Digital guys: Is this a good plan for consolidating my CD collection???

[Tweak48]

Wow! Thanks to all of you for the thoughtful responses.

I probably misrepresented my plan when I used the term "server" in my original post. I don't intend to network music around the house, merely to use a cheap little laptop/netbook with a good DAC as a consolidated music player. It would be hard wired to my existing 2 channel systems (living room and family room) of the main floor of my house. The other thing I failed to mention is that I selected a laptop/netbook so I could drag the music along with me when I go to our family cabin, which also has a pretty decent 2 channel system. So a desktop/mini-Mac solution would not work in that instance.

I don't know about that particular laptop, but I think a lot of laptops these days have SSD (solid state drives) in them. I have a solid state drive in my desktop PC as the system drive, and when I bought it one of the caveats mentioned was the relatively short lifespan SSD drives have.

At the price point I'm looking at, all laptops seem to come with spinning hard drives. The outfit I'm going to use to rip them for me is http://www.musicshifter.com . Besides loading the music on the hard drive of your choice, they also burn DVDs for you as a backup. I think it's worth 69 cents a disc for them to do it all at once.

Greg_MTry using FLAC instead of MP3
I use Songbird, it's free and has FLAC built in
The biggest single improvement was getting a 24/96 Digital Sound Card from M-Audio. It was night and day compared to the on board sound output stuff

For a play list host I use FUBAR it plays FLAC as well and is free too

I was originally set on using Apple Lossless/iTunes, but I know that FLAC is popular with the high end audio community. BTW "FUBAR" is not an encouraging acronym for those of us with military backgrounds. The computer nurd at Frys yesterday I should use MPG with the lossless (0 compression) option because it is the most versatile in the long run. Now I'm not sure what to use.

rusty jefferson

Getting a "High End" computer based audio system to sound as good as a "High End" stand alone CD player or CD player/DAC combo, is tricky, as well as expensive.

The system you laid out, and the variations others have shared are pretty simple, probably sound pretty good, and won't break the bank, but won't give the performance in a "High End" system you may (or may not) need/want. It seems like it should be simple. "They're just 1s and 0s" everyone says, but everything in the chain has an effect (usually for the worse) on the sound quality getting to your audio system.

I can see I will have to adjust my expectations. On the other hand, based on my experience "pretty good" to members of this forum means "damn good" to most of the hi-fi community at large.

SEAWOLF97 Your profile says "PacNW" ...if you are ever in Portland, stop by and I'll demo how the laptop and mini dac sound

As a matter of fact I do get there from time to time as I live in the Puget Sound area. I found a great technician in Camas to rebuild my tube gear. I'll send you a PM the next time I'm down.

[rusty jefferson]

Wow! Thanks to all of you for the thoughtful responses.

I probably misrepresented my plan when I used the term "server" in my original post. I don't intend to network music around the house, merely to use a cheap little laptop/netbook with a good DAC as a consolidated music player. It would be hard wired to my existing 2 channel systems (living room and family room) of the main floor of my house. The other thing I failed to mention is that I selected a laptop/netbook so I could drag the music along with me when I go to our family cabin, which also has a pretty decent 2 channel system. So a desktop/mini-Mac solution would not work in that instance.

Since portability is critical, the plan you laid out is fine. The only real issue is format. Either Apple Lossless or FLAC will give you the best combination of sound quality and reasonable file size. Both have "aftermarket" software available (i.e. Amarra, JRiver) that does improve the performance, and you can add at a later date. Also, if you upgrade servers, DACs later, at least your files are good.

Here's a link to a mobile player that can also be used as a stand alone USB DAC. Use at home, then throw into the computer bag when traveling. http://hifiman.com/Products/?pid=90

[rusty jefferson]

I was originally set on using Apple Lossless/iTunes, but I know that FLAC is popular with the high end audio community. BTW "FUBAR" is not an encouraging acronym for those of us with military backgrounds. The computer nurd at Frys yesterday I should use MPG with the lossless (0 compression) option because it is the most versatile in the long run. Now I'm not sure what to use.

Oh, and it's FOOBAR, not FUBAR.
http://www.foobar2000.org/

[SEAWOLF97]

I got into this laptop as a music bank thang kinda by accident.

Picked up a pair of L7's at abt a giveaway price ....didn't really need another pair of speakers. A local member who really wanted a pair was guided to me. he had no cash, but with a recent inheritance had purchased a monster (19 inch screen) TOTL (2 years ago) Sony laptop ...MSRP $3200 , and offered it in trade. I didn't really need another computer (having worked at Intel a while, and being in the field since '75, there are plenty of computers in the house)

One of the nice features of the Vaio (besides the 3 gun screen) is that it does OPTICAL audio output. Mini Toslink is in the headphone out jack (its a deeper plug).
For some time I ran the opt audio signal out to an old Adcom DAC . It was nice, mellow, but not highly detailed. Then for some reason windows 7 stopped sending to this port. It wasn't the laptop, I was still getting a link/lock signal. headphone output was not good. Was about to give up. had read that USB audio was only fair.

LHF Member Magnepan only has USB output and he gave the mini muse a try. I explained my situation to him and his argument was that I was wrong about USB sound. I've known and trusted Dan a long time, so gave the DAC a try. he had purchased his when they were $100 shipped, and could not believe that it was now half priced.

Well, it does sound fine on USB, no complaints at all. It has a 320GB HD and I really don't use it for anything more than a big music box. I do hook a TB external to it for backups, tho have been streaming Pandora through it more than using iTunes playback.

As a matter of fact I do get there from time to time as I live in the Puget Sound area. I found a great technician in Camas to rebuild my tube gear. I'll send you a PM the next time I'm down.

I spent a cold couple of months aboard the USS Constellation in dry dock at Bremerton, and my reserve time in a squadron at Oak Harbor (Whidbey Island)
If we ever get together, bring a CD that you know well. I'll rip it and show you what the result can be.

[John W]

I have a Mac-Mini with several 1st gen Apple TVs (the ones with internal hard drives) in the shop and around the house. The Apple TVs sync up automatically with the main server and I can listen to the whole library remotely without the mini even on. They are hooked up to various DACs I bought as kits from China/ebay and soldered up myself like a grown up box of legos. The Apple TVs are small, quiet, have digital optical out and can be found on Craigslist for around $75. You do need a small hdmi compatible screen, though.

[SEAWOLF97]

one last thing to add for Tweak

you may (maybe not) realize than when you rip a CD to digi file , it does not do so in REAL TIME. usually the rip is at 6x-10x ...so a 40 minute CD will take 4 minutes or less to get into the computer.

I have a TV that can be watched when ripping, so its just a matter of putting another in , every 5 minutes or so ...375 would take less time to enter than you think ....iTunes or WMP will grab album name and track names automatically if you are connected to the web.