Does this product even exist???

"High quality MP3s"??? Now there's an oxymoron if I ever heard one. MP3 only has one tenth the music information as on a redbook CD.

The problem I have with all of Creative's products is AC97 compliance - which forces upsampling of 44.1 KHz content to 48 KHz on the SPDIF output. If all you want to do is use the digital output with an external DAC, grab the M-Audio Audiophile 2496 (which does NOT upsample) ofr circa $100.00 or if you want to really go high-end ($400 USD+), go for the RME 2496PAD which offers AES/EBU as well via an add-on cable.

As for a cheap (and silent) computer, the Hush is good, but you can also put together a similar (silent) mini-ITX system for less - albeit without the slick looking case Hush offers. Check out www.mini-itx.com for more information on these cool fanless VIA boards.

THIS IS GOING TO BE GOOD NEWS FOR ALL OF US...

Creative will be releasing a new sound card. The Audigy 2 Platinum EX. Note the EX part. Basically they are getting rid of the internal drive bay connections and using an outboard pice to connect to the sound card in your computer. Similiar to the Extigy.

I am thinking this will be nice. I assume their reasoning is to eliminate a majority of the computers EMI and fan noise.

They claim to have a long digital bus cable that will run from the back of the sound card to your external box which you can place next to your sound system.

I would reccomend checking it out. I have already placed an order for one when they ship and will post a review of it in detail after many hours of listening.

Good luck,
-H

thx for the last response. This is what I was looking for.

Don't get the 2.4 GHZ transmitters and receivers with RCA analog outputs and inputs. Tried that and the audio bandwidth is terrible.

You can use the AudioTron from TurtleBeach http://www.turtlebeach.com/site/products/audiotron/producthome.asp with cat5, a phone line network if you have phone jacks close enough or you can use 802.11b wireless peer to peer networking.

The AudioTron has a S/PDIF TOSlink to connect to a DAC.

I set up one of these for my friend wireless network and all and for MP3's it works quite well.

OK, I have looked everywhere and all I can find is 2.4 GHZ transmitters and receivers with RCA analog outputs and inputs. I think it would be cheaper to buy a cheap computer for $200, slap in a sound card with digital out and go directly to my DAC. That way I can run some cat5 to it and stream uncompressed CDs for background music.

Check out www.amphony.com. They have something that might work for you. I've considering a similar project myself. Let me know if it works out.

Playing mp3's through high end audio equipment is not going to make them sound better. Had a client who wanted to listen to mp3's he downloaded off the web throught his DCS dac, Mark Levinson amp & pre, and Thiel speakers. We installed a device with a hard drive that would allow him to transfer files from his computer (about $5000). He was so disappointed with the sound that he he tried to return the unit (could not return it - we tried to talk him out of it before he purchased it). In my own experience, I find that the higher the level of resolution of audio equipment, the more you are going to hear the flaws in the recording format. While mp3's might sound almost as good as cd's on inexpensive computer speakers or portable mp3 players, when you use high end gear they sound about as good as the fm radio in a boom box (320kps). And if you use higher compression the quality goes down hill quick.

BTW - I have a sound blaster audigy2, monarchy audio SM70 class a amp, b&w lm monitors, ps audio ultimate outlet, and kef sub hooked up to my computer.

Best advise I can give is to purchase a Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Sound Card (Platnium version) and run a very long fiber or coax digital cable to your DAC. The Audigy 2 has high end DACS in it, and is a little expensive, so you could get the Extigy which is a little cheaper (or the Audigy v.1) and still use digital cables to make the connection. Hercules also makes a good sound card that allows a digital connection.

http://us.hercules.com/products/showpage.php?p=57&b=0&f=1

http://www.americas.creative.com/products/category.asp?category=461&maincategory=461

Hi Buck,

I know of some 2.4 ghz av transmitters I've seen somewhere on internet but forgot where... but you can use that and an A/D converter on the other end before going into the DAC?

This is two items instead of one...