I want use a computer as a source of signal for my Harmon Kardon HK 3490 receiver. I'm only interested in stereo audio. I have no interest in 5.1, surround sound, quadrophonic, or video. I have no need to plug headphones into it and no need to drive speakers directly with it. I'm not going into studio production. So what I want from a sound card is strictly special purpose -- the ability to send my amplifier a signal at least as good as that sent by a good CD player. If it has input capability that might allow me to import some material from some older analog media that would be a nice bonus.
The manual for my HK lists it's audio inputs as including:
am/fm/xm ready tuner
phono
cd
tape monitor/cdr
main-amp inputs
the bridge II-ready connector
coaxial and optical digital audio inputs
Getting around behind it is kind of difficult so I won't try to send a picture unless it is really needed. My knowledge of modern stereo systems is not all up to date as I have no idea what a "bridge II-ready connector" is and only a vague conceptual understanding of "optical digital audio inputs". Jeez, I thought I was up to date on these things just the other day when I was an undergrad. Oh, wait a minute . . . that was the 1970s.
In reading here and there I see a lot of people talking about using stand-alone hardware DACs which for the life of me I can't figure out why. Is there some fundamental problem with getting a signal out of a sound card at least as good as that from a good CD player?
If the amp has "optical digital audio inputs" does that mean it will do it's own DAC on those inputs and if so is it likely to be better than what a sound card could do? Or am I better off sending an analog signal from the sound card over coax? Or some other option? When I was assuming the connection would be an analog signal I figured placing the computer next to the amp to minimize the length of the connection was the way to go. But if I use a digital connection I'm not sure that makes any sense. Might it be better to get it further away to get the power supply and it's possible emanations further away?
Assuming a sound card is the way to go perhaps some of you can tell me what numbers or other criteria I need to be comparing or even what models you think I should look at or where to go for either type of information.
I'm assembling a box to be dedicated primarily to this purpose so if there are any non obvious resource issues I need to look out for (like if this application is going to take a whole lot more RAM or processing power than I would be likely to expect, for instance) that you know of it would be nice to hear about them.
Thanks for your time.
