6sigma

As an advocate for Google's ecosystem' I use Android on a Pixel 2 XL & Chrome OS on a Chromebook. However, when the time came to rip my CDs, I had to set up a Windows machine with external drives and all the right software. Google offered a Google Play Music Manager that uploaded my FLAC files to Google Play Music as I ripped them. Today, playback of that music amounts to streaming 320K mp3 files - not FLAC files. Playlists in Google Play Music (GPM) consist of songs I previously ripped as well as songs I can stream as a result of my $10 per month membership in GPM. Soooo...offer Tonal's promised functionality on Chromebooks or Android phones with full integration of my GPM library & playlists and, I'm all in.

You folks are terrific. Thanks for these pointers. Having been away from this since those first days of ripping CDs, it's good to get some shortcuts to what is considered preferred approaches. Can't thank you all enough.

Another perfect set of tips to save time while researching this! Thanks so much. This is just what I was hoping to learn here.

This is a great time-saver. Thanks for pointing it out and getting me on track to do some (streamlined) research. Much appreciated!!!

Thanks for these replies. Budget is of little concern, although a DIY solution at $1000 might be preferred over a manufacturer's proprietary solution at $5000. I have a dedicated media room for listening to 2-channel audio. I also listen to headphones in a family room from time to time. So, the solution may be as simple as connecting a Chromecast Audio to my amp. However, I'm still interested in any suggestions for an optimal way to store and access that 350GB of FLAC files. Again, many thanks.

Several years ago I ripped 500 or so CD's to FLAC files on an external hard drive using Windows & dBpoweramp. At the same time those files were uploaded to Google Play Music. Due to convenience and some other constraints, I've listened to my library with an Android phone, Google Play Music & headphones since then. NOW I want to make it easy to listen via amp & speakers or amp & headphones. What is today's best advice about a convenient way to store & play that library? Should I buy a certain manufacturer's music server or assemble a DIY solution (OS, software, hardware)? Any advice will save hours of searching for the "grail solution." Thanks.

The clarification of what <em>might</em> be required to convert from AIFF to WAV is really helpful. For big collections that have not yet been ripped, these are non-trivial matters. They may not be show-stoppers, but they certainly aren't to be ignored.<br /> <br /> I share your belief that AIFF has enough momentum to continue forward without Apple should such a need arise. Thanks to everyone offering comments.

Chris:<br /> <br /> Very informative article.<br /> <br /> I bit my tongue a couple of times before posting this question, but I think it's valid and rational. It does, however, carry with it the risk of a "religious" war. That said...<br /> <br /> What is your view of the future of the AIFF format <strong><em>IF</em></strong> something were to happen to Apple as a company? With hardly a 10% market share of the computer industry, does their 80%+ share of the portable music device business insure AIFF's future?<br /> <br /> I'm not thinking about the next 36 months. I'm trying to look 10 or more years down the road - nearly always impossible to do in tech. <em>However, there were people who thought we'd <strong>always</strong> have slide rules, Wang word processors, DEC minis, 5.25" diskettes and eight-track cartridges.</em><br /> <br /> Thanks again for an outstanding site.

On another forum a user is advocating an HP MediaSmart server and a Squeezebox Duet as the source for an audiophile-quality system. Two questions: 1. If a PC/NAS or music server is to be remote from the listening room, are the Squeezebox products the only answer? 2. If a PC/NAS or music server is going to be wired to the DAC-Pre-Amp, what's the best cable/connection to use for best sound quality? Thanks.

...is of great interest. It's really difficult to sort through various forum discussions (AudioAsylum, Audiogon, Stereophile, etc.) to determine which PC subsystem among many (sound cards, power supplies, memory, CD drives, cables) is most likely to offer material sound improvements.<br /> <br /> For those wishing to take their first steps with a music server, your advice will be welcome!<br /> <br /> Thanks for your work.