I'd like to use my high-speed laptop connection to listen to radio webbroadcasts through my stereo system. It would be ideal if this ran continually while I was able to use my laptop normally. I did do some searching, but there is SOO much information out there. I guess i don't know quite how to narrow it down. It would seem that the simplest answer would be a pcmcia soundcard wired to the stereo, but I really don't know.
If someone could point me to the most appropriate thread here, I'll just delete this one. Thanks.
If someone could point me to the most appropriate thread here, I'll just delete this one. Thanks.
That's probably an excellent question. Last time i had wanted to accomplish this was five years ago with an older laptop. It too had a soundcard, but I recall going round in circles trying to get connected to my stereo. I wasn't able to simply jack a connection from the headphone outlet to the back of the stereo. I don't remember now what the problem was, but after seeking a lot of advice I finally just gave up. Five years on I would expect many more "off the shelf" solutions to this, but should I just try the headset jack connection again?
Ok, I connected the headphone jack to the line inputs on the integrated amp. Line level seemed most listenable through the Tuner section. It's listenable, but still disappointing. Plenty of hum, but perhaps I need to get a better quality cable or ground the laptop to the amp.
This little excercise is starting to jog the memory. I seem to recall now that the soundcard in my old (ancient) laptop from five years back was so elementally bad that it sounded horrific piped into the stereo. This laptop is much better, but still pretty bad. It's a 2003 toshiba 24xx series with win me.
I'll leave this thread up for a while yet so that others may add advice or just chuckle at my ignorance. It's ok, I do it all the time!
.... well, good solid chassis to chassis ground did nothing for the hum.
Must be the cheap cable.
This little excercise is starting to jog the memory. I seem to recall now that the soundcard in my old (ancient) laptop from five years back was so elementally bad that it sounded horrific piped into the stereo. This laptop is much better, but still pretty bad. It's a 2003 toshiba 24xx series with win me.
I'll leave this thread up for a while yet so that others may add advice or just chuckle at my ignorance. It's ok, I do it all the time!
.... well, good solid chassis to chassis ground did nothing for the hum.
Must be the cheap cable.
Hummmmm
Hum...welcome the the world of connecting a PC to Audio...
(see this thread : http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=85243 )
You are sufferning from a ground loop between your PC and Audio gear. THis can be difficult to eliminate. I could not completely elimiate the ground loop problem (HUM) using different grounding technics for the equipment. I have ordered an outboard DAC with SPDIF to RCA, that way I can send optical out of the PC which should completely break the ground loop (no current carrying wiring between devices). The DAC should arrive shortly I will let you know if the problem is resolved. You should check, depending on your equipment you may be able to make this type (SPDIF) of connection directly, which would solve your ground loop issue.
Hum...welcome the the world of connecting a PC to Audio...
(see this thread : http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=85243 )
You are sufferning from a ground loop between your PC and Audio gear. THis can be difficult to eliminate. I could not completely elimiate the ground loop problem (HUM) using different grounding technics for the equipment. I have ordered an outboard DAC with SPDIF to RCA, that way I can send optical out of the PC which should completely break the ground loop (no current carrying wiring between devices). The DAC should arrive shortly I will let you know if the problem is resolved. You should check, depending on your equipment you may be able to make this type (SPDIF) of connection directly, which would solve your ground loop issue.
DAC
Actually the DAC was rather inexpensive (Monster Cable Entech Number Cruncher 203.2) Amazon has it for $39...you might also try plugging the AC adapter of your laptop into the AC outlet on the back of your reciever (assuming it has an AC outlet) This may significantly reduce the amount of hum...DAC arrives next week 🙂
Actually the DAC was rather inexpensive (Monster Cable Entech Number Cruncher 203.2) Amazon has it for $39...you might also try plugging the AC adapter of your laptop into the AC outlet on the back of your reciever (assuming it has an AC outlet) This may significantly reduce the amount of hum...DAC arrives next week 🙂
If your receiver has a Toslink optical input, how about something like this?
http://www.turtlebeach.com/site/products/audioadv/micro/
http://www.turtlebeach.com/site/products/audioadv/micro/
I don't have an optical input in my amp. I did see those usb cards while searching this on the web. There are a few of them out there, but I suspect that their target is someone who would otherwise be satisifed with the fidelity of his internal sound card, but is interested in the "virtual surround" multi channel converting that this device injects into the mix. Every usb dac that i found had this feature. I'm looking for the best fidelity I can find.
I'm no expert but I would suggest that to plug your laptop into the same AC power source that your Hi-Fi is plugged into. This should give them both the same common grounding point and eliminate any hum from ground loops.
Second shot is to try another known good cable. Maybe the one you have has a dodgy plug or something.
Thirdly, how close have you got the laptop to the amp? Maybe the computer is emitting EMF which is being picked up by the amp, or the trannie in the amp is emitting the EMF and its being picked up by the computer??
Other than this, why don't you leave the computer at work and just put on a good old vinyl record?
Cheers,
Mark🙂
Second shot is to try another known good cable. Maybe the one you have has a dodgy plug or something.
Thirdly, how close have you got the laptop to the amp? Maybe the computer is emitting EMF which is being picked up by the amp, or the trannie in the amp is emitting the EMF and its being picked up by the computer??
Other than this, why don't you leave the computer at work and just put on a good old vinyl record?
