Music Servers

Hgeifman,
Swampwalker did a good job of answering your questions. I can also recommend Neal at Music Vault. Being an analog guy, adverse to all things digital, but recognizing the possibility of better sounding digital and the ease of access to ripped CDs and streaming - I took the plunge with Neal. He is top-notch. Service oriented, he guided me through the whole process and the MV sounds fantastic (for digital ;)).
Results:
- Enhanced quality of digital from ripped CDs (and I have a no-slouch Esoteric K03). - - TIDAL really sounds so superior to Pandora which I was using, although I still like the intuitive radio stations of Pandora.
- JRiver + JRemote works for my iPhone and iPad. (by the way I also moved from a MacBook Pro and iTunes to MV and JRiver - not looking back)
- WiFI connectivity is "easily" fixed using TP-Link Nano Powerline Adapter. Check it out....
Hope this helps,
Good luck.

Don't know the answers to all of your questions, but give Neal at Sound Science a call. I'm sure he'll quickly walk you through them. Here's my (admittedly only somewhat confident) answers:

Will it completely replace your MAC Book Pro- Yes.

How do I rip CDs to my external drive- Just designate it as the location where the files are to be stored, if it can be connected with a USB cable.

Can I connect my 3 TB USB hard drive- Don't see why not. Mine has about 10 USB ports.

Can I stream anything I want from the internet? Sure, if you have internet access.

How do I control it- Easily enough with a mouse. I'm told there is remote software although I do not know how it works.

Neal can also set you up with ethernet over AC wiring adapters so you can overcome the limited wi-fi access problem. My MV is virtually silent unless it's ripping a CD.

I am currently using a MAC Book Pro computer as my music server. Do any of the above listed servers (Music Vault, Baetis, Aurender, Musica Pristina A Cappella II, etc) completely replace my MAC Book Pro Computer? How do I rip CD’s to my external hard drive? Can I stream anything I want from the Internet including Tidal, Pandora, Calm Radio, Radio Paradise, etc? How do I control these music servers? Do I need an iPad, iPhone, etc? Can I connect my LaCie 3TB d2 USB 3.0 Thunderbolt Series Hard Drive to these music servers?

Unfortunately, I have limited Wi-Fi access in my living room since it is far away from my Apple router. My assumption is the above music servers require Wi-Fi access from an iPad, etc. Is this correct?

Based on my research, it seems my MAC Book Pro computer provides the most flexibility and options when it is used as a music server. Some people have said that the above listed music servers provide a higher quality sound then the MAC Book Pro Computer (I do not know).

Any comments?

My first MV was purchased before there were any purpose-built servers available so I can't claim to be prescient on the issue of future repairability, but since the MV is basically a music-optimized window pc/server, so any failure of the hardware components should be easily fixable, and it's set up to auto-duplicate onto a back-up HD, so you should be good there, as well.

I visited a dealer friend in another part of the country a few months ago. He sells Baetis and Aurender. Sonically they are different, Baetis being more analytical. Operationally they are very different, with Baetis being Windows based while Aurender is Linux based with their own proprietary app, the former being manageable, the latter being plug and play.

Dealer disclosure - I sell Aurender and Bricasti.

I just ordered a Music Vault and will be getting it next week. After talking with Neal, he seems like a honest person that wants his customers to be happy and offers a product that is well built, good warranty, he handles the customer service and it can be upgraded in the future. I also like the fact he will be able to remote in to help with any issues. Another thing I like about going with a computer music server is can be repaired by a computer repair person and not sent to a factory or service center.

I use the Musica Pristina A Cappella II with an ssd internal drive. It produces no heat and no noise. It is very easy to set up and use. It sounds stunning with my Bricasti M1. I have absolutely no desire to upgrade.

If you want great support from the designer/dealer talk to Neal van Berg from Music Vault. If you have any concerns about your ability to install/configure/maintain your server, he will set it up so that he can access and trouble shoot it remotely. I'm a satisfied customer, I've heard the Antipodes and it also sounded great, but that was not at home in my system, so I really can't compare.

You have a top DAC and an expensive system. Check into loaners so you can hear them for yourself, with your components, before making your selection. Make sure each has the features you want (e.g., internal storage vs. NAS, ripping capability or not, USB vs. SPDIF outputs, expandability, etc.). You may want to add Antipodes to your list.