HTPC as an All in One System

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I think the salient point about building your own HTPC/Pre-pro, which has also been brought up, is that the sound quality probably won’t be as good as a great pre-pro or AVR.

Hence the repeated question - why, why, why?

 

[theJay]

Space saving, purely.

 

[panteragstk]

Space saving, purely.

If that's the reason you would probably really like a nice NUC or something in the miniITX form factor. Pair that with something like the low profile Marantz receivers and call it a day. Below is just an example model, but I bet that would do the job quite well for you.

https://www.us.marantz.com/en-US/shop/avreceivers/nr1609

 

[slipperybidness]

This is the conclusion that is drawn from all the advice given. Nice idea but wont be practical in reality unless they can reinvent the way that amplifiers work to take up much less space that would then enable the hardware to fit alongside the PC hardware and get sufficient cooling.

You miss another key problem--Inside a PC chassis is not a good place for analog electrical signals! Your amps and your analog signal paths would need excellent shielding and isolation. Any noise on the input to an amp gets multiplied by the gain factor of the amp too!

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Space saving, purely.

I think what you are looking for is this.

1. PC - decode all sound and output the analog sound to your powered speakers. The video would be sent to the TV via HDMI cable. The Audio would be sent to your powered speakers and subwoofer (5.1 or 7.1) via RCA cables. The volume will be controlled on both your speakers and PC.

Sound Card with 7.1 RCA Analog Audio Output:

Amazon.com: Asustek Sound Card PCI-E 7.1 CH Output for Card Essence STX II 7.1 : Electronics

Buy Asustek Sound Card PCI-E 7.1 CH Output for Card Essence STX II 7.1 : Internal Sound Cards - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.com

2. Powered speakers - since they have Amps on the inside, you don't need any big amps. And the PC would decode everything and send the signal to the speakers!

 

[theJay]

Thanks for your reply. That would be a great setup if I didn't have a 7.1 system built into the walls and ceilings. I've resigned myself to the existing set-up that everyone else uses

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Thanks for your reply. That would be a great setup if I didn't have a 7.1 system built into the walls and ceilings. I've resigned myself to the existing set-up that everyone else uses

You could get some little class D amps and install them inside the HTPC chassis. Just have to realize you’re sacrificing some quality for convenience.

Lepai LP1601S 200W Class D Stereo Amplifier with Bluetooth and Power Supply

Sleek – and SubstantialIt’s not often you see something so sweet and simple looking, that actually kicks like a mule! The LP1601S mini amplifier does just that. With a whopping 200 watts under the hood, you’ll have plenty of power for just about any set of speakers. Bluetooth with aptX cuts down...

www.parts-express.com

So get a full size Full Tower ATX. Get a mini-motherboard with integrated graphics. Get that sound card with analog outputs. Get some SSD since they’re small hard drives. This will give you a lot of room for the small amps. Connect the sound card outputs to the inputs of these small amps. Connect your in-wall speakers to the speaker binding posts of these little amps. Set the volume of these amps to 50%. You can change later. Set the Windows Volume to low first.

Your HTPC will look like these silver PCs.