Anyone know WMA?

Hi, well, I tried a million combinations of what you told me and decided that the way you have it set up is probably the best one. I don't like to work around Foobar so I can use Meedio or WMP. iTunes is fine as a player. One More question: since AAC is lossy, won't these rips be lossy?

This is what I did:

(1) I finally installed the iTunes encoder for EAC from the link you sent me. Thanks!
(2) Your link (http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=1358221��) to change encoding AAC to ALAC was not working. I found in some site a line to add to EAC to generate ALAC files using the iTunes encoder. (I am not sure if this allows the rip to be lossless)
(3) I use iTunes to manage my libraries and if I eventually use an iPod I won't have any problems
(4) When I want to rip a CD and still make a copy of it as a back up, what I do is deselect the option on EAC ("delete WAV file"), rip it compressed, and then I write the CD using these WAV files. After this, I simply delete the WAV files manually. (Is this the fastest way of doing this?)

I realize I am asking way too many questions. It's just that you have been extremely helpful

Again, thanks!

Josep

PS. Next step, remote controlling my PC. I have the laptop sitting 50 feet (15 meters) from my amp. Gordon from Wavelength told me that I should not be using USB extendors (which would reach 15 meters) to connect my PC to the USB DAC Wavelength Audio Brick. My interconnect is 1 meter. He adviced me building a 50 feet interconnect of Kimber cable or Accrotec cable instead of running USB extendors. The problem is that that will cost me several grand. What can I do?

(I got it! I didn't realize that I have to set it so iTunes uses ALAC encoding, plus I had to change the EAC command line to use lossless encoding.)

Anyway, can you still help me out on the question about remote controlling the PC?

"I have the laptop sitting 50 feet (15 meters) from my amp. Gordon from Wavelength told me that I should not be using USB extendors (which would reach 15 meters) to connect my PC to the USB DAC Wavelength Audio Brick. My interconnect is 1 meter. He adviced me building a 50 feet interconnect of Kimber cable or Accrotec cable instead of running USB extendors. The problem is that that will cost me several grand. What can I do?"

Thanks!!!!

Josep

Hmmm... Gordon is a very smart guy, but I would be very cautious about a 50' run of coax, esp. w/a couple grand price tag. I had a set up where I ran a 30' run of toslink to a DAC and switched from that to a 30' run of USB and a short toslink run, and the difference was night and day. I would note that the max range of a standard USB cable is like 20' or so--you have to use USB repeater cables, which receive/retransmit the USB signals, for longer runs. They are still relatively cheap ($15 for a 16' run), so it might be worth trying. If you do try the coax route, make sure its returnable if there isn't a sonic difference.

If you are talking about spending a couple grand, they may be other alternatives as well. This may sound strange, but if you have a Wi-Fi equipped laptop, you might consider getting a small form factor PC and a Wi-Fi access point. I use a Serener L02, from http://www.logicsupply.com, which sits on my stereo rack, and the USB out from the Serener goes into my USB audio device, then to my DAC, with very short runs of USB and coax. The Serener has no monitor, keyboard, or mouse, and just runs iTunes. Its fanless and with a NEC spinpoint drive, dead silent. I control the whole thing with a viewsonic airpanel--a Wi-Fi touchscreen that runs a remote desktop. But, there is no reason you couldn't use your laptop to be the remote desktop. In effect, you would have a virtual desktop for the Serener running on your laptop and be able to control the Serener with it. Seems odd, but it would probably run you only $1K, as opposed to the several $K for a 50' run of decent coax.

one more option for remote controll of a computer: Nokia 770 tablet.
and a new product from Matrox: http://www.matrox.com/mga/workstation/cre_pro/products/extio/home.cfm

another interesting way to controll the system:
http://www.crestron.com/features/isys_io/
anyone uses a Crestron remote controll device?