PC to stereo - what's the solution?

[angusfookes]

I want to be able to play MP3s from my laptop out through my stereo. I have a MarantzPM7000 amp which has AUX input jacks plus a pair of Monitor speakers. It's a lovely stereo system which I bought four years ago.

I have USB2 and Firewire outputs on my laptop which is about a year old.

I am a complete newbie on this subject and haven't found anything that matches. Most external soundcards seem to cater for 5.1 speakers - somewhat overkill for just two speakers. Also, they don't have the connections that I need for the stereo.

I think the AUX input jacks are for RCA connectors (a pair of red and white ones) - you can tell I know nothing about this subject!

Any help gratefully received!

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Welcome to AT.

Does your laptop have a line-out or headphone out?

If it does you could use an adapter that will change it to RCA jacks that you can connect to your amp with regular RCA cable.

You can certainly get an external soundcard too. I haven't really kept up on what's good in that area.

Headfi.org might have some info on USB soundcards for you. That's more headphone based info, but it should apply for you too.

 

[angusfookes]

Well, I do have a headphone out so that's sounds like a brilliant and simple idea!

The only thing I worry about is that the sound quality out through the headphone out and into the amp might give a poor quality sound. Will have a look at Headfi.org though.

Many thanks for your swift response - terrific!

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: angusfookes
Well, I do have a headphone out so that's sounds like a brilliant and simple idea!

The only thing I worry about is that the sound quality out through the headphone out and into the amp might give a poor quality sound. Will have a look at Headfi.org though.

Many thanks for your swift response - terrific!

Yeah, there certainly is a risk of it not sounding too great, but when you can pick up an adapter at radioshack or something for a couple bucks it's worth a shot, right?

EDIT: oh, and if you do get a USB soundcard with 1/8" jacks, then you can use the adapter again to change it to RCA because you'll need to do that anyway.

 

[angusfookes]

For sure. I'll do that and see what it sounds like.

 

[Peter]

Just use what the notebook already has. Remember to configure the audio hardware to "line" levels not "headphone", usually by selecting a non-headphone speaker configuration. Else you'll get amplification and possibly bass emphasis, neither of which you want.

Some recent notebooks also let you switch the output jack to digital (S/PDIF) mode.

 

[alcoholbob]

I believe SPDIF TTL is not safe for receivers, since it operates on a completely different voltage level...Receivers HAVE been blown attempting this.

Which is why people buy breakout box versions of analog sound cards with real coaxial/toslink digital outs.

 

[angusfookes]

You guys are good!!!!! Now, having changed the notebook from "headphones" to "laptop stereo speakers", the sound out from the notebook is much better.

Not quite sure whether it will allow the switch to S/PDIF - there's very little documentation / options. On the advanced option it has a tick box for "1 SPDIF" - so that might do what you are referring to. Hmmmm.

Have now bought the relevant adapter from Amazon - so should be able to test it all in the next couple of days.

Thanks!

 

[Peter]

You're welcome.

Astrallite, coax digital-out _is_ TTL level S/PDIF. The plug shape on a notebook is different, but the signal is the same.

Of course, when you switch to digital-out, you need to feed that into a digital input!

 

[CSMR]

There are many USB and Firewire soundcards for stereo analog and digital output. Look on Head-Fi at the computer-as-source section.

 

[alcoholbob]

Hey Peter,

Creative themselves say the minijack digital out is not safe for receivers due to the voltage standard. Many users have (keyword) CLAIMED their receivers have been blown. Take it as you want, or be adventurous and show us Creative is right/wrong.

 

[Peter]

Maybe Creative have furked theirs up (wouldn't surprise /me/), but there are plenty of notebooks that output proper, compliant S/PDIF on their minijacks.

 

[CSMR]

I thought all motherboard output is resampled to 48khz, so maybe compliant, but not proper.

 

[Peter]

Time for you to read up on some AC97 codec manuals Even VIA's simple 2-channel codecs have 48K, 44.1K and 32K support on S/PDIF, some even 96K.

Besides, what do you think do the external solutions or even the Audigy use for outside-world interfacing? Right: AC97 codecs.

