Hi-Fi Quality Digital Jukebox / Stand-alone Music Server

[admin_exported]

Dear All,
About a year ago I purchased f the following: Sugden A21-SE Amplifier and Matching CD. Art Speakers. I am now looking to bring my system into the 21st century and clear some space in my lounge! What I would like therefore is some form of digital music store to complement the above. Ie. Something I can rip my CD's to which will store those CD's in a lossless (Not MP3) form. This CD store would be a self contained unit with plenty of storage available. I am not looking for a PC media streamer, in fact I don't want it to be PC based. I don't mind having to connect the unit up to a PC for initial loading, but I do not want it to require a PC to be on to use it.

The goal here is to be able to transfer my CD collection to an electronic format of the highest possible quality which will complement the Sugden.

It has been sugested that an Ecient Fireball with seperate DAC would be a good option. Has any one any experience of this unit how would you rate it. What other options are available to me.

I am looking for Medium/High end kit which is going to give me equivalent sound quality to my Sugden CD player.

Thanks in advance

 

[Thaiman]

It's not going to be easy as your sugden cdp is one of the best out there, but if you really must bring your system to the 21st century then I would try Slim Devices Transporter + Behringer DEQ2496 (room correction unit with build in DAC). You can also upgrade to seperate DAC in the future as Behringer DEQ2496 can be use purely in digital domain. I reckon that the preformance of my suggestion wouldn't be far off you dedicate CD polayer.

 

[Lugs]

ARCAM have new music server out which might fit the bill..........it is £3K though. ARCAM claim that it has the performance of a £1000 cd player. Cheaper options are as you say is the Fireball, hifidelio, but I think you'd be dissapointed at current models. However Olive (hifidelio in US) have a new player called the OPUS which has a 750GB of memory so you can save music in lossless FLAC files which might be better. The other brand you could look at is Pinnacle Audio & then other home server stuff. It just really depends on how much your willing to spend. Personally I'd save your money and buy a a nice CD rack instead so your friends can come round and admire your immaculate musical taste and thus allow you to look down your nose at there crappy made in china i-pods and the horror that is MP3 and say proudly my hifi's hand made in Yorkshire and this is what this is what music is supposed to sound like removing the magnetic grills from your ART speakers. Good luck.