Thread: Getting SQ from an external CD Drive - possible?

Okie dokie, i'm a newbie to the carputer scene, so be easy on me if i say something stupid that doesn't make sense.

Here's my situation, i'm installing a car pc and want the audio to operate purely through the computer (this is going to be a headunit-less install). I've got an Alpine PXA-H701 processor that is going to be used as the link between the computer's sound card and amplifiers and for sound quality i still want to be able to play directly from a CD (not just from files stored on the computer).

Now, my carputer is going in the boot, no exceptions, which makes things a little inconvienient as far as having a CD Drive i can insert CD's into while driving... (I plan to have a CD Drive up front with me). The mere fact that it's in the boot means the distance between it and me is too long to consider using an IDE connector, so i've been looking at using an external USB CD Drive.

The problem i see with this is, that unlike an internal IDE CD Drive it won't have a direct connection to the sound card, so i worry that any audio processed through it will be routed through on board sound or extra steps which will degrade the signal quality. Can anybody explain for me whether this is a genuine concern as far as SQ goes and explain the process the audio signal would follow going from an external drive that was connected via USB? Would it still get routed through the sound card once it reached the computer? Is the fact that it is travelling over USB first a concern?

Is there any other feasible options for my given situation that allow me to have a CD Drive that runs through the carputer, provides me with SQ and uses a cable interface which is capable of being extended the length of the car to get from the boot to me up front?

Any help or words of wisdom on this is much appreciated, cheers, Bryce.