[lug] Ethernet sound card

[John Dollison]

I used to do sound systems installations for businesses and high-end home
users.  I disagree with your assumptions about distance and sound quality.
While it is true that cheap unbalanced lines from radio shack can pick up
hum and suffer from signal loss, any professional system will use balanced
shielded wire, which can transmit audio without any detectable loss for
thousands of feet.  By detectable, I mean by the human ear.  High-end lab
equipment will be able to detect maybe 1% THD, which you aren't going to
notice.  And by balanced wire, I mean that you use audio transformers to
isolate the signal from ground, much the way high-end automotive systems do.
I think it's faster, cheaper, and easier to just run audio wires, with no
appreciable difference in performance.  And what good hacker wants to
reinvent the wheel?

Also, whether you use CAT5 or audio cable, you'll spend a lot of time
fishing wires through the walls (or attic, or basement).  If it was me, I'd
hook the output of my sound card to a decent quality FM transmitter (you can
usually get one for $50 ), so I could listen to *any* sounds from my PC on
*any* FM radio in the house.  (Which is similar to another project I have
planned for later this month.)

John D.

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----- Original Message -----
From: "Peter Hutnick" <peter-lists at hutnick.com>

Obvious ways and their problems:

1. Plug sound card output into stereo.
 - Less than ideal quality
 - Very limited distance between the PC and the stereo