Not sure you need a CD player at all. Simply rip CDs into the computer and point them to drop into an external hard drive to keep the computer's hard drive free. I believe there's a good explanation for this on this site under FAQ

I'm sometimes listening just CDs straight when I've purchased new ones, but not yet bothered to rip it. After ripping it not so much.

Sometimes too on my laptop at some friend's place if I just want to get straight from a CD to music.

I just find the possibility convenient. But of course it depends on one's particular use cases.

Keep the disc drive.

Rip the CD and play it back from the hard disk with a software that buffers the file in ram.

See the C.A.S.H. List for Music Playback & Management options:

C.A.S.H. List

EAC is a great ripping software for the PC:

EAC

Good luck

You don't need a CD player at all. My 5000 dollar one has been gathering dust since I started computer audio.

PS: Just seen DigiPete's post. He is right, EAC is good. But so is the ripper that is part of JRiver, and you have already got that. So just use it.

Thanks for the reply, it was very helpful. Hope to see you on the forum

:0)

Jim

Thanks for the reply, it was very helpful. Hope to see you on the forum

:0)

Jim

To restate equipment:

"Have been building a system with an Asus computer using J River media player into an Asus Xonar ST sound card. This feeds with an optical cable a Marantz sr7005 driving Klipsh speakers with a 7.1 configuration."

Now I've been reading about DACS here, great site! Of course the ASUS ST has a DAC on board feeding the ADC in the Marantz. With this configuration, is there a need to place another DAC after the ASUS sound card. Seems that the external DAC would be limited either by the capability of the ASUS DAC, or the capability of the Marantz ADC. Is all this discussion here about DACS because most subscribers are not using a receiver like the Marantz, or am I missing something? I appreciate your responses very much. :0)

Jim

Best cd player for computer is the OPPO, or something equivalent. Why?

Because it plays all formats including dvds, blu-ray, Sacd, Dvd-A, and of course cds not to mention files from usb hdds and flash drives, and I think it streams stuff too.

So if you have interest in anything besides cds, this is a great thing to have. If you only have interest in music from cds; what everyone else said.

-Chris

A NAS (Network Attached Storage) drive is getting to be the way to go. Depending on type, you should be able to access it from anywhere in the world. Put your photos, music, videos on it, access them from anywhere using a phone, tablet, laptop; quality no problem as you can buffer them locally.

Music reproduction is not like it used to be, it's taking a while for it to sink in with some people, but there's not much to be gained by spending a lot of money on a source.

Look at HDTVs. Music reproduction has advanced hand-in-hand with all aspects of electronics. How much better, cheaper are ham radios? You can get a triband handheld with full duplex that fits in your shirtpocket that'll run for hours and survive 30 minutes in a meter of water for U$290. A mobile phone that has voice recognition.

You can buy a Sansa Clip+ for U$35, the SQ is great. It has storage, a screen, a DAC, an amplifier, a crystal clock and a radio.

People who have not moved with the times will tell you different, but it's a hangover from when you could get an improvement by spending a lot of money. Now you just get more features. All the boasting value has gone, except for people who think that spending money makes them superior. They will talk the hind leg off a donkey trying to convince you that what they've got is better, but it's not. This is why audiophilia has no traction with young people. Audiophiles will tell you that people listening MP3s on iPods with earphones have no appreciation of sound quality, but it's just sour grapes. They need to believe that. Journos on Stereophile magazine need to believe stuff like that, because their jobs depend on it, but even they know their days are numbered.

Anything that is >70dB down, distortion, jitter, noise, is inaudible to all intents and purposes when masked by music. Most modern sources are approaching 100dB down on all these factors. You won't even hear a trace of hiss in the quietest passages, only if you do is there any reason to buy different stuff.

Amplifiers too, are almost universally of a high quality, the only thing that hasn't changed much is speakers. It's still worth spending money on speakers, but if you have listened to IEMs (In Ear Monitors) you'll know that you can buy a pair for U$50 that will have exquisite reproduction.

Anyway, there it is.

w