You need the following:
1. CD/DVD/Blue Ray player that plays the types of CDs that you want to play. you can use it as a CD players or as a transport only. A CD player reads the digital information off the discs and also converts that digital information to analog to be sent to your pre-amp, integrated amp or receiver. You can also use the CD players solely as a transport. A transport only reads the digital information from the disc and provides that digital output in several connections that you can send to a stand alone digital to analog converter (DAC). Most CD player's internal DACs are not very good and most audiophiles or serious listeners get a stand alone DAC.
2. You need some sort of device that can take the analog output from your turn table and convert it to digital format for you to record. There are many extremely cheap (read bad) devices out there that do this. Stay away from those. You will need a analog to digital converter (ADC) that also accepts analog input and converts it to digital. There are some pretty good ones out there. There are also music servers and DACS out there that also accept analog input and converts it to digital for your use.
3. To play music from your computer, you need a music server system or DAC that takes the digital output from your computer. There is the Mac mini system that works well. Most current DACS have USB inputs that allow your to take the computer's digital output directly.
Since you basically have to get an external DAC with USB input (make sure it also has optical, RCA, USB, analog etc.) inputs also, this will enable you to use the computer as a music server and also accept analog input from your turn table.
Since you probably already have a decent CD player with digital output, I would use it as a CD transport and the only thing you really need is a decent DAC as mentioned above and the music server system that allows you to use your computer as the server. Basically a mac mini setup works well.
enjoy
1. CD/DVD/Blue Ray player that plays the types of CDs that you want to play. you can use it as a CD players or as a transport only. A CD player reads the digital information off the discs and also converts that digital information to analog to be sent to your pre-amp, integrated amp or receiver. You can also use the CD players solely as a transport. A transport only reads the digital information from the disc and provides that digital output in several connections that you can send to a stand alone digital to analog converter (DAC). Most CD player's internal DACs are not very good and most audiophiles or serious listeners get a stand alone DAC.
2. You need some sort of device that can take the analog output from your turn table and convert it to digital format for you to record. There are many extremely cheap (read bad) devices out there that do this. Stay away from those. You will need a analog to digital converter (ADC) that also accepts analog input and converts it to digital. There are some pretty good ones out there. There are also music servers and DACS out there that also accept analog input and converts it to digital for your use.
3. To play music from your computer, you need a music server system or DAC that takes the digital output from your computer. There is the Mac mini system that works well. Most current DACS have USB inputs that allow your to take the computer's digital output directly.
Since you basically have to get an external DAC with USB input (make sure it also has optical, RCA, USB, analog etc.) inputs also, this will enable you to use the computer as a music server and also accept analog input from your turn table.
Since you probably already have a decent CD player with digital output, I would use it as a CD transport and the only thing you really need is a decent DAC as mentioned above and the music server system that allows you to use your computer as the server. Basically a mac mini setup works well.
enjoy