If I were thinking of computer audio...

[Diapason]

Okay, I know we've been through this before but I seem to have a mental block about this whole thing. I think it's now time to break through said block and move into the 21st century. For the purposes of this discussion, let's pretend (!) that I'm a complete idiot*.

Right.

1) I have an old laptop (5 year-old Dell running XP) that may shortly be decommissioned. The battery in said laptop is sufficiently buggered that you can't even leave it connected if you want the laptop to work, so the laptop must be run from the mains without the battery in the chassis. Could I use this as a suitable source (for the early stages at least)? Does it matter (sonically) that the battery no longer works? Is this laptop just too damn old?

2) I don't have a preamp and I don't have a DAC, I take analogue outs from my CD player and go directly into the monoblocks. The monos have both XLR and RCA connections. Say I persuade jkeny to give me a loan of one of his DACs, what *exactly* do I need to do to get up and running? (Again, I have a pretty good idea, but let's just work on the assumption that I'm an idiot!)

3) What's the cost of everything I'd need, all in?

(*I'm not really a COMPLETE idiot, and I'm reasonably computer-literate, but I just have a habit of ignoring stuff that doesn't interest me. Up till now, using the laptop as a source didn't interest me, so I'm clueless. I don't have any real fear of installing stuff and ripping stuff and setting stuff up.)

[Ken Moreland]

Hi Simon ,
The laptop is a bit outdated and to get the best from a player like JPlay you'll need Windows 7 or Vista but it would be fine to operate something like Foobar to see how you liked it but you'ld probably get hooked and move up to JPlay/W7. I have an old "piece of s**t" shuttle PC with W7 and you're welcome to it (has keyboard/mouse, needs screen). With JPlay on full throttle and Hibernate it sounds like a lawnmower. You could pick up a W7 laptop for 300euro.

JK's DAC doesn't have variable output so you'ld need a preamp or a Dac with volume control like a Benchmark DAC1 and to get the best from that you'ld need a USB/SPDIF converter like JK's Mk3Hiface. Via JPlay it is possible to control the volume digitally so if you upgraded the laptop you could work through a JKDAC32. JPlay costs 89euro if you're a JK customer so with his Dac32 500euro you're looking at about 900euro.

KM

[Diapason]

Thanks Ken. All told, it's probably a bit pricey for an experiment to satisfy my curiosity, but I'll give it some further thought.

[Fran]

Si,


I'm sure I could organise to call to you with my laptop and JKdac32 while I'm up in town for something else. At least it would satisfy your curiosity.

'Tis good value even at 900 blips.


Fran

[tony]

Ken,

A question re controlling the sound by digital. Am I reading that right. In my case I have the new laptop and hope at some stage to get the jkdac32. I will be plugging directly from the dac into my integrated amp. I was assuming that the volume control would be by the usual method i.e. the amp. Is that correct are you talking about a preamp in Simons case because his amp is not integrated? I hope so.

[Ivor]

Okay, I know we've been through this before but I seem to have a mental block about this whole thing. I think it's now time to break through said block and move into the 21st century. For the purposes of this discussion, let's pretend (!) that I'm a complete idiot*

We could be brothers only you're so damn handsome. I've been having the very same thoughts

[Ken Moreland]

Hi Tony, here's the guff from JPlay ;

"Bitperfect Volume [-6dB,-12dB,-18dB,-24dB,-30dB]. Digital volume control for CD format is available only if DAC supports more than 16 bits. People with no pre-amp, i.e. no ability to control volume, have been asking for this for a long time. Note: only ~6dB steps are allowed in order to preserve ‘bit-perfect’ output. Also note that if you apply volume to HiRez tracks, they won’t be bit-perfect anymore (unless your DAC can process 32 bits) – in theory that’s not ideal but in practice it may not matter due to huge dynamic range of 24-bit material – we thought it is best to leave it up to you, to listen and decide for yourself. "

You can set volume digitally in JPlay and go direct from Dac to power amp without any effect on sound quality provided your Dac allows the bit length of your music plus bits for volume control. With JKDAC32 16 and 24bit should be controllable digitally, so no need for preamp or physical volume control. Make sure your setup is correct before you blast your speakers with Lady Gaga at full volume!!!!!!!

KM

[Fran]

Tony: the jkdac has normal line level outputs, so just like a normal cd player or whatever. It will plug into the back of your amp and you use the volume knob as normal.

The volume feature in jplay is only good for volume matching - very good in your case ivor when you want to have the same time volume settings for all your sources.

If you use foobar, or any of a whole hbig range of playback software you can use the volume slider and go straight into a power amp. The problem there is that volume control in software is done by dumping data - so the sound quality gets affected pretty quickly.

So the normally recommended route is no volume control in software, and use a normal volume control on an amp/preamp instead.


Ivor/tony: same for you if you want a listen to mine.

[tony]

Hi Fran,
If it suits you time wise at some point I would love to here it but really make sure you are not putting yourself or your family out. I can always get a loan off John when I am approaching jump off point. I have heard it in your system but would love to get a demo on my own. I have high hopes for this product and its great to be able to support one of our own. I would have loved to demo the frugals as well but I just got speakers over the last 9 months and have only being listening to them for approx 2 months so dont want to get involved in any more system changes for a goodly period of time and at the moment be just wasting your time. Rgds Tony PS Probably afraid they will sound better than what I have.

Thanks Ken for the hi tech explaination and thanks to Fran for the low tec follow up which is the good bit for me. i.e. just use the volume control on amp.

Simon the quality on the jkdac in Frans on the quads was fabulous also read the review relating to Ciaran,Brian and Ivors systems. Expensive cdp's and very expensive in one case and the dac seems to be competing with them. If you need a laptop replacement the outlay is just the jkldac and jplay.

[Ken Moreland]

Tony , my apologies, my response was really to Simon with monoblocks and no preamp, re digital vol control. In your integrated case ,no probs. I've a JKDAC32 here now myself and it's really impressive so there'll be a Benchmark Dac and JKMk2 Hiface up for sale here shortly!! I've only had it since Saturday and I'll post a few impressions after a week or two.
You're welcome to pop out to Trim any time for a listen.
KM