[SteveM324]

Ok after over 25 years of high end audio, I've decided to give PC Audio a try.   I just bought a new Asus laptop, I5 640GB and 6GB RAM, and the DAC that I just bought last week is a W4S DAC 2.  I'm a complete newb at this but I've done some reading here and Audiogon and I have some questions.  Here are some questions I need help with:
 
1.  I'm planning to buy 2 external hard drives.  What type is best for audio SQ (USB powered portable or AC powered)? I think the portable ones only have 1TB of memory so maybe I should get something larger like a 2TB drive?
 
2.  I downloaded J. River Media Center version 16 (paid subscription) because I heard Fubar is too complicated.  So when I get my 2 external hard drives (1 will be a backup), I just move the JR media center to one of the external hard drives right?
 
3.  I have a small i-Tunes library of about 60GB of Apple lossless files on a small 250GB external drive.  Is dbPoweramp a good way to convert these files to FLAC?   If I want to keep my i-Tunes library intact, what steps do I take to copy and transfer the files to J. River and convert to FLAC?
 
4.  Is dbPoweramp the way to go if I want to batch convert my Apple lossless files to FLAC?  If so, then I need to buy their ripping program for CDs and their converter for conversion right?  I read that dbPoweramp is easier than EAC is that right?
 
 
Sorry for the dumb questions but I trying to get started on the right foot.  Thanks for any help.

 

[FortuneSound]

I never used Itunes or J. River Media Center  so I can only answer to the first question. I don't think that the hard drive will affect the sq because it's digital data transfer. If you plan the let the hard drive in place, the ac powered ones have more space for cheaper prices.

 

[Mad Max]

1.  USB power sucks hard, go for eSATA external drives if you plan on getting hard drives with their own AC power supplies (your laptop must have eSATA connection).  eSATA is faster anyway for transfer of data.  If want portability, get compact USB-powered hard drives.
 
2.  You don't need to move the program anywhere.
 
3.  Save your ALAC library in your backup drive and convert them to FLAC.  You them place and organize that FLAC collection wherever you need/want.
 
4.  dBpoweramp is one way to do it.  I think others mentioned other [free] options in another thread somewhere.

 

[falis]

 
Quote:

1.  USB power sucks hard, go for eSATA external drives if you plan on getting hard drives with their own AC power supplies (your laptop must have eSATA connection).  eSATA is faster anyway for transfer of data.  If want portability, get compact USB-powered hard drives.
 
2.  You don't need to move the program anywhere.
 
3.  Save your ALAC library in your backup drive and convert them to FLAC.  You them place and organize that FLAC collection wherever you need/want.
 
4.  dBpoweramp is one way to do it.  I think others mentioned other [free] options in another thread somewhere.

I'm using AudioConverter from FoxTab, which is freeware, for conversions.
 
- Ed
 

 

[holychau]

Some people said the 2'5 portable hard drive sounds better then the 3'5

 

[pedxing]

Usually 2.5 have less noise but I doubt that's an issue here unless you enjoy sitting right next to your external enclosure.

By the hard drive that is most reliable. There is no way a hard drive today can affect sound quality unless the data link (USB or eSATA) is busted or the enclosure/drive is too slow (which again means its totally busted too). You are more likely to get into a fight with your OS and audio drivers and audio hardware, trying to get bit-perfectness to work.

I suggest buying a good enclosure if you want to run them 24x7 - that means adequate cooling with a good power supply. Many cheap enclosures are notorious for frying drives with bad DC power. Ideally, a NAS solution is best, but those are expensive and not necessarily easy to setup for casual computer users.

Get eSATA or USB 3 for fast data transfers. All this is moot once thunderbolt/light peak becomes the new standard.

I like dbpoweramp over EAC, but that's because my optical drives like dbpoweramp for ripping. However, for converting mustic files, dbpoweramp has a nice interface, but you will have to install a special decoder for ALAC which should not be problem (they have links to their site and the program updates itself periodically checking for latest encoder/decoders) because there is only way to correctly decode lossless music - otherwise it wouldn't be lossless and it would be a decoding bug.

 

[melro]

For converting music, xrecode II is excellent.