Tell me which inputs/outputs to use on C320bee

 

Silver Member
Username: James_the_god

Doncaster, South Yorkshire England

Post Number: 141
Registered: Jan-05
If Im connecting my soundcard from my computer which will have some rca sockets on, then where do I plug them in to my amplifier. Is it the cd input or disc input.
2 rca/coaxial sockets on soundcard >> 2 rca sockets/coaxial on what on the NAD?
Thanks
 

Bronze Member
Username: Stu_pitt

NYC, NY Pakistan

Post Number: 54
Registered: May-05
I don't think it makes any difference. The only problems would be digital or phono inputs, which the 320BEE has neither. The only difference between the inputs in this case is the names.
 

Silver Member
Username: James_the_god

Doncaster, South Yorkshire England

Post Number: 142
Registered: Jan-05
I was under the impression that digital and phone were the same thing..both being RCA?
Im confused, there any sites that sell these different cables so I can make out the difference between them?
 

Bronze Member
Username: Stu_pitt

NYC, NY Pakistan

Post Number: 55
Registered: May-05
By phone, do you mean Phono?

Without getting too complicated - A phono input is another way of saying record player or turn table input. They are RCA's but the signal gets changed after it goes in. In a nut shell, the signal gets amplified and EQ'ed

A digital input can have be RCA connections, but again the signal gets changed after going in. It gets converted from a digital (1's & 0's) to an analog signal. It uses a digital to analog converter (DAC) inside the reciever/amp rather than using the one in the cd/dvd player.

The NAD C320BEE doesn't have either of these types of inputs. It only has line level inputs that do not change the signal going into it in any way. Therefore, all of the inputs are the same. To make things easier for you to remember which is which, they label the inputs tuner, CD, disc, etc., rather than calling them input 1, 2, 3, and so on.

If your sound card' output is only digital, it will not work with the 320BEE because the BEE doesn't have an internal DAC. If you soundcard's output is analog (which is most likely the case) it will work in any input of the BEE.

Hope I didn't confuse you more!!!
 

Silver Member
Username: James_the_god

Doncaster, South Yorkshire England

Post Number: 144
Registered: Jan-05
Nope, you didnt confuse me more. I did mean phono, I just typed it wrongly.
I dont actually have the soundcard yet..im choosing between an m-audio audiophile 2496 and the emu0404. Im not sure which to get, although I think both do have analog outs-the s/pdif things/rca. Are you familiar with either of these cards and know from experience which is better?
 

Silver Member
Username: James_the_god

Doncaster, South Yorkshire England

Post Number: 145
Registered: Jan-05
Right, if you could check out this I'd be grateful:
http://www.m-audio.com/images/en/manuals/Audiophile2496_Manual.pdf
Go to page 4. Now if you're really sure that the NAD will only accept analog, although I was under the impression the the C320bee worked as both a pre-amp and power-amp, then I think Ill have to use '2 and 3' in the diagram on page 4. Is this right?
2 more questions.
1). Would I use the MIDI connectors to connect my guitar amp to my soundcard. I want to be able to record music i play onto my computer or/and allow my amp to play music from my computer if possible so I can play along with it. Or would I just play the music through my speakers.
2). Is digital/coaxial/spdif much better than analog? Is there any way I could connect my soundcard to the Nad C320bee

A lot of questions, but I will be so grateful if you could answer them. Thankyou
 

Bronze Member
Username: Stu_pitt

NYC, NY Pakistan

Post Number: 65
Registered: May-05
The 320BEE will not accept a digital signal because it does not have an internal Digital to Analog Converter. The 320BEE can be used as either or both a pre-amp and power amp, but this doesn't have anything to do with the DAC issue. Most 2 channel gear - pre-amps, intergrated amps and receivers - do not have internal DAC's. The one's that do are most often surround sound units.

When you use a digital out from a source (cd player, dvd, sound card) it doesn't send an analog "sound" signal out, it only sends out the the digital code of 1's and 0's. Because the 320BEE doesn't have a DAC it can't convert those 1's and 0's into sound, therefore nothing would come out of the speakers. If you had a surround sound receiver with a digital input, then it would decode the 1's and 0's and turn them into sound.

