Has iTunes, etc. impacted your listening habits?


Long before there was MP3, or at least long before I knew about it, my only real choice for music was to pick a disc out of the collection, throw it into my player of choice at that moment, and press play. Want to hear something else? Take the old disc out, put in the new one, etc.

But since I've burned my entire collection (minus non-hybrid SACDs) into my computer, I find it's just so damned EASY to press play and hear it through the mediocre desktop system. No changing discs, file through every range of song, artist, genre, etc.

Now, I don't have those lovely audiophile listening sessions on the big rig quite as often. And when I do, I'm listening to those non-hybrid SACDs that aren't on the computer.

Solution? Upgrades, baby! Get that main system back to where it's just so thoroughly compelling that the little ol' Dell just won't cut it any more.

I suppose I could have invested in wireless solutions to beam those wireless tracks to the big rig, but somehow I'm not covinced that it's a fully matured tachnology/too expensive right now/limited capability/I can't totally give up the 5 1/4" discs/whatever the hell else I'm worried about.

Has anyone else had their listening habits impacted by the MP3/iTunes revolution?

--Brian
thedautch
I've never listened to as much music in my life as I do now with my computer system. it's changed everything. I can never go back.

What format did you rip the cds in? If you ripped in a lossless format you shouldn't have to decide between the 'big rig' and your computer. Use your computer as a cdp and get an external dac and you're set.

Right now I have a MacBook Pro with an external G-tech hard drive full of 700 cds connected to an Airport extreme for wireless connection. My computer has just one USB cable that goes to my Empirical Off Ramp Turbo (I2S) into my Empirical Audio modified Benchmark Dac-1 into a Cary 300SEI integrated to Sennheiser 60s and I'm in heaven. So simple. No cds all over the floor. I'm happy.
No.

I'm not a technophobe either. I build my own computers and have a nice setup for computer audio.

I just can't see spending money on low resolution audio. Even if I was interested in playing audio on my computer, I would buy the CD and rip it to flac. If an LP is available, I will go for that first.
My question to all who have so called ripped your cds to a pc system, are you getting rid of your software after you have performed this ritual,or are you holding on to your cds in case of lost files because of a possible crash.
schipo, i'm holding onto the cds in case of who know what...but as far as a computer crash, not worried about it. I have a spare hard drive back up. hard drives are cheap these days. i keep other stuff backed up on it as well