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Topic: PC controlled receiver (Read 2813 times) previous topic - next topic
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PC controlled receiver

All surround receivers I saw could be controlled only via ir remote, not also from computer and/or some external circuit. Did I miss something or is all this audio hardware still so dumb? I want to have control at least over on/off switch, volume level and source (cd, tape, aux, ...). Automatic power on/off would be nice, too (when I switch on/off the pc).

What I'm looking for is a 5.1 (or 6.1) receiver that has both analog and digital input (from 5.1 soundcard) and is not very expensive, say about 300 - 550 €. If it had some computer connectivity, I'd probably buy Marantz SR 4300, it costs 540 €.

BTW, how good/bad is a 5.1 receiver compared to ordinary stereo amp (for a similar price) with 2 speakers for playing stereo music? I'll probably buy Bose acoustimass 6 speakers. I know most audiophiles would prefer classic stereo system for music, but I am not gonna buy both and if I have to choose between 2 channel and 5.1, I'll go for 5.1 because of the movies.
 

PC controlled receiver

Reply #1 –
Is this software what you're looking for?

http://www.girder.nl/

It's used to remotely control PCs, but I don't know how it works with external receivers.  A Pronto remote might also help.

As long as the receiver adequately powers your speakers, I don't see a problem in letting it serve double duty.  I do, however, have a problem with the Bose Acoustimass.  How much does it cost in Slovenia?  What other speakers are available?

PC controlled receiver

Reply #2 –
AFAIK Girder and (win)lirc are used to control the pc (ie the programs, pc shutdown, ...) with external devices, especially with ir remote, and if the receiver does not have proper support, you can't use girder or lirc for what I need - correct me if I'm wrong.

Acoustimass 6 are the cheapest speakers among all Bose 5.1 speakers I saw and they cost 890 €. I didn't pay much attention to other brands, but there were also Yamaha, Aiwa, and some others.

PC controlled receiver

Reply #3 –
wow..  thats alot of money for bose..  Buy them if you must, but I think you'd get better sound quality with some cheap kenwood amp/5.1 speaker set (about $500 cdn, not sure in euros)

PC controlled receiver

Reply #4 –
Quote
you'd get better sound quality with some cheap kenwood amp/5.1 speaker set (about $500 cdn, not sure in euros)

That's 325 euros. What model is this? Is this one of those cheap DVD/amp/speakers combos? That stuff is about 400 - 600 € in Slovenia, but I doubt about quality. I never tested any such combo though. Is it any good?

Today I listened to some PC speaker systems and Creative inspire 5.1 digital 5700 seemed quite ok to me. Started to think about this cheap alternative. BTW, is that THX certification worth any attention at all? Logitech Z-560 with THX certificate sounded much worse at high frequencies. Did anybody test Logitech Z-680? It might be worth buying, but I saw it only on the web.