Digital future-proofing?

[WishTree]

If you are fine with Apple quality (especially Airplay) then you are in luck. Any DAC with Optical is all you need to connect. You can use ATV3 or Airport express as the streamer. Turth is, IMO, to beat the AirPlay sound quality, it has to be a physical connection.

I prefer components which can do everything by themselves as the implementation is different in each component. For example the Linn Streamer (very highly regarded) with Analogue Outs is all one needs when it is only the music that needs to be played.

For me, the Cp-800 does the trick. It has everything that I need. Digital Inputs including USB, network connectivity ( to be upgraded), HT Bypass, great preamp with enough controls - All in all a great solution

 

[nopiano]

4. Consumer resistance. My other half is a well educate middle aged woman who is not interested in technology. She has no real idea what my newly purchased squeezebox is and is perfectly content with CDs thank you very much. If she doesn't get it, then the idea that the majority of people will install home networks to connect to the iCloud is somewhat implausible.

I agree with your whole list, in particular this last one.

I'd add these too:-

5. Ownership. Do you ever own a download? The Terms and Conditions are ridiculous and if you lose or damage a PC/hard drive you are stuffed. Everbody should back everything up, but do they? Of course your house might burn down with all your CDs/LPs but I've had plenty of HDD crashes and the house is still here.

6. Longevity. Some of my my LPs and tapes are 40 years old and still play brilliantly. Will any download still be around that long (and don't get me on digital photos!) or will the format and storage have changed so many times that it will disappear into the ether?

Digital future-proofing is an oxymoron!

 

[manicm]

I think that the future will be digital wireless because it sounds exactly the same as digital optical or digital USB (assuming the wireless signal is strong enough for there to be no dropouts).

If you're choosing between USB or optical for your PC it doesn't really matter because they will both sound the same. Optical cables do have the benefit of electrically isolating your PC from your DAC which means there's less chance of one damaging the other if there is an electrical fault.

But Linn and Naim persist with Ethernet as opposed to wireless for their preferred setup. Not that I necessarily agree with them.

 

[manicm]

I don't think digital future-proofing is an oxymoron. Linn's DS systems are pretty open and flexible - and theoretically upgradable. I don't necessarily agree with certain parts of their stance though.

And just the fact that they, and to a lesser extent Naim, force Ethernet down your throat leads me to believe - I repeat again - that digital streaming in its current state is an incomplete experiment being sold to the customer.