Laptop/Netbook Recommendations

[marcuslaw]

I'm looking to replace an Asus netbook for playing FLAC files via Media Monkey from a flash drive for under a grand (USD). Any recommendations? Thanks in advance.

[bluesman]

I'm looking to replace an Asus netbook for playing FLAC files via Media Monkey from a flash drive for under a grand (USD). Any recommendations? Thanks in advance.

You can play FLACs from a USB drive for well under $1k on a variety of platforms. You can stay under $100 with Raspberry Pi, Beaglebone Black, or another ARM-based device. You can stay under $200 with something like an Asus Chromebox, which has 4 USB slots and plays FLACs out of the box (with the right software, eg VLC) despite the many web posts saying it won't. You can easily replace the Chrome OS on a Chromebox with another system of your choice - right now, I have Ubuntu Studio on mine. And once you go over $300, the options are endless, starting with Mac Minis and taking off from there. The sound quality from any of these options is excellent when set up well and converted to an analog audio signal by a good DAC (eg a current Drqagonfly, which you can get for well under $100).

 

Depending on which netbook you have and what's under the hood, you may very well be able to get excellent sound from it (assuming you're not now - you don't say why you want to change).

[sphinxsix]

(with the right software, eg VLC)

Just one remark - I'd use JRiver - a truly fantastic soft.