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HiFi vs. Computer
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calmar
Guest
PostPosted: Sun May 29, 2005 8:02 pm    Post subject: HiFi vs. Computer Reply with quote
Hi,

I'm wondering, how a good computer with a good graphic card + good
speakers can compare to a good HiFi System?

Since good soundcards can be quite expensive, and that only for the card
itself, I would suspect, that that good computer/soundcard and good
speaker combo can be as good as a good HiFi System?

So I really don't know much about these things.


Thanks for any hints.

calmar

--
calmar
(o_ It rocks: LINUX + Command-Line-Interface
//\
V_/_ http://www.calmar.ws
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Richard Crowley
Guest
PostPosted: Sun May 29, 2005 9:02 pm    Post subject: Re: HiFi vs. Computer Reply with quote
"calmar" wrote ...
Quote:
I'm wondering, how a good computer with a good graphic card

The graphic card will have no effect on how the system sounds.

+ good speakers can compare to a good HiFi System?

Likely the speakers themselves will be the most critical part of
any music playback system.

Quote:
Since good soundcards can be quite expensive,

Your average-to-good sound card is likely as good as your
average CD players in "sound quality".

Quote:
and that only for the card itself, I would suspect, that that good
computer/soundcard and good speaker combo can be as good
as a good HiFi System?

Are you asking about just the computer as a SOURCE? Or are
you asking about your typical computer "multi-media" little
plastic speakers with built-in amplifier?

A computer as a sound SOURCE is roughly equivalent to a
consumer CD player.

Computer speakers are generally lousy to horrible compared
to average name-brand stereo speakers.
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Geoff Wood
Guest
PostPosted: Sun May 29, 2005 9:03 pm    Post subject: Re: HiFi vs. Computer Reply with quote
"calmar" <calmar@calmar.ws> wrote in message
news:slrnd9k37v.4ve.calmar@news.calmar.ws...
Quote:
Hi,

I'm wondering, how a good computer with a good graphic card + good
speakers can compare to a good HiFi System?

Since good soundcards can be quite expensive, and that only for the card
itself, I would suspect, that that good computer/soundcard and good
speaker combo can be as good as a good HiFi System?

So I really don't know much about these things.


Rather depends on what you are going to use fo an amplifier and speakers.


Also a computer doesn't generally look so great in the lounge, and doesn't
have a remote control.

geoff
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calmar
Guest
PostPosted: Sun May 29, 2005 9:03 pm    Post subject: Re: HiFi vs. Computer Reply with quote
On 2005-05-29, calmar <calmar@calmar.ws> wrote:

Hi again,

when I'm already asking, how is the difference between:

- computer + sundcard
- mp3 player (let's say on 320kbps)
- cd player playing mp3's (e.g 320kbps)
- Hi-Fi system player those mp3's or cd

These systems connected all to the same speakers

Maybe it's possible to say some general things about these ways to play
musik quality related?

thx and cheers
calmar


--
calmar
(o_ It rocks: LINUX + Command-Line-Interface
//\
V_/_ http://www.calmar.ws
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Joe Kesselman
Guest
PostPosted: Sun May 29, 2005 9:03 pm    Post subject: Re: HiFi vs. Computer Reply with quote
Geoff Wood wrote:
Quote:
Also a computer doesn't generally look so great in the lounge, and doesn't
have a remote control.

Depends on the model/accessories/software. Some are marketed as
multimedia machines, and you can get remotes as peripherals, and the
laptop I have dedicated to my stereo system is set up for remote control
via the network.

But that's offtopic for the question as asked. The real answer is: Given
a good soundcard, and given non-compressed data (or losslessly
compressed data), a PC can certainly be a "hi-fi" recording/playback system.
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Richard Crowley
Guest
PostPosted: Sun May 29, 2005 9:03 pm    Post subject: Re: HiFi vs. Computer Reply with quote
"calmar" wrote ...
Quote:
when I'm already asking, how is the difference between:

- computer + sundcard
- mp3 player (let's say on 320kbps)
- cd player playing mp3's (e.g 320kbps)
- Hi-Fi system player those mp3's or cd

These systems connected all to the same speakers

Maybe it's possible to say some general things about these
ways to play musik quality related?

WHAT speakers? WHAT amplifier?

If you are talking about little plastic "computer speakers" they
will all sound lousy.

If you are talking about real stereo amplifier and speakers,
they will quite possibly be indistinguishable playing MP3
files. On a decent system, you should be able to hear that a
real CD sounds better than MP3. Regardless of whether it
is played on a computer or on a CD/MP3 player.

