Better streamed sound – advice please!

[ChristopherDuncan]

I am hoping a knowledgeable someone here will give me some much needed advice.

I subscribe to Medici TV – a Paris based classical music and live concert streaming service (On-line classical music videos: Opera, ballet, concert). Medici states that it broadcasts in MPEG-4 with AAC audio.

My PC laptop is bog standard: Windows 7 home premium, 64bit, Intel Core I3 2.4Ghz with 4Gb RAM. Graphics card / sound devices are just whatever the laptop came with. Output via HDMI to TV and Ferguson-Hill hi-fi. We have high speed broadband and the video is described as high def.

What I would like is advice about how to get the best sound out of the received signal. Can I install better software? A better decoder? Are Macs better fitted for decoding MPEG and AAC or can the PC software/hardware be improved? Would it be best to use an external codec? Or is the MPEG4 / AAC stream relatively poor quality and not possible to improve?

I would be so grateful for any advice. To anyone who could help me get the best sound – a million extremely sincere thank yous in advance.

Best wishes,

Chris

East Sussex, UK

 

[Rexp]

I am hoping a knowledgeable someone here will give me some much needed advice.

I subscribe to Medici TV – a Paris based classical music and live concert streaming service (On-line classical music videos: Opera, ballet, concert). Medici states that it broadcasts in MPEG-4 with AAC audio.

My PC laptop is bog standard: Windows 7 home premium, 64bit, Intel Core I3 2.4Ghz with 4Gb RAM. Graphics card / sound devices are just whatever the laptop came with. Output via HDMI to TV and Ferguson-Hill hi-fi. We have high speed broadband and the video is described as high def.

What I would like is advice about how to get the best sound out of the received signal. Can I install better software? A better decoder? Are Macs better fitted for decoding MPEG and AAC or can the PC software/hardware be improved? Would it be best to use an external codec? Or is the MPEG4 / AAC stream relatively poor quality and not possible to improve?

I would be so grateful for any advice. To anyone who could help me get the best sound – a million extremely sincere thank yous in advance.

Best wishes,

Chris

East Sussex, UK

 

Try a Google Chromecast (power it with a powerbank for improved SQ) plug it into the HDMI port of your TV and use an Android device (phone or tablet) to stream from.

https://www.google.com/intl/en_my/chromecast/tv/

[franz159]

Try a Google Chromecast (power it with a powerbank for improved SQ) plug it into the HDMI port of your TV and use an Android device (phone or tablet) to stream from.

https://www.google.com/intl/en_my/chromecast/tv/

It is not clear to me from your post how you send the audio to the HiFi system.

Is the chain PC-->HDMI cable -->TV-->Hi-Fi?

 

If this is the case, you might want to consider "splitting" the video and audio paths.

For example using a USB DAC connected to your PC and going into the hi-fi form the DAC.

 

You would be in a situation like this

 

Video: PC-->HDMI cable-->TV

Audio: PC -->USB DAC-->Hi-Fi

 

In this way you would avoid using the TV built in DAC and you most likely would gain in audio quality.

Which USB DAC? There are many choices.. a good entry level could be the AudioQuest DragonFly black or red... but really it is up to you, also depending on how much you are willing to spend.

[apokrell]

install windows 1o pro.then install this softwares  AO Audiophile Optimizer  , Fidelizer pro and process lasso pro.you wiill get the best sound possible from a pc

[jcbenten]

Many (most?) HD TVs have a digital out (mine is Toslink) to connect to an AVR.  The one review I found on Ferguson Hill negates this possibility (analog only inputs).  So either go the route of Franz159 recommends or upgrade the AVR and digitally connect the audio.