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In Reply to: RE: Had a CD session last night posted by jedrider on June 17, 2016 at 09:12:07
Can't get myself to go to computer audio. I'm with a computer ALL day long and I just need to get away from them!
Me too, but the incredible convenience and power of having a central library immediately accessible in different ways via multiple systems simultaneously is a beautiful thing. :)
I've even ripped my movies to a central library for instant access without the media shuffle.
Follow Ups:
Describe in three sentences what I need to do! If it takes four sentences, I'm out of here ;-)
1. Implement home network
2. Rip or download content to server
3. Purchase and configure network renderer with server software (optional, but convenient - add remote control apps for smart phone/pads)
The latter comes in a dizzying range of types: small general purpose computers, dedicated audio/video streamer devices, CD/SACD/Blu Ray players, and smart phone/pad apps. I use at least one of each. :)
I got #1 covered. #2 is a pain in the butt, and will require me to install the 1 terabyte drive which has been sitting on the shelf for over a year.What was #3 again?
Ya see, you can "say" it's three steps, but it's really 8,000 steps, divided into three segments.
:)
Edits: 06/18/16
#2 is a pain in the butt, and will require me to install the 1 terabyte drive which has been sitting on the shelf for over a year.
Achieving #2 was spread across a period of about two weeks and was largely done before I acquired dbPoweramp. I wish I had purchased that earlier.
As for data drives, my system now has a different configuration thanks to the Win10 debacle. Short story-initially worked, but died a slow and painful death a couple of months later. Their driver compatibility checker is woefully inadequate. Anyway, I ended up moving the OS to its own SSD and use a 2 TB drive (sweet spot in market today $ wise) for music and video. So, upgrading it doesn't require an OS reload.
#3 is finding a suitable player. :)
Do you people actually ever just listen to music?
the initial ripping of your library takes a goodly amount of time. Was it worth it?
Absolutely! Once you've crossed over to the world of server based music, you spend more time listening than locating and shuffling disks from shelves, in and out of transports, and back again. You rediscover content that you forgot about because you can have the player randomly go through your library. Across all genres. Across one. Create a playlist on the fly. Use a smart phone based remote at your listening position. Or out in the yard or by the pool.
It also means that your digital library is accessible across all the systems in your home. I used to burn CDR copies of content for the garage system. I can listen at night via IEMs in the bedroom streaming from my iPad.
For new music, ripping one disk and adding to server library takes only a couple of minutes.
It is truly a beautiful thing. And, BTW I'm an older boomer, too. Still have two turntables (one purchased in '76), but I end up spending more time playing from the server.
Yeah, it'd be great to have all my stuff on the 'puter. Actually, just this morning, I was looking for Stan Kenton's 1951 version of "Over The Rainbow". Then, I realized it was on another 'puter which typically works for about ten minutes before it locks up. I really should boot that puppy up, copy everything, and then just boot it.Is there a way to make a digital copy of an analog recording, where the copy is better than the original? (Just kidding.)
:)
Edits: 06/18/16
I purchased an HRT Streamer which is an ADC for capturing analog sources to 96/24 digital. I have quite a few records that are simply unavailable in digital format and would like to play them in other places than the main listening room.
Better than analog? Don't think so! :)
I am often pleasantly surprised how good vinyl can sound played over the PC.
I to use a LineStreamer+ and Vinyl Studio. With a well recorded LP, declicked with the default setting, if it was on the record I get the same wide sound stage, and detail.
The one thing that does suffer a little is dynamics. It is slight and only noticeable with direct comparison to the LP.
Doing vinyl is time consuming as you have to create the files in real time, then run cleanup and adjust the track breaks. I also edit out the lead in and the run out noise.
The declicker is really good for those albums like most of the King Crimson LPs that were impossible to get a quiet copy, when they went to cheap vinyl during the oil crisis in tbe early to mid '70s.
I have about 800 CD's, approximately 10% of which are jazz, female vocalists & film soundtracks. The other 90% are classical which are arranged chronologically by composer. The equipment is always powered on. There is no elaborate ritual or time involved in selecting a CD, placing it in the transport and sitting down to listen. I have a dedicated room and my wife is not at all interested in music or equipment. There is no need for me to access the library and play it throughout the house.
Perhaps the never ending cycle of popular music releases necessitates access to a streaming source offering such variety but I have no need of it. The classical selection was carefully built up over years through much research, trial and error. It quite adequately satisfies my needs at my age.
Consequently, my system is very simple, although the price of admission was high.
I keep reading threads like this and never see much of anything devoted to the way computer audio SOUNDS. In my experience, listening to four systems where it was possible to compare music-from-CD to music-from-server, there was never any question in my mind as to which sounded better.
Of course there's the convenience factor and I'm sure it would be real convenient to rip my 1100+ CDs and SACDs (what, you can't rip SACDs? Who knew?), but I'd just as soon spend the time in some old-fashioned, retro way.
Besides, I spend most listening time with vinyl and open reel tape, so I'm a hopeless case anyway :-)
Besides, I spend most listening time with vinyl and open reel tape
That's the most compelling reason for folks like you.
Can't speak for the computer based systems you've heard, but my arrangement of a linear powered Touch via a remotely located server through an Audio Research DAC8 offers more realism than the previous GamuT CD-1 player.
