Thread: Analog or Digital?

Originally Posted by BigfootsMonk

Hi,

Is it better to use the auxiliary plugs to get sound from the computer to the head unit or is it better to use a USB cable?

What headunit? If it would be possible, TOS/Link would be the best method, but RCAs would be the runner up (I bet most of what your gonna listen to is stereo anyway). Maybe you could elaborate on how you think you could get USB to work too.

steve

Well I bought the Sony XA-300 adapter to go with the Headunit since it doesn't even have an auxiliary. And the adapter has a usb plug. Just wondering what method (auxiliary or usb) actually plays better in your opinion.

Originally Posted by BigfootsMonk

Well I bought the Sony XA-300 adapter to go with the Headunit since it doesn't even have an auxiliary. And the adapter has a usb plug. Just wondering what method (auxiliary or usb) actually plays better in your opinion.

I didn't know such an entity existed. USB would probably be better considering, if it works how I would make it, the headunit would come up as an external "sound card" in windows, and the audio would be sent digitally to the headunit. The less D/A conversions, the better. Hell, you might get full 4.1/5.1 support out of it too!

-steve

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-iwd1576...900&I=158XA300

if your sony HU can use the XA-300 adapter then you do have an aux input.
the reason that it works well with carputers is that you will not get noise (no noise from power supply or from cheap sound card ) from the pc. it will not give you 5.1 but only stereo. the only true digital to audio would be the use of a HU that can directly read a S/pdif data stream. i have looked for some time for a HU that can do this, so far i have found and purchased one. it is a panasonic Cy-ac300, on ebay they are about $200.00. todate i am not satisfied with this so i am still looking into other options. clairon makes a HU that sells for $1199.95 that has an optical input/output but this uses a propriatary connector. i am looking into making a cable to fit. if i can make this work i will let all that want to know more about it then.

Originally Posted by lawrence

if your sony HU can use the XA-300 adapter then you do have an aux input.
the reason that it works well with carputers is that you will not get noise (no noise from power supply or from cheap sound card ) from the pc. it will not give you 5.1 but only stereo. the only true digital to audio would be the use of a HU that can directly read a S/pdif data stream. i have looked for some time for a HU that can do this, so far i have found and purchased one. it is a panasonic Cy-ac300, on ebay they are about $200.00. todate i am not satisfied with this so i am still looking into other options. clairon makes a HU that sells for $1199.95 that has an optical input/output but this uses a propriatary connector. i am looking into making a cable to fit. if i can make this work i will let all that want to know more about it then.

I'm looking to get rid of my ac300 in the future, got a new HU

There are a few post on here dealing with your sony unit, good stuff.

So is it better to use the Auxiliary or the USB to play sounds from a computer?

usb if you have it. It is a digital connection of sorts. Others are using the same unit. Do a search for the item on here.

use the usb if you have it