Music Servers & Sonos. XiVA Music M8, W4S ?

The PS Audio will work the about the same as Sonos does with iTunes.. In that neither really "works" with iTunes as I think you're thinking. Sonos looks to the iTunes library and copies an index of it to play.. The PS Audio also uses "shares" I understand your question is based on ease of use so I'll just answer yes, sort of.

If you are on a PC I'd strongly recommend using DBpoweramp to rip.. If you're on a Mac I'd use XLD..there are numerous reason why but the biggest is the way iTunes creates files.. Once you get to that point you can try them out and you understand that ripping with iTunes isn't the best choice, it's fine as music manager.

Jamesw20 I'm waiting on my MKII upgrade.. From everyone who gotten it I'm very excited, sounds like a big upgrade to what was already very good SQ.

I don't know...
Seems it is just easy and idiot proof to
burn my music and buy it from ITunes....

I just need something that is easily going to
take the music from ITunes and put it on a NAS
or whatever and play it.

I do not want to get into running all kinds of various
software etc, I just don't have the patience for various
shareware etc and learning it and dealing with the errors

First off I would not buy any music from iTunes, period. It's all compressed mp3 quality, at the best 256K .. yeech. It's actually cheaper to buy the CD from Amazon.. if you sign up for their Prime membership 2 day shipping is free.. and there's also lots of used CD's there usually less than $5.00

I'm going to suggest that if you're really looking to go simple then start off with just the Sonos System and a real good Dac, a Dac that can grow quality wise with the rest of your system. Sonos will pretty much seamlessly integrate with iTunes, you can use iTunes to rip and manage your music. Just keep in mind that if you don't want a computer on all the time.. then get a NAS.. if you don't use a NAS your music is stored on the computer and it needs to be on in order for Sonos to play the music on it. There are only two places you can store your music, a Nas or the HD of your computer, the Nas is a much more elegant solution; this of course does not apply to internet radio or music services which stream live.

Then once you get comfortable with how this all works.. nothing like real hands on experience, it'll be way easier for you to decide what else you want to incorporate into your system, or what direction you want to take things.

1) What is the best easiest NAS to get for a Mac?

2) I am looking at the REGA DAC

3) OK Lets say I stop buying music from ITunes (its sooo easy and instant gratification factor is nice) will I still easily be able to put my music into ITunes (so I can use it on my IPhone etc etc)

I know I will be having my music on my Laptop (for IPhone, IPad etc) and I will also have it on the NAS, will I be ripping it twice? Once for ITunes and once to transfer to my NAS?

Thanks!

PS My amp just arrived today!! Cary SLI-80 F1!! Leaving it packed though as my wife and I are moving before Feb 1st.