CD format war and resultant music players

There is no longer any need for a new media. Download speeds continue to increase and storage is cheap. The iPod generation is not going to be buying little plastic discs to get their music. Computer based servers and either hard drives or some form of solid state storage is the next generation.

This is not exotica, basically the computer just replaces the transport. Computerized music is the same as CD music in the sense that it is the same data so it doesn't matter if Levinson gets on board or not. It just a more convenient way to store and manipulate the data. It also has the advantage that ripped with the proper software you can get an error free copy stored on your hard drive. Once you've ripped the disc all you have to do is add a DAC that the computer can talk to via the USB port. There are some like Wavelength's and modified products from Emperical Audio that are USB compatible, or you can get a USB - spdif converter and use any DAC you want, including a Levinson.

Don't underestimate this technology, it is very mature. Computers and DACs have been around for quite a while and the only thing that could be considered "new" is the USB interface, and this is also really just a mature technology being used in a slightly new way.

Mr Svhoang, the future is now. it is here. Search the net and you will find a large number of USB DACs at various price points.

There is no such thing as an audiophile computer or hard drive. There are a number of programs that make bit perfect copies of the data on a CD and store it on your hard drive..The idea is to rip the CD to a hard drive and not use the CD/DVD drive as a transport.

That's it. It is a perfect copy. You cannot make anything better than a perfect copy. It doesn't matter if "audiophile companies" get involved. They cannot improve on perfection.

Once you have a perfect copy the computer does not corrupt the data. If it did the programs wouldn't run and your files would be corrupted all of the time. This simply doesn't happen very often, and when it does (if you are smart) you have a perfect backup copy of your perfect data.

You can use any DAC in the world with a music server. A well designed computer can be dead quiet. This technology has been around for many years. In what way do you think this is infant technology?

Digital is constantly changing and will continue to constanly change, so if you wait around for the final solution it will never arrive. Even one box CD players are much better today than they were just a few years ago and CDs have been around for 20 years. If you are waiting for a mature technology then I would go with vinyl.

If you are basing your opinions on what you read in Stereophile then just buy a Musical Fidelity CD player and be happy.

heard anything conclusive reports from reliable sources that the whole setup is leap and bound above all CDP available out there.

Nor will you. It is not "leaps and bounds above." How could it be? A lot of people have been working very hard for a long time to optimize CD playback. The likelihood of a leap forward at this point is very remote.

As for reliable sources, I've have been looking into this for some time now including implementing a system of my own, studying numerous web sites, and talking to a network of friends who use this approach. If you do the same you will find that a large number of people agree that this is a viable alternative and quite likely a superior one.

Everyone has their own comfort level, but if you have to wait for the blessing of Stereophile or The Absolute Sound before you try something then you are missing out on a whole world of wonderful possibilities to expand your audiophile horizons.

As for quiet, both my Mac Mini and Macbook are dead quiet more than an inch or two away.

I also agree about the joy of the hunt while searching through record stores, but I haven’t quit buying music. I just have a more convenient way to store and play it back as well as one that is sonically just as good if not better than the old way.