Accessing music files

Ok I have borrowed a DAC for the next few months from a friend who will be away for a few months so I have some time to familiarize myself to the world of Digital music. I have music files on a laptop ATM and more on an external drive, some compressed others flac or even Wav I believe and some high bit files (ie 24/192) that I have acquired from friends. I can play these files of course via direct hook up via USB but I have to be at the computer. Is there any way to control what you want to play by using an external device such as an IPOD or IPAD through say A WIFI connection? I know you can sync an IPOD to Itunes but that does not seem to play the music from my Laptop. I just want the convenience to access whatever I want and hear it through my main stereo without having to physically use a computer of any sort. I just want remote ACCESS. MY computer is set up wirelessly in my home also. My Laptop is a PC not a MACBOOK.