Is computer audio a bust?

A clean Windows system running only jRiver is not very complex. Add virus protection and you're set. I'd recommend an i5 chip for overkill, enough memory to stage media there, and a $60 USB backup disk. Phenomenal laptops are far less than $1000, ($300 used) and the capability of a $50 media center software is mind-blowing.

I have the Linn, the CD transport, and the Magnum Dynalab, but computer audio is the train leaving the station, and I'm on board with no regrets.

Slacker,

Have you ever compared JRiver to MEdiaMonkey?

I've used MM recently to convert my .wav files to flac for use with Logitech and PLEX. Also for auto and manual tagging of flac files, along with Picard.

I have been able to get free MM to do things as it should, but am not thrilled with it overall. I've ripped a couple test disks to FLAC with it and find the tagging quirky and the rip quality somewhat of an unknown. MM requires a paid version for more assured accurate rips apparently, and not quite ready to go there based on experiences with MM to date.

How is Jriver in these areas? Is it apples/apples to compare the two?

Abuck,

In my case I had hundreds of CDs before going to digital music server.

A lot of those CDs stayed on the shelf and were seldom played in lieu of my more favorite ones. Exploring my CD music library extensively just did not happen nearly as much.

Now, as a result of listening to tracks from CDs on my server served up to me randomly by my digital player like a jukebox, rather than me having to seek out and play some track I am not really all that familiar with to start, I would say I get more than 1000% more enjoyment out of my existing music collection, without having to add a thing or listen to other sources. That all happens much more as well as my musical tastes become more diverse. And it all sounds as good as or better than ever as well.

All thanks to computer audio.

Now I spend my time finding really useful new things that I might try or do with different devices, software, features etc.

Much more productive than typical audiophile crap at this somewhat evolved point for me, like comparing sound with different fuses. I still do a lot of fine tuning of the gear I have, like moving speakers around and swapping into various rooms, to get the good sound results I always demand.

"An interesting thread. I didn't realize that there were a large number of people who had sampled C.A., found it wanting, and went back to CDPs. If one reads audiophile mags, particularly the British ones, you would never get that impression. "

I doubt there are a large # of people doing this frankly.

The title of this thread kind of skews the debate in that direction I think.

I suspect going around in general proposing that computer audio is a bust would be a losing proposition except with a) those already content with what they are doing so they have no need or 2) those who don't know what computer audio is and/or do not really care.

Well my rig is:

Esoteric UX-1
Yamamoto YDA-01
Leben CS-300 or
First Watt F5 clone
Zu Druid and Zu Method

Instead of the Esoteric I placed a MacBook Pro + external USB PSU + VLink USB SPDIF converter, using Audirvana and Fab Pro Eq, the conclusion was that my setup sounded better with the Esoteric in place.

End of the story: I quit Computer Audio.

Daniel