 

[angusfookes]

Ok, not sure whether to start a new thread or not, but the saga continues.

Have now bought the relevant adapter, which has been working fine, plugged into the headphone out. Except that the sound is coming out of only the right speaker! Sigh.... Well, the CD player and tuner play out of both speakers, so it must be related to the PC/adapter side of things.

Checked Control Panel/Sound & Audio Devices/Device Volume/Advanced - the balance is central for Wave (that seems to be the one that is operating as 'mute' works). The audio device is Crystal WDM Audio which came with the notebook so is probably rubbish, but not so rubbish as to play in mono hopefully!

On the same popup, I also checked Speaker Settings/Speaker Volume. The right slider varies the sound but the left slider has no effect. Hmmmm.

So I went to the Advanced Tab and checked the Speaker Set up - it is set to Laptop Stereo Speakers - anyway when I vary the setting it seems to have no effect.

I'm not even sure whether the sound is coming out in mono or just right speaker stereo (if that makes any sense).

That's it. I'm stuck. Have I missed something obvious?

Why does Bill Gates make everything so complicated? Grrrr.

 

[alcoholbob]

Well...you could buy a soundcard to see if its the onboard sound card, or the cable adapter you've bought.

 

[angusfookes]

in a moment of sheer brilliance, I found some headphones and plugged that in. Still only get sound on the right ear - so it isn't the adapter.

 

[angusfookes]

Now if I vary the slider on the wave balance and the left / right sliders on the speaker volume popup I can hear both left and right through the notebook's own tinny speakers. So it isn't the soundcard alone.

Must be the headphone out connection therefore (perhaps). Hmmm.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Maybe you're just making a poor connection with it.

Fiddle around with it making sure the adapter is getting in all the way and twist it around too to see if it makes any difference.

 

[HDTVMan]

Originally posted by: Astrallite
I believe SPDIF TTL is not safe for receivers, since it operates on a completely different voltage level...Receivers HAVE been blown attempting this.

Which is why people buy breakout box versions of analog sound cards with real coaxial/toslink digital outs.

The problem there was cards like creative live needed a daughter card but instead people were trying to connect to them directly and having their equipment blown. If its the external SPDIF then its ok.

I use optical out to my receiver so there is no chance of that.

I have a wireless feed to my home stereo for music.

 

[angusfookes]

Ok, thanks for your help YOyoYOhowsDAjello and Astrallite but I have a confession. What I thought was headphone out is in fact Line In. Helps to look in the notebook manual at the beginning. Sigh.

The only other option is an S/PDIF line out - but the RCA cable, inevitably, doesn't work going into the analogue audio L/R inputs.

Is there any way of converting the digital signal into analogue?

Many thanks (again) in advance for any help.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Line-in shouldn't be giving you any output to your receiver... are you sure it's line-in and can't be changed to other settings?

 

[Cerb]

What about a small USB soundcard for the output? Then, 1/8"->RCA->reciever.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16829118107
That seems to be a good budget solution, ATM (and it may work better w/o TB's drivers, if running XP).

 

[angusfookes]

ok, having looked at the manual again and the markings on the back of the notebook, it's clear that the manual is wrong. And you, YOyoYOhowsDAjello, are right: I am plugged into the line out, which is "S/PDIF line out jack" according to the manual - but who knows whether that's really true!.

Anyway, I guess the question remains: why does it come out on mono on my stereo whilst it plays in stereo on the built-in laptop speakers? Rather odd.

I also jiggled the connection both ends, but to no avail. It resolutely only wants to come out on one speaker.

Thanks Cerb for the suggestion - will definitely consider it. For now though, I want to resolve this 'mono' issue.

I also switched the stereo ends from AUX1 to AUX2 in case there was a problem there. But it still gives me mono.

I'm fairly sure the RCA cable should suffice - does anyone else agree with that?

Thanks!

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Well if headphones plugged directly into it also only gave you mono, then there's got to be a problem with the sound signal coming out.

If you have a copy of the sound drivers you need it might be worth a shot to uninstall them and then reinstall them to see if that will reset all your settings and everything to defaults.