Music Servers (1 Viewer)

[BrianTwig]

Hello all. Hope this is the right section for this. I am interested in a 'music server' of some sorts. Have a little over 1,000 CDs in my collection. Using a 5 disc changer with this collection is just not working.

Unfortunately, when ever I search "music servers" on google, I come up with things costing thousands and thousands of dollars.

Is there a cheap solution, save several hundred dollars?

Of at the end of the day, is it really just cheapest to put them all on an iPod and hook that thing up to the Marantz SR5600?

 

[Robert_J]

Rip them to a hard drive and use a networked player. Tivo DVR's and the DirecTV HR2x series satellite receivers will work on a network and play sound files. There are networked DVD players that will. There are dedicated players like the Logitech Squeezebox. There are even networked players that play both audio and video. Instead of "music server", search for "networked music player".

-Robert

 

[Echo42987]

I don't see a problem with the Ipod idea? Unless your against that? They have some new DLO docks with the On Screen and everything so it's not as bad as it might seem and then you have a portable player as well!

-Nick-

 

[Dan Driscoll]

Buy a Squeeze Box and send your CDs to Tirade. He'll rip them to a brand new external hard drive and do all the tagging for you. That's what I did and I'm very happy with the results.

 

[Buckethead78]

Apple has AppleTV and Airport Express. Both allow you to wirelessly stream from your PC. The Express is only $99 BTW

 

[julzvern]

Hi, this is all so interesting and new to me. I am also considering a squeezebox since a cd changer would be inaccessible in my new great-room, over the tv, over the fireplace set-up. I would set it up wired to make sure I did not have hiccups and am clueless about wireless--also, don't know if it matters but 3 walls would separate pc and music components. Wire would have to be about 60 ft to run to another room to pc. Is this ok? Audio quality is the highest priority. The other option, not as exciting, is putting cd changer (yet to buy) in another part of the room. I would have to have rca cable run through floors about 30 ft. (hk 2 channel receiver has only analog input, through KEF iQ7's). CD changer would also be in $300 range- maybe marantz and would use flac to rip cds for pc option as many have suggested on this site. ANyone have input on which option will sound better?

 

[ChristopherG]

a modded original xbox running XBMC. Hands down one of the coolest things you will ever play with. Of course you will still have to rip all your CDs, tag and store, etc.

check out:

xbmc.org
xbox-scene.com (everything you need to figure this out)
this thread at avsforum

 

[Dan Driscoll]

I can't see myself ever buying another CD player or changer. The analog output of the SB3 is as good as any of the mass maker CD changers out there and better than most, IMO. If you really want to improve the sound quality of the SB3 you can send it to Boulder or another mod shop for upgrades. Better yet, at least IMO, is run the digital output of the SB3 to a good DAC. I love the sound quality of my SB3 through my modded LiTe Audio DAC-62, it's easily the best CD sound I've ever had.

Of course, if you have a Wadia or modded high end CD player, that would probably beat my SB3/DAC-62 combo. But you would have to pay at least 3 times what I did to do it, probably more.

 

[Jeff Gatie]

You don't want a music server, you want a music streamer. In your budget are the Apple and Logitech/Squeeze products mentioned. I personally use Sonos, which is more attuned to whole house audio instead of one location streaming, but even that is under $1000 for 2 zones and a controller. Add shared digital files from your computer (or better yet, shared on a NAS) and you have the functionality of a "server" at a fraction of the price. As far as a CD changer goes, well . . . you gotta store those old CD's someplace.

 

[julzvern]

Thanks for the input, all.

Dan, so both your SB3 and DAC are modded. Assuming I get the SB3, do you think either modding it or adding DAC would give me significantly better results given the good but not super high-end receiver and speakers.

How much is a "good DAC".

 

[Robert_J]

I'd start with the SB digitally connected to your receiver first. If that doesn't satisfy you, then connect look at getting an external DAC.

-Robert

 

[Dan Driscoll]

No, my SB3 is a stock unit that I purchased directly from Slim Devices/Logitech. My DAC is a modified version of the tube based LiTe Audio DAC-60. The mods were done by Pacific Valve and the unit relabeled as the DAC-62. I've also rolled the tubes and and am currently running a pair of EI Elite 6DJ8's.

DACs can run anywhere from $150 for a used ART DI/O to well over for $10,000 for a new high end unit. The current version of my DAC-62 (the Brigatta) runs about $900 new and an unmodified DAC-60 runs about $450 new. Used units do come on the market ocassionaly, but don't last long.

I'm a big fan of the DAC-60 and the various modded version for several reasons: I really like the sound of tubes and it's based on the PMC1704UK DAC chip, which is arguably one of the best available, especially in a reasonably priced unit. I think it has been the single best improvement to my audio system since I upgraded my speakers about 5 years ago. Over that period I went through several different preamps, CD players and the SB3, but nothing has made as big an improvement on the sound quality as the DAC.

As always, IMO, YMMV, etc.