HTPC Multi channel DAC/processor upto 1000$

[bnk]

What will you recommend?

Can be USB, firewire or spdif connected to the HTPC.

There is the possibility of Xonar ST with expansion card.

 

Xonar ST: Its DAC SQ compares to which external receivers (Onkyo, Yamaha, Rotel, mcintosh )?

 

 

 

[Audio_ELF]

Have you considered second hand. A higher end older processor will in most cases be superior to budget new, even taking improvement HD codecs bring.

 

Eloise

 

[bnk]

I agree and I will look for a second hand older processor (which?)

 

Another option I though of is to use a dedicated DAC for music (front L/R speakers) and a budget receiver for the center/rears.

The problem is that the front channels will have to pass through the receiver to the pre outputs (I have dedicated power amps for the fronts).

Another problem is that listening to DTS will use the receivers DAC for the fronts and the center (and too bad not all (new) music come in DTS or other 24 bit HD formats).