# HTPC



## backwoods (Feb 22, 2006)

Right now I am looking at buying a preamp, and the cost for one most likely is going to reach another $300+. 

Currently, just for processing, will put me at a used price of 3k using multiple rane rpm26z's and an rpm2 along with whatever preamp I end up with. Retail would have been, well, let's not go there. 


I built an HTPC a year ago and it really wasn't anything special. Could do dvr and so forth, but didn't work with digital cable, let alone HD.

Now, I'm more interested in the DSP side of things. My HT is fully active and requires 16 channels. With the new LG blu-ray/hd drives now getting below $300, an HTPC is looking more appealing.

I've been looking at the lynx aes 16 for a sound card, and considering software to run along with it. It is made for ASIO and talking with them, you won't need to do the generic in/out on the card for it to function correctly. It has built in dolby decoders, and will keep up with all the latest HD formats. 


Help me decide on what I should use to build this guy, and I will give it a comparison directly to my rane/outlaw setup I currently have. 

What software should I run? What other soundcards? 

The computer as it sits right now, is using 4 250g seagate drives in a raid 5 with an intel dual 2.8 and 4 gig of pc2 6400 running sli with a pair of 8600gt cards.

It's been able to handle most everything I have thrown at it so far. 

Figure I'll add a bluray/hd drive and that should do it for everything else.


I've been looking at console, among others, and need some feedback here.

On the soundcard, XLR outputs would be dandy!

Right now the system has xp pro on it, but I have media center and vista ultimate at my disposal.


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## durwood (Mar 7, 2007)

Console will open up a whole new world of possibilites. Definitely worth the investment.

For crossover duty look either at Audiolense or Frequency Allocator. Depends on how far you want to take it.

You can also look for the VST Convolver. It will allow you to try all sorts of "other stuff" such as Ambiophonics. 

Soundcards

Onkyo-SE200 (Although it might prove difficult to work with in Console) Consumer grade.

RME cards are along the same caliber as the lynx you are looking at and work well with console from what I have read.


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## Ultimateherts (Nov 13, 2006)

Just be aware that with a HTPC and combo hd-dvd/blu-ray drive you will be missing out on the audio end. The new Dolbyhd and DTS-hd lossless 7.1 soundtracks can only be done via HDMI 1.3. So until they figure out how to do HDMI audio + video on an HTPC you will only benefit on the Video being 1080p.


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