The only way you would be able to connect the sound card is using RCA cables from the analog outs of the card to any input on the 320BEE. This would definately work.

I don't have any experience with sound cards or guitars, so I can't help you out with that issue.

A thing I've noticed about using computers and portable equipment such as MP3 players is that they are almost always lower in volume than dedicated sources such as CD players. You have to turn the volume knob up about twice as high to get the same sound level. So if this happens with yours, don't blame the 320BEE or the sound card, they all do it unless the soundcard was specifically designed not to.

As for which is the best connection for sound quality, that's a can of worms. What degrades an audio signal in cables is mainly elecromagnetic interference (EMI) or radio frequency interference (RFI). A digital optical cable cable is not suseptible to these because it doesn't carry an electrical signal. It uses a flashing light to transfer the signal (light on either means 1 or 0, not sure which, and light off means the other). The others work in different ways. Personally I don't think there is much if any difference in cables. As long as they are sheilded from EMI and RFI and have good connectors on them, they won't sound any different. There are differences in different types of cables, like using component cables instead of s-video, but that's about it.

For you purposes, when connecting the sound card to the 320BEE using standard RCA's, don't go out and spend a lot of money on an interconnect. The lower end Monster interconnect or similar should be sufficient. In order to hear any differences in these (which I highly doubt they exist) you would need far more sensitive and revealing stuff than you've got.

Check out audioholics.com for more about different types of wires and their uses etc. They've got a link to their articles somewhere in there.

Hope this helps
 

Bronze Member
Username: Stu_pitt

NYC, NY Pakistan

Post Number: 66
Registered: May-05
If you used the sound card that you provided the link to, you would run an RCA interconnect from the analog outs (I believe it was #2) to the any input on the 320BEE. The 320BEE won't accept any other type of cable. I guess you could use the other cable they show if you found an adapter that could be connected to it at one end and had RCA's on the other, but what would be the point? It would cost more money for no gain in quality.

Like I said before, I have no experience with sound cards at all. It could be the best one of all time, or the worst of all time. Without hearing it, I have no idea. There may be some computer forums out ther that can help with that part.
 

Silver Member
Username: James_the_god

Doncaster, South Yorkshire England

Post Number: 147
Registered: Jan-05
Thanks Stu your help is appreciated.
So looks like I'll be having analog sound then. I have looked at the QED Qunex 1, its only about £25 for 1.5m which is what I need. The monster could be another option like you said.
You mentioned about the volume being generally quiter, well I dont think turning up the NAD will be that hard, if my speakers are 6ohms, I will have roughly 100watts to play around with. Thats more than enough.
Currently I have a 4.1 cambridge soundworks system connected to a sblive card, so Im guessing the sound Im hearing is analog?
I think that analog to the NAD would be fine, just as long as it works and my speakers produce sound a hell of a lot better than my surround speakers do with music.
The m-audio and the emu both have optical I think, but you said the quality would be the same as analog so Ill just stick with analog. Im sure everyone who has a computer based hi-fi uses analog because of the amplifier. You have made me wonder whether or not to buy a recieve instead though for the digital sound. Hmmm
 

Bronze Member
Username: Stu_pitt

NYC, NY Pakistan

Post Number: 81
Registered: May-05
That's what makes it fun and frustrating at the same time
 

Silver Member
Username: James_the_god

Doncaster, South Yorkshire England

Post Number: 161
Registered: Jan-05
Stu. Got another question and its really bugging me. If i used the analogue out then would the sound be stereo or mono? I sure hope its stereo.
Thanks
One more thing, Ill buy getting the emu0404. The breakout cable has 6.3mm jacks, so Ill be using 2 rca to 6.3mm cables I think to connect to my amp.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Stu_pitt

NYC, NY Pakistan

Post Number: 87
Registered: May-05
I'm pretty sure it'll be stereo
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