Good sound from computer

Tomorrow´s sound system – available today Good sound from computer

www.amphion.fi

”Fresh and sexy looking combo that also sounds good.”

Kari Nevalainen .com Innerworldaudio

In the future the digital entertainment content enters our home via broadband through computer or TV. Building a future proof integrated entertainment center is often relatively simple – especially if one own´s a full HD television and a computer. Building a sound system around either one of these helps preparing for the future and possibly saves from unnecessary investments.

With reasonable cost computers can be turned into easy to use, reference quality sound systems. Unlimited internet content and quickly developing streaming services can be used in addition to the traditional sources. Easy to integrate wireless data transfer solutions allow user friendly cost efficient multiroom installations.

When aiming to get premium sound from computer remember the following: Computers are optimized for digital signals. Headphone outputs, which are analogue and almost always of modest qual-

ity are prone to disturbances originating from hard disc, mother board and power supply. Computer should be used as digital source only. DA (digital analogue) conversion should take externally. Normally USB is used to transfer the digital signal to external DA converter (which can be also called soundcard or streamer). A high quality DAC transforms computer into easy to use high quality music and movie player.

Using the most suitable file format for one´s music can be challenging. File formats are categorized into lossy and lossless compression. As the name indicates lossy are such where part of the information gets lost and lossless, where after decompression the original information gets retrieved wholly. Lossy compression originates from times where hard discs space was expensive and information transfer speed slow. Today high quality lossless formats can be used with reasonable costs and high level of convenience.

Those who value minimum of CD quality are using WAV or Flac formats. Choosing WAV or Flac and reaching the CD quality level ensures that the labour intensive CD to file transfer can be only done once.

Savings on hard disc space and transfer speeds lead still often to use of lossless formats, especially so in the mobile use.

320kbit MP3 represents good enough sound quality for most people. Surprisingly good results can be achieved also for example in net radio applications with 192 kbit formats.

Integrated sound system maximizes the hours of enjoyment with both computer and TV, but creates high demands especially for a loudspeaker: • When sitting in front of the computer the sound must integrate perfectly for enjoyable near field listening.

• Drivers producing different frequencies must integrate perfectly, which leads to natural voice band.

• The clarity and naturalness are present regardless of listening volume, also for low level listening.

• Sound field must be wide and even, so that also those who are not sitting in the middle seat can enjoy it. This is especially important when watching TV. Amphion / Nuforce combinations raise computer and TV sound to another level,

in easy to use package. Amphion and Nuforce products offer great synergy: Nuforce from California specializes in Digital-to-analogue conversion and patented amplifier technology while Amphion manufacturers their innovative and award winning loudspeakers in Finland.

Nuforce Icon2 is houses a high quality 24/192 DA converter and 2 channel amplifier. Its 3 inputs allow connecting computer, TV, phone and headphones to the same system. Icon´s small size and marginal power consumption allow you to hide it, if needed. Easy “plug, play and smile” installation make enjoying first class sound easier than ever.

Amphion / Nuforce systems produce a pure and natural sound, which keep its relaxing clarity also at low listening volumes. This offers many enjoyable moments during late night movie or music session. Due to innovative acoustic engineering Amphion speakers product a wide and even, atmosphere creating 3D sound, which fills the whole home. This way music and natural sound can be enjoyed also during such moments when you are moving around your home, for example doing your household chores.

Digital Dictionary:

Tips:

DAC = Digital Analogue Converter. Changes the digital bitstream´s ones and zeros into continuous signal with pitch and time information.

www.spotify.com Wide music catalogue, great way to find new music. Premium account has better sound quality, which fulfills the needs of most music listeners.

Full HD = TV that is capable of handling a picture with 1920 (width) x1080 (height) pixel resolution.

Lossy compression = Loses part of the information when packing it to make it smaller. For example MP3 which is the most common format for digital music.

Lossless compression = No information is lost, so the situation after decompression should be identical to the starting point. Why all lossless compression format do not necessary at all times sound the same is an interesting part of learning to do digital correctly.

WAV (Wave) = A standard developed by IBM and Microsoft FLAC = Free, open source codec for lossless audio compression and decompression.

www.voddler.com “The Spotify of movies”. Also lot of free movies. www.digitalconcerthall.com Classical music from the one of the top venues in the world. HD quality picture and great sound. www.radioparadise.com A good example of things done right advert free high quality radio from California. Great sounding quality music outside the charts. http://streamingradioguide.com A wide selection of radio channels from all over the world. www.bandcamp.com Find, listen and download to the upcoming bands in the world. Stunning graphics, easy to use interface. Great sounding 320mbit MP3s to stream, various fileformat, even flac to download.

Amphion Loudspeakers Ltd. P.O.Box 6, FI-70821 Kuopio | Finland | Tel: +358 17 2882 100 | Fax +358 17 2882 111 | info@amphion.fi | www.amphion.fi

www.amphion.fi