want to play computer's .mp3's on my home theater system

[ls229]

Here is what I know....

My set up is Win7 Ultimate
pentium 4 3.39ghz
2 GB ram
I want more than anything to play my 9847 jazz .mp3's
through my home theater system for quality sound

researched around Google to find someone recommeding
a radeon 3540 card for BD playback and all I want is
HDMI Sound or just a way to hook this computer via
the digital audio input (Toslink male) or best compatible
digital audio card for the GX620

[RicheemxX]

You mention GX620, is this a Dell OptiPlex GX620 or what? What is the form factor on the case? I'm not certain that doing with a new video card just to get digital audio out would be the most reasonable option. Adding in a new sound card would likely be your best bet. But both of those options would depend on the system and expansion availability.

[ls229]

You mention GX620, is this a Dell OptiPlex GX620 or what? What is the form factor on the case? I'm not certain that doing with a new video card just to get digital audio out would be the most reasonable option. Adding in a new sound card would likely be your best bet. But both of those options would depend on the system and expansion availability.

[osprey4]

Why don't you simply use the desktop's headphone jack into an aux input of your stereo?

[stroyal]

Exactly, or the speaker outlet on the back.
I've been doing that for years, for everything from Flight Sim, converting records to MP3s, or just listening to music.

I also make my own cables, so I can go 50' or more, without paying an arm and a leg.

[ShyguyXPC]

Besides the simple and cheap/effective means already listed...

even throwing in a card like this would be a decent means: Newegg.com - ASUS XONAR_DG 5.1 Channels PCI Interface Xonar DG Sound Card

has TOSLINK, as well as 3.5mm SPDIF output if your looking for something with Digital out to the Home Theater.

Plus its a half height card if the system your using is a smaller form factor system.

Otherwise if you have a Digital Coaxial Input on the theater as well, and a regular height/width PC, regular case. Then a card like this would be fine too.

Newegg.com - DIAMOND XtremeSound XS71 7.1 Channels 16-bit 96KHz PCI Interface Sound Card

Or same height, but dual In/Out TOSLINKS

Newegg.com - DIAMOND XtremeSound XS71DDL 7.1 Channels 24-bit 96KHz PCI Interface Sound Card

For my audio I use a Home Theater (5.1 Dolby Digital Pro Logic II receiver), and my Sound card uses Digital Coaxial Out to the reciever, my new motherboard has Onboard audio with Coaxial out as well, which I plan on using.

I've always had trouble with TOSLINK in past, with initial fraction of second of sounds and audio being cut off, as if a delay or lag (imagine a gun shot, and only hearing the 2nd half of it, thats what I'm talking about), not sure if it is the cards end or the receivers end, so I never use it anymore.

[bigBonehead]

"... I want more than anything to play my 9847 jazz .mp3's
through my home theater system for quality sound ..."

Not gonna happen. MP3 and Quality Sound are mutually exclusive... of course YMMV

[ls229]

Besides the simple and cheap/effective means already listed...

even throwing in a card like this would be a decent means: Newegg.com - ASUS XONAR_DG 5.1 Channels PCI Interface Xonar DG Sound Card

has TOSLINK, as well as 3.5mm SPDIF output if your looking for something with Digital out to the Home Theater.

Plus its a half height card if the system your using is a smaller form factor system.

Otherwise if you have a Digital Coaxial Input on the theater as well, and a regular height/width PC, regular case. Then a card like this would be fine too.

Newegg.com - DIAMOND XtremeSound XS71 7.1 Channels 16-bit 96KHz PCI Interface Sound Card

Or same height, but dual In/Out TOSLINKS

Newegg.com - DIAMOND XtremeSound XS71DDL 7.1 Channels 24-bit 96KHz PCI Interface Sound Card

For my audio I use a Home Theater (5.1 Dolby Digital Pro Logic II receiver), and my Sound card uses Digital Coaxial Out to the reciever, my new motherboard has Onboard audio with Coaxial out as well, which I plan on using.

I've always had trouble with TOSLINK in past, with initial fraction of second of sounds and audio being cut off, as if a delay or lag (imagine a gun shot, and only hearing the 2nd half of it, thats what I'm talking about), not sure if it is the cards end or the receivers end, so I never use it anymore.

[Gomar]

I dont get it. I've been burning MP3s to CDRs and playing them in my CD player for years. In fact, my DVD player plays CDs, CDRs, WAVs, WMA, CD Audio, but not FLAC. However, some car stereos do not play MP3s nor WMA.
New DVD players play MP3s from burned DVDs as well.

[Gomar]

"... I want more than anything to play my 9847 jazz .mp3's
through my home theater system for quality sound ..."

Not gonna happen. MP3 and Quality Sound are mutually exclusive... of course YMMV

Technically, yes, but 320kbs is CD quality. In fact, 160kbs is fine, and 128kbs is standard as it provides good quality for the size, which is 1/10 of WAV.

I was using VBR4 then 5, now use CBR-112kbs as file size and quality is good for my 4gb MP3 player using $5 headphones. I ripped my CDs to WAVs, and play off the external HDD; or for HI-FI I play orig CDs in player using shelf Yamaha speakers.

[RicheemxX]

Yeah you don't get it....lol

He was talking about how to connect his PC to his home theater system, nothing at all to do with burning disks or the ability to play those disks on a CD/DVD player. I'm guessing the point here being he didn't want to burn nearly 10k songs to disks in order to do play them...just sayin.

Technically, yes, but 320kbs is CD quality. In fact, 160kbs is fine, and 128kbs is standard

A true audiophile would want to smack you through your PC for saying that . It'd be like telling a gamer 1024/768 resolution is fine...

[Gomar]

A true audiophile would want to smack you through your PC for saying that . It'd be like telling a gamer 1024/768 resolution is fine...

Fine. thus play the original CDs or WAVs instead of making MP3s. thus anyone who does not like poor audio should not make MP3s at all. thus no need to connect the stereo to your PC.
If MP3s made at VBR4 or 5 is acceptable, then play them in your stereo or PC instead of swapping CDs when 8 songs are done.

[RicheemxX]

Don't get your panties in a bunch...

I'm just pointing out that clearly you didn't understand that what the OP was asking was how to best connect his PC to his home theater. You are making a bunch of assumption that he wants to, or even has the ability to, play Cds. He could be downloading high quality MP3's for all we know. Therefore your suggestion is way off base for the original topic and discussion.

I realize 128kbs is standard, and yes MP3's aren't the highest of quality. However, assumptions aside, most people I know that rip MP3s for themselves do so at 192kbs. While not of course a loss-less quality sound its still better than nothing.

By the OPs mention of "quality sound" I would generally think he meant better sounding speakers, volume, bass ect from his home theater than just the avg set of computer speakers. But that would be my own assumption.

[bigBonehead]

FYI, CD's are recorded in 16 bit Depth @ 44.1khz Rate in PCM format. Not really sure where you got "320kbs is CD quality" from...

[ShyguyXPC]

Thats typical MP3 Standard, 320kbps is typical "CD Quality" in MP3 wording.

[bigBonehead]

The main difference is the file format. While WAV (store bought CD) is uncompressed, MP3 is. Many folks today don't have the opportunity of listening to the same piece of music encoded by MP3, and in an original WAV, back to back on a quality system.

[Gomar]

The main difference is the file format. While WAV (store bought CD) is uncompressed, MP3 is.

Using Winzip on WAVs you get 50% lossless compression; same with FLAC, which is playable on PCs, but cd players dont play it.
MP3 is lossy, same as jpg files, thus not true compression. You cannot uncompress a MP3 into original WAV, nor convert a 128k MP3 file into a 320k one.