My Yamaha TX-950 goes a long way, with high-capacity integrated chips for all sorts of tuning functions. After spending long hours enjoying the fine high-guality music afforded by the computer-like capabilities of the TX-950, the word "computer" does not scare me when it comes to using them in the high-end music-reproduction chain. Let's all let the results speak for themselves.

I will integrate a computer into my system only if it's made by a company that competes with the Wintel monopoly.

It'll be inevitable, but my aim will always be for a more accurate musical reproduction. The computer can help me most in the storage of my music that is in CDs, DVDs, MDs, Dolby 5.1, or whatever digital format that will be forthcoming. Come to think of it, I see no reason why a high-end digital system cannot integrate a powerful computer for storage and D/A chores with a variable line-stage (ANALOG, of course) to connect directly to the amplifiers.

It must be for an obvious and audible purpose and not a gadget. Frankly, more complexity is not desirable in my case.

I can foresee the equivalent of the "paperless" office occurring in a home. All digitally formated data (music and video) will someday be stored in your central server and fed to wherever the "output" device is, be it an audio system or home theater---or the flat-panel display in the kitchen that will someday display that recipe for Hot Salsa. We'll purchase all "software" via the Internet---downloaded, not discs or whatever, sent via carrier. For portable play? Just take your music "file" and download it to a digital disc (hopefully not MD) and pop it in your car player. This WILL happen!

I have found it difficult to find information on computers AND music systems.

The point of a computer for my system would be as a control medium only. This would be a logical step in the evolution of the 21st century. This is where the house, car, and any personal memory device is accessed, controlled, and defined by the computer.

The computer will never be able to give me the satisfaction that my soundsystem can. Period.

To invite the computer into my audio world is to invite constant obsolescence at the hands of greedy hardware makers that spoon-feed you improvements a little at a time, and who gouge you for upgrades every six months!! I don't want 'em in my audio or video standards!!!

With the new MP3 encoding, previewing CDs through my computer sounds much better. But the $24 soundcard and hum of cooling fans will never replace even my modest NAD system.

This is a big maybe! The utility of such a connection has not been demonstrated to me yet but who knows.

Computer data transmission is digital, so is current music recording and decoding. Wouldn't it be just right we canmake the two work together. Integration is the right direction.

If I have correctly understood recent conversations with industry figurs, yes, absolutely. At least, it appears inevitable that music (and other) data will be streamed into the home via digital transmission over phone lines. Whether as part of home computers as we know them now or utilizing new devices with similar mechanisms of action is unclear to me at the present time.

Hell no! Never!

It needs to be simplified a bit for me to start integrating my pc & sterio. I am taking a closer look at the possibilities with the cdr's and compact disc recorders now cheaply available.

Not as long as I live and breath. Why would I want to degrade my signal any more than it already is.

As soon as I can figuire out how to paint my pc black and label all buttons with gray lettering that is almost illegible...seriously!

As a means to get to more music !!

Never. My job, my computer. My escape, my audio system.

No and HELL NO!

I've played around with music on the pc for years. Midi files and recording sound bytes off CD's. Listening to CD's while on the web. It's not the best quality yet? Give it 5 to 10 years and It will surpass anything we have now in our homes.

Got to get out of stereo debt, then I'll get a computer and wait for the over-priced soft/hardware to come out

I've the discussion on the very same topic with a friend recently. My opinion is that when I am enjoying my HIFI or my home theatre system, I want to be off my PC. A DVD drive on my PC will likely be used as storage or media access device and I would prefer a separate high quality DVD player for my musical system.

This trend I think will continue. I initially will connect my computer to my audio system to gain Pro-logic sound in a few of my games that support it. As bandwidth on the Internet increases, then I will also listen to music on the net. I have played with internet music before, but current technology means you either get unlistenable sound or have to wait forever to get your music. Once they fix that we will have some really neat options to FM radio!

Like surround sound, it will happen to anyone with a audiophile mentality. I other words we will push the envelope as far as we can.

That would be like having sex with Roseanne Bahr

I can not justify denying the traditional purity of two channel music reproduction by mucking it up with a computer. Too messy, complicated (OK, even a chimp can set up a computer today). I'm just not that hip into having computers run everything--there are areas that they should not enter. The closest to that type of technology that I will allow to corrupt me is remote control.

How about some high end companies using low cost PC bits instead of high price proprietry stuff. I know Meridian is having a go but how about the other guys?

Surely it's inevitable. In the not-too-distant future I expect (not without regret) that ALL recorded music will be sourced from the internet or its sucessors.

What's the point? Convergence technologies add little or no value to the fidelity of my hi-fi. Although they offer some wiz-bang capabilities, the ASIC's that are packaged in my current stereo components are the only "computers" I plan to ever have wired into my system.