how to install computer in place of CD player

4GB RAM is plenty.

Yes, you need a stereo pair of analog cables (interconnects).

B&K has made fine gear over the years, dunno if they exist any more.

Players: I did trials only. I disliked everything about PureMusic. Audirvana sounded great, but not night-and-day better than iTunes; I'll likely buy it if only for DSD playback. I will try HQP, but it needs to be magical if I'm gonna throw $150 at it. Not holding my breath.

iTunes sounds perfectly fine.

One man's opinion.

 

Thanks for the answer. Can the interconnect be rca? and the other in just has one output. http://www.amazon.com/iFi-Headphone-384kHz-iPhone-Android/dp/B00HI8WXVG/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1429792020&sr=8-2-fkmr0&keywords=iFi iDAC nano

 

OK I forgot, on my old CD player going into my B&K preamp I have some fairly expensive interconnects (the kind that have a directional arrow printed on the insulation (going downstream toward other component) which is the pre amp. Not very long so I had another question about how close to my large Paradigm 100's speakers is too close because of magnetism from the drivers or is impossible for that to pass thru the wood of the back of the speaker because my macbook will need to sit on a small table so it's close enough to the preamp to take advance of the interconnects. Oh I just answered the earlier question about inputs in the preamp it has to have two or I wouldn't have the two interconnects. Getting old I'm 67 please excuse me.

 

Check the specs of your speakers.....they may be shielded - which would eliminate the magnetic worry.

 

Well I called Paradigm about the magnet issue of my speakers and they said they are not shielded but couldn't answer the question if they would bother a hard drive. They said call the hard dive people.

 

I'd bought Pure Music due to its ability to decode FLAC and other 24/92 files through iTunes. Once HD Tracks started making ALAC files available that need dissipated, but I don't have the need to hunt around for different players at this point.

 

What cable do I need to connect iDAC nano to Macbook?

 

If streaming to the Airport Exp the mini jack out doubles as a fiber optic (toslink) out. If you use an AV receiver or DAC with a toslink connection this is a better option than an RCA Y connector. But if you're using a DAC you can probably go USB. Either way avoid the RCA connector if possible.

 

Source computer, macbook, macbook air, or if you don't NEED it to portable a mac mini ( usually available for less than 500. ) although you would need to hook up a display.
Hook up your purchased DAC via usb to the computer, and then any RCA cable pair you wish to use to the imputs on the stereo. I use a mini with display, then have 15 foot RCA to stereo coming from the DAC ) which keeps it away from unshielded speakers. If you have a newer TV display that has HDMI you could use that as your display. If you use a mini or macbook air then an external CD/DVD drive via USB would be needed. If you get a macbook with CD/DVD built in then no need for that. Add a 1 or 2 TB external HD and set tunes to put your library on that drive and you have your initial setup. You can use itunes to start with as it works fine, has a workable EQ for tweeking your output if needed and you can then experiment with other music players as needed ( some of which are FREE..... like VOX ) and get excellent sound.

 

USB cable from the macbook, depending on which DAC you are using. It may be USB2 which would be like any standard USB printer cable looking connector.....but if it is USB3 ( blue socket ) you would need USB3 cable.

 

Thanks I didn't see in the Amazon photo the usb in the middle.

I have two directional rca interconnects from CD player to preamp I can use.

 

If budget is an issue you want a windows laptop, an Audioquest Dragonfly dac and JRiver Media Center software.A mac isn't going to sound any better.

 

Can't do windows, the only no apple product I have is the NEC Multisync display I'm looking at now. I got it because I wanted the ability to calibrate it because I'm going to try and market my Fine Art Photographs printing them on an epson R3000 www.1jimage.com

 

This is the external HD I'm buying http://www.amazon.com/Book-USB-Hard...r_du_6_map?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1429803909&sr=1-6

 

USB. If your MacBook is new, take advantage of the speedier USB 3 connection (blue cable). The Nano supports this (an older, slower USB 2 cable may be used as well). Additionally, the Nano is powered via USB, no need for an AC power hookup. Otherwise, the only other audio connection to Nano is coaxial (RCA) digital. The above suggestion for Toslink doesn't apply to you, unless you re-think all of your equipment.

The WD HDD should be fine. When you acquire this stuff, make sure your MacBook has the ports to handle it all. Dunno what MacBook you have, they vary from year to year.

 

I use Schiit DAC's in my office and home office. They are $100, hooked up with USB and sound great. I use Audirvana or JRiver. But mostly Audirvana. The 11" Air sounds like a capital idea. I generally use XLD for ripping cd's. Can't beat the price. All in all, you should definitely escape for $1k or so. And then the sickness will build and you will need to buy more and better stuff.

 

Copy that

 

I recently purchased the same hard drive for my Mac Mini a few months ago, so far so good. I use my mini without a monitor most of the time and control it with my phone. So simple, and that's coming from a non-computer guy.

At this point I have no plans to get in to high rez downloads so itunes is my player of choice. I tried one of the others a few years ago when the mini was new but never found it worthwhile. I do use XLD when ripping cds as I want bit perfect copies on my hard drive.

 

Heads up, Best Buy has the 4 tb drives for the same price now.

 

Thanks much they have them here in good old Albuquerque, there will be something extra in your Christmas stockin this year

 

Thanks got it and sitting right next to it was the 3TB for I think 139.

 

Just picked up a WD 4TB Best Buy 119.00 same one on Amazon 119 but it was only 3TB. I don't need all the space (i think) so I may partition part of it for something else. Anyone think thats a bad idea? I realize I'll loose about 4GB just by reformatting it.

 

4GB is nothing. Your music collection is small; even at full AIFF it likely doesn't exceed 200GB.

Your photography will likely be the space hog.

Again (and again )... you don't need much power (processor, storage, memory) to store and play music. Especially with only 200 albums. Especially if you want to keep it simple.

 

I'm not trying to be sarcastic, whats you definition of simple, pertaining to this subject matter?

 

I don't have any particular definition of anything, but for my purposes, simple includes a modest budget and minimizing add-ons. In my system, that means no wireless anything; I don't care what the room looks like. A USB-powered (or not) DAC; there are so many good ones now. And avoidance of a software player, unless it's remarkable for the price (though I'll need to settle on a cheap one eventually if only to play DSD files); iTunes suits me, until I discover otherwise.

You're assembling a system much the same way I am, and that's largely why I've responded.

Otherwise I have no audiophile philosophies.

I can't afford to have a philosophy.