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DIGITAL HIGH-RES AUDIO SYSTEM -HELP PLEASE

I need your expert advice on building a 24 bit/96Khz, 24/192Khz max, computer based home audio system I'd like to integrate into my home audio/ht system. I'm not totally clueless on what I need but I could definitely use some advice and direction as well as helpful tips. I have a fairly good audio system I currently use for ht and music playback. So, I'm not starting from scratch but want to incorporate computer audio and WAV and FLAC file streaming and storage into my system. Video streaming and storage can wait for a future time.

My current system consists of the following:
Plasma HDTV
Full 5.1 surround setup (5 spkrs and 1 subwoofer with in-ceiling surrounds).
Three separate stereo amps that power the main l/r, subwoofer/ center and l/r surrounds.
Directv satellite source (box has HDMI and digital audio output)
Older DVD/CD player as source used for movies and music.
Surround sound processor (older unit with just coax and optical audio inputs/outputs, no HDMI or USB inputs/outputs).
Separate tube preamp with HT Passthru. I'd run computer analog outputs to this for 2-channel listening.

For computer audio I already have some components:

Newer Laptop with 4 USB2.0 ports, dual core processor, 2 GB RAM and 110 GB internal hard-drive that can be solely devoted to a computer audio system(only 35 GB free on HD, however).
Wireless high-speed LAN with smart HDTV already attached and streaming Netflix, Hulu, Pandora and Amazon Prime to the tv and laptop.
JRiver v19.0 media player installed but no downloads yet and only a handful of cds ripped.
Cambridge Audio DacMagic 24 bit/192khz DAC.

My current budget is only about $1,500 and was thinking my next steps should be to:
A. Buy a new or used Oppo BDP-103 or, preferably a BDP-105 to replace my DacMagic and Sony DVD,CD player and get at least into 21st century technology.
B. Buy a NAS next to connect via USB to my laptop when more funds become available.

So, please let me know the following:

1. Am I thinking correctly and on the right path with buying an Oppo followed by a NAS?
2. Is there a method to connect my laptop, and future NAS wirelessly to the Oppo? I'm currently running a 12ft USB cable from my laptop to my DAC. I know cabled is better than wireless but curious how much better.
3. Any suggestions for a good, affordable NAS?
4. Does the Oppo BDP-105 have internal surround sound decoding capability that would allow me to run analog cables to my 3 HT amps directly from its analog outputs and substitute for my Parasound processor?

Thanks in advance for any advice and guidance.
Tim



128x128noble100
noble100's avatar
noble100 OP
1,093 posts
 
Bill,

I'll definitely check out Sound Liaison. I'm keeping a list of potential good sites and good recordings and SL is now on it.

Thanks a lot, Bill.
Tim
noble100's avatar
noble100 OP
1,093 posts
 
Update:

If anyone is still interested, I took another couple of steps on my computer audio journey on Tuesday 2/4/14:

1. Ordered a Synology DS112j NAS and a Seagate Barracuda 2TB internal 3.5" hard disk drive. Best Buy had a good price of $252, but was even a few dollars less at Amazon, Newegg and B&H Photo. Synology also offers a DS112 (no "j" suffix) 1-bay NAS that has twice the internal memory (512 vs 256) and 2 USB 3.0 ports as compared to the DS112j's 2 USB 2.0 ports but also costs between $30-50 more. Since the Seagate Backup Plus (see #2 below)uses a USB 2.0 connection anyway, I thought any net increase in speed would not benefit me very much so I decided to save the money instead. If this was for work rather than home use, I probably would've chosen the marginally increased speed.

2. Ordered a Seagate Backup Plus 2TB external backup hard disk drive. Bought it from BB for $94, it was a good price but Amazon was even a bit less. I wasn't too concerned over a few dollars since I earn 'Reward Points' through BB, one's nearby and it was simpler placing 1 order for all.

Equipment should arrive in a week or less. My skilled friend, Jerry, will help me setup and configure everything. I'll post again after additional progress is made.

If nothing else, this thread may serve as a guide to future computer audio newcomers. Is that a light at the end of this obsessive tunnel?

Thanks,
Tim
williewonka
1,826 posts
 
Tim - the 512mb should be ok. You never need the entire track in the buffer - just enough to prevent gaps in the playback.

Bill - thanks for the heads up on Sound Liason - gonna check that out :-)

Cheers
noble100's avatar
noble100 OP
1,093 posts
 
Hi Steve,

The Synology DS112 has 512mb, I bought the Synology DS112j which has half the memory at 256mb.

Does the NAS use all of this internal memory for buffering only? I guess if the 256mb results in playback issues/gaps, I could return it to BB and get the DS112 instead.

Thanks,
Tim
bill_k
671 posts
 
I have paid to download a lot of albums, many in even higher resolution than the Sound Liaison titles. Their recording quality however really stands out as some of the absolute best that I have found. Their musical content is also very enjoyable unlike many other "audiophile" recordings.
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