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I just don't get PC Audio

I have been doing a lot of reading on the pros and cons of hard drive systems versus traditional CD players. From what I gather a hard drive system can be configured with a great DAC to meet or beat (well, maybe) a high end CD player.

So I contemplated this and what would need to be purchased each way and wound up buying an Esoteric X03SE and couldn't be happier. The point of my post is, am I the only one here who thinks hard drive systems have serious drawbacks that should prohibit an educated buyer not to jump in yet??

Hard drive pros:
-Can meet or maybe exceed the sonics of a dedicated cd player or transport combo (when using tracks burned from a CD)
-The ultimate lazy man's solution....simply surf and hit play (no CDs to load)

Hard drive cons:
-Just as expensive, if not more so than a dedicated CD player by the time you get the hard drive, back up storage, cables, monitor, DAC.
-Many units have hard drive noise that necessitates placing the unit away from the listening area.
-Need back up storage: This means you need to continually back up your collection for the day it crashes.
-Noone knows how long drives will last.
-Need to spend the time to burn all your CDs
-If you use iTunes the quality of downloaded songs is not great, therefore this solution only really works if you burn CDs you have. I know there are some other higher res options, but they are not widely available yet.
-You need some type of monitor to view the collection adding the complexity and nuisance of mixing PCs and Audio
-It is rapidly changing and noone knows what the outcome will be
-If you download one song at a time you essentially throw out any experience the artist may have designed with listening to an entire album

I am just not getting it, other than the two (some may say only one) pros I listed above, why else would an audiopile get a computer audio front end??? It is certainly not cheaper, in fact it is most likely way more.
arbuckle

Showing 1 response by kthomas

kthomas
911 posts
 
I would add as positives to PC Audio that a music server acts as a basic database for your collection, provides links to as much info about bands / albums / songs / etc. as you desire, and lets you "view" your collection from just about any perspective you want.

It would be hard to argue that ripping a collection initially is a lot of time and effort.

The backup is a non-issue any more - you can buy huge hard drives with extremely fast transfer rates - a 1TB drive primary and backup holds a very large music collection and very little administrative overhead. As drives continue to get bigger in capactiy, smaller in size, and have memory that is not a physical platter, the management of the storage, the noise, the heat, will all become tiny issues.

One more positive - not only is it easier to retrieve the song / album you want easily, you don't have to store a couple thousand CDs in a physical manner. I gained a whole wall in my house back.
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