[DerrO]

Lets say I  now have my macbook .... what is the consensus on using Airport Express as the means of connecting to the amplifier?  Airport Express has a built in DAC - right?.... but I guess that you are going to say  that it is only adequate and certainly not audiophile quality. 

So without going to extremes, how does something like E-MU 0404 USB 2.0  stand up, or the M-Audio Fast Track Pro, or the  DIYkits DAC Super Pro DAC707, or  should I be looking at  something better like the Scott-Nixon DAC, or ultimately the Benchmark DAC, though the later is a  little pricey, especially since I am the other side of the Atlantic ( yes, the  same applies  to the Scott Nixon, but less import and taxes to be added!)

As you may gather, I am  all very new to using a laptop as a music server, but I want audiophile quality results.  I need simplicity  and therefore... something that I can just plug into the laptop and the amp, allowing me to eliminate the CDP.

Forgive my very basic questions... but I got to learn about this  sooner or later... so I might as well start right now!

Derro

[Tubo]

In my bedroom I have an AE hooked up to a Trends TA-10 amp, which drive a pair of Rogers LS3/5A speakers. It is very musical! I think the key is to use Apple Lossless files or AIFF. Never MP3's or any compressed files, including Apple's. You can always try an outboard DAC later, which may or may not be an upgrade.

[Crimson]

If you already have a dac, you can use the optical out of the Airport Express (or the optical out of the Macbook). Of the dacs you mentioned, I used to use a Scott Nixon Tube dac  (fed by a HagUSB USB-TOSLINK converter) and then moved to his USB Tube DAC. Both were wonderful sounding dacs. You could also consider the Squeezebox stock or modified, wired or wireless. I have heard good things about the E-MU dac, but never tried it myself.

Which Macbook do you have, which format will you rip to, and what kind of storage will you use?

[DerrO]

As of this moment, I do not have the Macbook, but it is on  its way shortly.  I will use  this Macbook  only for music.  I will rip my cd's to Aple Lossless and that will be stored on a Lacie HD. 

I was thinking of the HagUSB, as you mention and feeding that to a Behringer 8024 equalizer, which has its own DAC, and this I guess would possibly do as  a starting point. But it may be cheaper in the long run to go straight to the ScottNixon Tubed USB DAC!

Thanks  for  any advise.

DerrO

[boead]

Heres what I do.
I have a cheapass, IBM P4 laptop with WinXP setup for Remote Desktop Connection. I have it by my audio gear connected to a Scott Nixon USB TD. I have a 400GB Samsung (VERY silent) in a USB2 external box.
I remote control the laptop from other computers in the house so it never has to be opened or accessed. You can do this with a regular desktop computer - NO monitor, keyboard or mouse needed. 
I store music as WAV for future conversion and ease of use. Any application I want plays them (Foobar, iTunes, MediaPlayer). I also archive a lot of music as 320kbps MP3 which sound GREAT with the Scott Nixon.

The quality of the DAC is what’s most important. I’ve tried lots and lots of DAC. Many from M-Audio, Creative, EMU, California Audio Labs and so on. The Scott Nixon is awesome!! Very natural and musical. I also bought Scotts better power supply and I use a K-Works power cord and MIT S3 IC’s.

Much more musical then my G3 iPod wired into the preamp (I have that setup too) and quite frankly, I think the Scott Nixon is more musical then a Denon DVD-2900 playing SACD’s.

BTW: Laptops like these can be had used for less then $200 and add an external HD for under $100. If you have a router in the house and another Windows computer you can Remote Control its desktop very easily, its all built-in MS apps since Windows 2000.