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WE TACKLE TOUGH READER QUESTIONS ON...94 MAXIMU MPC FEB 2022
↘ submit your questions to: [email protected]
One for audio files...
I am a long-time subscriber
and reader of Maximum
PC. I would like a multi-
media or home theater
PC to connect to my home
AV system, so that I can
play audio and video (both
audio/video files and from
a streaming service), plus
do some other PC stuff like
browsing. The video playing
and streaming need to be
good but not high-end.
However, the audio
playing (and streaming)
needs to be as good a
quality as possible, so the
build needs to focus on
this. The minimum quality
of the audio files is lossless
CD 16-bit/44.1kHz; FLAC
format. I'll also play 24-bit/
96kHz hi-res audio files.
My current AV receiver
is a Pioneer Elite SC-68.
I plan to upgrade this to
a NAD M33, or something
similar. Everything will be
stereo. Even though the
Pioneer can do surround
sound it is being used as a
stereo receiver. The main
devices connected to the
receiver will be the PC, a
PVR, and maybe a coupleof other devices. The video
connection should be HDMI.
The audio connection from
the PC to the Pioneer/
NAD/other needs to be the
highest quality possible.
I have read about
high-end devices such
as Baetis Audio Prodigy
X3, Exasound Delta, and
Aurender N10. They are no
doubt excellent, but being
audiophile devices, they
are overpriced, as they are
essentially modified PCs.
The form factor needs to
be smallish, something like
the Intel NUC or Gigabyte
Brix, or a CD player-like
case. I will play most audio
files from the SSD and the
network connection will
be hard-wired ethernet.
I’m not sure what special
components are required
such as a better power
supply, better audio
outputs. –JohnMAXIMUM PC EDITOR,
JEREMY LAIRD RESPONDS:
Okey doke, this is a nice
problem to have. We love
a good media rig around
here. The good news is that
fairly generic PC hardwarecan cope with relatively
high-end video streams
these days. We like the
Intel NUC and Gigabyte
Brix idea. This job does
not call for a big, ugly box.
One thing to bear in mind
is that although modern
CPUs have hardware
video decode engines, just
occasionally it might be
handy to fall back to brute-
forcing the video decode on
the CPU.
For that reason, we’d
recommend not skimping
too much on the CPU. If you
can stretch to six or more
full-fat Intel or AMD cores,
that would be just dandy.
Of course, if your budget
is tight, paying a premium
for the small form factor
probably isn’t worth it. As
it happens, we’re expecting
to take a look at what $500
buys you in terms of rig
builds next month. Keep
your scanners peeled for
that if you want to avoid
dishing out too many
dollars.
That aside, also make
sure whatever you buy
supports at least HDMI 2.0
to enable 4K at 60Hz.The audio half of the
equation is a bit of a
minefield. But here’s a
thought. What about an
external DAC or digital
to analog converter?
Something like, say, the iFi
Zen DAC V2. It’s an external
box that connects to your
PC via USB and decodes
digital audio, converts it
to analog, and outputs a
quality signal.
It has not only dual
balanced 4.4mm jacks
and a 6.3mm jack but
also RCA connectivity and
can operate as a digital
preamp. It’s currently
yours for about $189,
is both USB and mains
powered, and gets strong
reviews for its tonally
even-handed sound. And,
of course, it doesn’t tie you
into a particular PC or form
factor. There are plenty of
other DACs to choose from
to suit almost any budget.It’s rig building,
Jim, but not as our
reader knows it
Once again, the NEW editor
at M[redacted!] PC does
an AMD vs Intel head-to-