(update)I was able to cobble together a temporary music server using off the shelf (crap I had lying around!) stuff somewhat easily.
I'm slowly ripping my cd collection (uncompressed 16/44 wave files) with some very good ripping software. So my collection is getting into the 'puter correctly. One disc at a time...
The files are stored on a firewire drive hooked to a MacMini (bought for general house computing/web surfing). I'm using a Tascam US-428 (24 bit) hooked up via USB to a HP laptop that feeds (via coaxial digital) the signal to my Onkyo receiver.
In iTunes you can access remote files. So I have iTunes loaded onto an HP laptop (it's great hardware but loaded with that sh$tty Microsoft software!) and I stream the files from the MacMini via WiFi.
I do get buffer problems sometimes. A little annoying glitch. But it's at least giving me a taste of what's possible.
But here's what I've learned thus far:
iTunes is excellent for organizing your music collection but horrible for ripping and playback. I'm
seriously not into the consumer grade computer stuff. Macs
or Windows. I like the professional stuff, period...
And as most of you know, I really despise the Windows os (It's overly complicated, aesthetically ugly and buggy. Always! Even OS7 which
is a huge improvement!) and only use Macs for professional music/video production and other fun stuff. The HP is my girlfriend's and I use it because it's available for now (I got her an iPad for her 'puter needs as she prefers Macs as well) and I'm just trying out all options.
iTunes on Windows is even
worse than on a Mac. Craptastic!
I found free software called Song Bird that
sounds excellent but is a pos that cuts off the endings when it goes to the next song. I cannot figure out why this is. A lot of complains about it on the web. So...
I wish iTunes sounded better than a quality cd player but alas, it does not.
So all this talk about all digital being the "same" is horsesh#t.
I can definitely hear a difference!
So I think that what I'll probably do is continue to rip my cd collection (over 5000!!!) and get the Squeezebox for a client, using only the digital outs and a converter of higher quality.
I'm hoping that their software sounds better than iTunes!
Which, while not having a very good "sound" is still way better that Windows Media Player which blows even more chunks!
But this has been a fun learning experience! I really appreciate all the input for my fellow Axiomites. I hope others who, like me, have been waiting for the right time to integrate a computer into their playback system have gotten some good suggestions from this thread.
I may still spring some serious $ for a Sonos or some other higher end server device, but I feel that it's still a fluid and ever developing audio endeavor.
I will keep you all updated on my progress.
