Need your help for PC to HU Audio

[1miracle2]

First of all Meade your work ROCKS!

Reading and seeing your progress on that MAC build you did inspired me a couple months back to start my own PC build on NitroForumz.com under the name 1m2's NiTRO-Puter

PC=Zotac Ion Atom 330 Dual Core Mother board that has 3 options for audio outputs.

has 3 3.5 mini jacks (front, rear, cntr/sub)

has 1 optical out

has 1 digital coax out

(I'm 99.99% sure they can be changed to inputs/outputs)

I purchased a bluetooth dongle for the PC as well

HU=Kenwood KDC-X993 w/bluetooth

(I'm not a fan of Pioneer any more otherwise I would have gone w/one like yours.)

the Kenwood has the following

3 pairs of RCA outputs

has 1 USB input (supports FAT16/32 Harddrive)

has 1 3.5 mimi jack input (which is only stereo I believe)

and the bluetooth.

So what I want to accomplish is to have the PC output going into Kenwood input so that the radio does the audio processing but I doubt I'll be able to input 5.1 into the HU even if the bluetooth was working.

With that said the PC's sound card sounds crappy even w/amps so what can I use to correct this?

Do I need some sound processor or some thing else cause I can go from HU to PC, then to amp's but I need some thing to help w/sound quality if I'm playing music off PC.

Any recommendations from SMD or fellow Audio Geeks would be appreciated.

[blackrosetiger]

What IS the sound card in the first place?

[1miracle2]

What IS the sound card in the first place?

it's the actual on board sound card, no additional slots available on this MoBo because the only 1 extra it has is being used by a WiFi card. Don't remember specifics other than what I put above already.

nice set up by the way blackrosetiger

Edited April 15, 2010 by 1miracle2

[Maxim]

http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=240-098

That ought to do the trick. Go from the 3.5 mm (headphone jack) output on the PC to the 3.5 mm input on the HU.

Not sure why you have 3 outputs for headphone jacks, but we can always do this:

http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=240-096

Have 3 of these coming out of your 3 computer outputs (front, rear, center/sub)

http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=249-146

Daisy-chain 2 of those fuckers together so your 3 inputs become 1. Then run this:

http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=240-094

to your HU.

[1miracle2]

http://www.parts-exp...tnumber=240-098

That ought to do the trick. Go from the 3.5 mm (headphone jack) output on the PC to the 3.5 mm input on the HU.

Not sure why you have 3 outputs for headphone jacks, but we can always do this:

http://www.parts-exp...tnumber=240-096

Have 3 of these coming out of your 3 computer outputs (front, rear, center/sub)

http://www.parts-exp...tnumber=249-146

Daisy-chain 2 of those fuckers together so your 3 inputs become 1. Then run this:

http://www.parts-exp...tnumber=240-094

to your HU.

Maxim thanks for the links! I know I can run the 3.5 from PC to HU and if that's what I have to do I will.

I'll keep looking for more suggestions to see what else I can do. I'm curious how Steve Meade did it on his Hoe, last time I checked there was no diagram of how he connected that HU w/his MAC input/output.

[1miracle2]

holly molly!

I can't believe how many posts for help were posted today!

No wonder SMD can't get around to answering questions.

F' it! I might just go w/3.5 from PC to HU. :-(

[Moti]

http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=240-098

That ought to do the trick. Go from the 3.5 mm (headphone jack) output on the PC to the 3.5 mm input on the HU.

Not sure why you have 3 outputs for headphone jacks, but we can always do this:

http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=240-096

Have 3 of these coming out of your 3 computer outputs (front, rear, center/sub)

http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=249-146

Daisy-chain 2 of those fuckers together so your 3 inputs become 1. Then run this:

http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=240-094

to your HU.

Sorry that suggestion is just stupid. That is a splitter, you can't take three sources and combine it into one. Take the 3.5mm front left and right output from your pc directly to the input of the HU. There is nothing else to it, really simple. The three other outputs are for different channels, intended for a 5.1 setup.

Edited April 16, 2010 by Moti

[1miracle2]

Sorry that suggestion is just stupid. That is a splitter, you can't take three sources and combine it into one. Take the 3.5mm front left and right output from your pc directly to the input of the HU. There is nothing else to it, really simple. The three other outputs are for different channels, intended for a 5.1 setup.

Moti I was trying to be nice and not start calling any one names since I'm asking for advice but yes I know that can't be done.

And I know I can use PC 3.5 out to HU 3.5 in.

I was hoping some one knew of some kind of sound processor where I can do some thing like.

3 RCA outputs from HU to PC 3 3.5 inputs. Then use optical or digital coax output on PC into some kind of processor that also has 3 sets of RCA or 3.5 jack outputs that I can push to amps. Does that make sense?

Thanks everyone for your suggestions and thoughts!

[1miracle2]

After reading 102 pages of the Hoe "Mac'd out" I finally found what SMD did.

He went from MAC 3.5 mini output to HU (Pioneer) 3.5 input.

Then renamed his source on the HU to say "CarPuter"

I'm still skimming through the pages though so he may have changed it.

I also noticed a lot of smack talk though! LOL

A few people making comments they don't have facts on.

I also noticed some thing else... SMD posts ton's and ton's of pix and video's which is awesome!

I along w/others who aren't so savvy on wattage, +, -, amperage, voltage, wiring would really appreciate some diagrams.

I know he's doing a TON of work and I'm sure I'm on the only one that uses forums to learn sh!t.

I haven't gone through this forum in/out's so I don't know if there is a section for wiring diagrams or what not.

my 2 cents, don't freak out w/jerk comments, just posting my thoughts.

All in all SMD's work is off the charts, the forum members are pretty cool too!

People are straight forward and no one takes sh!t to heart.

Good Times!

[Moti]

I just thought it wasn't a brilliant idea nor was I calling him out...

The 3.5mm should be fine... unless you want to dish out a lot of money for a digital processor. I wouldn't do that unless you are running all high end sq type equipment. You can change the output format if you are worried about sound quality.

Simply use the PC as a media source. You can skip the HU if you want to by getting something like a audison bit one and using the optical out from the pc to the processor. Take the preouts from the processor to your amps.