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DIGITAL HIGH-RES AUDIO SYSTEM -HELP PLEASE

I need your expert advice on building a 24 bit/96Khz, 24/192Khz max, computer based home audio system I'd like to integrate into my home audio/ht system. I'm not totally clueless on what I need but I could definitely use some advice and direction as well as helpful tips. I have a fairly good audio system I currently use for ht and music playback. So, I'm not starting from scratch but want to incorporate computer audio and WAV and FLAC file streaming and storage into my system. Video streaming and storage can wait for a future time.

My current system consists of the following:
Plasma HDTV
Full 5.1 surround setup (5 spkrs and 1 subwoofer with in-ceiling surrounds).
Three separate stereo amps that power the main l/r, subwoofer/ center and l/r surrounds.
Directv satellite source (box has HDMI and digital audio output)
Older DVD/CD player as source used for movies and music.
Surround sound processor (older unit with just coax and optical audio inputs/outputs, no HDMI or USB inputs/outputs).
Separate tube preamp with HT Passthru. I'd run computer analog outputs to this for 2-channel listening.

For computer audio I already have some components:

Newer Laptop with 4 USB2.0 ports, dual core processor, 2 GB RAM and 110 GB internal hard-drive that can be solely devoted to a computer audio system(only 35 GB free on HD, however).
Wireless high-speed LAN with smart HDTV already attached and streaming Netflix, Hulu, Pandora and Amazon Prime to the tv and laptop.
JRiver v19.0 media player installed but no downloads yet and only a handful of cds ripped.
Cambridge Audio DacMagic 24 bit/192khz DAC.

My current budget is only about $1,500 and was thinking my next steps should be to:
A. Buy a new or used Oppo BDP-103 or, preferably a BDP-105 to replace my DacMagic and Sony DVD,CD player and get at least into 21st century technology.
B. Buy a NAS next to connect via USB to my laptop when more funds become available.

So, please let me know the following:

1. Am I thinking correctly and on the right path with buying an Oppo followed by a NAS?
2. Is there a method to connect my laptop, and future NAS wirelessly to the Oppo? I'm currently running a 12ft USB cable from my laptop to my DAC. I know cabled is better than wireless but curious how much better.
3. Any suggestions for a good, affordable NAS?
4. Does the Oppo BDP-105 have internal surround sound decoding capability that would allow me to run analog cables to my 3 HT amps directly from its analog outputs and substitute for my Parasound processor?

Thanks in advance for any advice and guidance.
Tim



128x128noble100
noble100's avatar
noble100 OP
2,419 posts
 
Steve Willie,

I gotcha on the memory. Good news- thanks.

Bill,
I took your advice and downloaded my first file from Sound Liaison: Carmen Gomes "Studio Showcase Series No. 1". After my payment was processed, I thought the download to JRMC/NAS would start automatically but it didn't. I checked both and found no file(s). SL did send an email confirming my purchase but there were no instructions for downloading the files. This is all new to me and would love your assistance on how to actually get the files on JRMC/NAS. I also just posted a separate thread on this question a few minutes ago.

Thanks in advance,
Tim
bill_k
911 posts
 
Responded to your other thread, hope that it helps!
noble100's avatar
noble100 OP
2,419 posts
 
Hi Bill,

You were right, it's just an awkward 2-step process in which you pay 1st and download after. I'm still in the process of setting up JRMC with my new Synology NAS and the backup Seagate hd. I probably jumped the gun downloading new music but I'm anxious to hear how it'll sound.

I'm going to try to slow down a bit and make sure I create the correct media file folders and have my system up n running well before I download anything else. This is proving a bit more difficult than I originally imagined but I'm still determined to do this right. Right now, I'm working on creating a good media folder structure and the next stage will be moving my existing music(mainly ripped CDs) into a 'CD-16bit/44khz' folder. I'll also have 2 hi-rez folders: '24 bit/96khz' and '24 bit/192khz' to move downloads into. I'll look into DSD files in the future.

Thanks again,
Tim
williewonka
3,075 posts
 
Tim - the hierachichal folder structure used by iTunes is...
Artist - album - tracks

Not sure if you need anything else.

On the downside - I have a few tracks that feature other artists - which results in multiple folders for a single artist..

E.g.
Emile Sande
Emile Sande feat. Naughty Boy

Info like Genre and Composer is held in metadata and is accessed by iTunes for generating playlists in those categories

Regards
noble100's avatar
noble100 OP
2,419 posts
 
Hi Steve/Willie,

This whole folder and file structure protocol is somewhat confusing to me. I've read that it's important to have a good folder and file structure setup to avoid problems down the road when downloading. I wasn't planning on using iTunes at all. I thought I would download from higher resolution sites like Sound Liaison, iTrax, Bluecoast Records and HDTracks. Is this a good plan or am I missing something?

I was planning on downloading files to folders based on resolution and thought the files would be listed automatically by Artist, Album and Tracks within each folder. I'm so new at this I'm fairly sure I need to know more before moving ahead. So, I'll follow your more experienced suggestions until I gain more knowledge. Are you saying I should change my folders?

Really appreciate your continued assistance,
Tim
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