How to Get the Best Audio Quality From Your Computer

The inside of a computer is noisy and affects sound quality. You can improve the sound by upgrading your computer's sound card, adding external speakers, or connecting your computer to your stereo system.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Cables
• Computer Speakers
• Sound Cards
• Computers

Connecting to Your Stereo System

1. Get a long cable with a stereo mini-jack on one end and a pair of RCA plugs on the other end.

2. Connect the mini-jack to your computer's sound card.

3. Connect the RCA plugs to the auxiliary input of your stereo amplifier, receiver or mini-system.

Upgrading Your Equipment

4. Buy higher quality computer speakers. (See the Related eHow "How to Buy Computer Speakers.")

5. Get a better sound card, particularly if your current sound card uses the ISA, rather than the PCI, bus. (See the Related eHow "How to Buy a Sound Card.")

Tips & Warnings

• Sound cards range in price from $40 to about $200.
• Most stock sound cards provide 16-bit audio - the same as standard CD - while most upgrade cards provide 32- or 64-bit audio.
• Some more expensive cards contain RAM.
• Check to see if your modem is integrated onto your sound card. If you replace your sound card, you'll need to replace your modem, too.
• Some older computers may not have sound cards. Check with the computer manufacturer to find out if you can bypass the sound chip on the motherboard.