Using your hi-fi for PC desktop sound.

[slowmotion]

I will have a mini hi-fi system with stereo bookshelf speakers in my World Domination Command Post as well as a couple of PCs to help the project along. I want to send audio from the computer to the hi-fi. I don't need anything to go from the hi-fi to the computer. The computers don't seem to have audio out sockets but do have headphone and speaker ones. The mini hi-fi has a couple of AUX inputs as well as a USB music stick input. Do I need some kind of audio card in the PCs to do this? External USB cards might be better because I'm short of PCI slots. Serious as World Domination is, I don't need gaming quality sound. Any suggests are welcome, the simpler the better. Please, no five channel sound card suggestions. I only have two ears and my temporary room in the volcano is disappointingly compact.

Thank you.

 

[Profpointy]

Simplest answer is get an adaptor lead from the headphone output of the PC - probably on the front to the Aux input of the amp. Despite what you say, I'd be astonished if there isn't a 3.5mm jack on your PC somewhere.

eg this one

http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/35mm-twin-phono-to-stereo-jack-cable-05m-n04jz

I have upgraded proper professional quality sound card in mine - similar to what the records would have been recorded on in the first place - and do you know what? It's only a little bit better than the on-board sound on the original motherboard

It may be possible or superior to do something from the USB, but I've not done this. You could just try plugging in a USB cable and fiddle around with the audio settings on control panel and see if you can get it to work.

 

[slowmotion]

Simplest answer is get an adaptor lead from the headphone output of the PC - probably on the front to the Aux input of the amp. Despite what you say, I'd be astonished if there isn't a 3.5mm jack on your PC somewhere.

eg this one

http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/35mm-twin-phono-to-stereo-jack-cable-05m-n04jz

I have upgraded proper professional quality sound card in mine - similar to what the records would have been recorded on in the first place - and do you know what? It's only a little bit better than the on-board sound on the original motherboard

It may be possible or superior to do something from the USB, but I've not done this. You could just try plugging in a USB cable and fiddle around with the audio settings on control panel and see if you can get it to work.

Splendid! There are headphone out jacks on both PCs and I'll try feeding that to the AUX IN one on the stereo.

BTW, CPC Farnell are a very good source of really cheap interconnects and were doing free delivery recently.
http://cpc.farnell.com/

 

[raleighnut]

Headphone out to Aux in should work fine, just make sure both volumes are at MINIMUM when you make the connections live (both switched on) then gradually increase the volume on the amp to about 1/4 and then slowly increase the sound on the laptop.
I use the headphone out on my portable Minidisc to an old mini 'HiFi' in my summer house and that generally runs at 75% output on the Minidisc to whatever volume I turn the Amp up to without distorting but the main point is to start off quietly to avoid 'popping' something.

 

[slowmotion]

Headphone out to Aux in should work fine, just make sure both volumes are at MINIMUM when you make the connections live (both switched on) then gradually increase the volume on the amp to about 1/4 and then slowly increase the sound on the laptop.
I use the headphone out on my portable Minidisc to an old mini 'HiFi' in my summer house and that generally runs at 75% output on the Minidisc to whatever volume I turn the Amp up to without distorting but the main point is to start off quietly to avoid 'popping' something.

Good point. I don't want the speaker cones to go supersonic.

 

[fossyant]

If your computers are equipped with Bluetooth, then you can get a handy little £10 Bluetooth receiver to audio adapter to plug into the hi-fi - no wires. Handy with laptops.

 

[slowmotion]

If your computers are equipped with Bluetooth, then you can get a handy little £10 Bluetooth receiver to audio adapter to plug into the hi-fi - no wires. Handy with laptops.

Alas, here in my volcano, Bluetooth is just the stuff of dreams. Even my DeathRay is controlled by thermionic valves

 

[Profpointy]

If your computers are equipped with Bluetooth, then you can get a handy little £10 Bluetooth receiver to audio adapter to plug into the hi-fi - no wires. Handy with laptops.

whilst that's true, and I got a great pair of quite high quality (though cheap) Bluetooth headphones, I couldn't get 'em to work on my work PC because the drivers were wrong. A cable will always work (unless of course broken) but Bluetooth etc involves drivers and faff and no guarantee of success. Good if it does work though.

 

[raleighnut]

Alas, here in my volcano, Bluetooth is just the stuff of dreams. Even my DeathRay is controlled by thermionic valves View attachment 117873

Nowt wrong with valves.

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rc...r.html&usg=AFQjCNF6yTo5XSqMhDt0xc_Bp4otAWmwbg

 

[slowmotion]

Nowt wrong with valves.

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=7&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjUrauC7tzKAhVCHA8KHe2ADy8QFghEMAY&url=http://www.analogueseduction.net/category-1396/quad-ii-eighty-valve-monoblock-power-amplifiers-pair.html&usg=AFQjCNF6yTo5XSqMhDt0xc_Bp4otAWmwbg

You are preaching to the converted.

 

[Profpointy]

You are preaching to the converted.

although aesthetically pleasing, and quad are a recognised good make, I do recall an article in wireless world some 35 years ago where they tried to get to the bottom of whether valves where better for hi-fi, and in fact even if there was such a thing as "valve sound". They did blind listening tests under very carefully controlled conditions, with matched levels etc, and tested two quad amps against each other, I think the 405 transistor amp, and whatever the valve alternative was at the time. After a lot of statistical tests, they concluded that listeners couldn't actually tell the difference, never mind have a preference. . They got similar scores for a preference A versus B as A versus A or B versus B. Both sounded the same. Admittedly both the same make, and hence built to similar aims, but was interesting.

 

[slowmotion]

although aesthetically pleasing, and quad are a recognised good make, I do recall an article in wireless world some 35 years ago where they tried to get to the bottom of whether valves where better for hi-fi, and in fact even if there was such a thing as "valve sound". They did blind listening tests under very carefully controlled conditions, with matched levels etc, and tested two quad amps against each other, I think the 405 transistor amp, and whatever the valve alternative was at the time. After a lot of statistical tests, they concluded that listeners couldn't actually tell the difference, never mind have a preference. . They got similar scores for a preference A versus B as A versus A or B versus B. Both sounded the same. Admittedly both the same make, and hence built to similar aims, but was interesting.

Yeah, but transistor amps don't glow in the dark and heat the entire house on peak-rate electricity!
My partner at work had a job working for a hi-fi company for a few months after he left university many years ago. They sold expensive solid state amplifiers which incorporated a special "valve sound" module potted in epoxy. He never did work out if it was a couple of wires going from input to output.

 

[slowmotion]

http://cpc.farnell.com/pro-signal/p...ereo-jack-plug/dp/AV14270?MER=e-bb45-00001001
Thanks all.

Edit: I'll probably get a couple of shorter ones and an extra "toy" to make it up to the free postage tripwire.

 

[ufkacbln]

A "neater way" is WiFi / Bluetooth

You can get dongles of various descriptions that plug into the AUX socket and then simply connect via Bluetooth / WiFi

 

[Smurfy]

I think you are supposed to match the internal resistance of the headphone socket to the internal resistance of the amplifier. If this is wrong, the power transfer (signal transfer) may be poor, and you will need to turn the volume up a long way on the PC or Amplifier (maybe has implications for signal to noise ratio).

http://electronicdesign.com/communications/back-basics-impedance-matching-part-1

Maybe someone such as @jonesy or @swansonj can explain better?

Even my DeathRay is controlled by thermionic valves View attachment 117873

Yebbut isn't it the case that valves are more resistant to EMP weapons?