Nube Needs Help on Sound Card

[drbandage]

I enjoy music, but I know very little about how to make sure it's good quality. My question concerns my den/office where I spend a lot of time.

I just ordered the Logistics z-5500 system and I plan to hook it up to my little lap top. The lap top is a HP Pavilion dv6000 which is the multimedia model I believe. I looked in Device Manager and found that the sound card is Conexant High Definition Audio. I also have a Macbook 2.1 although I might be selling that.

The music I listen to is Last FM.com or my iTunes songs. Any suggestions about what I should do to be sure I am getting the best quality would be welcomed. I'll again mention that I am not technically adroit. Thanks for any help.

Oh, and BTW, I also just bought an Onkyo 7.1 sound system that I hooked up in the next room for my TV stuff. I mention this just in case there is some possible use of the receiver in a wireless hookup regarding my office.

 

[Adam]

Welcome to the forum!

Does your HP laptop have a digital audio output, either optical or coax? If so, it will be a very easy connection to the Z-5500 speaker set, and I'd recommend using the digital connection.

If I understand your MacBook description correctly, you have one with a digital audio output - you just need to get an adapter for that minijack to fit a regular optical cable. I have a MacBook and bought a Belkin cable from Amazon that comes with two adapters, but those adapters can be purchased separately for very little money.

 

[drbandage]

Thank you for helping me. The 'puter has the following ports: 3 USB 2.0 ports,1 IEEE 1394 (FireWire 400); a VGA monitor out port; S-Video out. I am using the VGA port as I have a dual monitor set up.

As for the MacBook, yes I do have port called mini DVI, I believe. I think that Apple makes you buy an adapter to make it work. May I ask which adapter I would need, as they seem to offer a choice of at least three?
Thanks again for the help.

Oh, BTW, do I need to buy an upgraded sound card?

 

[Adam]

Hey, happy to help if I can!

The mini-DVI port on the MacBook is for a video connection, not audio like you want. The headphone jack on recent MacBooks (I got mine in late 2006 and it has this) can do both analog (for your regular headphones) and digital optical output. The adapters look like this one and will connect to a regular optical cable, or you can buy cables with the minijack connector already on one end like this one.

You mention that you have a soundcard in your HP, but you didn't list any audio output jacks. I'd think that it would at least have a headphone jack. If you have a link to the product page, I could help you - or just take another look and see if there are other jacks on it. You can get fairly inexpensive and small sound "cards" that plug into a USB port and that output a digital optical audio signal - I got my parents one for about $25. I could probably find it if you're interested. Hopefully you have an output on the HP already, though, just to make life a bit easier.

 

[Adam]

Here's a link to a USB dongle that is similar to (and might be) the one that I got my parents a couple of years ago. They sell it other places, too.

If you decide to go that route, one nice thing is that it comes with one of those minijack-to-toslink adapters already.

 

[drbandage]

Oh yes, the other output: (2) headphone/speaker jacks with SPDIF.

Here's a link to the HP that has better info I think: wwwDOTnotebookreviewDOTcom/default.asp?newsID=3480

Sorry, I don't know how to post a link!

I'll have to take a close look at the adapters that you mention. Thank you again. I'm going to have to hit the hay right now, so I will check back tomorrow.

Thanks very much!

 

[Adam]

Oh yes, the other output: (2) headphone/speaker jacks with SPDIF.

That's the one right there! SPDIF represents a digital audio output. I just skimmed that article, but I didn't see a mention of if that was an optical output or not. The Z-5500 has an optical digital audio input and a coax digital audio input, so you are set either way. Just check your manual or similar to see if you can find any info on if that is on optical output. If it's not optical, you would use a different adapter (also very cheap) that would let you use a regular RCA cable to connect to the Z-5500.