I'm not even sure if I understand the questioin, but let me tell you this!
I'm busy and not very organized.
Loose CD's all the time and my 600 plus collection is not even in alphabetical order!
Windows Media Player 9 has changed my life!
Like many of us, I was looking down on people who listen to MP3's.
But a few of you may know, that WM9
HAS A LOSSLES CODEC!
Now needless to say the compression you get is only about 2:1, but it will sound as good or better (!) then any CD transport! (You can come to my house bring your rig!).
Here is the deal, not sure if you remember but Microsoft Has purchased PMI (Pacific Microsonics) the creator of HDCD and the Model 1 and two converters (used by all major players in mastering!)
Microsoft was obviously not interested in the hardware, so my company (euphonix.com) has picked up the mfg and support of the model two converters.
ASK YOURSELF THIS!
Why did MS want PMI?
WM9 and it's lossless codec my frineds is the shit!
(That's all im going to say about the MS PMI connection)
WM9 Pro (96/24 in 5.1 channels!!!) is already hear!!!
Soon there will be online subscribtion service to HD MUSIC!
Streamed over your dsl and will cikc your cds butt!
Upsamled and buffered transport for over 10k are insane.
First off everything is buffered when you play it from a PC.
ANyway...so you say ok, but its only 2:1 and I got 1000 cd's. I got 600 disk on a 250gb Drive I got from frys for $200!
A GOOD PCI SOUND CARD WITH DIGITAL OUT IS A MUST!
On board spdif outputs on motherboards and all the soundblaster cards sample rate convert so they can't be used for any critical listening.
But if you get one from Midiman for $150 or so you will be fine.
So I ran my SPDIF out to my Classe SSp75 and never looked back!
Got a handhald PC that uses windows xp's remote desktop feature, so I sit in the sweetspot with my fujitus pan PC and controle the univers. Any song I ever owned on cd is only a pen click away!!! My friends, this allowed me love music again...(till...my first sacd player..)
Now I can find all my music, I can burn cd's for the car and best off! I can listen to all my mysic over wireless ehternet in every room I got a pc in!
(I have all my old hifi gear in different rooms and a cheep pc a good way to put my old fancy gear like a countroupoint da10 to use!)
I still have a Marantz 8400 for SACD and DVDA a DEnon 2900 for DVDV and my cd's are on the shelf.
So although the WM9 Lossless files I got I beleive sound az awesome as PCM can, I'm said to say....
After just a few weeks of SACD, I can't find any enjoyment in PCM anymore!
All that told, what I want is what I'm going to build.
SO more in this in 12 months...