Editing Introduction to a Self Managed Life: a 13 hour & 28 minute presentation by FUTO software (section)

=== Step 2: Hook up your computer’s sound output to your stereo. ===

<span id="analog-out-from-your-desktop-motherboard-or-laptop-headphone-jack."></span>
==== 2.1 Analog out from your desktop motherboard or laptop headphone jack. ====

A cable like a [https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=665 1/8” to stereo RCA] from monoprice allows you to hook up the headphone jack from your computer to many stereo amplifiers and home audio receivers. In my setup, I do not have a receiver that is capable of video - I have a [https://www.reddit.com/r/audiophile/comments/eqpns1/rotel_rb1090_added_to_my_system_this_evening/ 30 year old Rotel RB-1090 tank] with RCA input, so this is what I would use to hook up my laptop or a desktop to my stereo if I didn’t have a separate audio interface.

If you don’t wait to wait for an order, you can also [https://www.walmart.com/ip/onn-6-AUX-to-RCA/1342171538 buy these at your local walmart].

'''Why this will suck''':

The analog audio output from your motherboard is often horrible because you have so much else going on in there. Your GPU, CPU, RAM, are all high bandwidth devices, you have everything on a single circuit board. Things have improved vastly in this regard since I was young and dealt with the horrors of trash like the ac97, where there was audible hissing &amp; warbling that changed in pitch &amp; intensity when you dragged windows around the screen, and weird high frequency sounds depending on the sensitivity of your stereo system. However, it is often still there.

<span id="hdmi-output-from-your-computer-to-your-tv."></span>
==== 2.2 HDMI output from your computer to your TV. ====

If you use the speakers built into your television, you are missing out bigtime. However, there are cases where you have no choice. In this case, the audio and video will get to your television over the HDMI cable, and your setup will be simple.

'''Why this will suck''':

Television speakers are trash.
* They will be filled with cabinet resonances from the giant television.
* You can’t fit speakers that will do a proper job inside of a very thin television.
* The proper location of speakers in your room will not be the same location as the television in your room.

<span id="hdmi-output-from-your-computer-to-your-receiver."></span>
==== 2.3 HDMI output from your computer to your receiver. ====

You may have a setup where you have a receiver that you hook up between your devices &amp; your sound system/TV - in that case, just plug the HDMI out from the computer into that. Then you can use HDMI to carry the sound &amp; the video. This is common in home theater setups where you might a bluray player, a cable box/FIOS TV box, and a game console that plug into a receiver. This receiver usually feeds your television a video feed, and connects directly to your speakers and subwoofer.

'''Why this is better''': You are not using the analog audio output from your laptop or desktop. This allows you the flexibility to choose an audio device that does not have poor sound quality, rather than being stuck with what comes in your computer. Digital output means even if the motherboard’s audio circuit is total garbage, it doesn’t make a difference, since you aren’t using it. You will be sending the raw 1s &amp; 0s of the audio to another device &amp; letting it do the work of turning it into an audio signal.

<span id="optical-output-from-your-computer-to-your-receiver."></span>
==== 2.4 Optical output from your computer to your receiver. ====

Optical audio output is available on most desktop motherboards. It is worth checking to see if yours has this; which is green in the photo above. Most sound cards also have this port, if you have a sound card.

This requires an optical cable, but optical audio cables are considerably cheaper than optical video cables, since the bandwidth requirements are so much lower. For same day purchases, a [https://www.walmart.com/ip/onn-6-Digital-Optical-Audio-Toslink-Sound-Bar-TV-Cable-Black/ cheap walmart optical cable] will do fine, and [https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=1419 high quality 50 ft cables] from reputable vendors like monoprice cost less than $15.

'''Why this is better''': You are not using the analog audio output from your laptop or desktop. This allows you the flexibility to choose an audio device that does not have poor sound quality, rather than being stuck with what comes in your computer. Digital output means even if the motherboard’s audio circuit is total garbage, it doesn’t make a difference, since you aren’t using it. You will be sending the raw 1s &amp; 0s of the audio to another device &amp; letting it do the work of turning it into an audio signal.

<blockquote>'''“UHM, AKSHUALLY” NOTICE:''' Some wiseguy’s going to say that this is unnecessary. They might say that if we’re connecting our computer to the television using an HDMI cable, that the audio is ''already'' going to the television through the HDMI cable, and that you can use the optical output from the television to send the audio to the receiver digitally without having to worry about whether your computer has a digital SPDIF output.

Some televisions do this. Some don’t. Some claim they do and have broken menus. If we are going to be buying gear from scratch, I think it makes sense to keep our options open. '''In 2024, there is no price premium to pay by asking for an audio jack that came out in 1983.'''
</blockquote>
<span id="basic-purchase-considerations"></span>
==== 2.5 Basic purchase considerations ====

We will go into this in greater detail later: for now, let’s go over the basics.

If your computer is far away from the receiver or amplifier, you should really consider using an optical cable to connect your computer to the audio source to avoid hiss, distortion, hum, and horrible audio. Even high quality analog audio cables suck when they are unbalanced over long distances; no laptop or standard desktop computer uses balanced output. However, even the cheapest of spdif optical cables will be fine even at 50 ft with audio signals. Digital audio signals are far lower in bandwidth so there is no real worry about degradation at any practical household length of cable.

On the low end, I would suggest a used stereo receiver that has optical audio input from a reputable brand. These can be found on [https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_fsrp=1&_from=R40&Audio%2520Inputs=Digital%2520Optical%2520TOSLINK&Number%2520of%2520Channels=2%7C2%252E1&_nkw=stereo+receiver&_sacat=0&Audio%2520Outputs=Digital%2520Optical%2520TOSLINK%7CDigital%2520Coaxial%2520RCA&LH_BIN=1&rt=nc&Type=Stereo%2520Receiver%7CIntegrated%2520Amplifier&_dcat=14981 eBay by searching with the following filters]:

* '''Number of channels''':
** '''2.1''' if you want to attach a subwoofer later
** '''2''' if you don’t care.
* '''Type''': '''Stereo Receiver''' and '''Integrated Amplifier'''
** This will provide you with volume control, ability to utilize multiple sources, and an amplifier for your speakers.
** I don’t bother with surround sound.
*** Two good speakers will always beat 6 crappy speakers.
*** For any given price point, you get a higher budget when buying two speakers than you do buying six.
* '''Audio Inputs''': '''Digital Optical TOSLINK'''.
** This means the receiver has a '''DAC''' ''(digital to analog converter)''. This turns the 1s &amp; 0s that make up the audio files on your computer into an analog signal.
** The one in your receiver usually does a better job. I’m not talking about audiophile nonsense, just basic competence.
** On lower quality PC motherboards you can literally hear hiss that changes when you do CPU intensive things on your machine when using sensitive stereo equipment or headphones.
* '''Buying Format''': Buy it now.
** Bidding wars on eBay are fun &amp; dopamine releasing. They’re exciting. When people win, they feel like they’ve won until they realize they’ve paid 30% over the used-market-value of what they purchased.
** If buying from auctions on eBay, consider using an '''auction sniper''' like [https://www.gixen.com/main/index.php Gixen.com]. Auction snipers are programs where you input what you wish to pay for something, and it submits your bid seconds before the auction ends. This way, you don’t get caught up in a bidding war. If you bid too early, it allows others the chance to increase their bid as well, which drives up the price.
** Using an auction sniper removes the emotional aspect from auctions that drives up prices, and encourages price-discipline in setting the max you are willing to pay for the item ''early on.''

<span id="step-3-access-media-on-your-samba-share"></span>