Sound card for using a laptop as a CD player?

Voyager2002

Rather than buying a separate CD player, I would like to connect my laptop to an amp and speakers and use it to play CDs. The problem, of course, is the poor quality of sound cards included with most (all?) laptops. So I need to buy an external sound card to convert the digital output from the CD drive into a high-quality analogue signal to feed to the amplifier.

Plenty of products are available, but they all seem to aimed at musicians who want to use them to make digital recordings of their own performances. So finding the kind of consumer information I need is rather tricky. Any suggestions?

I used an Echo Mia to do a similar job with my desk-top computer, and like the way it performs, but it cannot be connected to a laptop. Echo products for laptops seem to need a Firewire port, but my laptop only has USB connections.

BillScarab

You could always get a PCMIA Firewire card to connect the Echo Mia to the laptop.

googler

Voyager2002 wrote: »

Plenty of products are available, but they all seem to aimed at musicians who want to use them to make digital recordings of their own performances. So finding the kind of consumer information I need is rather tricky. Any suggestions?

This Behringer unit takes USB and outputs analogue stereo for connection to Tape In or similar on a domestic HiFi Amp. I think they have a few different models in the range, so a wee bit of hunting may be needed to find the ideal one for you.

Voyager2002

Thank you: two very interesting suggestions.

SurferDan

The Creative Blaster Connect does exactly what you want. I've used one for a couple of years.
See here:-

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Creative-Labs-70SB027002008-Blaster-Connect/dp/B000OGRDLE

Got mine from Comet