Connecting to an external amplifier

[Nicholas_Rowlands]

I want to connect my pc to an external amplifier so that I can improve the quality of my music output. What hardware and software do I need?

[Ptrper]

Just connect your soundcard to your stereo receiver via cables... Voila, gamers paradise.

[OuTpaTienT]

Your soundcard should have a "line out" jack. Connect that to either an "AUX" or "line in" jack on your amp/receiver. Only thing you might need to buy is a cable to make the connection. Radio Shack will have what you need.

You can get small adapters that will go from the mini-stereo-headphone type jack that your soundcard uses to the standard RCA type jacks you find on regular stereo equipment.

[Fudge]

Be careful with this one...if you get an impedance mismatch, yer gonna cause an AWFUL noise on yer stereo. For the most part, I found the cheaper the amp, the less likely this is to happen, as they aren't as sensitive to impedance mismatches. If you get a horrible noise out of the stereo, try different inputs (IE AUX,Phono,any other open ones you may have.)
Just make sure yer amp is turned down before you play anything, as you'll surely blow yer speakers if she don't like it!
Good Luck!

[johnqp]

Since my stereo is in another room I used some CAT5 cable I was given. I bought and spliced and soldered a 5mm connector (I think it was 5mm)from the line out of the sound card to the CAT5 cable and from the CAT5 to some RCA jacks for my stereo(I know, it's an old stereo but it still works great). I also did the same with my DVD decoder card to my TV using co-ax cable. Works great!
Just make sure you use the same wires at each end of the line for Left, Right, Ground.

[Warthog]

Yep, Outpatient has a good explanation.

Just out of curiousity, what are you using as a stereo? http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/smile.gif http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/smile.gif

(shush everybody http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/wink.gif

Warthog

[tepo]

Or You can di what I did: Take away those crappy 3,5 mm miniplugs and replace them with RCA's.

I took my Soundblaster 128 PCI (Incredibly good sounding card btw, if You think about the price) and soldered some 20 cm shielded cable to line input and line output, and put a pair ( one white, one red ) of chassis-RCA females in the other end. ( shielded ) I then put these RCA's directly to my tower case, and then it's just to use normal RCA to RCA cables to connect it to my preamp... Never heard any disturbances whatsoever in the sound. (And believe me, I'm picky about sound...)

Tepo

PS: PreAmp: Technics (http://www.panasonic.com/consumer_electronics/technics_audio/index.htm) SU-C1000U
Power Amp: Technics (http://www.panasonic.com/consumer_electronics/technics_audio/index.htm) A1000S
Speakers: Genelec (http://www.genelec.com/) 1049A

PS2: Don't solder if You ain't sure... http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/smile.gif

[Dovaka]

i did that with my technic reciver that was dts capable but when i plugged the sound card right into the steros rca jacks it sounded really bad unless you turned it down all the way this ismostly because i dont have a lineout i had to just use the speaker output the way that i fixed this was by going down to radio shack and getting a rca line out convertor for about 15 bucks there made for car stereos so that you can run an amp off of the regular speaker wires but since there is no power connection for it you can use it on the stereo at home so i hooked that up plugged the rcas into a jack i have never used before phono and now quake is so much sweeter with 5.1 sound and a nice big sub woofer