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Like it or not, it's the way of the future, boys. Ignoring PC-based music servers in 2004 is like ignoring CDs when they were introduced in the '80s.

If computers offer an improvement in sound quality, investigate away, otherwise why bother?

How about covering some of the meat and potatoes gear in the hobby... you know... the stuff we can (insert italics here)Actually afford!(end italics) like diy kits, reasonably priced componets, and speakers that are in the 1k range. (ahem.. Axiom M80's) more head to head battles among comparable componets. etc! thats what we want!

I am interested only to the point that the computer system can achieve audiophile qualiy. A sophisticated file server system would definitely be of ineterest.

The computers themselves don't interest me (just get a Mac and run iTunes) but I'm interested in output options. First up, a review of Wavelength Audio's new Cosecant USB DAC, please.

I make my living working with computers, but I read Stereophile for true high-end audio and computer based music systems definitely do NOT qualify.

I don't want to sound like a flat-earther but computers at this time really are not ready for prime time in an audiophile system in my opinion. Maybe at some point in the not so distant future you will need to include them in the pages of stereophile when computers really do become relavant to good music reproduction. It will happen at some point I am sure.

What next, Stereophile asking next month to review

Great. I'm excited & anticipating in the near future that there is a audiophile computer product that I can install into my computer. To me, it's a natural progression & I am not a computer geek. I have my regular audio system & sometimes wish to listen to quality music while net surfing. While I'm waiting for parts to modify my current system, I got a external 24/96 soundcard for Christmas. It sounds pretty good.

why not - the convergence is coming - why fight it.

For me computers seem to cause at least as much stress as they relieve. The only time I doubt my investment in audio is when the technology gets in the way. The idea of knowingly introducing a full fledged computer into my system is anathema.

I think it would be great if your covered both computer hardware and the various audio compression schemes available.

Stereophile already devotes fewer pages to quality and reasonably priced audio gear. Please do not reduce the content even further to devote pages to a niche market. People buy boomboxes too. Should you start reviewing those?

It is the obvious way forward for storing and managing digital sources. It is only a matter of time before the quality is there to stream and convert digital music to the highest quality. Intel is already working on it. At some point the physical disk will be irrelevant and the computer will be the transport mechanism.

I'd love to convert my vinyl to 24/192 two- channel for the convenience and to minimize wear on my analog system. The card would have to be under the price of a fully-loaded state of the art motherboard ($200). DVD-A authoring software continues to be a problem—currently $415 is the lowest I have seen. A DSD sound card would justify higher spending limits.

I'm glad you gave us a choice between "not interested" & "Don't do it!" Meaning that although I am not interested, maybe someone else is, & maybe your coverage will actually get me to change my mind. However, my main interesta are your speaker reviews & your interviews.

The New Age is digital, and computers are the very essence of digital.

Let's face it, audio evolves. Not covering computer-based gear would be right up there on the Ostritch farm with ignoring multichanel.

I was glad to see the Apple iPod review. The iPod is the digital source in my system. I run it through a Jeff Rowland Concentra II to achieve CD quality sound. I am not willing to invest in an SACD or DVD-A until the format wars settle out. The iPod is good for now.

How can you ignore the next component?

There are other magazines covering this. Let's stay with stereophile stuff!!

Computer systems can give you large amounts of control while the signal is still digital. Computers could be very useful tweakers if someone would develop software like that. You can manipulate software in useful ways with a computer also.

Please don't make me cancel my subscription!

How about a review where a panel does listening tests of all the different popular compression formats?

You're kidding aren't you. Not what I want to hear - low resolution sound through tinny speakers 18" apart. The computer is for managing information, the "stereo" is for losing yourself in the reproduction of music.

Audiophiles have to work with the media that the mass market supports. If it ends up being a computer-based system, then I'd like to know how to get the best possible sound out it. Based on CES coverage, it doesn't sound like we'll be replacing our current music collections with SACD any time soon. Maybe the next high-res holy grail will be more computationally competent—as long as we're allowed to back up our music collection.

Like it or not, computers and audio cannot be separated. With large cheap HD's available, there's no reason not to rip favorite tunes to WAV files and listen on a pc with a decent sound card. S/PDIF out on card would be even better.

make sure you cover apple products

If Stereophile went in this direction, for me, the thrill would be gone! Casual iPod listening is fine. However, if anyone even mentions computers and music again, run, don't look back, just run. Let's keep the barrier reinforced between casual music enthusiasts and the true audiophile. I can only imagine how terrible a laptop would look next to a turntable on the covers of Stereophile.

This would be a serious waste of your time! All the computer magazines cover this topic. I read Stereophile because I want to become more educated about high-end home audio. Not computer, car, or portable audio boxes(these will be next). You are a specility magazine for those of us who love music reproduced as well as we can afford. Please stay that way.