Best way to connect PC to DAC?

I settled on the Parasound Halo P5 for my pre/DAC needs. Now, I need to figure out how to get music from my PC to the P5. My PC doesn't have an spdif output, so the options seem to be 50' of toslink or a toslink->spdif converter and then 50' of digital coax. Which is the better option? Are there PCI cards that do spdif out? I don't need a full blown sound card with its own D/A. I just need a digital out that doesn't suck too bad.
--
7.1: LSIc, LSI-9 L/R, F/X1000 SL/SR, RM101 BL/BR, PSW 650 SW
Onkyo TX-929
Parasound HCA-1206

2-channel: Parasound P5, Odyssey Kismet, Vandersteen 3A Signature, Pro-Ject Debut Carbon

Comments

  • AsSiMiLaTeD
    AsSiMiLaTeD Posts: 11,722
    edited December 2014
    Why not just use the USB input on the Halo? I'm not sure how good the converter on the Halo is, but that's certainly where I'd start unless you need higher than 96khz playback.

    Looking at the DAC chip they used, my guess that's going to be a bigger limitation than the USB receiver chip.
  • Given the layout of the room, the run from PC->P5 needs to go through the attic. It'll be at least 35', probably over 40'. Not a great fit for USB. I could probably do some sort of active USB cable, but it seems that digital coax or toslink is probably better at handling that length a run.
    --
    7.1: LSIc, LSI-9 L/R, F/X1000 SL/SR, RM101 BL/BR, PSW 650 SW
    Onkyo TX-929
    Parasound HCA-1206

    2-channel: Parasound P5, Odyssey Kismet, Vandersteen 3A Signature, Pro-Ject Debut Carbon
  • EndersShadow
    EndersShadow Posts: 17,517
    Look at a Squeezebox Touch. Wireless. Might be bitrate limited and you'd have to have a Coaxial or SPDIF input on the P5 (not sure if it does).
    "....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,902
    Do you have a router ? Stream it baby. That long of runs isn't good in any scenario. What you use to stream will depend on how high of rez you want to use for music files.
    HT SYSTEM-
    Sony 850c 4k
    Pioneer elite vhx 21
    Sony 4k BRP
    SVS SB-2000
    Polk Sig. 20's
    Polk FX500 surrounds

    Cables-
    Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
    Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
    Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
    Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable

    Kitchen

    Sonos zp90
    Grant Fidelity tube dac
    B&k 1420
    lsi 9's
  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,902
    edited December 2014
    This is sweet, for streaming higher rez too and has 2tb of storage.

    http://app.audiogon.com/listings/media-servers-olive-media-products-one-name-your-own-price-olive-one-hd-music-player-2014-12-09-computer-audio-94129-san-francisco-ca

    If you can live with simple cd quality of your lossless files.....Sonos. Plug the digital output of the sonos into your P5, attach a bridge to your router, done.
    HT SYSTEM-
    Sony 850c 4k
    Pioneer elite vhx 21
    Sony 4k BRP
    SVS SB-2000
    Polk Sig. 20's
    Polk FX500 surrounds

    Cables-
    Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
    Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
    Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
    Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable

    Kitchen

    Sonos zp90
    Grant Fidelity tube dac
    B&k 1420
    lsi 9's
  • Sounds cool but I'm already $1k over budget on this setup :-)
    --
    7.1: LSIc, LSI-9 L/R, F/X1000 SL/SR, RM101 BL/BR, PSW 650 SW
    Onkyo TX-929
    Parasound HCA-1206

    2-channel: Parasound P5, Odyssey Kismet, Vandersteen 3A Signature, Pro-Ject Debut Carbon
  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,902
    I'm thinking Cat 5 cable might be your best bet on long runs.
    HT SYSTEM-
    Sony 850c 4k
    Pioneer elite vhx 21
    Sony 4k BRP
    SVS SB-2000
    Polk Sig. 20's
    Polk FX500 surrounds

    Cables-
    Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
    Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
    Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
    Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable

    Kitchen

    Sonos zp90
    Grant Fidelity tube dac
    B&k 1420
    lsi 9's
  • By cat5 I assume you mean some sort of network streaming device. Any recommendations?
    --
    7.1: LSIc, LSI-9 L/R, F/X1000 SL/SR, RM101 BL/BR, PSW 650 SW
    Onkyo TX-929
    Parasound HCA-1206

