respe: I use a computer based audio solution in my work space, and find the ease of use and convieniance great for that environment, I have also heard computer audio that can match or better the Rega Saturn CD player I use. I have not, however heard a computer audio solution built for less then the cost of the Saturn that can match it. Computer/streamed music may very well be the future, but it has a way to go before it get's a welcome into my listening room. Given that you need to rip, store, then back up all your music files, plus somewhere to keep the original software it is not particularly space saving, you just need the space in different places. You also need to keep in mind that although the NAS devices that are on the market run the current generations of servers, you can bet that as the software bloats, they will not run the later editions.
Err, I'm afraid you CAN'T bet that at all (well you could, but you'll lose). Why? because some solutions, indeed some would say the best solution (WHF for one), doesn't even use server-side software. Besides that NAS devices will increase in their ability to run onboard software, some NAS's on the market now have more RAM than the PC I'm using to write this post on, that will only increase as components get cheaper and more efficient.
The enthusiast of computer audio often champion its ease of use, and how quickly you can flick from track to track, artist to artist etc, view the album art etc.
In my case I do not listen in that way, I tend to choose the album I want to hear, rather than a single track, and find album art on remotes far too small to be of any use.
I'm not entirely sure why you need the album art to listen to the album?
(I do not have, nor do I wish to have) a TV in my listening room, its for music thanks not TV or movies.
So, I do have a TV in my listening room but it's never on when I'm listening to music.
I also wonder how much of the interest is a boys toys thing, and we do it because we can,
Are you trying to suggest that "normal" hi-fi is NOT a boys toys thing at least in part? Yes you've got to listen to the music eventually but you've only got to look at the ratio of "I was listening to a great album the other day" threads to "TELL ME WHAT TO BUY NOW!!!" threads to see that it's the gear that most people are in this hobby for, even if they won't admit it to themselves. In fact I'd say the same thing about most "men's hobbies/sports/games" I'm well aware that one of the reasons I like golf so much is because the gear is constantly updated and looks great, the design of clubheads now is fantastic! I'm 35, 5 years ago I bought a BMX, do I ride it? No, I spend more time looking at it because it's just a fantastic piece of design, I think the Bike in general is a design classic, even though I rarely ride them. Am I nuts? Possibly but most of the conversations I have with friends tend to suggest that I'm pretty normal really. For a bloke...
just from interest, how many of the users of the streaming solution families could put the system back together if it crashed while you were away. Strange question maybe, but all my family use the deck, radio, and CD player, and if a computer based streaming system went down, would be music-less until I could fix it.
I don't know my system has never crashed, if it did it would be the old turn it off turn it back on again fix. I could fix the PC if it went wrong but if the Sonos failed I'd have to get on to their tech support myself (which is excellent apparently, I've never had to use it though), however I've never heard of a Sonos system crashing, so I don't think it's a relevant question.
I am also becoming increasingly convinced that while to me, listening to music is a immersive thing, that to a increasing number of people music is more about back ground to doing something else, and all that is required is instant choice.
A little from column A, a little from column B, doesn't matter either way, my system can do both, I know I don't need a CD in machine to be spinning in order to listen "immersively" though.
It concerns me, that with the ever increasing percentage of music bought by download in compressed lossy formats,
I think you'd find the ratio of lossy to lossless downloads available is already starting to move to the lossless side (although it hasn't overtaken by any stretch of the imagination yet), the number of devices that now support FLAC, and barely even mention if (I just found out the other week that the Pioneer SC-LX81 amp can handle FLAC, it's not mentioned anywhere except deep in the manual!) because it's now almost "normal" or a required feature is increasing all the time.
Having said all that I don't download music anyway, if I like something I buy the CD and rip it, solves any problems about the availability of loseless formats...
that we will be faced with that as the only choice on large swathes of music. When a £20 hi-fi is voted as the best, I-pod type things dominate the market, you can see it coming.
I think it was earlier in this thread where I went into great detail about why this isn't the case, memory is getting cheaper and larger all the time, sooner or later the storage capacity of portable devices will get to the point where there won't be any need for lossy formats.
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