connecting the pc to the in house sound system

[uncleresry]

I have a Harmon Kardon 590i digital am/fm reciever amplifier hardwired to speakers throughout my house. I also have a large cd and tape music collection that I am beginning to file on to my pc. Now I want to have my pc which is on the main floor of my house play through my sound system which is down in my basement. Do I go wireless and what equipment do I need? I dont want to sacrifice sound quality in this process. I also want to stream my fave radio stations so I can improve my reception. How can I do this?

 

[LDK180]

Because of restrictions on S/PDIF cable length, 3m for coax and 10m for fiber optic and sound quality issues with wireless, networking another computer through an ethernet connection would give the best results. This is what I have found out by asking the very same question.

 

[mjr4077au]

You could get a wireless audio transfer device but then you have no control over the PC when your in the basement.


I'd get a old PC off the net or locally (like a ex-lease machine) that you can put downstairs and use it to play the media through.

Then you can get a wireless router and two wireless cards for the PC so they talk (you could skimp on the router and do a "ad-hoc" network but a router is better).



Or you could move the PC downstairs :scratch2: .

 

[mjr4077au]

Because of restrictions on S/PDIF cable length, 3m for coax and 10m for fiber optic and sound quality issues with wireless, networking another computer through an ethernet connection would give the best results. This is what I have found out by asking the very same question.

Soz, was typing as you said what you said. I didn't mention S/PDIF connections or anything because cables means holes drilled into floors.

 

[jimfet]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16815122005
This is similar to what I use. Mine hooks to agp slot and has a dongle with rca jacks. Works really nice. I mainly use it for home theater and all my music on hard drive. I also found that the DVD player in my PC was better than the one I had bought, so I use my PC as DVD player and recorder.

I have been using mine around 2 years now. The remote is nice too.

Get a good sound card with it.

 

[Cleve]

Buy a wireless router and a wireless Squeezebox 3. You can control the audio stream via the unit's remote, or sitting at the computer.

 

[cableguy2]

How many speakers do you have on the main floor where the PC is? If you had more than a pair, you could use those wires to connect the PC to the stereo.

 

[soundmotor]

Buy a wireless router and a wireless Squeezebox 3. You can control the audio stream via the unit's remote, or sitting at the computer.

Easiest route ^^^

Slim Devices (SqueezeBox) & Roku (Soundbridge) are 2 of the best for this.

You are looking at $200-$300 expenditure.

 

[aiconn]

The primary problem you're going to have is that most systems like the Squeezebox are designed to sit where the input for the system is located. Therefore you wouldn't be able to control the unit from your listening area. There are a few a/v senders on the market, but I haven't seen one that interfaces with the PC. For best quality I'd recommend that you have the termination point for the speakers extended upstairs. This would allow for easy access to the H/K and you could use a Squeezebox, or similar, easily and be able to control it.

The alternative that I see would be adding a second PC in the basement with audio ouput to your receiver, adding a wifi network, and using a remote control solution to access it from the PC in your living area. It's not expensive or hard to do, but it would be more cumbersome for use than the former option.

Just my .02.

 

[soundmotor]

The primary problem you're going to have is that most systems like the Squeezebox are designed to sit where the input for the system is located. Therefore you wouldn't be able to control the unit from your listening area.

:scratch2:

What?

In the OP he says he wants to play media stored on his PC upstairs, on his main system downstairs. The easiest way to do that is with a wireless bridge which gives you full control of the media on the PC HD from the listening area.

 

[aiconn]

:scratch2:

What?

In the OP he says he wants to play media stored on his PC upstairs, on his main system downstairs. The easiest way to do that is with a wireless bridge which gives you full control of the media on the PC HD from the listening area.

I understand what he's trying to do. What I don't understand in your reply is how he's going to get functionality of a Squeezebox or Roku from upstairs. Looking at pictures of either unit I see analog and digital outputs that must be connected to the receiver. If what you're saying is true how do you get the signal to the receiver without the unit being in the basement with it?

 

[soundmotor]

I understand what he's trying to do. What I don't understand in your reply is how he's going to get functionality of a Squeezebox or Roku from upstairs. Looking at pictures of either unit I see analog and digital outputs that must be connected to the receiver. If what you're saying is true how do you get the signal to the receiver without the unit being in the basement with it?

His original statement -

"Now I want to have my pc which is on the main floor of my house play through my sound system which is down in my basement."

The way to do this is with a Squeezebox or Roku. It sits with his equipment stack downstairs and can access any music file on his HD either wirelessly or hardwired. That's what it is designed to do.

Here is the Roku spec info -

Roku Soundbridge

 

[aiconn]

It sits with his equipment stack downstairs and can access any music file on his HD either wirelessly or hardwired. That's what it is designed to do.

