including inexpensive ones? I might be able to move my PC a bit closer to my receiver (at best, about 30 away, instead of 40).

It sure would be great to use the MM as my home audio jukebox, but I'm reading a lot of conflicting and incomplete advice scattered around on the internet.

Thanks!

[pushpull]

I ended up using a spare computer that I put next to my stereo equipment to achieve this. It sounds like you do not have a spare computer though. The cable run from your computer to the stereo will probably work though you might have some signal loss across it. You might consider trying to find another computer that meets your needs for storage, sound card, ect. to place at your stereo. If you network it to your other computer you don't necessarily need a monitor with it. You could probably find something on craiglist or hit up some garage or estate sales. You can find some pretty cheap computers out there if you look. People throw out perfectly good computers all the time. My system is set up so I can control it from any computer that is on my home network using tightVNC. I also plugged the phone line into the modem of the stereo computer and now when I have the music cranked up it will pause or stop MM so I can get the phone. So, for fifty bucks for a cable you can get yourself going until you can afford something better. Fifty bucks could also buy you a used computer that could work for you as well.

Have fun,
pushpull

[Iggy64]

Thanks for your response, pushpull.

So you put an extra computer close to your audio system. Then you connected it to your audio receiver through a short cable from your sound card? That is, the advantage of having the extra computer is that you can use a shorter cable? If that's the case, I'll see if I can get my hands on a decent used laptap, which would take up little space and provide a viewing screen at the same time.

I'm also looking into Xitel's HIFI-Link ($50), which is essentially an USB external sound card with a 30ft shielded cable. Taken together, I think that would just barely reach my existing computer. There is also a Pro HIFI-Link for $100, but it's not clear if that would offer me any advantage, since it may simply provide a direct digital hookup, which I can't use on my old receiver.

Anyway, thanks for the suggestion. I will certainly see if I can find a computer for trying that approach.

[pushpull]

If you use a laptop you will need something like this as there is not any line level output on most laptops, just headphone outputs. If you were using a full size computer then you would use the line out of the sound card. I have thought of getting one of these hifi links myself for my laptop when I am in the garage working as I do not have speakers out there nor an open speaker output on my amp. Not sure how the fidelity is on these though. Another usb device is made by maudio though I can't remember the model at this moment.

[Guest]

A non-MM option could be a network media player. Not as cheap as a long audio cable, but with the advantage of remote control and display (either on the device itself or a TV screen) where you were listening. It will be a personal thing but I'd hate to have to go into another room to change tracks. Many support wireless networks so depending on what kit you already have you may not need a network cable to your audio system.
My favorite for audio only is the Logitech Squeezebox 'Classic' (but I would say that as I bought a couple!). There are lots of others that do photos and video too, should you want to be able to watch divx movies etc. on your TV. The likes of DLink and Linksys (and lots of others) do them but you'd need the TV on to navigate menus etc. All these options need some sort of software running on your pc though, and windows 2000 might be a problem for some.

Another fairly cheap alternative to a long audio cable might be a videosender - most I've seen have stereo audio. I don't know what quality would be like though.

Good luck.

[JLG234]

Have you thought of a small cheap DVD player to use as a CD/DVD device for your sound system. This also forces you to offload your music library to DVD for safe storage should something happen to your harddrive. I have found that these devices all support MP3 and some support WMA. You burn your songs onto the DVD or CD and read them back through the player attached to your stereo system. Just hook up the audio RCA to the AUX, CD, or Tape IN of the Receiver to play back. I picked up 4 Digitex brand DVD players for $24.95 each at Wal-mart. I take one with me on my travels as they tend to play anything. I back-up my bought movies to DVD (Just the movie not all the extras) and these units have no problem playing back DVD's that have no menus.

As an MP3 player with a remote control they support MP3 folders on DVD's as well as CD. Now you can have a copy of your favourite styles and songs in different folders on the DVD and keep it in your player for access. You also don't have to run a cable 40 feet.

[rovingcowboy]

check my message on auto broadcasting to home stereo in the news and other stuff room? i think its in that room it might be here in the off topic, but there are lots of good ways in that thread other members are using to hook up the sound to the stereo. i use the fm transmitter and the win98 and soundblaster live to do it.

[Lowlander]

You could try out a headphone to RCA (assuming you only have headphone out on your PC) with a 40ft length. I don't know if it's possible to have it custom made or purchase one as is (you will possibly need a 3.5" to RCA converter).

[Iggy64]

Just to complete this thread, in case other readers might have an interest ---

People were kind enough to point out various options for connecting my PC to my home stereo. I figured I'd start out with the cheapest approach, then work my way up through the more-expensive options until the sound quality approached CD quality, or something close enough. I am happy to report that, in my case, the least-expensive option worked amazingly well. I found a 50 ft mini-jack to dual RCA cable for about $9.00, connected my sound card's analog output to my stereo's CD inputs (I no longer use a conventional CD player, so those jacks were available), and started playing WAV, MP3, and streaming MP3 and ogg files on my home audio system. The quality is amazingly good. If a rip a CD to WAVs and play over the home audio, it seems indistinguishable from the same CD played through my DVD player.

So, at least in my case, the simple and cheap approach has worked out very well. If you are thinking about playing your files through your home stereo, it might be worth trying this approach. I'm sure it won't always work, depending on your sound card, potential sources of EMI, the quality of your speakers, etc. But apparently sometimes it does work very well.

Thanks again to all who offered suggestions.