And I have a uRendu player on order which is said to be much better. :)
Thanks for the instant psychoanalysis. Where do I send the five cents ?
:-)
Seriously, my audiobuddies' systems reflect many decades of experience and knowhow. If they find it very difficult to equal the sonics they achieved back in the BC era, a computer illiterate like me ain't likely to find nirvana following in their footsteps. I assume you'd rather I followed in yours but that isn't real likely either. Sorry.
All I meant was that if you don't listen to digital content, i.e."Besides, I spend most listening time with vinyl and open reel tape"
then using a better and more convenient way is moot. I follow the music. If you limit yourself to those media, then you will be missing out on decades of content.
I assume you'd rather I followed in yours but that isn't real likely either. Sorry.
No. To each his own. I'm not a horn enthusiast, either. :)
Clearly, you haven't heard a computer server based transport at its best. After all, that's how all recordings have been made for the past twenty years or so. :)
Edits: 06/18/16
Computer power supplies offer a very noisy environment. I have selected my equipment for simplicity and purity always having in mind the old principle of straight wire with gain. It is no more than it needs to be. My dedicated room design supports that low noise floor. Computer technology can only deviate from it.
I do not wish to complicate things and compromise sound quality for mere accessibility and convenience. I also do not want to be dependent on what some outside source thinks things should sound like and have to pay for it.
Computer power supplies offer a very noisy environment.
They do. Which is why the server is located on another floor of the house hundreds of feet from the listening room. Playback is via a small appliance in the room connected via Ethernet.
I still find it valuable to be able to quickly switch from one album to another. Or, compare one conductor's version of a movement to that of another.
To each his own.
Several things appeal to me here in my retirement. I am not dependent on anything outside of my room, except for electricity, of course. Also, I feel I have everything I will ever need for my musical enjoyment.
I occasionally do buy a highly recommended CD but my current library is quite inclusive and comprehensive. I am not critical of anyone such as yourself choosing a different path. However, for my personal needs that choice involves all too much fuss, clutter and additional and unnecessary expense for provider services.
However, for my personal needs that choice involves all too much fuss, clutter and additional and unnecessary expense for provider services.Largely for the benefit of others who may read this post:
1. The "fuss" is eliminated by the increasing number of releases available by downloads. My library contains a fairly good sized collection of high resolution releases. Even for rips, there is no question that I spend less time for the one time capture and eliminate ongoing time required for every subsequent access. It's no different from the benefit of using electronic document management vs. storing and retrieving paper files. And yes, all of my financial records are stored electronically. I don't do paper any more. Don't have any clue as to the "clutter". The wall of CDs can be eliminated.
2. Perhaps your environment is different, but quite a few households today already have a home network infrastructure. Ours is used not only for music, but streaming movies both via internet providers and from content on the server. It also supports the security cameras.
3. There are no "provider services" required for me to stream music from my server via my network to my players. Perhaps you are thinking of dependence via the subscription services such as Tidal, Spotify, etc. Since two of our cars have XM access, we can also stream their content over the 'net, but that has nothing to do with my music library. At no expense, I regularly stream music from a wide range of classical radio stations.
Maybe it helps that I am an IT guy. :)
Edits: 06/18/16
Just curious. If it is a favorable number, SSD has come down in price greatly. Putting the O/S on an SSD seems like it makes sense for audio work. Be interesting if one can just lock the O/S so no further changes are necessary, unlike with surfing where you always have new material on the disk.
1. I rip to FLAC.
2. CD rips consume ~250-275 MB. 96/24 downloads about 800 MB.
3. I use a Samsung 128 GB SSD which costs around $60 and have image backups. No brainer for me. I configure Firefox cache to use spinning rust disk to minimize activity.
Library stats:
876 albums
8509 tracks
1699 artists
32 genres
224 GB total
Back up to a couple USB hard drives. Just acquired 256 GB flash drive which can be used with Oppo player if network access is unavailable.
I think you cheated!
Well, the first two I have covered, mostly. I've ripped a few CDs to hard drive. However, how to get them to play somewhere, I don't know.
I want to rip to a storage device that is on the network 24/7. That takes a special device, I'm sure. Could be just a USB connection to my network router as I remember buying such a router, but I'd want a special device that wouldn't be spinning all of the time.
Then what? Each computer is OK. I have HiFi and Home Theater and I need a, something, what is it?
Nt
I want to rip to a storage device that is on the network 24/7. That takes a special device, I'm sure.For me, it's a Dell Studio desktop used for a range of other tasks located in my home office. I rip using dbPoweramp and save results on same box. Others use a laptop and store data on a NAS.
My devices are connected either via Ethernet or WiFi. USB is typically used between player or streamer and DAC, not to the network itself.
I have HiFi and Home Theater and I need a, something, what is it?
Well, I use an Oppo 103 via Wi-Fi to access my music library when I want to play music. Or a Roku 3 player to access either music or video.
Edits: 06/17/16
That's a CD player! Now, I right back where I started from!
universal disk player that also supports streaming digital content from music servers. Many folks already have a Blu Ray player like the 103 in their HT.They're ready to go once the first two requirements are in place.
edit: what is on the screen in the pic of wifey's HT in my gallery is the Oppo music interface.
Edits: 06/17/16
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