The sound will be much more affected by the speakers than
by the source (computer vs. CD/MP3 player).
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Laurence Payne
Guest
PostPosted: Sun May 29, 2005 9:03 pm    Post subject: Re: HiFi vs. Computer Reply with quote
On Sun, 29 May 2005 20:42:07 +0200, calmar <calmar@calmar.ws> wrote:

Quote:
I'm wondering, how a good computer with a good graphic card + good
speakers can compare to a good HiFi System?

Since good soundcards can be quite expensive, and that only for the card
itself, I would suspect, that that good computer/soundcard and good
speaker combo can be as good as a good HiFi System?

For serious music use, you'd choose exactly the same amplifier and
speakers as you would for a hi-fi system. So the only difference is
the source. Computer v. stand-alone CD player or other source.

If you're playing CDs and your computer has a digital output (and your
amp has a digital input) you're just swapping one utility-standard CD
mechanism for another. No difference.

If you're playing MP3 or other format sound files, quality is down to
the quality of the file. MP3 ranges from pretty good to pretty
awful, depending on degree of compression.

If you're making an analogue link from computer to amplifier, a rather
better sound card than what is usually built in to computers is a good
idea. But this doesn't have to be expensive.

If you're into audiophile foolery, continue to believe what you want
to believe. :-)
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Peter Larsen
Guest
PostPosted: Mon May 30, 2005 5:04 am    Post subject: Re: HiFi vs. Computer Reply with quote
calmar wrote:

Quote:
I'm wondering, how a good computer with a good graphic card + good
speakers can compare to a good HiFi System?

If loudspeakers and amp are kept constant this is mainly about the
actual quality of the DA conversion.

Quote:
Since good soundcards can be quite expensive,

Some soundcards made for the gamers can be as costly as or costlier than
cards made for the listener.

Quote:
and that only for the card itself, I would suspect, that
that good computer/soundcard and good speaker combo
can be as good as a good HiFi System?

The quality of the computer doesn't really come in to this, a Pentium
"640" equipped box or a Pentium II equipped box sound the same with the
same soundcard, and if you connect the output of the sound card via a
passive attenuator (to get the coarse level matching right) to a
poweramp or to active high quality loudspeakers then it can be very
good. This however is not about the loudspeakers from the "Yonder Corner
Olde Computer Shoppe". nor about a sound card it is likely to retail.

5+1 gets to be somewhat more complicated, but the general principles
above still apply, there is no "vs." - all things equal there only is
"how good is the DA conversion", because it will end up being about
comparing DA converter, as for the rest of the reproduction most people
would be better off connecting the sound output from the computer to
their stereo anyway.

Quote:
So I really don't know much about these things.

We all have a frontier of learning, it is beyond the practical to cover
the issue completely here.

Quote:
calmar


Kind regards

Peter Larsen


*******************************************
* My site is at: http://www.muyiovatki.dk *
*******************************************
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Mr.T
Guest
PostPosted: Mon May 30, 2005 11:02 am    Post subject: Re: HiFi vs. Computer Reply with quote
"calmar" <calmar@calmar.ws> wrote in message
news:slrnd9k37v.4ve.calmar@news.calmar.ws...
Quote:
Hi,

I'm wondering, how a good computer with a good graphic card + good
speakers can compare to a good HiFi System?

The graphic card will have no effect on the sound unless it is interfering
with the soundcard.

Quote:
Since good soundcards can be quite expensive, and that only for the card
itself, I would suspect, that that good computer/soundcard and good
speaker combo can be as good as a good HiFi System?

Yep, but the only part of a HiFi system that is different is the source.
Many soundcards exceed CD quality, but you still need HiFi amplification and
Speakers.

MrT.
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Alex Rodriguez
Guest
PostPosted: Mon May 30, 2005 9:03 pm    Post subject: Re: HiFi vs. Computer Reply with quote
In article <slrnd9k37v.4ve.calmar@news.calmar.ws>, calmar@calmar.ws says...

Quote:
Hi,
I'm wondering, how a good computer with a good graphic card + good
speakers can compare to a good HiFi System?
Since good soundcards can be quite expensive, and that only for the card
itself, I would suspect, that that good computer/soundcard and good
speaker combo can be as good as a good HiFi System?
So I really don't know much about these things.

