Will computer to DAC replace transports and cdp's?

I agree. CDP manufacturers should be adding these capabilities to their players, unless there is some compelling reason not to that I don't know about. As I've said before, I'd be a serious buyer for the Ayre universal player if it could accomodate digital in. Without it, it's hardly "universal" anymore.

Two things (well. maybe three) are stalling my move to HD:

First, I will miss having easy access to the composer and musician information that's on the CD liner.

Second, I think to make it really work, I'd need a computer display at my listening seat, which is in the living room. That would be decor-unfriendly. Also, I'd need to run a USB cable across the room. Dennis, you mentioned controlling the whole thing with a Palm. How would that work? (I have a Squeezebox, but it's not an ideal browsing interface.)

The third thing is having to go back to separates, or find a CDP I like with digital in. I'd be very reluctant not to have regular CD playback capability, so would still need a transport of some kind.

I know. I have the APL Marantz player. But I thought Alex's option was for coax in, not USB. Which would lead me to Steve Nugent...

Reading the Empirical site...I take it there is more to the Offramp than just USB to S/PDIF coax conversion. Because if I have a DAC with USB input, such as the forthcoming Bel Canto DAC3, I wouldn't need the offramp, right?

USB has a limit of 6 feet I believe.

No, it's 5 meters.

Is the Offramp also a DAC? Looks to me like just a converter, since its output is a coax cable.

Bravo Edesilva -- great post. Tons of info in there.

Better is what people are saying, though people are always saying one damn thing or another. The Empricial Audio website has some pretty explicit comparisons.

Anyone care to suggest why it would be as good or better? We all know that transports make a big difference, but it appears that the hard drive solution somehow works around whatever problem it is that a good transport fixes.

"Will computer to DAC replace transports and cdp's?"

The answer is NO, if superior audio quality is desired of course. Otherwise we might as well get I-PODs.

Computer to DAC is quite a bit different from an iPod, so you lost me there. But more generally, why is the answer "No"? Does the answer have to be "No"? Because clearly this is the direction many of us intend to go, even if it means giving up the last bit of sonic excellence. But of course we'd rather not give up anything.