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[wildcrafter]

I'm a luddite who is trying to upgrade my a/v system.  I've never used licensed software and I don't understand how it works. Everytime microsoft sends updates it seems to screw something else up on my laptop.  If the media center works for me when I first set it up why would I need restores and upgrades? Will I ever have to pay 49.98 again. The retailer I bought my new amp, preamp, and DAC Magic recommended this.  Will I be spending half my life on forums getting questionable advice? Just trying to find out if the computer I'm buying will interface with the DAC and my current television has been a three month travail. This all started with my desire to download FLAC files which seems to be a problem on every forum I go to. The folks who sell the hardware tell you everything will work.  Software changes like the weather. There are no classes on how to integrate computer, hifi, and satellite television. On these forums everyone is coming at the same problems from a million different directions. Trying to find out if the if I should plug the toslink optical output from the television or the Dish DVR to the DAC magic or if it will even work gets responses like, "You might get some kind of sound".  Why do I need a M2Tech HiFace if the computer has toslink optical and so does the DAC Magic. The salesman said something about frequencies that wouldn't be supported. The computer as well has a toslink optical port that plugs into the DAC Magic. Doesn't the J River software send the file from the computer in whatever the best frequency is?  Anyway, if anyone is into hand holding out there, please reply.

[fitbrit]

Where in the world are you located?

In my opinion, you have been given a great recommendation to use JRiver software. Can you tell us about your equipment? Perhaps someone here will have something similar. If you're in Montreal by chance, I may be able to help - I wondered at your use of 'travail' that perhaps you're in a French-speaking part of the world!

[wildcrafter]

In Virginia, but have visited Montreal, beautiful friendly city.  I guess the most pertinent equipment concerning the software question are the Cambridge Audio Dac Magic and the Acer Revo RL100-U1002 PC.  Although I just invested in speakers, I'm going as "budget" as I can manage on the gizmos, because I already have a stack of components that are useless because the media they use is no longer manufactured. I picked the Toslink devices because I read USB are noisy and Firewire will be obsolete. Why doesn't the DAC hook up through HDMI? Should I post questions one at a time?

[Vincent Kars]

Many ways to Roma

Digital audio is samples at a certain sample rate.
Very common is “CD quality” 16 bits words with a sample rate of 44.1 kHz.
Almost all audio for download is 16/44.1, be it FLAC/MP3, etc

Today you can also buy Hires recordings, most of the time 24 bits and a higher sample rate.

The DacMagic has a USB input. It accepts 16/48 max.
If you happen to have Hires e.g. 24/88, it will play over the USB but JRiver must downsample it to 16/44.

If you use Toslink, the standard allows for 24/96 max. So you can play higher resolutions at their native sample rate.
Now if you buy 24/192 again it must be down sampled to 24/96.
A M2Tech Hi-face can play 24/192 at its native sample rate.

An obvious first question is if you happen to have any Hires recordings.
If not, don’t bother.

A simple experiment might be to connect your PC to the DACMagic both over the USB and Toslink. You can simply switch between the two using JRiver.
Choose the one you do think sounds best.
If you don’t hear a difference, choose the one you think most convenient.

Maybe my website is of use as it covers the basics of computer audio
http://thewelltemperedcomputer.com/Intro/Starter.htm

[wildcrafter]

Thank you, so much for such lucid answers. Your website is brilliant and will be my first choice for information on my journey to computer hifi. It sounds like I can always add the M2Tech Hi-Face if I develop a need for it. 

[Vincent Kars]

It sounds like I can always add the M2Tech Hi-Face if I develop a need for it. 

You’re right.
No need to buy anything at the moment.

Thanks for the kind words about my website.