Cable Help

I am desperately seeking a solution. I am looking for a cable to run from my computer into the aux port on my amp. It would be a usb plug on one end and a small aux plug on the other. Could someone point me in the right direction?
Jim

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Hey there @Jimkissinger47 - can you explain in more detail what you’re trying to do? What direction you’re trying to get the sound to go? That kind of thing?
My usual go to for strange cables is: https://www.monoprice.com/
I searched there for a USB to 1/8" and nothing came up.
One is pure analog, one is digital… so we may need some kind of audio interface go between, or a different cable, depending on what you’re trying to do.

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I guess what you’re looking after is to feed the amp with the PC audio, from an USB port.

You need an USB DAC (DIgital to Analog Converter) for that. Sometimes depicted as “USB sound cards”.

There are plenty of them, don’t be afraid to pick a cheap chinese one , can be found for $20:

You’ll be plugging USB by using an USB B cable to the computer

Then use either a stereo RCA to mini jack cable, or minijack-minijack cable to send the signal from the USB DAC to the Amp aux port (minijack?):

.

Most are based on PCM2704 chip: no drivers required for OS X, Windows or Linux, just plug, then select the DAC as output device.

Try it with your PC speakers… much better quality than any built-in soundcard.

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This is a sidebar to the OP’s question, but do you think cheap external soundcards significant improve sound quality? I’ve never tried one, just run my studio monitors straight into my iMac’s headphone jack.

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Depends on the card, and depends on the computer :slight_smile:

Macs are different beasts, their audio-out implementations are amongst the best of the built-ins as they’re conceived for A/V usage.

But even so, a good “cheap” (<$100) USB external DAC will smoke internal audio… a computer motherboard is the worst place (EMF noise!!) to have audio circuits.

I thought you had an Audient id14, don’t you use its audio out to feed the monitors (use balanced cables if your monitors have balanced in!)? try it! It’s a superb piece of equipment!

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Ha, I do have the Audient, but I only use it when I’m recording, maybe I should give it a whirl as an audio out for general use.

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The results are in! I have tried both ways using the Mini USB and direct from my Mac headphone jack into the aux of the amp. They both work with the direct headphone jack method being the least expensive of the two solutions. Now the hard part, cue Billy Jean.
Jim

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Ouch! thought you didn’t have analog out, less alone a Mac…

good luck with Billie Jean!!

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@Jimkissinger47 thanks to you and to @Gio I’m pointed in the right direction now. :slight_smile:

This is exactly what I could use:

https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=644

All best, Joe

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As an update, I purchased a 25 foot long 3.5mm M/M cable from Monoprice.com for $5.20 including tax and shipping. A comparable product (Pro Co Execllines) from another vendor cost $27.99

Go figure! . . . I guess it pays to shop around. :yum:

HTH someone, Joe

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