Playing MP3 Files on a Stereo

Connect the 'Line Out' from your soundcard (or motherboard) to the 'Line In' of your preamp/amplifier using standard RCA type audio cables (red/white connectors usually).

Be aware though of ground loops. This can happen when the computer and stereo equipment are on different grounds (outlets).

If your computer's ground and your stereo system's ground are on different outlets then any leakage current difference between them will induce a current through the audio cable shield which will cause a LOUD hum in your speakers. (This only happens with analog connections, you won't have this problem with SPDIF connections.) Should this happen you can either 1) connect the computer and stereo to the same power ground, which is usually impractical. 2) Buy an audio isolation transformer to break the ground connection (at the expense of audio quality), 3) Get a wireless audio connection going

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I received a turntable with a USB interface for Christmas. I'm going to record my record collection in MP3 format on my computer, then copy them to CD. I'll play the CD's on my stereo. No cables, no ground loops, and I can atake them with me.

Ronseto,

I have my computer hooked up to my home theater amplifier. there are a couple ways to do this. One is the way the guest suggested, stereo mini-phono to RCA Y cable. This is the method I am using. If your sound card has an optical out and your amp has an optical in you can also use that kind of connection. The amp in this case would need a DAC which home theater amps have.

For a basic home stereo just hook up the front speaker output from the sound card to any line level input on the stereo.

I have been doing this for years now. I have even used a walk man hooked up to a set of powered computer speakers (no computer).

ChazL

Let me add this.

The low output impedance from the sound card and the high input impedance of the amp is what you want. You get a lower voltage loss. Most of the voltage appears across the amp. The output impedance of the amp driving the speakers should match the input impedance of the speakers to get maximum power to the speakers.

ChazL

Regarding the impedance match between sound card and amplifier: Matched impedances result in the least power loss, although there could be some voltage drop if the sound card output power is not suffficeint. Generally this is not an issue at line levels. A problem with taking output from the speaker or headphone jacks is the low voltage level associated with low impedance. Of course there's plenty of current available to prevent the volatage from sagging. But often the source volume control needs to be very high to drive the amp input. Since the speaker/phone outputs are also amplified on the sound card, additional distortion will be added. Having to crank the volume makes this much worse. The best fidelity will come from the line out jacks if you must use an analog signal. That's why they're provided.