Cheers,
Mark🙂
Since the source PC is a laptop have you tried connecting it to your amp while its running on its battery and not plugged into the wall? If doing this gets rid of the hum an easy solution is to just break off the ground prong on the IEC power cord.
Also, most of the USB soundcards you see such as the turtle beach device require additional sofware for the virtual surround. If you just plug-and-play one without loading any extra drivers or software it will work as a regular stereo output. I bought one off ebay some time ago for $6 and it works surprisingly well.
Also, most of the USB soundcards you see such as the turtle beach device require additional sofware for the virtual surround. If you just plug-and-play one without loading any extra drivers or software it will work as a regular stereo output. I bought one off ebay some time ago for $6 and it works surprisingly well.
There is an embarrassment of riches right now online in the form of FM web-broadcasts. I moved to a smaller town three years ago and desperately missed my favorite station (wyce out of Grand Rapids, MI).
They broadcast online, but my laptop sounds like a tweeter in a tin can. When I hooked up to the integrated amp recently I found a 24/7 commercial free old school funk broadcast and couldn't wipe the smile off my face for hours. If you can imagine a genre or a format, it's probably out there. (side note- this particular one, like many others, is not "independent" insomuchas it's attached to a service that is riddled with pop-ups and probably enough spy-ware/ad-ware to choke an unprotected computer to death within an hour. That's how they can offer such stuff "free". You just need to go in with your shields up and raid the candystore.)
WYCE is a totally independent (clearchannel free) station that offers up a wealth of music, in a wonderfully eclectic range of styles, that I would otherwise never stand a chance of experiencing. If you live in a very large city, you may have taken some of these choices for granted, althought Clearchannel and its ilk may soon drive even those out of your reach. Who knows, maybe fm webbroadcasts are our last best hope for keeping independent radio alive. But I'm not the marketing type. I have no Idea really. How does an independant stay alive with webbroadcasting? Would you still send a check for their fund-drive iif you lived in another state (or country)?
Even if this thread begins with a desire to get the best fidelity out of this, and knowing that there is room for a raging debate as to the sonic worth of anything you can reach on the net, I'm really primarily after the content. More than half of the music I currently own has been introduced to me through independent radio stations.
They broadcast online, but my laptop sounds like a tweeter in a tin can. When I hooked up to the integrated amp recently I found a 24/7 commercial free old school funk broadcast and couldn't wipe the smile off my face for hours. If you can imagine a genre or a format, it's probably out there. (side note- this particular one, like many others, is not "independent" insomuchas it's attached to a service that is riddled with pop-ups and probably enough spy-ware/ad-ware to choke an unprotected computer to death within an hour. That's how they can offer such stuff "free". You just need to go in with your shields up and raid the candystore.)
WYCE is a totally independent (clearchannel free) station that offers up a wealth of music, in a wonderfully eclectic range of styles, that I would otherwise never stand a chance of experiencing. If you live in a very large city, you may have taken some of these choices for granted, althought Clearchannel and its ilk may soon drive even those out of your reach. Who knows, maybe fm webbroadcasts are our last best hope for keeping independent radio alive. But I'm not the marketing type. I have no Idea really. How does an independant stay alive with webbroadcasting? Would you still send a check for their fund-drive iif you lived in another state (or country)?
Even if this thread begins with a desire to get the best fidelity out of this, and knowing that there is room for a raging debate as to the sonic worth of anything you can reach on the net, I'm really primarily after the content. More than half of the music I currently own has been introduced to me through independent radio stations.
theAnonymous1 said:
Yeah, the simple way to invalidate your houshold insurance in case of fire, and potentially kill yourself or another. Very sensible.
The laptop mains adaptor is almost certainly switchmode and ground-isolated (from the computer's point of view) anyway, so it's unlikely to be a ground loop problem.
My money's on a faulty or unscreened lead; this should be a straightforward trouble-free hookup job.
My money's on a faulty or unscreened lead; this should be a straightforward trouble-free hookup job.
There's the ADS Tech "Instant Music"; widely available, based on a standard BB/TI chip, with analog & Toslink in and out. Use the Toslink to connect to your receiver, and you'll have perfect electrical isolation, and with the digital out you should just get the pure signal (such as it is).
As for the sound quality of these USB audio chips, there are some quite expensive little boxes based on these same chips, so at least some of the quality must come from how well the stuff outside the chips is designed. For example, I came across a page that compared a Behringer USB audio box with the ADStech unit. The "Instant Music" peformed much better on channel separation, possibly due to better bypassing or power supply regulation.
If you're into a little more hacking (this is DIYaudio, right?), there was a little USB sound dongle at Radio Shack (whoops, I mean "The Source"); opening it up, the chip turns out to have an S/PDIF output pin which wasn't being used.
As for the sound quality of these USB audio chips, there are some quite expensive little boxes based on these same chips, so at least some of the quality must come from how well the stuff outside the chips is designed. For example, I came across a page that compared a Behringer USB audio box with the ADStech unit. The "Instant Music" peformed much better on channel separation, possibly due to better bypassing or power supply regulation.
If you're into a little more hacking (this is DIYaudio, right?), there was a little USB sound dongle at Radio Shack (whoops, I mean "The Source"); opening it up, the chip turns out to have an S/PDIF output pin which wasn't being used.
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