Aplhifi,
you have taken some of my statements out of context. What I was getting at was the CD/DVD drives when used with specific ripping software can produce amazing results and make a nonsense of expensive transports. Not that any old CD/DVD drive on its own will compete.
Take it as read that there will always be someone doing something to sell you a product that may work better. But compared to many, computer audio is the way to go. There is just some set up. Just like every other piece of equipment.
Thank you for clearing up the limit of s/pdif, but this is not true of all s/pdif.
Most people here, unless using very new equipment, will not be able to pass 24/192k via their s/pdif. Hence my question about the limit. I mention jittery as he was using optical & s/spdif from his laptop. I feel FW gets you past all this.
It is clear that as usual people have made all this sound complex. But in Waynekers case a few adjustments to his computer and software I am sure will do the trick. But he seems happy to play 1 CD at a time and likes his sound.
I used to do it that way, but I could never go back to such a limited way of playing back music. Having your library available at the press or slide of a finger means I listen to way more music, and I dont fall into the pattern of reaching for the same old CDs at the front of the pile.
Waynekers if you have already ripped lots of your library to WAVs no worries. You can easily convert them to Aiffs and get the benefit of the metadata on the Mac. You may even be able to remove some errors too if you didnt rip them well the 1st time around. I am not sure how they do it, but I saw someone using software on a PC that did it! But thats another story...