You've illustrated the point I was making in regard to the placement of his receiver. To use either of these devices with his current setup he gives up the convenience of the device. You can't use the remote for a Squeezebox from his listening area. You can't see the display on the device from his listening area. To do anything with one of these devices you must use the PC exclusively.

That may be an acceptable solution for uncleresry, but I wouldn't pay anywhere near the cost of Squeezebox or Roku for such limited accessibility.

 

[soundmotor]

You've illustrated the point I was making in regard to the placement of his receiver. To use either of these devices with his current setup he gives up the convenience of the device. You can't use the remote for a Squeezebox from his listening area. You can't see the display on the device from his listening area. To do anything with one of these devices you must use the PC exclusively.

That may be an acceptable solution for uncleresry, but I wouldn't pay anywhere near the cost of Squeezebox or Roku for such limited accessibility.

I am reading the OP as as he has ripped his music library into his computer and wants to listen to it in his basement where his main systerm is, where the Squeezbox would be.

How are you parsing it?

 

[aiconn]

I am reading the OP as as he has ripped his music library into his computer and wants to listen to it in his basement where his main systerm is, where the Squeezbox would be.

How are you parsing it?

I've read that he is in the process of ripping his music to his PC on the main floor of his home. He wants to play the files on the PC through the sound system in his home which consists of a receiver in the basement connected to speakers throughout the home.

I don't think he's referring to listening in the basement. If he is, I wouldn't have made the suggestions I made. I would have agreed with you and Cleve.

 

[uncleresry]

:scratch2:

What?

In the OP he says he wants to play media stored on his PC upstairs, on his main system downstairs. The easiest way to do that is with a wireless bridge which gives you full control of the media on the PC HD from the listening area.

you guys are awesome with possibilities and have given me homework. The truth is while the pc is on main floor and sound in system basement speakers all over the house, the main floor is where I spend most time and where I will want controls. If I go to the basement to listen I will use the sound system and its remote and have only the basement speakers on. When I have visitors I'll be upstairs on the main floor and will want the controls up there. A portable remote would be a bonus. Running wires is not impossible but will involve 30-40 ft of wire.

 

[soundmotor]

you guys are awesome with possibilities and have given me homework. The truth is while the pc is on main floor and sound in system basement speakers all over the house, the main floor is where I spend most time and where I will want controls. If I go to the basement to listen I will use the sound system and its remote and have only the basement speakers on. When I have visitors I'll be upstairs on the main floor and will want the controls up there. A portable remote would be a bonus. Running wires is not impossible but will involve 30-40 ft of wire.

Take the PC out of the equation for a moment.

How do you deal with this situation currently?

How do you listen to music on the main floor?

 

[uncleresry]

Take the PC out of the equation for a moment.

How do you deal with this situation currently?

How do you listen to music on the main floor?

The music all runs from the basement. I use a sony 5 cd changer. I have a switching box that controls the speakers I simply turn on the speakers in the room of the house I want to be listening in, my office, my living room my kitchen, my den. Trouble is I have no controls unless I run down to the basement and my radio reception is not as great as it would be if I streamed from the web.
The pc is on my main floor in my office close to my kitchen and living room.

 

[soundmotor]

The music all runs from the basement. I use a sony 5 cd changer. I have a switching box that controls the speakers I simply turn on the speakers in the room of the house I want to be listening in, my office, my living room my kitchen, my den. Trouble is I have no controls unless I run down to the basement and my radio reception is not as great as it would be if I streamed from the web.
The pc is on my main floor in my office close to my kitchen and living room.

Short of redoing your system to a true multizone one with independent control over source you are left with workarounds. One way I see to do this economically is to get a USB soundcard such as a Turtle Beach Audio Advantage and an inexpensive integrated amplifier. Have either another set of speakers in your listening area or a switch that will let you drive the set already there from either the basement amplifier or the new one upstairs. Then simply use the MP3 client of your choice such as WMP are Winamp to playback on the new amp and switched in speakers from the output of the USB soundcard. You can also add the Squeezebox so you can listen in your basement via wireless streaming as detailed earlier. The Audio Advantage is under $30.

 

[uncleresry]

what if???????

I am willing, if it is prudent and I dont lose controls I alreay have, to buy a new amplifier reciever that will accomodate my existing speaker set up and cd player and tape deck but also have wireless capabilities so I can tramsmit from the pc. Or then again if an appropriate amp/receiver is available to hard wire it in. A few hundred bucks is not an issue. A few thousand is. I kknow there has to be a way to do this without re doing the whole system I just aint sure what I need to blend these systems together.

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