value / £ for non-cd based setup

[mikeinbrum]

I'm considering sticking all my CDs onto a NAS and thus clearing half of my study out in the process. What is the best value solution for taking advantage of the benefits of such an approach.

The Linn DS range looks interesting- but bearing in mind i already have an ARCAM FMJ A28, would i get comparably good results by substituting my existing CD player for an external DAC and using my existing Amp?

Alternatively a middle ground of buying a Linn DS product and using the A28 as a Power Amp

Are there other alternatives?

 

[John Duncan]

Airport express or Squeezebox and a DAC. So the cheapest you could do it for is £65 for an airport and £120ish for a Beresford DAC. Loads of other combinations of apple or squeezebox or other products plus various higher and higher quality DACs - the sky's your limit.

I personally use airport express and am just adding the DACMagic (arrived today), though ideally I think I would use either an Apple TV as a client (to give me the cover flow interface on my television) or a Squeezebox Duet (which has that browse facility on the remote), and then plug it into the DAC.

 

[Anonymous]

One thing to bear in mind if you opt for the Squeeze Box: it needs to run a server on your PC in order to get the music off your NAS. Some NAS drives have a built in squeeze server, but they are relatively uncommon. If you go for a Sonos you can stream directly from many NAS drives without running a pc server (though it costs a few bob more).

 

[Dave_]

ripcasters supply a variety of nas' with slim server/squeeze centre pre-installed, and also instructions on how to diy

 

[Anonymous]

I think if you can afford it get the DS. It's the king in this field imo. And the only box Linn's producing right now that is competitive in it's price bracket (double imo).

 

[John Duncan]

It's quite an elegant solution, but it's wasting kit you've already got (and tying you in to a one-box solution) if you ask me........