I've been down this road before, it is lots of fun.
i typically use open source solutions
I ran the
Ampache Streaming software and could play the music at any computer.
I also had a couple rio/dell audio receivers to stream the content straight to AVR's. I think the squeezebox would be better, because I think it has a digital output.
the ampache/rio setup utilized linux, so it isnt the best solution for everyone.
I agree with the posts that advise to rip in a high quality. I am now using flac, but not all devices support flac. i can really hear the limitations of my previously ripped 128kb mp3 on my axioms. that wasnt the case when i was just using computer speakers.
I would recommend having a backup strategy in place. I have had several drive failures, probably because i run the drives 24/7 and have 5 drives in a case, which generates excessive heat. I have my collection backed up onto cd-r, which in itself is a pain to restore. i was just over at another forum where a guy is boohooing cause he lost all the tracks he had ripped. dont think if it will happen, think when it will happen.
If i was going to set something up again, I would shoot for audio and video streaming.
I currently have a networked (wired) computer at the location of my tv/receiver/axioms. i use the digital output from the computer to the denon. works well for me, although I am only using it in one place
hth
have fun
