Newsgroups: rec.audio.tech
Subject: Re: Transparently sending audio data from a PC via SPDIF
References: <[email protected]>
[email protected] writes:

> I have a question about the quality of the digital signal sent from the
> SPDIF connection of a PC sound card. I would like to use my computer to
> play uncompressed music on my stereo.  I am looking for a way to take
> the music data from the file on my hard drive and transparently send it
> via SPDIF to an external amp with no modification such as PC volume
> control or resampling.  Can this be done such that if I could decode
> the SPDIF and compare it to the original file, it would be the same?

It can be done. With suitable sound card and suitable playback software. 

What would be the suitable ones widely available nowadays I can't 
say for sure. I bet there must be somewhere some products that can 
do it nicely. Technically there are no problems in doing that, 
the problems is that modern PC multimedia technology tends to 
put all kind of "unnecesssy" "bells and whistles" in between the 
process form hard disk file to the SPDIF output connector in 
typical consumer products. 

> What would the sound quality be compared to a CD player also using a
> digital connection?   

Exactly the same. 

> Is this is dependent on the program used to play
> the files?  I have SPDIF on the MB but am considering upgrading to an
> Audiophile 2496. Any recommendations?  Does this matter or will the MB
> SPDIF output be the same thing?  
> 
> Thanks in advance
> 

-- 
Tomi Engdahl (http://www.iki.fi/then/)
Take a look at my electronics web links and documents at 
http://www.epanorama.net/