Divorcing..Splitting the cd collection..

I am sure you have a computer, buy a large external hard drive and download iTunes from Apple.com (free).

use a search engine to learn how to path your iTunes library to the hard drive (v easy actually, so don't sweat it), set your iTunes to rip all CD's to AppleLossless files.

Then, just start loading your CD's one at a time. iTunes will prompt you on all of it. Soon you will have all of your music in bascially the same format as your CD's. If you buy a good DAC to decode the files, it will sound every bit as good, or better, than any CD player.

LaCie network drive should allow you to save all your CD collection from your Mac or PC using iTunes or other ripping software. Then you can decide to provide the spouse with a duplicate copy or split the CDs.

Computer Audiophile is a good site to get you started.

Are you splitting up the stereo system?

Since you stated you wanted to do this right, there's a couple things you should look into, and I'll list them here briefly:

1. A RAID storage, preferably network attached so it doesn't have to attach directly to your computer or player (they're noisy). Ex. Netgear ReadyNAS

2. A CD burner. Plextor is a good model, although any name brand would do (it's not important which one, as long as it works).

3. A CD ripping software. Exact Audio Copy (EAC) is, by consensus, the best one.

4. A music management software. There are many, both free and not free, although that isn't an indication of quality. Ex. ITunes, Foobar2000, J. Rivers, Media Monkey

5. USB/DAC to connect your laptop to your system.

So what do you do with all this? Easy, in one sentence: EAC rips the CD through the Plextor CD burner, then stores the music in .WAV or .FLAC lossless format into the ReadyNAS RAID storage device, which could be accessed by your music management software and played back through a USB/DAC.

CD-nap them run across state lines and never look back!

I am sorry to hear that you and your wife are going to divorce.

Given that the "reasonable usage" rules that the people assume makes copying for one's own use acceptable do not generally extend to making copies for one's friends, or to making copies so that you can continue to listen to the music AND give the discs away (whoever does the ripping)... I could not recommend most of the advice above.

One way to split it might be to have one person split the collection into two parts and have the other person choose which 'half' to take first. Depending on the emotion involved, it could be advantageous to be doing the splitting.

OTOH, if you were doing some ripping of discs you owned for the convenience of setting up a music server, many of the suggestions above are good ones.