New Notebook PC for media playing only...

[Flint]

As I mentioned in my other thread on my new apartment rig, I got the little Toshiba Satellite notebook PC in the link below:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/toshiba-sat ... Id=4213204

My intention is to connect it to my analog preamp as a music source using a USB Hard Drive as the file source with a copy of my entire music collection.


Here's the question I want you guys to guess at...

Am I going to connect the notebook's built in analog out to my preamp directly OR am I going to use a DAC of some kind.

I have already decided (and I may change my mind down the road if I don't like my choice), but what have I decided to do?

 

[Towen7]

This feels like a trap.

You've mentioned before that internal sound cards have relatively poor performance, but that was a long time ago in machines with spinning drives.

 

[Botch]

This feels like a trap.

Agreed, but since I've never done any PC-based audio I can make a fool of myself and not feel bad.
The price on that Toshiba was fantastic, especially considering it has a touchscreen. The least-expensive DAC @ Crutchfield is the $150 Dragonfly, more than half the price of your Toshiba.
However, with your external HD and a specialized DAC, your Toshiba is simply a nice remote/controller. So, I'm gonna guess the DAC route.

 

[CMonster]

Maybe something like this:

 

[Wardsweb]

What player will you use on your Toshiba? I use JRIVER and USB out to my DAC.

 

[PaulyT]

 

[lulimet]

DAC of course.

 

[Botch]

Scha-Wiiiing! :handgestures-thumbup:

 

[lakedmb]

Possibly a Fiio e10k? That way you have a headphone amp if you wanted to change things up.

 

[yromj]

I'll buck the trend and say no DAC. I'm assuming that he won't be moving this around very much; therefore, the physical weakness of the mini-mike connector shouldn't come into play. The real weakness with built-in sound cards has more to do with RTA type measurements than the output. This will also allow him to upgrade later should this approach be unsatisfactory.

That's my SWAG...

John

 

[TKoP]

I'll buck the trend and say no DAC. I'm assuming that he won't be moving this around very much; therefore, the physical weakness of the mini-mike connector shouldn't come into play. The real weakness with built-in sound cards has more to do with RTA type measurements than the output. This will also allow him to upgrade later should this approach be unsatisfactory.

That's my SWAG...

John

This... mainly because he said he may change his mind down the road. Go with the simple and get complex if needed.

 

[Flint]

Just so you all know I am playing fair, when I made my decision, one of the forum members was informed, so I am not going to switch my decision just to mess with all of you.

 

[Towen7]

That is a tremendous load off my mind.

 

[Flint]

What? There isn't a pool on this hugely important decision???

 

[Flint]

What does it say about me when I finally got everything setup and press the "shuffle all" button on my media player and the first song it plays is "Dancing Queen" by ABBA?

So, everything is setup and I love the sound I am getting from my cheap little notebook PC. I adjust Windows power setting to "high perf" mode and allowed Windows to scan the USB drive to catalog all of the music on it (which took over 24 hours).

I then fired it all up, and I love it! Great stuff --- and the Toshiba has dedicated keyboard buttons for pause, play, skip/FF, skip/REW, and mute. Love it, When I am ready for my own personal radio station, I just turn on the preamp/rig and press "play" and it picks up where it left off the last time I was listening. When I am done, I just press "pause" and put the preamp in standby mode (I used the 12V power triggers on the power amps connected to the preamp).

Okay.. now for the question I know EVERYONE is dying to know the answer to... did I go with the line/headphone out on the notebook PC or did I get a stand alone DAC????


Well, I bought a Fubar DAC from my good personal friend Heeman and am using it in this system. I did compare the performance, and it is quite audible. The line/headphone output sounds pretty darn okay, but not as crystal clear and noise free as the Fubar.

YEAH!

Who wins the pool???

 

[heeman]

:handgestures-thumbup:

 

[yromj]

A coffee table between you and the speakers?!?!? Shame...shame...shame... bscene-buttred:

That looks great and is a kick ass little system.

Enjoy!

John

 

[Flint]

A coffee table between you and the speakers?!?!? Shame...shame...shame... bscene-buttred:

That looks great and is a kick ass little system.

Enjoy!

John

HA! Yeah... If I am seriously listening the coffee table goes next to the speakers, but I didn't want to move it just for a photo. Maybe I should be more "perfect" for you guys given my usual "someone's wrong on the internet and I need to tell them" policy.

 

[TKoP]

a little off topic, but is that an Echo on the table behind the pics?

 

[Flint]

Not an Echo, it is the new Google OnHub wirless router.