Thinking about Laptop system - Newbie Questions

another point...i have found zero difference in lossless formats or ripping tools. as a result, i chose the easiest to use which, as a pc user, is windows media player and windows media audio lossless files. many seem to think that eac and flac offer sonic benefits, i was unable to detect them in a very resolving system.

Richard - It would be much easier for my installation to use a SB Duet or Transporter. How is the sound quality of the SB Duet without DAC? Is it listenable until I get a DAC?

listenable is subjective. it is not a very good dac and i think most on this site would not find it listenable. the transporter is an all in one solution that includes a fine dac and clocking mechanism. there has been some threads here recently that discuss the additional benefits of the digital outs on the transporter (vs duet)as well. given what you have posted, that (transporter) would be my recomendation. full disclosure: i have a transporter listed but that has zero to do with my input. they are easy to sell so that has no bearing. good luck in your quest. it will be a real ear opener! it is an exciting time in audio.

I have the Duet and love it. This has been the greatest addition to my audio system ever!!! I run wirelessly from a Mac desktop (used to run from a PC with external HD like you are proposing and this was the same). I run digital out to my DCS stack (upconverted to 24/192) and then to the dac portion. File format is open to debate, but I have found that the full resolution files all seem to sound pretty much the same to me (I would be hard pressed to differentiate on a blind test). But they must be full resolution or there is a huge difference.

I personally like the Duet software, it is easy to set up, easy to learn. And yes, you can do other stuff on the computer when playing music. You can also now buy external HD's that you don't need to hook the computer to to run these systems (which is nice if you are using a laptop and don't want to get it out).

The duet is like a picture remote control that works from anywhere in the house via the wifi. You can even get additional receivers and operate them from the one hand held. Operating the hand held is little different than your Ipod, pretty darn easy.

Also, once you go the external HD route, you may as well get two. One to store your music on and the other to have a copy of all your music. Take the copy one and send it to your old college buddies and ask them to put their high res. music on it too. What a great way to grow your collection!!!!

ckoffend-how does the duet sound through the dcs vs the transport through the dcs stack?