Classical Corner Classical Music Corner (thread #14)

If I want to connect to a laptop, I can do it the same way, connecting to the headphone jack instead, right?

Also, what's the best way to set this up if I will be plugging and unplugging into the laptop fairly often?

Is it OK to leave the RCA end plugged into the amp and unplug the headphone jack for long periods of time? I am concerned about the headphone end if it's unplugged.

Though maybe something like this would work well? http://www.guitarcenter.com/Hosa-Mono-1-4---Female----2-RCA--Male--Y-Cable-333091-i1128945.gc

Then I could unplug a long extension cord whenever I like.

Thoughts, guys? I'd like to get something today.

 

Now playing CD7 from this set for a first listen ...

 

"Me Too, I Ate One Sour Two."

I've already heard Maria João Pires perform Chopin, didn't leave a deep impression.

Have you heard Schnabel in the Diabelli Variations? Good version in need of a great transfer.

 

After Shostakovich 4th Symphony brutality back on Bach complete organ works track, playing CD 16 for a first listen.

 

Yes I have and it has been transferred wonderfully by Mark Obert Thorn at Naxos Historical.

 

That adaptor works well enough, but these have worked just fine for years:



Hosa has a version with 3.5 mm plugs on one end, RCAs on the other. I've got three sets, 10 feet long each, from Guitar Center. I just leave the wire coiled on the floor when I'm not using it, which is most of the time. It does allow me to make needledrops and hook up the computer to the stereo for playback.

 

So no need to worry about that exposed male headphone end? If it's still connected to the RCA output on my amp, I wonder if there'd be any problems with it shorting out against something metal.

 

You may be able to get a plastic cap and cap the RCA jack when it is not used. Some folks actually cap their unused RCA terminals on the back panel of their receivers ...

 

Haven't had any problems with that issue for the four years I've been using those interconnects.

 

OK, thanks.

I imagine if the amp is switched to another source, then it isn't activating the rca plugs that I'd be using anyway, right?

 

Now playing CD1 from this set, which arrived probably 2 months ago for a first listen ...

 

If there is a problem, you'll hear it, but as the plugs are so small, it's easy just to keep them out of harm's way. But yes, most of the time, if that input on your amp isn't engaged, you probably wouldn't notice anything even if the tip of the plug was shorted to ground.

 

Now playing CD5 from this set for a first listen ...

 

Hey George, whenever somebody asks me about an initial, inexpensive first foray into computer-as-source, I suggest they forget about any onboard or traditional audio soundcards and get one of these: http://www.behringer.com/EN/Products/UCA202.aspx This cost me only $40 new (it might be even less on eBay) several years ago and has always stunned me with the performance of its DAC, for the price. If you plug it into a USB port on your Vista or Win7 PC and use WASAPI for output (ie, totally bypasses all sound processing by the computer), then plug its RCA out's into your amp, you'll be laughing, and far better off than anything involving the line out of an internal audio card, let alone an output designed for headphones, which really is not suited to the line-level input of an amplifier. The UCA202 is only capable of 16/48 output, but your Redbook CD's are only 16/44.1 anyway. You can't really do any sort of upsampling of course but IMO the quality of the DAC and analog output stages are more important than that.

However if you want to go REALLY cheap, then yes you can plug a 3.5mm to RCA cord into the headphone output of an audio card.

Sorry for the hardware forum post folks, but George did ask about one of my pet topics

 

Now playing the last of the early music CD's, which arrived a few months ago for a first listen ...

 

This is another good one by the Tallis Scholars.

 

Now playing this CD for a first listen ...

 

I'm interested, too, Russell. Is this something I would add to the thing you had me buy last week, i.e., the cord that went from my soundcard to my amp, or would I use it in place of that cord? Thanks.

 

In place of. Sounds like a great option for desktops, but I suddenly realized I don't want anything dangling off the side of my laptop.

 

Jay, I am watching these posts with interest. I have been listening to music for the past 7 or 8 hours on my full-sized stereo system for a change. I have not done that in quite a while since I have been going online and listening to music via my desktop. I have been on my laptop all day today.

 

You may want to consider a desktop since they are so cheap these days.

 

I took my speakers out of the bedroom and hooked them up to my amp and my computer whenever it was I got that adapter cord, and I have yet to hook up anything in my BR. I just don't know that I'm ever going to listen to a full system again (of course, tinnitus has lots to do with that, too).

 

Then I'd have to get a desk. Then I'd have to find room for the desk.

 

Hi Jay, this would replace that cord. Essentially the computer audio files get sent via USB to this device, which converts them to analog via its DAC. It then has standard stereo RCA line-level outs for connecting to your amp. Additionally it has optical digital audio out if you want to use an outboard DAC, a 3.5mm headphone jack, AND you can do needledrops with it because it also contains an ADC. It's what you call an "audio interface device", as opposed to a soundcard, although they perform much the same jobs. The audio interface is focussed more on quality I/O for music rather than pumping the sound effects from a shoot-em-up game around your room though

There are a multitude of these devices to choose from, but I doubt you'd find one much cheaper than this. The M-Audio Transit is highly popular, but is a bit more expensive.

 

But the system unit is smaller today and the flat panel monitor takes up so little space. I can see the reservation if you were still dealing with that massive CRT monitor.