Is computer audio a bust?

I saw but did not get to listen to a new SOny HAP integrated music streaming device at a local dealer recently.

One of the nicer looking and seemingly simple and affordable digital home audio gadgets I have seen recently.

Computer audio is a passing fad, just like sex and marijuana (not necessarily together, but not necessarily not together). You wait - in 5 years, nobody will want any of the three. You heard it here first.

I was on who went through the cassette era recording much of my vinyl to cassettes. Then I found reel to reel trounced the cassette, so the cassettes went away and I recorded the lp's again. Then the cd era came and I was happy I didn't have to record the lp's again.. Now another change comes, computer audio. So much to learn, so many manufactures, so many different ways to make mistakes until I get it right. Not me. I'll pass. Getting to old to go through all of the trouble of starting a new format collection. I'll just play the lp's and cd's.

To summarize the two primary objections to hard drive based audio, 1) it's too hard to insert a CD into a computer drive and click on the import icon and 2) I'm old and don't see the point of learning anything new.

If #2 is your go to reason, then at least it offers the possibility that you're happy with your existing setup. Why fix what's not broken. But if #1 is the reason, then how did you manage to get on the internet and post a response in this forum?

I'm with you Abucktoweighty, I have come close to chucking my computer audio setup since my files don't sound as I would like.

As far as Audioengr's statement that "Computer Audio is no different than CD players." Yes, there is a wide range of quality in both, but the implementation in no way compares and that's where computer audio loses fans.