For word processing, the computer easily wins. For music reproduction, the
good HiFi will easily win.
------------
Alex
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Stewart Pinkerton
Guest
PostPosted: Mon May 30, 2005 9:14 pm    Post subject: Re: HiFi vs. Computer Reply with quote
On Mon, 30 May 2005 16:08:09 -0400, Alex Rodriguez <adr5@columbia.edu>
wrote:

Quote:
In article <slrnd9k37v.4ve.calmar@news.calmar.ws>, calmar@calmar.ws says...

Hi,
I'm wondering, how a good computer with a good graphic card + good
speakers can compare to a good HiFi System?
Since good soundcards can be quite expensive, and that only for the card
itself, I would suspect, that that good computer/soundcard and good
speaker combo can be as good as a good HiFi System?
So I really don't know much about these things.

For word processing, the computer easily wins. For music reproduction, the
good HiFi will easily win.

And your evidence for this is, what, exactly?
--

Stewart Pinkerton | Music is Art - Audio is Engineering
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Tim Martin
Guest
PostPosted: Mon May 30, 2005 10:03 pm    Post subject: Re: HiFi vs. Computer Reply with quote
"calmar" <calmar@calmar.ws> wrote in message
news:slrnd9k81l.ei1.calmar@news.calmar.ws...

Quote:
Maybe it's possible to say some general things about these ways to play
musik quality related?

Well, yes. With a computer-based system, you can play the audio files
directly, without first having to convert them to a hi-fi-friendly format
(eg CD), thus omitting the accompany audio degradation. Whether the
difference is detectable is debatable, of course.

Also, the computer-based system can use software processing. So you can,
for example, compensate for speaker driver impedance variations, without
having to build it into the speaker crossover or install a hardware EQ or
DSP system.

Tim
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Mr.T
Guest
PostPosted: Tue May 31, 2005 8:02 am    Post subject: Re: HiFi vs. Computer Reply with quote
"Stewart Pinkerton" <patent3@dircon.co.uk> wrote in message
news:8i0n91pgla3bg5i5kc0khls4t42p5453nh@4ax.com...
Quote:
For word processing, the computer easily wins. For music reproduction,
the
good HiFi will easily win.

And your evidence for this is, what, exactly?

Simple, the speaker built into a PC is not HiFi.

However if the PC is connected to a HiFi amp and speakers, it is then a HiFi
system with PC source.
(which can easily be superior to a CD source)
It's no longer just a PC is it?
You won't find too many PC shops selling HiFi amps and speakers anyway!
No point in comparing HiFi to the crappy powered speakers the PC shops do
sell.

MrT.
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Wessel Dirksen
Guest
PostPosted: Tue May 31, 2005 10:02 am    Post subject: Re: HiFi vs. Computer Reply with quote
Joe Kesselman schreef:
Quote:
Geoff Wood wrote:
Also a computer doesn't generally look so great in the lounge, and doesn't
have a remote control.

Depends on the model/accessories/software. Some are marketed as
multimedia machines, and you can get remotes as peripherals, and the
laptop I have dedicated to my stereo system is set up for remote control
via the network.

But that's offtopic for the question as asked. The real answer is: Given
a good soundcard, and given non-compressed data (or losslessly
compressed data), a PC can certainly be a "hi-fi" recording/playback system.

IMO, a computer using something like a Lynx studio technology soundcard
will compete with even the most expensive CD player and preamp. I run
my Lynx 2 direct to the poweramps and have never looked back. I sold my
Audio Research pre-amp. I used to be very reluctant to believe that
lossless compression would really work although rationally you know it
has to. I can't tell the difference even being blinded to comparisons.
I think the marriage of computer and hi-fi are here to stay; and that's
a good thing.

Wessel
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Alex Rodriguez
Guest
PostPosted: Tue May 31, 2005 7:03 pm    Post subject: Re: HiFi vs. Computer Reply with quote
In article <8i0n91pgla3bg5i5kc0khls4t42p5453nh@4ax.com>, patent3@dircon.co.uk
says...
Quote:


On Mon, 30 May 2005 16:08:09 -0400, Alex Rodriguez <adr5@columbia.edu
wrote:

In article <slrnd9k37v.4ve.calmar@news.calmar.ws>, calmar@calmar.ws says...

Hi,
I'm wondering, how a good computer with a good graphic card + good
speakers can compare to a good HiFi System?
Since good soundcards can be quite expensive, and that only for the card
itself, I would suspect, that that good computer/soundcard and good
speaker combo can be as good as a good HiFi System?
So I really don't know much about these things.

For word processing, the computer easily wins. For music reproduction, the
good HiFi will easily win.

And your evidence for this is, what, exactly?

No keyboard on the HiFI.
------------
Alex
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