pc to amp for music - best way to connect

[sparkymarky]

My pc sits about 2.5 metres away my dilemma is this.

options are these:

1:I can connect using a spdif lead from the soundcard to the amp but this leaves a cable trailing across the middle of the lounge floor which i already tripped over and broke last night in the dark!

2. use something like apple airport express (although i do not have an ipod, this is purely for streaming from pc to amp). and send a digital signal to amp (i presume).

I have concerns on the second method in terms of music quality - i.e sending something wirelessly does it affect the quality of sound compared to the wired option one?


any thoughts commnents greatly appreciated before i buy the wrong thing!

[sparkymarky]

don't know if it matters but soundcard is a soundblaster audigy.

Also if airport is recommended what's the cheapest but good wireless card to put inside pc???

[sparkymarky]

sorry to triple post but have just been reading reviews on the apples site about the airport express and there are loads of people saying great product but id dies after 13/14 months when its out of warranty. theres seems to be lots of posts to this effect, anyone on here had problems?

[Uridium]

Take a look at a Roku Soundbridge or a Squeezebox 3 by slimdevices. Both do what you need better than an Apple Airport (IMO)

Personally I use a Roku M1000 and it's fantastic, although real audiophiles will tell you the SB3 is the better of the two (for a price)

don't worry about wireless affecting the audio quality, bith devices buffer the music before outputting (only a few secs) so you get no degredation of quality or dropout.

many like the SB3 for the SlimServer software although personally that was a minus point for me, the Roku uses Windows Media connect (that you may already have) so no extra software to install

[KingOfGondor]

can't you route the S/PDIF cable round the room?

this is what i have done in my lounge