Wait a minute. This part of the thread started with the comparison of Apple Lossless into a Squeezbox versus CD Replay on a G91. The statement made (and subsequently seconded by several posters) was that there was No Difference when routed thru a Meridian Processor.

Not sure how we get from ripping to Apple Lossless to lectures on the merits of Exact Audio Copy (EAC, which is an excellent product by the way and one that I have used myself for Archiving)

Many, if not most, on this forum talk about ripping from CD DIRECT to Lossless using iTunes or similar. For iTunes, there is little mention of the importance of enabling Error Checking or of disabling some of the Presets within iTunes. How we got from Apple Lossless to EAC escapes me

I feel pretty sure that the originators of Exact Audio Copy (well named by the way) will gladly extol the virtues of their method over the Linear Predictive Coding (LPC) method used by Apple Lossless and FLAC

However, my main original point was that the PLAYER (or Remote Sound Card like Squeezbox and Sonos) has a TANGIBLE Role to play in Music Reproduction, even when fed to a Meridian Processor and / or Speakers. The decoding (and subsequent timing) of ALAC or FLAC in the Player has a part to play; the Digital Output stage to the Meridian Processor plays a part; the connecting cable has a role to play. I think it`s ironic that many on this same forum (including a recent new post) are calling for Meridian to launch a Music Server CLIENT. If all Players and Remote Devices (Squeezbox / Sonos) sound the same, what benefits can Meridian possibly bring with their undoubtedly MUCH more expensive option (if they launch one)

It`s safe to say that the Processor and Speakers have a greater role in the overall Music Replay experience, but my point is that in my experience, the Player matters.

Others may disagree which is fine. But their OPINIONS should not be put forward as Non-Negotiable Facts, because they simply are not.

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