Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[jmschnur]

What is important for sound quality in JR 19 as I build a new PC for stereo  listening with my Marantz 8801? Can I use the HDMI out of the motherboard or video card or are sound boards important? The DAC in the 8801 is pretty good but would it be better to use a USB DAC for the sound?

[mschneid]

I would start with the hdmi output from your pc.     This would allow your front end processor with audessy 32 and your high res196hz  dacs to do their thing with bass managment and room correction.  etc for two channel... or simply do strait two channel listening..     (See the the thread about the fellow wondering why his hdmi connection to his mac (audio gear)  sounded better then his simaudio dac.) 

You already have a pricey dac... in your marantz...(a lot of them in fact)  you would have to decide they were not good enough for your tastes and then go with a $$$ stand alone usb dac and input analog into your marantz  (you would then not have any of the audessy room correction and bass management digital domain dsp stuff.    You could then do that work on the pc side.....      (There are 1000 ways to skin this cat)

You don't want to use a fancy sound card for anything more then passing the digital output along a cable.... The onboard pc card dacs and audio output amps won't come close to your marantz processor/pre amp

You could test out all of the wire substitutes.
USB direct to the marantz.
DLNA via cat 5 cable to the marantz.
Hdmi cable
Wireless via the airport express.
Where you want to place the Pc relative to the marantz and how you want to control the PC running jriver are the key issues to answer in concert.

[jmschnur]

Thanks . This what I was thinking. 

Joel

[jmschnur]

I am hoping to use JR river remote . I have issues with my virus checker right now,blocking  access so I may go with my wireless keyboard with my tv as a monitor.

I have been using my oppo 103 and its remote to play files from my server. The question is whether a PC that is directly connected using the new leveling bells and whistles in 19 will sound better.