Gerard52

Ok - I have the web control method working as I write - via the web site at an http addx ( i presume this is therefore the web control method) Now how does one go about loading and using the method directly from the laptop without the web?

Back to the comment about SB and its interface options - is it possible to control the SB wirelessly from a laptop - i.e. with the SB at the preamp site some 10 feet across the room and using a laptop (on the couch) to control the SB music selection? In other words, does SB have software with it (or downloadable) to accomplish this?

I want to connect a dac to a server in a different room. Due to distances I want to avoid USB connection. What are my options (DAC will have optical, coax, usb inputs) as far as the connection. Seems like a wireless connection would be ideal but stumped as to how to get the wireless signal to the DAC. Windows based system and need to play FLAC files, which, I believe, removes the option of using Airport express.

Thinking of going with a Benchmark DAC1 HDR. Looking for comments as to (a) Has anyone hooked this up to a preamplifier instead of directly to a power amp - would like to hook it up to a Mcintosh C45? (b) Pros and cons of this unit? © To those who have found this unit harsh, any recomendations for a warmer DAC under or at $2k. including a tube DAC. Thanks.

Looking for your experience with both NAS units and USB hard drives. Specifically, pros and cons of specific units; for eg. whether a given qnap nas was reliable etc, and whether a given WD USB drive was reliable etc. But not limited to those two examples. In particular whether you experienced any quaility problems sush as a the device failing after a few months or years. Seeking to others' experiences so as to avoid purchasing a unit that is problematic. Thanks.

Just started ripping my collection with EAC. What I want to do is: (1) create both WAV and FLAC files (I realize this is somewhat redundant) (2)store them in separate directories and/or separate drives. (3) metadata / tags for each cd for each file (wav and flac) in each directory/drive. (4) each cd in its own folder that in turn contains the tracks, in order, of that CD. My end goal is to be able to have the same functionality using a computer as I would making my selection by physically picking through my physical cds from the shelf. Just as I can thumb through and find a separate self-contained package of, for eg., Beethoven's 9th sympthony conducted by Furtwangler in 1951 on EMI, I want to be able to search, scroll through, etc, folders and find the same CD. After ripping a few cds what I now have is a bunch of files, one after the other, in one directory. One of the files I ripped without compression so it just says "Unknown artist" for each track - not real helpful. As to the ones that I ripped with compression each track is labeled but I only have one file - the compressed one.

Ok, say i go with a wired connection, leaving the headless pc server and drives in a remote room/closet, now the run will be about 30 feet by the time I dress the cable. That's a little long for USB; what other options are there that are not going to degrade the digiatal signal - my guess would be ethernet or coax - both more durable than glass - ethernet seems like it may not leave a lot of dac options open - I am assuming I would have more options with coax. The ethernet however would be nice if it would somehow allow a direct connection to a router vs the headless pc server. Ultimately I would then like to be able to control the whole thing from a laptop wirelessly linked - I am assuming that this wireless connection would not cause any problems as far as sound quality as it would only be used to control the desktop server but would not process the sound itself. The reason for the wireless laptop connection is so that I can have very extensive menuing etc from the couch without wires hanging around.

Thanks Rascal, I am considering your suggestion to go with wired connections. Is ethernet an option and, if so, who makes drives and dacs that can connnect via ethernet?

What I would like to do is store all music in lossless format on a hard drive; use a second identical hard drive as a backup; have wireless access to the drives via both a desktop and laptop (windows based, not Mac). Essentially I want to be able to sit on the couch with the laptop, select the music from stored cds, and press a button on the laptop and hear the music out of an existing system which begins with a Mcintosh preamp. I am assuming that the only item I need near the preamp and hardwired to the preamp is a DAC. I want the system to be wireless, a remote for volume would be nice, but controlling same from laptop is no big deal. What I envision is the laptop accessing the drives wirelessly and then sending the music to the dac wirelessly. Suggestions? Also NAS vs USB please explain differences and pros / cons.

Need to decide storage method, as between the above - Assume that I cannot fit all of my cds on one 1 TB drive. My understanding of RAID and JBOD is both allow for more than one drive to be seen as one large partition rather than a number of smaller partitions with RAID providing certain protections over JBOD against catastrophic losses. Is there a problem with merely having several external drives? It appears that this would be the simplest method. Protection in this case would be to merely have duplicate external drives for data redundance. In the case of a, for example, 3 drive system, this would require six drives - three connected to the system and three archived copies stored on the shelf. I understand that I would have to then manually update the duplicate drives. In other words, if I set up 3 external USB 1TB drives and, for eg. split my music collection up alphabetically as to the respective drive, can I simply then look at the respective drive (i.e. Mozart on drive 'J') to select the music that I want to hear, or, am I missing something more fundamental here?

Looking for a lot of information. Essentially everything I need to know to go from a wall of 2000 cd's to everthing loaded on hard drives and easily accessible from sitting on the couch. I have always used pc's and would only go to mac if there is an extremely good reason. The system will be dedicated - no other uses. First concern is perfect rips. I have heard that EAC is the way to ensure this. I am not concerned with space - do not want to risk loss of quality by using any compression. Second concern is data backup - I don't want to rip twice. My idea is to store everything on two sets of external drives and simply set the other set on the shelf. Third - need to know how many cd's I can get per gigabyte / terabyte so I now the number of drives I will need. Fourth, want to be able to access everything from sitting on the couch. If this requires a laptop accessing a separate desktop (sitting in another room) that is fine. Just need to know how to set it up. Fifth, I am starting at ground zero, so a source, in the form of a book, would be nice, but everthing I have seen is too general i.e. "digital music" and "computer music" type titles (I do not need a primer on digital logic and d/a conversion principles - but a more application oriented approach); if anyone knows of such a text, please make a suggestion. Thanks