Clueless Here needs help 101

[don973]

OK, Wifey decided my Thiel CS2.2s and Carver HR-875 Receiver don't belong in the family room any longer.
SO, I have moved them to my office and want to play my music library through a serious speaker rather than the tiny desktops I have endured at my desk.
The HR-875 was built way before iPods so I have no way to simply plug it in to the front of the deck.
I have a Gigabyte AM3 GA-890 GPA-UD3H (with 8GB) mainboard with a Realtek "hi-def" audio chip. "The ALC892 Codec is a high-performance DAC (Digital-Analog Convertor) with 100 dB signal-to-noise ratio playback quality and it also has support for Dolby."
The Carver receiver has several analog inputs that can take a L/R signal from Phono, VCR, tape, or CD. It also supports Dolby.
Can I simply plug the output from the mainboard into one of these analog inputs and then use the Carver to power the Thiels? Or will I fry either the Carver or the computer?
Do I need a better sound card like something from ASUS (Xonar?)???
I do not want 7.1; 5.1; 3.1.....
2.0 is fine.
Suggestions please

I have copied several hundred CD's that I now listen to with iTunes. I do not plan to play games; only listen (everything but rap & heavy metal-no screamin' nor shoutin')

Thanks.

[sreten]

Hi,

It should work fine using the rear panel line outs.

rgds, sreten.

[counter culture]

The Asus Xonar Essence ST(X) is a very good soundcard, and a nice thing to have, but with the computer running, sitting close to the fan, it may be wasted. Motherboard audio keeps getting better (although obviously struggles to achieve the same signal/noise that the well-shielded Asus card does). If you want to listen to it critically, plug in some decent phones or earbuds.

You will probably be perfectly happy with the on-board audio, it's unlikely to be dismally poor. 100dB S/N is 4dB better than the theoretical limit for 16-bit sources (CDs).

[zman01]

As Counter Culture has mentioned, motherboard audio has improved a lot over the years, and it should not be dismal. No harm in starting off with motherboard audio. At times I have found their volume on the low side though (need to crank up the amp more).

Besides the STX, there are cheaper Xonar's also - the DG and DX (these are 5.1 and 7.1 respectively), and the reviews say their 2 channel performance is good - better than onboard audio. The DG is in the ~$30 range last time I checked.

[don973]

OK then. I'll plug the MB line-out into the VCR line in on the Carver and try the motherboard audio first! How would I, could I, shield the STX from extraneous fan noise short of removing the case fan?
thanks for the quick response!

[tdaniel]

I do a lot of PC audio. Have for years. The figures generally quoted for S/N are completely imaginary. However, if your are currently using "PC Speakers", whoever made them, you are going to be so much better off that the on board DAC is not a factor. As you have observed, attacking acoustic noise is the next step. Check out quietpc.com. If heat is a problem in your case, remember that 65W 3.4 GHz (4.0 GHz turbo) Trinity chips should be out for Christmas (around $125). Need a new MB, though.

[counter culture]

Yeah, it really depends on how much performance you expect from your PC. You can replace the PC with a fanless type or you can move the PC into another room with all the attendant wiring problems.

I bought a standalone 8-track for recording and gave up on the soundcard input other than for measurements, I turn the PC off. For playback I just ignore it.

[Izuall]

The Xonar DG(7.1 card)..is a decent soundcard it also has an integrated headphone amp

The Xonar Essence ST(stereo card) is even better but more expensive.

[zman01]

Originally Posted by tdaniel

I do a lot of PC audio. Have for years. The figures generally quoted for S/N are completely imaginary. However, if your are currently using "PC Speakers", whoever made them, you are going to be so much better off that the on board DAC is not a factor. As you have observed, attacking acoustic noise is the next step. Check out quietpc.com. If heat is a problem in your case, remember that 65W 3.4 GHz (4.0 GHz turbo) Trinity chips should be out for Christmas (around $125). Need a new MB, though.

In case of a motherboard upgrade, the lntel 3rd Gen and 2nd Core CPUs are already available and at 65 watts or lower (as low as 35 watts). Quite a few options for motherboards also - including one IIRC that can run from a 19-19.5v power brick instead of a ATX PSU.

Agree with tdaniel, S/N is not the main thing - there are a lot of other factors that affect audio quality.