What do I need to use my PC as a music server

Ed,

While I pretty much totally agree with you... some subtle things..

You say:

Airport Express, which is normally a Wi-Fi access point, to serve as a wireless
connection to your DAC--the AE has an output that can be plugged in
directly. This set up would then require an Apple laptop to talk to the AE and
feed it music.

Not true, you can set it up to run as a client from any wireless router/
computer. Though I use all MAC gear, my router is a D-Link and I can control
my music from the girls PC... if I were ever so inclined.

iTunes does have error correction in the advanced panel of your
preferences... I do not know if it is as good as EAC, but being a MAC guy, I
may never know.

I couldn't agree with you more on backing up the data!!! Took me over a
month to burn my music in AIFF and to be honest, I'm not truly done.... And I
don't yet have my backup drive.... guess I need to get shopping..

FWIW I go the wireless route, and only rarely get drop outs, I am (currently)
limited to an optical digital out, but Steve @ Empirical Audio should have his
modded AE out soon....

kennyt, i was looking at the airport express and i was told at the MAC store that it would only work with macintosh computers. for my pc, i use a usb DAC setup that plugs into my jolida tube amp. i was using wireless transmission for a while and had to go to 802.11a to eliminate the dropouts.

Get a Mac with a decent harddisc-I'd recomend the iMac with the 20" screen! You will have all the software you need (iTunes!) and you will even have your remote to control the whole affair! Get Airport Express to stream your library wireless to your stereo and you're set. It's not necessarily High End (yet pretty good!) but there hardly is any "server" which is. Plus this design is a gem in your living room and you don't want to hide the ugly PC-box somewhere behind something!

Rbstehno,

Apple is notorious for saying that! I called my local Apple store to find out how to connect it to my D-Link router and the guy told me it couldn't be done. I then went into the store and spoke to one of the guys who told me how to do it in a minute. As much as I like my MAC's, they are seperatists.... I have had a hard time getting them to give me any helpful info when it comes to interfacing with other systems.... They told me to buy the $250 Airport Express BS... yeah right when every other 802.11 G router is $30 in the paper!

I did also manage to finally get them to tell me how to reset the AE to factory default which makes it much easier to reconfigure.

I fortunately don't have to bad a problem with drop out.... if I could I would hard wire, but it would be a long run, and it is really used for convienence so I tolerate the occasional drop out.

Bodine, please describe the PC and stereo system you now have. That will provide a starting point. As much as I love Macs, you can start with an existing PC and upgrade it to perform as a viable hifi digital transport. If you can also describe the type of music you listen to, and the sound from your system that you prefer, that would help in coming up with recommendations for a good DAC to connect to your McIntosh C39.