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music server virgin needs answers

OK ... So I see in the new issue of Absolute Sound where some new USB music server gets a VERY high reccomendation. It's only $75 so I think this may be a fun thing to play around with ... but then I stop and think this: My son's Ipod has a LOT of great music on it, but I'm sure it's just stuff downloaded from either redbook CDs or off the internet.
So, since his original sources were not top notch audiophile sources, won't the quality of sound be limited to the atandard of the original source ? Anotherway of putting my question is this ... Would great sound only be obtained if the original downloaded source was of some form of super lossless quality stuff off some specialty website ? Thanks for setting me straight.
timtim
johsti's avatar
johsti
102 posts
 
There are websites that offer high quality downloads, but for the money you are better off buying the cd and ripping it yourself. EAC (exact audio copy) is one of the more popular and respected ripping software and it's free.

DB Poweramp is also worth looking into. It will give you the detailed properties of each music file and tell you the quality of the encoding. IT will also do batch encoding should you want to encode lossless files to compressed files for portable use. They offer a free trial.

Now please tell me, who makes the $75 music server? ;)
onhwy61's avatar
onhwy61
5,216 posts
 
For $75 you only get a USB DAC, not a full music server.
timtim OP
84 posts
 
My apologies if i called it the wrong thing. The product is made by hirestech dot com. It is indeed a usb dac, and i just wish i understood how i could use it to my benefit.
timtim OP
84 posts
 
Let me see if I understand this any better: Using the EAC software, I rip my CDs onto my computer, then download them onto my Ipod and play the Ipod through the USB DAC into my system ??? Is this correct ?
johsti's avatar
johsti
102 posts
 
Tim,

Unfortunately, you can't plug an ipod into a USB DAC. It won't work. You can plug your computer into the USB DAC though.

Yes, EAC is for ripping CD's to files on your computer. Search for some tutorials on how to set it up for FLAC. Once you have your CD's backed up on your computer in a lossless format (FLAC), then use DB Poweramp to convert the files to a lossy codec for your ipod (mp3, AAC). Or you can simply rip the CD's using Itunes using Apple Lossless if you want to use lossless files on your ipod. Takes up more space though.
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