Is there a better Jukebox than a desktop PC?

[K-man]

Hi to all.......Little insignificant audio tadpole who digs Big 2 channel Hi Fi
I have hundreds of songs stored in my computer ...all Mp3 and various bit rates 128 to 320....some sound great and some dont.!!
I currently have a external speaker jack 1/4 "on the side of my PC speakers and I converted it into a split two channel RCA set and run them through the AUX channel on my old sony receiver. It sounds ok and I can push the big main speakers for a room full of sound. Thing is I really like the ease of downloading and storing and playback aspects of the PC but I'M sure there's a better way then the way I currently do it. Is there a special HI FI sound card...and should I rip off of CDs for better quality. Whats the best file format ?? What software works best for recording / playback etc etc etc etc
I'm just one big Question mark Huh???? Anyone with a few pearls of wisdom/experience would be appreciated ...plus i think this will be a big thread before its done as I can't get two people to agree on anything......except what a newbie I am....ha ha ha ........

 

[jaxvon]

If you're just doing strictly 2-channel, then I'd suggest you pick up a decent sound card like this. If you have a standalone DAC or your 2-channel preamp does DAC, then just find a sound card with an optical or coaxial digital output (whatever works for you), and use that. Computers tend to be full of noise and I've found it's best to just send the digital signal to another component for conversion.

 

[krzywica]

I would concur with Jaxvon on all that. I use WMP lossless (around 900+ bit rate).

 

[jaxvon]

Oops, forgot to answer the format question. Yes, if you want optomal quality, then you should rip your CDs to either WAV (space hog) or another lossless format like FLAC. FLAC still takes a lot of space, but not as much as WAV and has the same excellent quality. That said, the higher bitrate MP3 files, as in those >192kpbs should still sound fine for casual listening.

 

[BMXTRIX]

Then, of course, there are digital music servers like the Escient Fireball series, the Imerge products, and the absolute killer of them all, the Audio Request (www.request.com).

If money were no object? I would have an Audio Request in my home for sure. On my more limited budget, I have an iMerge dual zone unit in use. Works well enough for my needs.

 

[krzywica]

Bmx thats a dead link. Anyway if you like techno, check out www.digitallyimported.com

 

[sleepysurf]

I strongly recommend ripping CD's to FLAC (I use EAC), then distribute over networked PC (or attached storage) with Squeezebox2 to feed your audio system (via it's native DAC or outboard DAC). Google for discussions elsewhere on net (slimdevices. com, audioasylum.com, audiocircle.com, others).

 

[Rÿche 1]

That said, the higher bitrate MP3 files, as in those >192kpbs should still sound fine for casual listening.

I don't know why anyone wouldn't use VBR 32-320...The file size comes out at an average of 200 or less....And, the sound is as good as mp3 can get...I have my 1200+ mp3's ripped liked this...To me, it's much better than using a constant bitrate, because constant bitrates waste space...

 

[BMXTRIX]

Bmx thats a dead link. Anyway if you like techno, check out www.digitallyimported.com

Nah, it was just the way the site parses links.

www.request.com
www.imerge.co.uk/products/improductshtml/ipmain.html
www.escient.com