    2-channel: Parasound P5, Odyssey Kismet, Vandersteen 3A Signature, Pro-Ject Debut Carbon
  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,902
    No, I mean cat5 cable which is extremely good for long runs.
    HT SYSTEM-
    Sony 850c 4k
    Pioneer elite vhx 21
    Sony 4k BRP
    SVS SB-2000
    Polk Sig. 20's
    Polk FX500 surrounds

    Cables-
    Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
    Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
    Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
    Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable

    Kitchen

    Sonos zp90
    Grant Fidelity tube dac
    B&k 1420
    lsi 9's
  • What kind of signal are we transmitting over this cat5? I've still got the issue that the PC only has toslink output.
    --
    7.1: LSIc, LSI-9 L/R, F/X1000 SL/SR, RM101 BL/BR, PSW 650 SW
    Onkyo TX-929
    Parasound HCA-1206

    2-channel: Parasound P5, Odyssey Kismet, Vandersteen 3A Signature, Pro-Ject Debut Carbon
  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,902
    You want to transmit audio don't ya ? Cat5 can be used for audio or video and is what a lot of people use when wiring up a whole house from scratch. It's a data cable much like USB. Google is your friend. I suppose you could use an adapter like this...
    http://www.amazon.com/Digital-Optical-Toslink-Fiber-Extender/dp/B00AUKJGBY

    I'm no guru on computer cables or USB, but for a 40 ft run of USB cable you need a toslink to usb converter and maybe some kind of signal booster or active cable like you said.

    Still think streaming it is your best option though. A used squeezebox can be had for under 2 bones.
    HT SYSTEM-
    Sony 850c 4k
    Pioneer elite vhx 21
    Sony 4k BRP
    SVS SB-2000
    Polk Sig. 20's
    Polk FX500 surrounds

    Cables-
    Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
    Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
    Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
    Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable

    Kitchen

    Sonos zp90
    Grant Fidelity tube dac
    B&k 1420
    lsi 9's
  • polkfarmboy
    polkfarmboy Posts: 5,703
    Toslink wont get you 192 so I would use a squeezebox duet.
  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,902
    payneinthe wrote: »
    Sounds cool but I'm already $1k over budget on this setup :-)

    So the cost of the Parasound put you over budget ? LOL....with no thought on the cost to get the signal to it ? Just askin' is all.

    HT SYSTEM-
    Sony 850c 4k
    Pioneer elite vhx 21
    Sony 4k BRP
    SVS SB-2000
    Polk Sig. 20's
    Polk FX500 surrounds

    Cables-
    Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
    Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
    Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
    Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable

    Kitchen

    Sonos zp90
    Grant Fidelity tube dac
    B&k 1420
    lsi 9's
  • Yeah, well, sort of. Wife approved yet another budget overrun to get PFB's squeezebox touch so we're all good now
    --
    7.1: LSIc, LSI-9 L/R, F/X1000 SL/SR, RM101 BL/BR, PSW 650 SW
    Onkyo TX-929
    Parasound HCA-1206

    2-channel: Parasound P5, Odyssey Kismet, Vandersteen 3A Signature, Pro-Ject Debut Carbon
  • For now, I'm enjoying the vinyl, but when I'm working it'd be nice to be able to use tidal to stream some music without having to get up every 22 minutes to flip the record
    --
    7.1: LSIc, LSI-9 L/R, F/X1000 SL/SR, RM101 BL/BR, PSW 650 SW
    Onkyo TX-929
    Parasound HCA-1206

    2-channel: Parasound P5, Odyssey Kismet, Vandersteen 3A Signature, Pro-Ject Debut Carbon
  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,902
    payneinthe wrote: »
    Yeah, well, sort of. Wife approved yet another budget overrun to get PFB's squeezebox touch so we're all good now

    Excellent bro, congrats....you know it's the only logical solution anyway.

    HT SYSTEM-
    Sony 850c 4k
    Pioneer elite vhx 21
    Sony 4k BRP
    SVS SB-2000
    Polk Sig. 20's
    Polk FX500 surrounds

    Cables-
    Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
    Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
    Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
    Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable

    Kitchen

    Sonos zp90
    Grant Fidelity tube dac
    B&k 1420
    lsi 9's