Will computer to DAC replace transports and cdp's?

Marco, you're description of storing your music on a separate HD, and then yet another copy on another HD is exactly what keeps me away. That's too much damn work for someone who simply wants to listen to music. I do appreciate what you're doing, however, and I also realize you use MACs in your daily business.

Regarding organizing play lists like albums - I think Grant's concern was around the trend of downloading music a few songs at a time via the Internet. When you buy an 'album' on the Internet (via iTunes for instance), you have the option of purchasing the entire album, or as many songs as you like, or even just one single song.

Absolutely true. Two concerns: individual song downlods that destroy the integrity of the album as a whole (think Green Day's "American Idiot"), and the gaps encountered between songs even when an entire album is purchased and downloaded. After all, even if you purchase and download an album, the songs are downloaded one at a time, yes? Please correct me if I'm wrong here, as this is an important barrier to my interest in downloading albums.

I've setup my dad with an Escient music server (only has a 120 gig hard drive) but the access to the music is incredible. I'm listening to music i haven't heard in years because it's easier than searching through my nearly 1000 cdsl. I don't have cds all over the place anymore, either. I keep all the cds after i burn them but in boxes stored away for an emergency that no doubt will someday come.

Does anyone know about the faster Glyph drives used for music mastering? They're much more expensive than a typical commercial computer-user hard drive but they are more quiet, more reliable and have other advantages.

What external dacs are you guys using? Do any have a volume pot?

Two things (well. maybe three) are stalling my move to HD:

First, I will miss having easy access to the composer and musician information that's on the CD liner.

Second, I think to make it really work, I'd need a computer display at my listening seat, which is in the living room. That would be decor-unfriendly. Also, I'd need to run a USB cable across the room. Dennis, you mentioned controlling the whole thing with a Palm. How would that work? (I have a Squeezebox, but it's not an ideal browsing interface.)

The third thing is having to go back to separates, or find a CDP I like with digital in. I'd be very reluctant not to have regular CD playback capability, so would still need a transport of some kind.

Second, I think to make it really work, I'd need a computer display at my listening seat, which is in the living room. That would be decor-unfriendly. Also, I'd need to run a USB cable across the room. Dennis, you mentioned controlling the whole thing with a Palm. How would that work? (I have a Squeezebox, but it's not an ideal browsing interface.)

Dan, I believe Empirical Audio is coming out with a wireless version of their Offramp...(based on the Airport Express). Click on the "Computer Audio" button for more info. Steve Nugent's offerings are quite good...if not a little pricey.

I've been thinking about this. I have a headphone system that is iTunes based (headphone amp has a USB input) and it is so damn convenient, but my main system is CD only. I was wondering just yesterday why the newer CD players don't seem to have a USB digital input like many have a S/PDIF digital input. There are a very few DACs that do, but I've not seen a player that does. I think that would be an appealing feature, to be able to run iTunes through your favorite CD players DAC (I'm not interested in the USB to S/PDIF adapters).