Budget 'Computer' Audiophile

[grantr77]

I have a dedicated amp and cd player plus speaker set up in my lounge. I did toy with the idea of streaming music from my MacBook Pro but that means leaving it on all the time and also I don;t like the idea of the wife and kids firing it up everytime they want to listen to some music. However fed up with tons of CD's in the lounge and wondered if there was another way of having perhaps a dedicated piece of kit hardwired to the amp much like the CD player currently is but that will store all my 500+ CD's? I have looked at the Sony Giga Juke but it seems to come in kit form which is no good for me, Sonos and Squeezbox rely on streaming. Also considered getting a 160gb Ipod and ripping in lossless and using Arcam rdock to connect to the amp.

 

Any ideas / advice on a cost effective solution t?? I note there is another forum called 'music server' perhaps that is what I am after (and apologies if this is in the wrong section) but any general advice for a newbie to this area much appreciated.

 

[tfarney]

Your MacBook and iTunes IS the cost-effective solution. You just need to get past your trepidation. It really shouldn't be a problem. Set the sleep mode up properly and leave it running all the time. Whenever you finish surfing/working /whatevering on it, just return it to iTunes. Then your wife and kids can just select the music they want to hear, turn on the audio system and click on the big right-facing error.

 

Anything else you look at is going to be expensive by comparison and probably not as good.

 

Tim

 

[grantr77]

Ok, thanks Tim, seems wise to keep the MacBook in the loop. You mention setting up the sleep mode, can you elaborate on that please, is it possible to shut the lid and still have it running all the time or do you mean keep the lid/screen up with a screensaver or something? Also if I'm going to do that perhaps I could buy an Airport Express and stream it through after all, would you recommend that? If so is there a way of me/wife/kids having some sort of remote control to access iTunes?

 

Thanks, Grant

 

(p.s. not sure I know what you meant by clicking on the big right-facing error??)

 

[tfarney]

Did I say error? I should stop drinking wine while I cook. Arrow. Big right-facing arrow. As in the play button. I'm sure there is a way to keep the mac running with the lid closed, but I don't know how that works.

 

Under sytem preferences/energy saver, you can set a time to put the computer to sleep or put the display to sleep (or both) after so many minutes of inactivity. It will come back up automatically when you move the mouse or touch a key.

 

Tim

 

[darrenwm]

Could you just use a cheap laptop permanently connected to the HiFi?

 

Asus EEPC running Windows and iTunes, with an external drive?

 

That way you can keep your MacBook separate for work, etc.

 

Or you could leave the above laptops on the coffee table and implement an Airport Express.

 

[grantr77]

Airport Express > AVI ADM9.1 controlled by Ipod Touch sounds like the ideal solution but to be honest at this stage that's outside my price range. Intrigued by the Asus EEPC option you mention, thing is what's the sound quality like from something like that compared to a MacBook Pro??

 

[darrenwm]

Into the same DAC there shouldn't be a difference, but the Mac will likely sound better if the output from the Asus is being resampled by the Windows Kmixer. The Asus probably doesn't have an optical output too, so you'd need to purchase an external USB interface.

 

 

 

[The Computer Audiophile]

Hi guys - To keep a Mac laptop running after closing the lid you can use an app called InsomniaX. It works well.