[WarriorAnt]

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I'm not getting rid of my CDs for that exact reason. I hardly ever play them, but they serve as a very effective backup library.

I know what you mean but it seems for me I've burnt out on my entire collection of CD's except my Jazz from the 50's.  While there is a lot of excellent music in it I've simply moved on to new music because I'm a new sound junkie. I get all of my new music from the extensive county library and then I cherry pick.  So all my music is now across 3 hard drives and none of it is from my CD collection.   I simply don't listen to it anymore.  Sometimes out of guilt I peruse through the collection and try to pick out something I might want to listen to and it always turns out the same. I'm not as interested as I once was. 
 
 I know for most people this is not the case and probably peculiar to me alone. But thats the way my neural pathways have evolved. I seem to thrive for the exploration of new sounds and then according to my playlist I average about 20 plays on a tune and then I move on.  
 
So it looks like the CD collection is going to be smelted in the financial caldron along with other lost interests and perhaps contribute to a WA2 and the resulting expenditure which will surely follow as tubes roll in and out.
 
 

 

[mikemalter]

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Cavalli Liquid Fire at home.

Really nice looking!
 
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^ It is beautiful!
 
Thank YOU for the picture. It is certainly worth three thousand dollars a thousand words.
 
and....
 
I'm ordering one this weekend for my WooCavalli Room; and
hopefully in time for the second run.

 
 

 

[Icenine2]

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I'm not getting rid of my CDs for that exact reason. I hardly ever play them, but they serve as a very effective backup library.

 

 

[mikemalter]

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When I was a teenager I worked for a record store called Records Hawaii. It was started by 3 former Tower Records employees from Los Angeles. Records Hawaii was huge and located in a former warehouse. I worked there off and on for about 6 years. During that time I bought and collected about 1,000+ records. I even had a box of the Beatles White Album (20 of them) that I gave away as Christmas gifts. Records cost me about $2.16. I think the Beatles White LP cost me about $7. Later, when CDs became part of my music collection in 1983, I gave away or threw away all of my vinyl because when CDs took off no one wanted my vinyl and used record stores didn't really exist in my area. Now I find out that my sister had rescued about 500 of them and they are stored in boxes in her garage in Waikoloa, Hawaii. I've been trying to get her to mail them to me but to no avail. I don't have the room anyway so it is just as well they remain in storage at her place. Sigh, too.
 
 

My wife and I are going to Hawaii in September.  We could bring them back.
 
 

 

[Silent One]

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Cavalli Liquid Fire at home.

Thanks, Icenine2. Your photo was a tremendous compliment to my brunch!
 

 

[Silent One]

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[Silent One]

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Okay. Then again, maybe I'll wait a bit. I got a little too enthusiastic (I am easily mesmerized by things black or silver, red, and shiny--and glowing).
 
If I do hold a meet it will have to be limited to about 4 people and you'll have to bring your own source, chair, and headphones because although I may have a lot of amps, I don't own very many headphones, sources, or furniture.

 

Sources ~
 
I knew choosing a Mac mini as music server would come in handy one day! 

 
 

 

[WarriorAnt]

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Sources ~
 
I knew choosing a Mac mini as music server would come in handy one day! 

 
 

How is that working out?  I'm thinking about it.
 
 

 

[Silent One]

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How is that working out?  I'm thinking about it.
 
 

From a design and flexibility point of view it has worked out well! Adding the solid-state drive was icing on the music server cake. Looming on the horizon is taking the Mac off the grid, either with the Red Wine Audio option, or other LifePO4 options...
 

 

[Clayton SF]

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From a design and flexibility point of view it has worked out well! Adding the solid-state drive was icing on the music server cake. Looming on the horizon is taking the Mac off the grid, either with the Red Wine Audio option, or other LifePO4 options...
 

How would taking the MacMini off-grid help? And which solid-state drive are you talking about? I'm thinking about getting the new MacMini to use as a music server but don't know where to start. (If they make the MMini any thinner you'll be able to use it as a coaster.)
 

 

[WarriorAnt]

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From a design and flexibility point of view it has worked out well! Adding the solid-state drive was icing on the music server cake. Looming on the horizon is taking the Mac off the grid, either with the Red Wine Audio option, or other LifePO4 options...
 

What Red Wine Option?
 

 

[Silent One]

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How would taking the MacMini off-grid help? And which solid-state drive are you talking about? I'm thinking about getting the new MacMini to use as a music server but don't know where to start. (If they make the MMini any thinner you'll be able to use it as a coaster.)
 

By not relying on the varying quality of AC power, less grunge (no grunge), improved dynamics, blacker background, more natural sound, better low-end (yes!), bigger sound stage and holographic imaging to name a few (sorry, got excited)...
 
Also, be aware that the new mini comes sans optical drive. 
 

 

[Olias of Sunhillow]

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From a design and flexibility point of view it has worked out well! Adding the solid-state drive was icing on the music server cake. Looming on the horizon is taking the Mac off the grid, either with the Red Wine Audio option, or other LifePO4 options...
 

I'm curious about the solid state drive addition... is it strictly beneficial if your entirely library fits on the SS drive, or does it provide some tangible improvement even when using a conventional external HD to house your library? I've noticed that the newest Minis have the SS option right on Apple's online store (though still quite spendy).
 

 

[Silent One]

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What Red Wine Option?
 

http://redwineaudio.com/components/black_lightning
 
They're not the only game in town, so to speak. There could be more affordable options. Many of the recent options (RWA & Mach2mini) provide options for powering more than one device in your system; taking the whole thing off the grid.

 

[Silent One]

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I'm curious about the solid state drive addition... is it strictly beneficial if your entirely library fits on the SS drive, or does it provide some tangible improvement even when using a conventional external HD to house your library? I've noticed that the newest Minis have the SS option right on Apple's online store (though still quite spendy).
 

Cramming your library contents onto the SS would not be optimal due to expense; read/write wear. The optimal thing to do is get a SSD large enough for the OS and maybe a little bit extra (just because you can) and  house your library on the external HDD. When typical HDD's spin inside the computer environment it creates unpleasant noises and other electromagnetic hash that impacts your sound. 
 
In a computer environment (which can prove tricky) isolation is key to good sound. I took the internal drive (HDD) and housed it outside the mini with a firewire connection, while my internal SSD @ 64GB is plenty enough for operating and a short-list of favs. Also, if you're going the SSD route it's best to scoop up maximum memory while you're at it - memory play is also beneficial.
 
Lastly, make sure you keep things on a different BUS - got a USB DAC? Make your HDD FireWire. Or vice-versa. The new mini's come with Thunderbolt, so that my yield more options than I'm dealing with now...