I could use some advice.

I am a semi-audiophile with a decent stereo system that is
getting long in the tooth. I am considering going digital,
i.e., ripping my CDs to either a PC-based or an integrated
stand alone "music manager". I would be interested in opinions on
the following.

If I went PC-based:

-can one get a sireless remote whcih can control things from another
room?

--is there good and easy to use software for managing files and
creating
playlists?

- will a good sound card have the same audio quality as a good stand
alone CD player?

If I went stand -alone (a la Escient):

-what do you get for your $4000? I'm not opposed to this
approach, but I can't tell what advantages there are over just
going with a PC solution.

All opinions gratefully accepted.

Thanks,

Bill

"Bill" wrote in message
ups.com...
I could use some advice.

I am a semi-audiophile with a decent stereo system that is
getting long in the tooth. I am considering going digital,
i.e., ripping my CDs to either a PC-based or an integrated
stand alone "music manager". I would be interested in opinions on
the following.

In which case you are nowhere near an audiphile.


If I went PC-based:

-can one get a sireless remote whcih can control things from another
room?

Not sure, but I suspect yes.

--is there good and easy to use software for managing files and
creating
playlists?

Yes, lots. MusicMatch Jukebox is a popular one.

- will a good sound card have the same audio quality as a good stand
alone CD player?

A quality soundcard may have an equivalent performance, but the ripped music
won't.


If I went stand -alone (a la Escient):

-what do you get for your $4000? I'm not opposed to this
approach, but I can't tell what advantages there are over just
going with a PC solution.

All opinions gratefully accepted.


Call me a luddite if you like, but I prefer the approaqch of selecting a CD
I want o hear, and plugging it into my CD player. Straightforward,
focussed, and uncomplicated.

geoff

Geoff@work wrote:

"Bill" wrote in message
ups.com...
I could use some advice.

I am a semi-audiophile with a decent stereo system that is
getting long in the tooth. I am considering going digital,
i.e., ripping my CDs to either a PC-based or an integrated
stand alone "music manager". I would be interested in opinions on
the following.

In which case you are nowhere near an audiphile.

Ah, yes. Computers are the tool of the devil and lo-fi reproduction.

If I went PC-based:

-can one get a sireless remote whcih can control things from another
room?

Not sure, but I suspect yes.

--is there good and easy to use software for managing files and
creating
playlists?

Yes, lots. MusicMatch Jukebox is a popular one.

- will a good sound card have the same audio quality as a good stand
alone CD player?

A quality soundcard may have an equivalent performance, but the ripped music
won't.

That's just silly, without some context. If he rips to FLAC or even
uncompressed WAV format, then the only difference before the sound card is
likely due to flaws in the reading of the CD, in the standalone player.

The fact has been established repeatedly on this newsgroup that ripping a
CD to computer is an excellent way of recovering from flaws or damage in the
original material.

It's only when it gets encoded to a LOSSY format (mp3 - yuck!) that it fails
to be as good as or better than the original CD.

As for the sound card issue, I'll leave that for others to discuss.

Colin

"Colin B." wrote in message
...
Geoff@work wrote:

"Bill" wrote in message
ups.com...
I could use some advice.

I am a semi-audiophile with a decent stereo system that is
getting long in the tooth. I am considering going digital,
i.e., ripping my CDs to either a PC-based or an integrated
stand alone "music manager". I would be interested in opinions on
the following.

In which case you are nowhere near an audiphile.

Ah, yes. Computers are the tool of the devil and lo-fi reproduction.

No, but mp3, wma, and cronies are.


That's just silly, without some context. If he rips to FLAC or even
uncompressed WAV format, then the only difference before the sound card is
likely due to flaws in the reading of the CD, in the standalone player.

And what do you think the chances of that being the scenario are ? The
common conception is that higher rate lossy encoding (if the user
differentiates between rates at all) is 'CD Quality'.

It's only when it gets encoded to a LOSSY format (mp3 - yuck!) that it
fails
to be as good as or better than the original CD.

I don't have a problem with that reasoning. Just that ain't the way close to
100% of people persuing this route of musical satisfaction think.

geoff

well, Geoff, I apologize for intruding.

I thought this was a newsgroup. So sorry.

Bill

"Bill" wrote in message
ups.com...


I am a semi-audiophile with a decent stereo system that is
getting long in the tooth. I am considering going digital,
i.e., ripping my CDs to either a PC-based or an integrated
stand alone "music manager". I would be interested in opinions on
the following.

If I went PC-based:

-can one get a wireless remote whcih can control things from another
room?

Example: http://www.compuvisor.com/logcomremcon.html

--is there good and easy to use software for managing files and
creating playlists?

Many options such as Musicmatch.

- will a good sound card have the same audio quality as a good stand
alone CD player?

Many options including the M-Audio Audiophile 24/96.

If I went stand -alone (a la Escient):

-what do you get for your $4000? I'm not opposed to this
approach, but I can't tell what advantages there are over just
going with a PC solution.

No personal experience, sorry.

"Bill" wrote in message
oups.com...
well, Geoff, I apologize for intruding.

I thought this was a newsgroup. So sorry.

Bill

Que ?

Sorry if the info I've offered clashes with some preciously-held belief of
yours. Presumably you were after opinions on the pro's and con's of using
'digital music managers' and wanted opinions. That is my opinion, you may
ignore it or take from it whatever you like.


geoff

"Geoff@work" wrote:

Ah, yes. Computers are the tool of the devil and lo-fi reproduction.

No, but mp3, wma, and cronies are.

He didn¨t say he would mp3 or wma it, aping would not be a problem ...
nor waving.

geoff


Kind regards

Peter Larsen


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