Welcome to the Discless Circle!

EchiDna · « **on:** 8 Mar 2008, 02:39 pm »

As JohnR has pointed out, the original post in this thread was getting a tad long in the tooth! Hence this amendment. Woodsyi has moved on to bigger and better things in the audiocircle world months ago and I'm flying solo as your volunteer facilitator - I'll admit I don't post that frequently, but due to the level of traffic, the banter and the helpful advice we share here, I don't seem to have a great need for intervening

Original post:
Well after a re-organise of the digital related circles, welcome to the new home of all things related to audio streaming - servers, software and players

I'll be co-facilitating with Woodsyi and I'm sure I speak for both of us in welcoming you all during this interesting time of change throughout the industry where more and more of us are turning to computer based transports, network player, NAS boxes, audio servers.

I've so far moved many of the appropriate threads from the square circle across to here (jan 2008+ only!).

For reference, the former square circle, digital domain and other "lost" in the changes can now be found in the archive: http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?board=86.0

Bill@LakeGeorge · « **Reply #1 on:** 8 Mar 2008, 02:52 pm »

Great Idea

woodsyi · « **Reply #2 on:** 8 Mar 2008, 03:07 pm »

This circle is all about playing music that is stored as digital files on computer/servers. So, let us discuss digital file based music from ripping/downloading to storing and playing the files. We welcome those computer hardware questions that pertain to audio but please use the Magnetic Core Circle for general PC hardware discussions unrelated to audio. This is a relatively new and exciting format for us audiophiles and newer stuffs keep coming up. We welcome questions from those who are new to the format and encourage the old hands to share their knowledge and expertise. We like to keep this circle a congenial place -- so please refrain from condescension and derisive remarks. No question is dumb and no answer is perfect. Debates and discussions on merits of specific gears and methods are welcome but please no shouting matches. We are all in this together for love of music, especially for music played back without discs in this circle.

EchiDna · « **Reply #3 on:** 8 Mar 2008, 03:10 pm »

beat ya

only just mind you....

woodsyi · « **Reply #4 on:** 8 Mar 2008, 03:12 pm »

We will work it out.

bpape · « **Reply #5 on:** 8 Mar 2008, 03:28 pm »

Might I recommend that the link to the previous Square Circle things be pinned as it's own topic here so people will easily find it. Not sure in the long term that people will look in the 'welcome' topic to find that.

Bryan

EchiDna · « **Reply #6 on:** 9 Mar 2008, 01:53 pm »

good idea Bryan, will do in the near future

Bob in St. Louis · « **Reply #7 on:** 9 Mar 2008, 02:25 pm »

So I can finally stop whining about a SqueezeBox Forum now?

I like it here, it's all warm and cozy.
But technically, harddrive based servers aren't really "discless", ya' know?

Bob

TheChairGuy · « **Reply #8 on:** 9 Mar 2008, 02:43 pm »

Is anybody else reading the name of this circle very quickly....and smirking like a pre-pubescent 8 year old at it's name?

I can't help it - I'm a victim of inferior genetics. Fart jokes continue to be funny, too

Good luck EchiDna and woodsyi

John

launche · « **Reply #9 on:** 9 Mar 2008, 04:50 pm »

Quote from: TheChairGuy on 9 Mar 2008, 02:43 pm

Is anybody else reading the name of this circle very quickly....and smirking like a pre-pubescent 8 year old at it's name?

I can't help it - I'm a victim of inferior genetics. Fart jokes continue to be funny, too

Good luck EchiDna and woodsyi

John

I'm there with you, odd name.
sounds strange when you try to say it...like a tongue twister.
I said it to my wife and she said "The what circle?" We went back and forth about 3 times and then I just said nevermind.

Bob in St. Louis · « **Reply #10 on:** 9 Mar 2008, 05:17 pm »

I hadn't thought of that, but ya', you're right!
I knew some of were nerds or geeks, but I didn't know any of YOU were "without".

Bob (with)

mcullinan · « **Reply #11 on:** 9 Mar 2008, 05:22 pm »

Im discless and pantless. YEAH! Thats how I roll babeeee!
uh... hmm.
Mike

EchiDna · « **Reply #12 on:** 10 Mar 2008, 03:54 am »

oo-er!

I like double entendres even if they are unintentional!

if you can't laugh at yourself, what can you do?

now where was I?

I'm comfortably "with" not that there is anything wrong with being "without"

TONEPUB · « **Reply #13 on:** 10 Mar 2008, 04:00 am »

I'm excited about this circle, to see where it goes...

Do you guys have any interest in discussing DAC's here
or is that a general hardware discussion?

Also, here's something that I've just recently uncovered
and it will be a future article...

I've got three of our younger writers out on a couple
of college campuses asking as many kids as they
can questions about their musical tastes and preferences
in hardware and software.

On one level I'm not surprised, but so far not ONE of them
has any interest in Vinyl and precious few even listen to
CD's anymore except to rip them.

They are almost all listening to portable players and
their computers as a music source.

They've all said they really love music, they just don't
want to deal with physical product that much anymore.

Interesting....

EchiDna · « **Reply #14 on:** 10 Mar 2008, 04:06 am »

good question Tonepub...

personally I feel if it's USB (or networked - who knows what is in the pipeline) DACs of which you speak, then no problem to discuss it here, but if it is a traditional digitally connected DAC, then I think this belongs elsewhere.

TONEPUB · « **Reply #15 on:** 10 Mar 2008, 04:08 am »

Ok, got it.

So, later on this month, we can talk about the USB DAC's we have in
for review...

woodsyi · « **Reply #16 on:** 10 Mar 2008, 04:30 am »

Jeff,

I don't think EchiDna is saying only USB DACs. I would think that any DAC that is fed digital music from a computer/server can be discussed here however the data is transported. So I would say you can discuss any DAC as long as it is fed streaming audio data and only in that application (not fed by the traditional transport that is reading a disc).

TONEPUB · « **Reply #17 on:** 10 Mar 2008, 06:11 am »

Got it.

Well, we have a few in the works for the rest of the year, from the 700 dollar Channel Islands
up to the Wadia 521...

We'll keep you posted with our process!

EchiDna · « **Reply #18 on:** 10 Mar 2008, 06:16 am »

well put Woodsyi

In essence, the form of DAC is not important with respect to this circle, it's the "discless" nature of the source feeding it (a bit of an obtuse differentiation I know!).

eg - if you use the Co-axial output from a squeezebox into a DAC and need startup or troubleshooting help, or a "which USB DAC is Best" discussion this is fine for this area, but if it's a generic "which do you think is better, DAC XX or DAC XXX" then it probably belongs in either audio central or the starting block where it will hit a wider audience.

geez that probably made it even harder to understand....

sorenj07 · « **Reply #19 on:** 10 Mar 2008, 08:19 am »

Two things: One, unless everything in the "data path" to your ears is "discless", you still have hard discs, etc. to worry about

That was stupid.

Now, for my better advice:
Check out http://www.hqshare.net . Lossless audio. It's the only way to go if you're going to go about "downloading" music, though I don't recommend breaking the law.