High-end home stereo for cheapos
So audio CDs are pretty much useless by now, except as an initial transaction medium. I'll assume the reader pulls his music from a hard-drive as FLACs (or whatever)—originating from audio CDs or SACDs—and uses Foobar2000. (If you are using iTunes or other anathema, go take an ice-cold shower and flog yourself repeatedly with a plucked chicken until you come to your senses.)
Now, here is how to get champ sound for under $700, not including the computer. You will need the following two devices (or the like) and speaker cables to connect them.
1. Amplifier: KingRex T20U USB. This amazing Class D (read: small in size and not powerful enough to tear a house down but producing great sound) has a decent DAC built into it, and so can be fed a digital stream via USB. They call it "Class T" because the chip (though it is not a digital amp!) is made by Tripath.
Caveat 1: Make sure the "Wave" (and on some systems, also the Main out) volume level for your computer's operating system is on the maximum when using this amp. This is based on my unseemly experience with Windows XP; maybe on one of those cloying Apple abominations it is different — I'll never know. The reason is that decreasing volume digitally amounts to reducing bitrate, thereby reducing quality. The fact that the "Wave" slider alters the digital signal is an insipient1 feature of the plug-and-play drivers used by this amp.2.
Caveat 2: This amp uses banana plugs (e.g. these).
6moons review: http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/kingrex2/u.html
Official site: http://www.kingrex.co.uk/t20u_amplifier.html
Audiomagus (store): http://www.audio-magus.com/product_p/109103.htm
2. Speakers: JohnBlue JB3
6moons review: http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/johnblue/jb3.html
Audiomagus (store): http://www.audio-magus.com/product_p/109201.htm
