Hi everyone. I'm an utter audio neophyte looking for some advice on building a PC-centred audio system. Since I've never worked with audio gear, I'm not even sure if my little project is possible...
Background: My ultimate goal is to build a 6.1 audio setup with all the signals coming through my PC. My PC already has a DVD, CD, sound card (Soundblaster Audigy 2 ZS), and connections to an LCD projector. Unfortunately, I literally have no audio hardware to listen on. However, I think that if I can run all the audio sources from my existing PC, I can save a few $$ in building a home theatre system.
Project: Right now, I'm actively looking to spend ~US$1.1k for a pair of bookshelf speakers to use as the mains and an amplifier to power them. The room is ~600 ft^2 with bare walls & no carpeting, so absorption won't be a problem. I've identified the Paradigm Monitor 5's and Rotel RMB-1066 as attractive targets and am trying to schedule a demo listening. Next yr, I'm planning on picking up 2 rear spkrs (Axiom QS4s?), a subwoofer, a centre channel, spkr stands and some respectable cables & interconnects.
Questions: 1. Since I can barely tell the difference between a banana clip and a banana split, I don't know if this approach even makes sense. I understand that PC audio is plagued by electronic interference and is thus a step down from true hi-fi. Will better speakers coming from a PC be audibly better than a much cheaper generic crap-in-a-box setup? 2. Does the Paradigms paired with the Rotel make sense? I know that the impedences (8ohm) need to match, but I'm pretty lost regarding this max input power & suitable amplifier power range jibberish. Are there other combos in the US$1.1k range that I should consider? 3. Can I route the audio signal from the sound card directly to the amp, and thus avoid purchasing a receiver or pre-amp? Since all the audio signal will be coming from 1 source, I figured the receiver/pre-amp would be superfluous. 4. What kind of connections should I be looking for from the sound card to the amps/receiver/pre-amp/whatever? The card already has 1/8" minijacks, with optional 1/4" steres & S/PDIF (optical & coaxial).
Anyway, I'm swimming in molasses here so any advice on this or related topics would be gratefully appreciated.
you will use the soundcard to do your decoding and send the signal out the the three analog outs so you will need three mini plug to dual rca connections. to go from your sound card to the rmb-1066 then to the speakers.
and the speakers will work fine with the amp.
i'm sure it won't be quite as good as a dedicated reciever and dvd player but will work and you can save some money for now and buy yourself a nice prepro in the future along with a good dvd player.