[chadh]

You could always make an offer on my (already reasonably priced) Bolder modified SB2, with power supply.  This would give you a taste of the music server experience, without the need to mess with a fancy DAC, and would cost about the same as an SB Touch:

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=82139.msg792948#msg792948

Chad

[NewBuyer]

For a 'proof of concept' project, I used an old PC in the basement to install Vortexbox. Ripped about 10 classical CDs.

Accessed it via my htpc and played back the mp3 rips in my theater area, that's fine.

But I'd like to play back the .flac copies via my 2 channel system. How do folks do that?

I'm thinking of getting the SB Duet, and connecting that to my pre-amp.

What I'd like to do is get a good DAC and use that, but not sure what the sequence would be for hook-up, SB->DAC->Preamp? Or some other arrangement?

Anyone doing this presently with good results?

Gene

You've got a nice system.  I'd recommend you get a Transporter (a brand-new one is currently advertised on Audiogon at $1299) - I have found it to be very much better than the Touch.

I can also recommend looking into a powerline networking option - both for convenience and in order to avoid wireless networking connections.

Good luck!  This is fun stuff. 

[bunnyma357]

I have both a SB3 to DAC to PreAmp based system. And also a Computer/iTunes/Pure Vinyl to Pro Audio 192/24 interface to PreAmp. For convenience the SB3 can't be beat, for sound quality the iTunes/ProAudio set up sounds better for the same money and also acts as a MC Phono Pre for digitizing & listening to Vinyl.

I end up using both depending on what I want to do at the time.

Jim C