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One for audio files… I am a long-time subscriber and reader of Maximum
PC. I would like a multimedia or home theater PC to connect to my home AV system, so that I can play audio and video (both audio/video files and from a streaming service), plus do some other PC stuff like browsing. The video playing and streaming need to be good but not high-end.
However, the audio playing (and streaming) needs to be as good a quality as possible, so the build needs to focus on this. The minimum quality of the audio files is lossless CD 16-bit/44.1kHz; FLAC format. I'll also play 24-bit/ 96kHz hi-res audio files.
My current AV receiver is a Pioneer Elite SC-68. I plan to upgrade this to a NAD M33, or something similar. Everything will be stereo. Even though the Pioneer can do surround sound it is being used as a stereo receiver. The main devices connected to the receiver will be the PC, a PVR, and maybe a couple of other devices. The video connection should be HDMI. The audio connection from the PC to the Pioneer/ NAD/other needs to be the highest quality possible.
I have read about high-end devices such as Baetis Audio Prodigy X3, Exasound Delta, and Aurender N10. They are no doubt excellent, but being audiophile devices, they are overpriced, as they are essentially modified PCs.
The form factor needs to be smallish, something like the Intel NUC or Gigabyte Brix, or a CD player-like case. I will play most audio files from the SSD and the network connection will be hard-wired ethernet.