File format, software and settings?

Mike, When you use network (wireless or not) music is delivered in packets without timing and timing is recreated by network device. Computer type or speed, amount of memory, program used for playback, type of hard disk, storage format etc. don't matter since they affect only jitter and timing was not supplied (unless playback program processes data, like upsampling). That's the beauty of it. Sometimes S/Pdif clock recreated on receiver side (N50) is less than perfect (jittery) and requires extra reclocker (or asynchronous upsampling DAC that does reclocking like my Benchmark DAC1) but at least you can forget all computer problems including noise (that tends to couple with direct connection or close proximity).

Kijanki, that is a very helpful answer. I did not want to link my laptop directly to the Esoteric USB yet because I dont easily have the space or the right noise free laptop yet, and I like to keep my CD-Amp-Speaker chain as pure and simple as possible with no extra equipment/links to add noise. When I play CDs, no other equipment is connected or powered. I bought the N50 as an internet radio and linked it to the Esoteric K01's DAC via optical thinking it maintains the purity of my chain as best I can while listening to radio. (N50 is a great internet radio btw). My idea to start out in PC audio was to get my CDs onto my laptop or back up drive in the best way and best file format, and stream wirelessly via the N50 and the optical connection isolates the N50 as much as possible from the Esoteric. Since the data is sent to the Esoteric via optical, I assume the N50 clock is used and it is not re-clocked by the Esoteric. Any way to force the Esoteric to do the clocking? I really want to use use N50 as a wireless conduit and the Esoteric do the work. Perhaps at some time in the future I need to buy a different device to do this that can feed the Esoteric USB? I think right now the only pitfall for me is if I spend hundreds of hours ripping my CDs in the wrong way so would appreciate any comments on that too.

I ripped my second and third CDs and it now takes about 4 mins. It did not come up with the accurate rip window. Does this sound about the right amount of time? Went back and ripped the first one again and it was also fast. How do I check it is using accuraterip?

If the cd is in accurate rip it will show at the bottom of the rip display window and there will be a number that shows how many times it has been submitted. Try burning a well known title and I am sure you will get a reading like "CD in Accurate Rip (25)". It does not have a special window. Look at the last line below your ripped song titles.

Hope this is more clear. 4min is great!

Thanks Tom, it did help