Hi

Looking at putting my CD collection on an old pc and connecting to my hifi.
Its a half decent system and I would like something that will give me decent sound quality without spending stupid money.
If I spend between £50 – £100 will I get something decent?
My amp is an oldish Linn Majik and I normally use an oldish Linn Mimik cd deck, I am not expecting to match it or replace it, just looking to have a decent sounding jukebox.
Any recommendations?

My computer has an optical audio output, which apparently is the dogs for hooking up to a DAC and decent stereo kit.

But I know little about such things. 🙁

Yes, I use a Creative E-MU 0404 – replaced a MicroMega 4 CD player and is much better – it’s within your budget. The other one to try is the Cambridge Audio DacMagic form Richer sounds, bit more expensive.

For info – you use the SPDIF output and feed it through the coax aerial system in your house – put an Amp or DAC in whatever rooms you want and have a decent distributed audio system (you can also feed SPDIF into the video channel of those cheap video senders for wireless transmission).

I used to use a Emu 0404 pci soundcard (an ‘audiophile’ sound card), it which replaced a Musical Fidelity X-Ray cd player. I was happy with that for years.

Then I replaced the Emu 0404 with a Musical Fidelity usb VDAC and I reckon I like that better.

Im using the dac in a sony blu ray player which is connected to a mac via eye connect software over a homeplug network.

It can also take files from usb drives. The output is analogue and goes into a nad amp. Sound quality seems good. The sony dac is likely pretty good, perhaps not as good as the best audiophile ones but I imagine the limiting factors will be the 320 files not the digital conversion.

Ian

I use a Cambridge Audio 2ph/3.5mm cable to connect my laptop to my amp, think its an AUD500, cost about £30 and works very well

cambridge audio DACMagic or a musical fidelity VDAC. rip your CDs into FLAC files and youre away.

Sort of, but with an audio interface rather than a dedicated DAC. I use an Edirol UA-25EX as my soundcard, which then goes into a pair of Mackie monitors. Sounds great!

I just use an optical TOSLINK from my Mac Mini to my Yamaha A/V amp. Sounds ok to me, but it’s possible it could sound better. Don’t know, really.

Yes, got one o the Taiwanese ones off eBay, I can find out what it was if you are keen. It works vey well, it’s a long way off my cd player which is a creek destiny, but it’s better than any soundcard I’ve heard. Cost ~£120. My friend did a similar thing and swapped is audiophile soundcard for the musical fidelity one (I think it’s small and cylindrical) and was much happier with the dac.

I use optical out from the computer to a Beresford DAC

http://www.beresford.me/

I’ve got an older version of the TC-7520 and its good for the money

This is then fed into a 1990s Audiolab 8000a amplifier

OS is ubuntu studio