Newbie. Affordable solution to play HRx needed....

[joeljoel1947]

Hi all,

I have 2 new PC's---a Dell Latitude D630 laptop running XP and a HP desktop running Vista 32 bit. The soundcards on both were pretty basic.

 

I want to get the HRx stuff going. A friend of mine has the HRx Crown Imperial and he dumped it to open reel for me. I'm hooked. It crushed the HDCD version I own.

 

Because I want to be able use both PC's, (but mostly the laptop because I can carry it down to my system and use it as a server) I want to use an external soundcard (Firewire or USB). I don't want to spend much on this adventure, initially.

 

I was looking at, say the TC Electronic Konnekt 8, which does 24/192 A/D and D/A and then perhaps a large external Hard-drive as well to go along with it to keep just my hi-rez music on it. This way I could use both PC's as "servers" whenever I need to. Allegedly, the Konnekt 8 works well in both XP and Vista, which is also what I need.

 

Am I on the right path for a decent way to do this? The $299 for the Konnekt 8 plus about $130 for a 500 GB hard drive is sort of my price range.

 

My friend who did the Crown dupe for me said the Konnekt 8 was decent and would do the job for the HRx stuff. Any alternatives/thoughts/input?

 

Thanks!

 

 

 

 

 

[The Computer Audiophile]

Hi joeljoel1947 - The HRx material is absolutely fabulous. I'm hooked as well! Does the Konnekt 8 have the correct outputs for you? Here is a link to the outputs on the back?

 

 

 

http://www.tcelectronic.com/media/konnekt_8_rear.jpg

 

[lapaix]

This comment is almost guaranteed to raise some hackles, so I'll apologize in advance. Everyone agrees that the sound quality of HRx is better than anything anyone has ever heard in a home audio system. In contrast, the music "quality" (of course entirely subjective) is debatable, at best. Where are recordings such as "Nojima Plays Liszt" and "Nojima Plays Ravel," the Eileen Farrell and Marni Nixon discs, the Kronos Quartet, Joel Fan, and on and on? Instead of high musical quality, Reference Recordings has provided sonic spectaculars. From a musical and artistic standpoint this makes no sense at all. Regardless of anyone's specific tastes, the HRx recordings are far from the most musically interesting ones in the catalog.

 

[The Computer Audiophile]

Hi lapaix - Others on CA have left similar comments. I can say that RR is working on many more HRx releases.

 

[joeljoel1947]

Hi Chris,

Thanks for your post. The outputs and inputs on the unit are 1/4" variety. As I am all unbalanced RCA on my system, I would need to use adapters on the Konnekt that go from 1/4" to RCA then out to my analog RCA inputs on my main preamp. I think I should be good there. I'm more worried about the inputs on the Konnect 8. Like, how do I get from my laptop IN to the Konnekt? My laptop and desktop both have firewire---is that all I need to get the data FROM the HRx DVD-data disc over into the Konnekt 8 then out to my stereo preamp? Of course I do know that the software is needed that comes with the Konnekt 8 to make this all happen as well.

 

Also....

 

I have a Benchmark DAC-1 (non-USB) laying around as well. I'm wondering if I can somehow get that in to the mix to perhaps improve sound quality out of the digital out on the Konnekt 8 then eventually to my analog preamp. Possible? The 24/172.6 HRx sampling rate is throwing me---not sure the 24/192 Benchmark would "like that". Nor do I know if it's possible to connect from the Konnekt 8's digital output into the Benchmarks digital input to use both of them simultaneously.

 

Confused.

 

Thanks, Joel

 

[The Computer Audiophile]

Hi Joel - Getting music from your laptop to the Konnekt is pretty simple. You'll install the software that comes with the Konnekt, then plug in via FireWire from PC to Konnekt and you're done. You'll copy the HRx tracks to your hard drive first and you can use something like MediaMonkey to play them back very well.

 

Your Benchmark should support 24/176.4 as well. It may depend on what digital input is used however. You'll have to test the sound from each unit to see what DA converter you like best (Konnekt or Benchmark).

 

[joeljoel1947]

Hi Chris,

Thanks for your help! I ordered the Konnekt 8 today. 1 last question---if using the Benchmark DAC-1 I have, would the chain to my stereo preamp then go like this:

 

Laptop firewire out to Konneckt 8 firewire in. Konnekt 8 coax digital out to Benchmark coax digital in. Benchmark analog out to stereo preamp.

 

The Benchmark has zero jitter and re-clocks, plus it was a thousand bucks so I can only "assume" its a better D/A then the Konnekt 8's. So I sort of want to try to use it. Does the above look like a plan?

 

Thanks!

 

 

 

[The Computer Audiophile]

Hi Joel - That will work just fine. Let me know if you want to discuss this one further or have any questions once the unit arrives.

 

[joeljoel1947]

10-4 Chris.

 

Thanks again for all the help and merry Xmas!