hi, looking to upgrade my current setup as described below and would like to seek some suggestions. btw, i am a noob in audio matters so would appreciate your kind guidance.
Current setup
1) PC - onboard sound (realtek chip) output via the 3.5mm. The 3.5mm cable has the other end as rca, and is connected to a cheapo RCA switch (the few $ kind)
2) PS4 - HDMI to my monitor (AOC i2757fh) which has a 3.5mm output. Another 3.5mm/RCA cables connects to the same RCA switch. (I suppose this means the monitor has some form of DAC, since the hdmi signal from the PS4 is digital, but the 3.5mm output is analog?)
3) From the RCA switch, the output is connected to a creative gigaworks T3
4) this is just for my study room which is quite small (2.1m by 1.5m) so i'm quite constrained by space. Furthermore, i have a laptop and a full tower (to be replaced by a smaller mITX or mATX setup) and 6 monitors in total so desktop space is a premium (hence the choice of the T3 initially)
Usage:
1) Quite general (i'm not an audiophile) e.g. videos, mp3 music, gaming, occasional CD.
Considerations for upgrade:
1) Improve upon the SQ (find the T3 quite bassy even at minimum setting)
2) Improve the aesthetics of the setup (the RCA switch is really ugly)
3) Small footprint for the speakers
The considerations are not in order of priority, they are all important e.g. i would not get a large bookshelf speaker even if it sounds amazing because it would clog up my desktop space. Similarly, i don't want to get the smallest speaker if they sound like crap. I understand the law of physics so i'm hoping to get a setup that allows me to reach a compromise across my needs.
My current thinking (based on some research on the web) is:
1) Get a DAC to connect the PC (via USB or optical) and the PS4 (via optical) or via a hdmi splitter/audio extractor that allows me to send the hdmi video to monitor and hdmi audio to the dac
Considering the NAD D 1050, NAD D 3020, Rega DAC, Arcam irDac
HDMI audio extractor:
HDMI® Audio Converter - Monoprice.com
2) Get a set of 2.1 speakers (allow smaller footprint) since subwoofer can be below my desk or small 2.0
considering Focal XS 2.1, B&W MM1, PSB Alpha PS1, Paradigm Millenia CT
Ideally, if i'm getting a DAC, then i would prefer not to get a speaker with build in dac like the XS 2.1 and the MM1 (since i'm paying extra for something i don't need) but those speakers look good imho so if SQ is good, then i'm ok to pay the extra. Unfortunately, i have not found any optical (out) to USB (in) convertor yet otherwise i could also connect the PS4 to usb on the speaker (via a USB switch).
3) would using generic cables be ok?
Based on the above parts initially, i think my budget should be around 1.5-2.5k (based on their prices in USD).
Thank you in advance for your suggestions. :)
Current setup
1) PC - onboard sound (realtek chip) output via the 3.5mm. The 3.5mm cable has the other end as rca, and is connected to a cheapo RCA switch (the few $ kind)
2) PS4 - HDMI to my monitor (AOC i2757fh) which has a 3.5mm output. Another 3.5mm/RCA cables connects to the same RCA switch. (I suppose this means the monitor has some form of DAC, since the hdmi signal from the PS4 is digital, but the 3.5mm output is analog?)
3) From the RCA switch, the output is connected to a creative gigaworks T3
4) this is just for my study room which is quite small (2.1m by 1.5m) so i'm quite constrained by space. Furthermore, i have a laptop and a full tower (to be replaced by a smaller mITX or mATX setup) and 6 monitors in total so desktop space is a premium (hence the choice of the T3 initially)
Usage:
1) Quite general (i'm not an audiophile) e.g. videos, mp3 music, gaming, occasional CD.
Considerations for upgrade:
1) Improve upon the SQ (find the T3 quite bassy even at minimum setting)
2) Improve the aesthetics of the setup (the RCA switch is really ugly)
3) Small footprint for the speakers
The considerations are not in order of priority, they are all important e.g. i would not get a large bookshelf speaker even if it sounds amazing because it would clog up my desktop space. Similarly, i don't want to get the smallest speaker if they sound like crap. I understand the law of physics so i'm hoping to get a setup that allows me to reach a compromise across my needs.
My current thinking (based on some research on the web) is:
1) Get a DAC to connect the PC (via USB or optical) and the PS4 (via optical) or via a hdmi splitter/audio extractor that allows me to send the hdmi video to monitor and hdmi audio to the dac
Considering the NAD D 1050, NAD D 3020, Rega DAC, Arcam irDac
HDMI audio extractor:
HDMI® Audio Converter - Monoprice.com
2) Get a set of 2.1 speakers (allow smaller footprint) since subwoofer can be below my desk or small 2.0
considering Focal XS 2.1, B&W MM1, PSB Alpha PS1, Paradigm Millenia CT
Ideally, if i'm getting a DAC, then i would prefer not to get a speaker with build in dac like the XS 2.1 and the MM1 (since i'm paying extra for something i don't need) but those speakers look good imho so if SQ is good, then i'm ok to pay the extra. Unfortunately, i have not found any optical (out) to USB (in) convertor yet otherwise i could also connect the PS4 to usb on the speaker (via a USB switch).
3) would using generic cables be ok?
Based on the above parts initially, i think my budget should be around 1.5-2.5k (based on their prices in USD).
Thank you in advance for your suggestions. :)
via Hardware Forums http://ift.tt/TBImTH
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