I've moved pretty much to music server for all CD playback; having invested quite a bit of time getting metadata and setup correct, my 1400 CD collection is much more accessible through J River Media Center than it was in jewel cases on shelves. The one thing I still really miss is liner notes on classical CDs - I put my CDs and booklets in thin sleeves, and I sometimes go get the booklet when I've found something to play on my server.

I will say that music server software still has quite a way to go to be as good as it should be. In particular, getting/entering accurate, comprehensive metadata, and using that metadata in navigation/searching, is much more of a pain than it should be. And for me, that kind of advanced metadata/searching is not optional. About 900 of my CDs are classical, with the rest Rock, Jazz, Blues, and Soundtracks. Using standard artist/album/song navigation, or a cover art display grid, is simply an incoherent mess with my collection.

I'm currently using a Weiss AFI1 multi-channel Firewire digital interface to output stereo and hi-res multichannel into my 861, with great results. Beware, though - no Vista x64 drivers available yet.

My Switch-Box modified Oppo remains in my system, as an SACD spinner. I'm hoping that most of the classical labels currently making SACDs will eventually make them available as high-res downloads as well, but I've already got a couple hundred classical SACDs.



861v?, MBL 116/111/121, McIntosh amps, music server, Oppo/switch-box 980 SACD/DVD