Help with Digital Connection

[Luiz Vacanti]

Hi guys,

Please I need your advice:

I'm currently listening flac files from my desktop, using a toslink cable that goes from my sound card to my receiver, is this the best way of doing it?
Also I have an ipod 5th generation with Rockbox, flac and mp3@320 and I'm using the aux cable to connected to my receiver again is this the best way of doing it?

This setup should sound better than cd?

Thanks

lavjr

 

[-Jim-]

Hi Luiz,

Welcome to the Forum. The toslink cable should be fine computer to receiver for Stereo FLAC Tunes. Same for the iPod with those same tunes.

Unless the source material for the FLAC files was recorded with Hi Res equipment, and it's highly unlikely it was, none of your sound will be better than a CD.

 

[slipperybidness]

Hi guys,

Please I need your advice:

I'm currently listening flac files from my desktop, using a toslink cable that goes from my sound card to my receiver, is this the best way of doing it?
Also I have an ipod 5th generation with Rockbox, flac and mp3@320 and I'm using the aux cable to connected to my receiver again is this the best way of doing it?

This setup should sound better than cd?

Thanks

lavjr

Just note--When you use a toslink cable, you are bypassing any DAC functionality on the sound card and passing the digi signal to the AVR, and using the AVR DAC. Nothing wrong with that setup, but if you have some high-end soundcard, then you are not really using that high end sound card to its full potential, your setup would be the same as simply passing a digi signal (optical, coax, hdmi) straight off the mobo. I pass my digi signal straight off the mobo, and it sounds great.

For iPods, you are just using the 3.5mm headphone output? There may be better options, but my iPod experience is with an older 20Gb model. For mine, I have an iPod dedicated control cable for my Pio Elite AVR, let's me control and charge the iPod, and it bypasses the iPod DAC to use my AVR DAC instead.

 

[highfigh]

Hi guys,

Please I need your advice:

I'm currently listening flac files from my desktop, using a toslink cable that goes from my sound card to my receiver, is this the best way of doing it?
Also I have an ipod 5th generation with Rockbox, flac and mp3@320 and I'm using the aux cable to connected to my receiver again is this the best way of doing it?

This setup should sound better than cd?

Thanks

lavjr

If you're using the headphone jack on the iPod, you're not getting the best sound. The amplifier and DAC in these aren't as good as the rest of your system, so it's best to use a charging cable with USB to connect to anything that has the ability to accept the USB, then use the outboard DAC. If you have an AVR that is Airplay compliant, use that- it streams at Redbook resolution and it doesn't use the iPod's DAC.

 

[Luiz Vacanti]

Hi Luiz,

Welcome to the Forum. The toslink cable should be fine computer to receiver for Stereo FLAC Tunes. Same for the iPod with those same tunes.

Unless the source material for the FLAC files was recorded with Hi Res equipment, and it's highly unlikely it was, none of your sound will be better than a CD.

Thank you for help.

 

[Luiz Vacanti]

Just note--When you use a toslink cable, you are bypassing any DAC functionality on the sound card and passing the digi signal to the AVR, and using the AVR DAC. Nothing wrong with that setup, but if you have some high-end soundcard, then you are not really using that high end sound card to its full potential, your setup would be the same as simply passing a digi signal (optical, coax, hdmi) straight off the mobo. I pass my digi signal straight off the mobo, and it sounds great.

For iPods, you are just using the 3.5mm headphone output? There may be better options, but my iPod experience is with an older 20Gb model. For mine, I have an iPod dedicated control cable for my Pio Elite AVR, let's me control and charge the iPod, and it bypasses the iPod DAC to use my AVR DAC instead.

Thank you for help.

 

[Luiz Vacanti]

If you're using the headphone jack on the iPod, you're not getting the best sound. The amplifier and DAC in these aren't as good as the rest of your system, so it's best to use a charging cable with USB to connect to anything that has the ability to accept the USB, then use the outboard DAC. If you have an AVR that is Airplay compliant, use that- it streams at Redbook resolution and it doesn't use the iPod's DAC.

Thank you for help.