new updates in transports or are they obsolete ?

Audioengr: read the paper, sorry I missed this. With lossless compression, looking at about 300 MB per CD. If we factor in RAID/mirroring, then let's say 500 MB per CD or 2 CDs per GB. A collection of 1000 CDs would then require 500 GB of mirrored storage. I am doing the math for a computer with this amount of storage and adding in the cost of your USB-SPD/IF converter at your advertised price and finding the cost is quite high. I can get a brand new CEC TL51X transport - quite good - for $1295. This is only $300 more than just the cost of your interface. Then add in the cost of the computer, disc array (any decent collection is beyond the storage capability of most PCs) and you are paying a lot for convenience. Even the convenience is questionnable since it would take a lot of time and effort to rip all the CDs and add the tags. Is my math off here?

"I assumed jitter will not apply to this case when data are read from HD and broadcast over WiFi."

Yes, the jitter is bad from the AE optical output. It can be modded to add coax out. This is much better.

"Is that the theoretical best setup for sound vs. USB-S/PDIF converter using wire?"

Both the AE and the Squeezebox will give similar results, but they will only pass 16/44.1. They will not do upsampled data. The both need mods to compete with the Off-Ramp.

"is iTune read CD multiple times until all data are retrieved, similar to EAC?"

I believe so. They are both good rippers. I use EAC and I've never had a correction or an error.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio
Manufacturer/modder

Baddabob - The CEC transport will not even come close. I've modded them. If I were to fully mod-out the CEC transport and then rewrite all of your CD collection on black CD's using my modded battery powered CD-burner, only then would it come close. The computer would still be better though. There's a big difference here. For the same performance, Computer Audio is always cheaper.

Also, you will likely not rip every track on every disk. I imagine that half of them will not get ripped.

I am using an upgraded, and modified PSA Lambda for a transport to my also modded Audio Note DAC. I have to manually operate the drawer of the Lambda. I am intrigued by using the DVDROM on my new computer to feed the DAC. What is the best connection method?

What would it cost to set-up a good hard drive based system? I am assuming that I buy an off the shelf product that I do not have to modify (or have someone who does this for me since I am incapable of doing it myself). Bob