Looking to get a PC Audio Setup?

[CapiComm]

I'm looking to get a new setup that isnt a Logitech kit. I was thinking about an Bic America F12 sub, a set of Bic DV62 bookshelves, and an SMSL SA50 amp. Will these parts play nice together or should I upgrade or downgrade something. Do I need a DAC? Any suggestions would help out great as I said earlier, this would be my first setup that itsnt a $100 kit from amazon.

[loculus]

Instead of the SMSL SA50, it would probably be better to find a cheap, used receiver with some kind of bass management / subwoofer integration, including being able to high pass the signal to the mains.

 

If you're using a subwoofer, you don't need as much bass extension on the main speakers. So you could go with something a little smaller if you wanted, or potentially those that sacrifice bass extension for some other characteristics, if you're just crossing your sub over at 65 or 80 Hz anyway, or something like that. I don't know much of anything about the Bic DV62. For relatively cheap there's the Micca MB42X that is reviewed well. Around the same price the older Pioneer BS22. There are a number of products available.

[CapiComm]

I do have an older RCA RT2280 Receiver 80-100w per channel with sub out and all that. Should I add a DAC to my list if it would help at all?

[loculus]

18 minutes ago, CapiComm said:

I do have an older RCA RT2280 Receiver 80-100w per channel with sub out and all that. Should I add a DAC to my list if it would help at all?

The receiver looks to have S/PDIF in. Just run some coax or optical S/PDIF out from the PC, unless you don't have that. Audio is compressed over S/PDIF for Dolby whatever-it-is for multichannel, but not when just carrying PCM for two channels.

 

An external DAC or sound card is a relatively unimportant upgrade unless you're getting noticeable hum, noise, or other problems out of what you're already using. "Help at all," sure, and measurably so, but not necessarily audibly anything significant (and potentially not even audible, if a fair comparison is done) compared to all the other imperfections in any system.

[CapiComm]

7 minutes ago, loculus said:

Just run some coax or optical S/PDIF out from the PC

I don't have that, I was gonna run a 3.5mm to RCA adapter out.

[loculus]

3 minutes ago, CapiComm said:

I don't have that, I was gonna run a 3.5mm to RCA adapter out.

Well, you could just try that and see if it's fine. If not, maybe a cheap USB to S/PDIF output device. Or just a cheap USB DAC. Actually, some USB DACs have S/PDIF output themselves so you could try both ways.