Vote

A computer equipped with a soundcard that has a digital out can sound as good as any CD transport. Couple the computer to a great DAC and you've got an excellent sound source. Considering the computer's flexibility, it becomes a fantastic addition to any audio system.

I've been in the computer software business (game design and development) for almost 20 years, and this is the worst idea I have ever heard of. The idea almost literally makes me ill.

My computer happens to be in my primary listening room and just the noise of it running drives me crazy if I'm trying to listen to music.

Are you nuts?

Mix work and pleasure?! NO!

I'd like to upgrade my pc so I can record internet concerts onto DAT.My 486/50 is too slow to decode the Real Audio format. (There are some awesome archived shows). Other then that.... NO! NO! NO! NO!

I'm not sure that I see how a computer will fit into a "high-end" system. If I see some clear advantages to using a computer, I will integrate my existing computer with my stereo. I won't say never, but I'm not sure that I see any real benefits just yet.

Who Knows What Tomorrow Will Bring

I don't want to stick my head in the sand and say that it will never happen. But I'll wait and see.

computers have a long way to go before their convient enough to use to be bothered with for music listening

CD players inject enough nasties into the power line. Hooking a computer into the system would be as sensible as running your preamp and a refrigerator on the same outlet! If you don't think this is a problem, just position a portable AM radio next to your computer and listen closely while you click your mouse a few times.

Definately a no-no for right now but never say never. I currently am just fine with my little three piece Boston Acoustics and CDROM for my computer. The real listening occurs on the real stereo and as a matter of fact its doing a good job right now playing in the background as I type.

I can't see it being very likely , but who knows for sure.

The computer music system stands on its own. I use it for semi-serious listening only (using music CDs and the CD-ROM). Game sound effects are of pretty high quality but the audio available over the net is of very poor quality as of now.

THEY RUN MY LIFE ALREADY, I'D JUST RATHER LISTEN TO THE MUSIC

In some sense, anyone who has a CD player has already integrated a computer into their sound system. If only I could get my sound system to do my income tax ... I see it now: Turbotax in HDCD!

hi-fi (or at least home theatre) components are becoming more and more like computers. Just look at the latest generation of home theatre processors. Soon, you'll be able to attach a keyboard and mouse to them because there'll be too many functions to fit on a handheld remote! But ordinary computers are too noisy (hard disks/CD Rom drives/fan) to use in a proper listening room.

No way! I have spent over 20 years improving my system so that music will play from a silent and distortion-free background as much as possible. The whine from computer fans and disks alone would be too distracting and would annoy me in a minute. Not to mention the electrical noise from their power supplies.

Nyet! I have 2 systems, one for Video and one for Audio because it's impossible to integrate those two without sacrificing one or the other- let alone throwing my computer in the mix! Also, how many people have thier computers in physical proximity to thier TV or Stereo? Not many, I'd guess.

I am the owner of a computer store and I purposely do not even have a soundcard in my home PC. Why in the world would I want to listen to my music on a PC with cheap, small, inferior speakers when I have a good audio setup? A computer is a tool, not a toy.

the cd format is already a computer format. This reality will become centra to hifi soon, even though I use a tube amp now -- why no review of Golden Tube Audio. I like my SE40. Since you can kill a company with a bad word, do I regar no news as good news?

Wouldn't know where to begin.

Hell, No! You think I'm a tin-eared nutcase?

I just bought a Mark Levinson Digital Extrema 2.54, with a Krell 24" Super Brite Monitor and "WOW", music videos send shrill and edgy metallic sounds into my Titanium/Kevlar eardrums!

If turntables crashed as often as Windows95 for "no apparent reason," the hi-fi industry would be in BIG trouble. I work in the computer field, and 95% of my work has to do with keeping everything compatible and running. I prefer to listen to music over debugging software and hardware problems.

Computers offer a wide variety of musical mediums not available elsewhere, such as MP3 and MODs.

Nope.

computer based dvd player?

they are at seperate ends of the house and will stay that way for the forseeable future.

Once a CD-RW setup is created (and offered) that interfaces well with both your computer and audio system, it would be great to combine the two systems.