I can answer some of your questions AppleheadMay.
On my Windows laptop, I use JRiver Media Centre to rip my CDs and do all my tagging and library management. It is a very flexible tool for library management - It can do almost anything you want in this regard, although not necessarily that intuitively. You may need to do some googling to work out the best way of doing some more complex library management.
I used to use JRMC for playback as well, but moved to HQ Player because it sounded better. But HQP has non-existant library management etc, so I just import the whole music folder created by JRMC into HQP's own library. A simple one click action. I keep maintaining the original library with JRMC and occasionally import the changes into HQP - very simple one click.
I've recently replaced HQP with Roon 1.2 because latter is even better SQ and a vastly better UI. Roon simply finds JRMC's music folder and there's an option for the original folder to be left untouched. When Roon 1.3 comes out shortly, I'll need to check how good its new tagging/library management is. Then decide whether to ditch JRMC altogether, or still keep it to maintain my master library.
JRMC has an export to various-file-lypes feature. Such as export FLAC to mp3 or wma etc with various quality options. You can export in bulk to say an mp3 folder. Then import that to a portable player or usb drive. I've done this to convert my main FLAC files to my old iPod Touch via iPod's own USB cable, and to a usb stick that plugs into my car's player. With the ipod, there was some faffing around to get the files into iTunes, but it can be done.
Edit: My comments re sound quality particularly relate to HQP's and Roon's support of server endpoint kind of magic boxes like microRendu and SOtM-SMS-200, which are appropriate for high end systems. If you're simply connecting your laptop etc direct to a typical decent DAC, then the SQ differences between these music apps are much more subtle.
Thanks very much for your tips and recommendations!
Roon will be my player, I purchased the expensive lifetime license.
I was more or less thinking of Jriver as well for management and because it has other media capabilities as well. Just looks complicated after 15 years of Mac but I'm sure I'm going to find my way after over 30 yeasr of computer experience, some of that time professionally as well.
Thanks for helping me on my way with media in my Windows adventure!
Awaiting delivery of my Asus Rog 17" i7 7700 laptop I found at a nice price that I will use for experimenting and trying out stuff as well as portable use of course.
And gathering parts for a high-end desktop I'll assemble and configure myself like I used to do the first 15 or 17 years of my computer life.
Most media players do have an option to synchronise/convert to a portable.
You make a playlist as the capacity of your portable is in general to small to hold the entire library and tell what format you want e.g. high bit rate MP3.
I use MusicBee, an nice piece of freeware with a excellent interface.
An example can be found on my website: http://www.thewelltemperedcomputer.com/SW/Players/MusicBee/MusicBee_Sync.htm
Though I'm already a bit biased towards the functionality of Jriver I'll sury download a trial of MusicBee as well.
You're the second person recommending it to me, thank you for the info!
You could mod an iPod with a SD/mSD/CF card... its possible to go 256, 512, or 1tb... Or get a Fiio X1 and max out the storage
Nope, if I'm going Windows I'll leave the iPods alone. I'm sure there are other nice MP3 players like the Fiio you mention.
How do you mean max out the storage of the X1? With SD cards? Does the X5 v3 not have the largest total capacity of all the Fiio's?
Don't any of them have internal built-in memory?
Does it really make a difference what player you use? Honest question here, just getting into listening at my desk. I normally use VLC for my FLAC's
Sure does. For audio quality the difference between players is minimal at best to my ears but concerning functionality there is a lot of difference so I think one could best get the software that has most of the features and functionality desired. For me I have some high demands in functionality of the player I will use for library management and I enjoy using Roon as a player.