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I just don't get PC Audio

I have been doing a lot of reading on the pros and cons of hard drive systems versus traditional CD players. From what I gather a hard drive system can be configured with a great DAC to meet or beat (well, maybe) a high end CD player.

So I contemplated this and what would need to be purchased each way and wound up buying an Esoteric X03SE and couldn't be happier. The point of my post is, am I the only one here who thinks hard drive systems have serious drawbacks that should prohibit an educated buyer not to jump in yet??

Hard drive pros:
-Can meet or maybe exceed the sonics of a dedicated cd player or transport combo (when using tracks burned from a CD)
-The ultimate lazy man's solution....simply surf and hit play (no CDs to load)

Hard drive cons:
-Just as expensive, if not more so than a dedicated CD player by the time you get the hard drive, back up storage, cables, monitor, DAC.
-Many units have hard drive noise that necessitates placing the unit away from the listening area.
-Need back up storage: This means you need to continually back up your collection for the day it crashes.
-Noone knows how long drives will last.
-Need to spend the time to burn all your CDs
-If you use iTunes the quality of downloaded songs is not great, therefore this solution only really works if you burn CDs you have. I know there are some other higher res options, but they are not widely available yet.
-You need some type of monitor to view the collection adding the complexity and nuisance of mixing PCs and Audio
-It is rapidly changing and noone knows what the outcome will be
-If you download one song at a time you essentially throw out any experience the artist may have designed with listening to an entire album

I am just not getting it, other than the two (some may say only one) pros I listed above, why else would an audiopile get a computer audio front end??? It is certainly not cheaper, in fact it is most likely way more.
arbuckle

Showing 2 responses by timrhu

timrhu
2,779 posts
 

If one listens to 2 albums per day maybe a computer is not for them. A stand alone media player would make more sense.
That's what keeps me from going the hard drive route more than any other reason. Two of my daughters have converted to computer based music systems, one pc the other mac. They constantly tout the ease of finding the music they want. This holds no attraction for me as I listen to albums (cds) in their entirety and rarely use music as background noise. Also, the thought of burning all my cds will require way more time than I care to devote to it.
To all of those that have gone that route I say, great! Hopefully your work will lead to better, cheaper, and easier to use products for those of us sitting on the sidelines.
timrhu
2,779 posts
 

I honestly think the turning point will be when high res downloads are ubiquitous....otherwise I am stuck buying CDs anyway so I can rip them.
Exactly. Until then it makes no sense to me.
Some enjoy the ability to quickly punch in what they want to listen to or create play lists. My kids don't understand that I enjoy standing in front of the cd shelves looking for ideas. It beats scrolling through a list IMO.
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