Connecting PC to home stereo

[Freebooter]

I have my "media PC" connected to our home stereo so I can pipe all of our MP3s straight through our house (house is wired with speakers in every room).

The issue I cannot seem to overcome is, I have this significant "hum" coming through all the speakers when I have the PC connection selected. How can I get rid of this or filter it? It is really annoying, especially when I start turning up the volume.

I am using a Sound Blaster Audigy on the PC. From one of the speaker outs on the sound card, I have an 1/8th inch plug cable running to an RCA jack adapter (1/8th inch adapter to red and white RCA jacks), then plugged in to Video 3 on the amplifier.

If I plug something else into that same adapter on Video 3 on the amp, i.e. my portable MP3 player, etc., I get no hum or feedback. It only comes from when the PC is plugged in. I'm presuming this feedback is being picked up by all the other electronic devices in the PC and transferred through the audio cable into my home amplifier.

Is there some type of device I can get to filter out and stop this feedback? Is there some type of device I should have plugged in between my PC and home theater that I am missing?

Thanks in advance for all your thoughts

 

[majorloser]

It would be better to stay digital with connections. Connecting via a S/PDIF with optical or coax output from the soundcard is the best connection.

You can use something like this little toy if you don't have that type of output but have an empty USB port:

http://www.cablestogo.com/product.asp?cat_id=112&sku=22327

 

[briggek8717]

I don't think they make them anymore, but I see them still on EBay once in a while, but I use a Turtle Beach Audiotron to serve up my MP3's through my home stereo.

Basically, the device will scan your home network's (assuming you have one) shared drives looking for MP3's and will make a table of contents of them. If you add new MP3's you'll have to rescan or rebuild the TOC. Anyway, it works like a champ for me and my computer doesn't need to be anywhere near my stereo since I have a wireless network.

You can use the analog or digital outputs on back of the Audiotron to hook up to the stereo. I'm sure there are more current pieces of hardware out there that do the same thing as the Audiotron that you could look into.

 

[jaxvon]

I have the Cables to Go USB adapter and it works great. There is no noise from it at all. Another option would be to install a sound card with some kind of digital output (many creative cards have a coax digital output that simply needs a mini-phono to RCA adapter). If you're going to opt for the USB Audio adapter, Amazon has the best price:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000233WJG/ref=nosim/104-3412800-3494304?n=172282

My roommate recently ordered one for our system through the above link without any issues.

 

[rumble]

I agree with the posters above, if at all possible use a digital connection.

If you want to stay with analog then I have had some success with the radio shack ground loop isolator, catalog #270-054.

 

[majorloser]

I have the Cables to Go USB adapter and it works great. There is no noise from it at all. Another option would be to install a sound card with some kind of digital output (many creative cards have a coax digital output that simply needs a mini-phono to RCA adapter). If you're going to opt for the USB Audio adapter, Amazon has the best price:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000233WJG/ref=nosim/104-3412800-3494304?n=172282

My roommate recently ordered one for our system through the above link without any issues.

I also have the Cables To Go adapter. It works great!

I actually won it from one of the monthly contest "here on this fabulous site". (got to get the plug in). I've used it with my laptop and my home computer.

 

[Freebooter]

Thanks to everyone for all the replies.

I removed the Sound Blaster sound card and am using the onboard nForce Digital Sound card. The motherboard is an ASUS A7N8X Deluxe and does have an S/PDIF output on it. Should I be considering using this or sticking with the Line Out on the sound card?

If I do use the S/PDIF, where should I hook the other end up to my amp at?

Thanks.

 

[Freebooter]

I agree with the posters above, if at all possible use a digital connection.

If you want to stay with analog then I have had some success with the radio shack ground loop isolator, catalog #270-054.

Thanks for this. $16.99 and I've included a link right to the product:
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062214&cp

 

[jaxvon]

You should connect the output from the mobo to whatever jack is the correct kind on your receiver. If memory serves correctly, the A7N8X has an optical output, in which case you should purchase an optical cable and connect it to the optical input on your system. If you don't have one of those, then you might be in a bit of a jam.

 

[Freebooter]

You should connect the output from the mobo to whatever jack is the correct kind on your receiver. If memory serves correctly, the A7N8X has an optical output, in which case you should purchase an optical cable and connect it to the optical input on your system. If you don't have one of those, then you might be in a bit of a jam.

No optical, just Line Out and S/PDIF out.

 

[jaxvon]

Well then, just connected the coax digital output on your mobo to the coax digital input on your preamp/receiver. This is usually an orange RCA jack.

 

[Freebooter]

I just found these two interesting articles regarding humming on PC to Stereo connections, with regard to ground loops. One of them refers to having an antenna connected to your stereo being a culprit.
http://www.epanorama.net/documents/groundloop/home_solving.html
http://www.epanorama.net/documents/groundloop/antenna_isolator.html

 

[Freebooter]

Well then, just connected the coax digital output on your mobo to the coax digital input on your preamp/receiver. This is usually an orange RCA jack.

Unfortunately, the PC and stereo are in separate rooms, connected with a 30 foot 1/8" jack patch cable.

 

[majorloser]

Unfortunately, the PC and stereo are in separate rooms, connected with a 30 foot 1/8" jack patch cable.

That's not a problem. Just run RG-6 coax between the rooms and terminate with RCA connectors.

 

[Freebooter]

That's not a problem. Just run RG-6 coax between the rooms and terminate with RCA connectors.

Are you suggesting I don't use the cable I currently have run? I already have a new cable in place: basically a long headphone extension cable with 1/8" jack recepticles running through cable management.

 

[majorloser]

Are you suggesting I don't use the cable I currently have run? I already have a new cable in place: basically a long headphone extension cable with 1/8" jack recepticles running through cable management.

Well, if you want to run coax digital, YES. The cable and connectors are rather cheap. It's just 75 ohm coax like what is used for satelite and cable TV (RG-6).

 

[Freebooter]

Well, it is all fixed. After removing the Sound Blaster card and plugging the 1/8" cable in to the onboard nForce sound card, there was still the humming, but as soon as I updated to the latest drivers, the hum subsided by about 75%.

Although that was a huge improvement, I had gone ahead and purchased the Ground Loop Isolator from Radio Shack on the way home, in case I needed it:
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062214&cp
I installed it and it removed the rest of the humming. Now my connection is nice and clean with no feedback!

Thanks to everyone for their feedback and support.

 

[jcsprankle]

Solutions using home network

I am also interested in listening to PC audio (mp3's mostly) on my HT system, which is in another room. I have a home network in my house (wired and wireless) and I have been evaluating different boxes to share the music with.

I settled on the Slim Devices Squeezebox 3 (http://www.slimdevices.com/) because it has gotten good reviews and I like the styling. Plus, it has digital audio out (optical).

I haven't purchased anything yet but wanted to know if anyone had used this before and, if so, what are your thoughts?

Are there any other devices out there that would work better at sharing PC music over a network to a HT system?

Thanks!