2. pc-audio
  3. 1237574481

laptop headphone socket out to amps

I'm very new to computer audio and have a minimalist system with a passive preamp for volume control of vinyl and cdp, but was cinsidering a direct connection for digital. Has anybody connected the headphone socket of a laptop via a Y-cable directly to their amps, using the laptop's D/A converter and volume control? Specifically, is there an advantage in sound quality when using the computer's volume control and avioding the passive preamp and additional interconnect? Also, would CDs ripped to lossless with this configuration sound better than my Rega CDp? Thanks.
jillyk

Showing 2 responses by elf73

elf73
104 posts
 
If you have a Macbook, the headphone jack outputs an optical signal as well.

You just need to get a mini-toslink (laptop end) to toslink cable.

I use a VanDenHul optocoupler.
elf73
104 posts
 
And no, most likely not. Your CDP would sound better, but try it and see..

I don't like lossless. I swear it sounds flat and compressed. I use bit for bit AIFF, and if I'm worried about hardrive space or it's overproduced dance/lounge type stuff, I'd rather use 320 kbps MP3 format. About a fourth the size of lossless and I think it sounds better.
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