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Would be much easier to use than CD's
Now that hi-rez files without DRM are starting to become available for download from several labels, are you ready for an audiophile music server?
i really wish you could do a comparative review of some USB DAC products, e.g, the Fubar DAC, Wavelength Brick, Stello DAC1, PS Audio Digital Link III, simply hooked up to a regular laptop playing .wav or lossless WMA files through windows media player through high quality amps and speakers—there's been nothing like this is in the music press so far and it'd be really helpful
I have yet to hear hi-rez files sound as good as vinyl played on a properly set up, quality LP playback system. Digital is fine for background music while cooking, working out, traveling, etc., but when it is serious listening time, I prefer vinyl by a large margin. Vinyl is outselling SACD and DVD-A combined despite the convenience of the digtal formats. Could it be because vinyl sounds better? That would be my vote.
The point of using your computer as a music server is that it can compete with a high-end transport and, in many cases, beat it. An audiophile music server would no doubt cost many, many times more than a computer. I'll stick with my high-end transport. I can now play anything in my collection without first installing plug-ins that don't work, finding out certain files won't play anymore after they played fine the first time, ripping and re-ripping CDs or beginning another endless "journey" to "perfection" in yet another room of the house. Why are we trying to get as close to CDs as possible, anyway? Aren't we trying to get closer to analog anymore?
I've had a Transporter for close to a year. It sounds wonderful (all the way up to 24/96); however, lately it has been temperamental in the extreme, failing to find my library, falling off the network etc. Hopefully, this is a minor problem which will be quickly resolved.
I just bought a Kenwood KT-6040 tuner and combined it with a Magnum Dynalab ST-2 antenna. Though it doesn't give me the control I would have with a music server, it gives me ample new music I would normally not listen to. My tapping right foot leads a life of its own since and I'm being seducted time and again by the involvement and joy from my old fashioned little radio combo. Who needs a music server anyway? Radio is an underestimated source because there are few really good tuners around.
I made my first one back in '97. In fact, if you know how to spec a PC then you can save tons of money and get a higher quality box with easy to maintain and upgrade "open standards". All of these "custom solutions" are overpriced snake oil. I'm waiting for the "Signature Mk III Music Server" with the "Mpingo Single Crystal Ionized Criogenic Case" to ensure that the bits and bytes are aligned for better soundstaging and deeper notes.