Home computer stores all my music. Audio card?

[RaT]

I have stored all my music from CD's to a computer. I do not use the computer to amplify the sound but an old 5 channel Adcom amp instead. It is my main music source and located in my family room. My question is, will a "better" then stock sound card (and its accompaning software) make any difference in terms of volume control, music quality etc.? I use the computer as both music storage and basically as my pre amplifier. My speakers are a pair of Sonus Faber bookshelf size and a Velodyne subwoofer. My main objection is the volume control will not go low enough unless I really turn the computer volume way down and then the volume will not go nearly high enough. My range seems a bit limited. Any comments, suggestions on sound cards would be greatly appreciated.

 

[jcPanny]

Audio from computer

For 2-channel you could use an M-audio or similar sound card with good quality D/A converters for about $100.

If you have a receiver or pre-amp in your HT system and/or listen to multichannel material you could use a digital optical or coax output from the PC to the receiver/preamp. I updated an older PC for digital output with a Chaintech card for <$30.

Not sure what VC you are adjusting (on the amp?), but it sounds like the attenuation available is limited so it can't be adjusted to the min/max levels you want. A new sound card will not change this fact. An external VC or speaker selector connected to the output of the amp could solve this problem.