Why CD players will never be dead

The discussion on this thread was helpful. I think I'm going to dip my toe in the water of computer audio and sample some stuff from HD Tracks. Looks like I can download FLAC 92/24 music files from them and also get a trial version of JRiver.

Do I have this right? FLAC is a lossless hi res version of the music but I will need JRiver to play the FLAC file from my PC. Output will be USB to V-Link to V-Dac to pre-amp. Major Question for me: How do I disable Windows Media Player so only JRiver is outputting? If I'm making some incorrect assumptions please advise.

Thanks in advance.

Ghost - Jriver is a good choice for PC. Make sure you are using Kernel Streaming or WASAPI plug-in. I would convert FLAC files to .wav using dbpoweramp. They will sound better IME. Jriver replaces WMP. Just make sure that your device, the V-link is selected for output in control panel - audio and sounds. Also, try different USB ports on your PC. Some can sound better than others.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio

Some people enjoy playing with computers and computer programs. For those who don't and who have very high sound quality standards, computer audio is not quite ready for prime time. Let me explain.

When I'm at home, I listen to audio for fun. The best computer experience for me at home is something like my IPad and my Squeezebox Touch. I plug them in and they do everything I want them to perfectly. Pandora upsampled to 176.4 can be surprisingly satisfying. Controlled by my IPad, it's even *more* fun. This System took 20 minutes to set up and it always delivers. My IPad and Touch are like my toaster or my microwave....or my transport. THEY serve ME.

When I regularly read about the dizzying array of file conversion steps/programs/servers and trouble shooting necessary to keep a computer-based system operational and working at optimal performance standards, I shudder. It reminds me of a first-generation linksys wireless router I once owned that tortured me for several years.

One day an affordable plug 'n play "toaster" system or device will be available for those who want to experience the very best computer-based/digital audio can offer. Until then, I will let others do the heavy lifting (I really do appreciate your hard work). Meanwhile, I will continue to enjoy cd playback through a DAC that provides me nearly as much joy as the best server-generated audio I've heard (and I've heard some of the best)

Thank you, Steve. I'm streaming Pandora and the ASUS netbook recognizes the V-Link automatically. Is "Kernel Streaming" an option to look for w/i JRiver? No clue as to what a WASAPI plug-in might be. I visted the dppoweramp site. I think I'll wait a bit before trying to convert FLAC downloads. I'm already straining my 20th century analog brain. Any thoughts about accessing files downloaded to an external hard drive? Thanks again.

Ghost - yes, Kernel streaming is a JRiver plug-in option. Hopefully, your V-link supports it.

WASAPI is generally used with Win7 and Vista, but you can use KS also.

If the hard drive is on your network, then the player software should be able to find it. Read their help.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio