2. pc-audio
  3. 1314497634

Computer Audio – Help Getting Started

I want to add a computer based audio source. My goals are to store a majority of my music collection on a computer accessed hard drive (with back up) and have the ability to easily play those digital files through my main system. I would also like the ability to copy selected music from the hard drive onto a small portable hard drive (or a thumb drive?) so I can play it at remote locations such as an office system. I will consider playback hardware (DAC's etc.) at a later time.

Before I start ripping desired CD’s to my computer, I suspect I will need to first decide which type of computer and operating system I will be using (Mac or Windows). Since I already have a home desktop and work laptop that use a Windows based OS, given that I am not interested in i-tunes, and knowing that Windows based laptops are about half the cost of a MacBook Pro, are there any compelling reasons why I should consider purchasing a Mac over a similar featured Windows based laptop as a dedicated computer for my audio?

Once this first decision is made, then I am sure to have more questions about specific software I should use for ripping and playback to preserve the highest quality sound possible, hopefully to match my CD source components. Thanks for any help provided.
mitch2

Showing 5 responses by levy03

levy03
442 posts
 
Steve: what makes you say macs work best?. i did some a/b streaming with a friends macbook pro and could not tell a difference. they sounded identical in my set-up.
levy03
442 posts
 
i just moved to computer audio and went through the same decision process. was in the same position as you are. long time pc user debating if apple was the better route. ended up getting a very nice pc and could not be happier. for under $700, it was a no brainer compared to an apple product. what does $700 get ya??

intel i5 w/WIN7 64 bit pro
8g memory
2g graphics card
3T worth of high speed hard drive space
network/streaming hardware (router and ethernet adapter)
J River MC16
wireless keyboard and mouse

apple makes great stuff and if you're already onboard...it's a good way to go. however...if you're a pc person, i see no compelling reason to pay a lot more and change over to apple. with the intro of WIN7, the choice was made even easier for me. it's far and away the best OS microsoft has ever produced. miles ahead of vista and other problematic microsoft os's.

if you're like me and need a pc for home and work, switching to apple just for music makes little sense imho.
levy03
442 posts
 
Steve, what is it regarding the mac hardware that makes it better for streaming?.

also...the macbook i tested in my system was using amarra (unsure about version) and i heard no difference what so ever.

thanks
levy03
442 posts
 
sorry Steve...i can't buy into that. like i said earlier, it's all a bunch of opinions with nothing to back it up on either side. to claim expertise and discredit other folks opinion as ignorant, you'd better have something to back it up with it (and you don't). so playback says one thing and another mfg say another....this doesn't not prove a thing. if you're partial to mac's, that's fine. however, when it comes to opinions, i'll trust my own after hearing both in my system. i have no doubt that mac's or pc's might work better in certain set-ups. i have alot of doubt when someone says one is flat out *always better*.... especially after hearing them for myself (with my gear of course).
levy03
442 posts
 
countless ways to put together a nice computer based system. my head was spinning when looking into all the options. i understand that apple had an edge at one time but after doing some research, i walked away thinking those advantages disappeared in the last year or two. seems personal preference played a roll in many folks saying one was better then the other.

all things being equal, i didn't come accross anything showing one was in fact better regarding SQ. seems one might work better for certain set-ups but the set-up was the determining factor...not the computer.

would like to hear why Steve thinks mac's are "better". after declaring other opinions as uninformed and wrong (rather rudely i might add), i'd like to hear something concrete from an "expert" as to why macs are *always* better.
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