FLAC or Windows Lossless for music archive?

The one problem I have with MS Windows formats is they have a bad habit of changing things on you. (Look at how many times they've changed the file format for *.DOC and *.XLS files over the years.)

FLAC is an open-source file format and as such I have a higher confidence in its long term stability. But that's just me. Others probably feel differently.

There is a fuss in some quarters as to whether FLAC sounds the same as uncompressed WAV files. I've got a Squeezebox 3 with an external DAC. I did a variety of back-to-back comparisons and satisfied myself that they sound identical. (Since there is no data loss in a FLAC, any sound difference would have to arise in the decoding process. Some argue the extra decoding load of FLAC is responsible for a difference in sound. As noted, I did not find that to be true.)

However, the best thing for you to do is to convert the same files to the different formats and compare for yourself. Pick the one you like best. Why let strangers on the internet decide for you? ;-)

The Squeezebox web site is http://www.slimdevices.com and they have an excellent users forum plus a wiki. Between those you can learn just about everything you'd need to know about the Squeezebox.

That said, a Squeezebox won't run directly from an external drive. It needs a computer of some type to run the server software. They have free versions for Windows, Mac and Linux that you can download and experiment with before you buy one of their devices.

I run a SB3 (now called the "Classic" Squeezebox). I use a dedicated Linux server to house the music (over 39,000 tunes). The SB3 feeds an external DAC (Lavry DA-10) which goes to the power amp/speakers.

It is an excellent way to fully access and enjoy a large music collection.

A final note. If you decide to run a music server system, make sure you keep backups of your music. Re-ripping thousands of CDs is not a project most would enjoy. I actually keep two backup drives with one of them off premises.