Apple 24 Bit 96 KhZ

Tbg - I believe you can, but don't hold me to it as I have not done that myself ;-) ...I usually rip with EAC to FLAC, tranfer files to the Mac and use Max to transcode to ALAC. That also provides an additional form of backup.

For ripping directly on a Mac, I would look into XLD which has recently been update to use the latest CDParanoia method and AccurateRip, and I believe is said to be superior to Max for ripping.

As for playback I stick to iTunes - simple, intuitive, quick, looks good too. Additional players include Cog, Play and Songbird.

One additional question, do you worry about the switching power supplies in computers reducing the quality of the playback from your hard drives?

One of the reasons I use a Macbook (battery powered) for playback :-)

Is the hard drive drawing on that battery also?

Great information - I am trying to get the best audio quality possible & this is great. Anyone know an inexpensive DAC which shows the audio signal so that I can tell if its 24/96, etc.?

Bel Canto DAC does NOT accept firewire & I do not know of one.