hippojam
11-05-2005, 03:50 PM
I'm a relative beginner audiophile, so please bear with me. (But I do have an engineering degree, so I'll learn quickly.)
Right now this is my current PC system:
Shuttle XPC Zen ST62K P4 3.2Ghz
Onboard realtek ALC650 (AC'97 Codec) (supports 6 ch DAC)
5.1 Channel Audio Output
Optical S/PDIF Out
Stereo:
Right now I have a cord going from the headphone jack to the line in of my Bose Wave Radio/CD. The sound quality is acceptable, but about 30% of the MP3s (Mostly 192-320 bit rate quality) get distorted, especially at louder levels.
I want to remove this distortion and get better sound quality while keeping my set-up simple...I don't want a billion wires and components everywhere since I have a small place.
I was thinking that using the S/PDIF optical out on my computer and getting a new Bose-similar little stereo with a DAC would be an upgrade, but now I'm reading that digital isn't necessarily better than analog.
Can anyone tell me what my main limitations in sound quality are right now? (I'm assuming it's the analog cable and Bose stereo and not the PC configuration, but I could be wrong.)
Does anyone have any suggestions of a good simple upgrade to this system? What cable should I use? What's a good alternative to a Bose Wave stereo for a studio apartment? Are there any computer enhancements I could do without getting a new sound card?
Thanks in advance!
Jeremy
Right now this is my current PC system:
Shuttle XPC Zen ST62K P4 3.2Ghz
Onboard realtek ALC650 (AC'97 Codec) (supports 6 ch DAC)
5.1 Channel Audio Output
Optical S/PDIF Out
Stereo:
Right now I have a cord going from the headphone jack to the line in of my Bose Wave Radio/CD. The sound quality is acceptable, but about 30% of the MP3s (Mostly 192-320 bit rate quality) get distorted, especially at louder levels.
I want to remove this distortion and get better sound quality while keeping my set-up simple...I don't want a billion wires and components everywhere since I have a small place.
I was thinking that using the S/PDIF optical out on my computer and getting a new Bose-similar little stereo with a DAC would be an upgrade, but now I'm reading that digital isn't necessarily better than analog.
Can anyone tell me what my main limitations in sound quality are right now? (I'm assuming it's the analog cable and Bose stereo and not the PC configuration, but I could be wrong.)
Does anyone have any suggestions of a good simple upgrade to this system? What cable should I use? What's a good alternative to a Bose Wave stereo for a studio apartment? Are there any computer enhancements I could do without getting a new sound card?
Thanks in advance!
Jeremy