Help please establishing a PC / MAC Network System

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I would very much appreciate advice on the simplest way (while maintaining best possible sound quality) to set up a home network using a combination of PCs and MACs.

 

The whole house has been wired with cat 5e and the computers are networked together with internet access via a simple router/modem/switch combination.

 

I am in the process of upgrading my lounge room home theatre system so that I can play high res computer music ripped from CDs and downloaded from sources such as HD Tracks, Society of Sound, etc. I have purchased the following combination;

 

iTunes / MAC PRO / M2 Highface / BENCHMARK HDR DAC1 / Rotel RSP 1570 Processor / Rotel RMB 1075 125 watt 5 channel Power / ATC SCM19 fronts / Tannoy sub / BMW centre and rears.

 

I will play high res music using Direct Pass to maintain bit perfect and avoid degrigation of the sound by the processor i.e. pure PCM stereo through the ATC fronts only without sub.

 

I will also be using other sources for both music and video such as Apple TV, Arcam CD player (into the DAC1) and Pay TV, Blue Ray player (HDMI into the Rotel 1570).

 

My PC in my home office is playing J RIVERS MC / WASAPI / Exculsive into a DACport and ADAM A7 active monitors.

 

I also have other family members using PCs in other rooms who will want access to a central music/video library.

 

I have ripped all my music (about 1200 albums) to AIFF as this format is native to both J Rivers and iTunes and should give me bit perfect. In the future I wish to download FLAC files and convert to AIFF using dbpoweramp.

 

I am not technically gifted (understatement) but have access to computer techs but they are not audiophiles.

 

What I really want is a system that will give me excellent sound in my office and home theatre while allowing my wife and children

 

1. to manage their own iPods using iTunes on their own computers

 

2. easily navigate the home theatre system using a learning remote or iTouch while all the equipment is kept out of site in a cupboard. Any recommendations how to do this?

 

3. Keep the whole system up to date. i.e. if I add new music from my office they will have access to it. Is there a way of them getting an automated message if a new movie or cd is loaded onto the system?

 

Thanks very much in advance.