[nature boy]

I think increased digital bandwidth, wireless networks, and growing availability of video and music streaming options have some important implications on how we configure our audio/video equipment systems in the future.  I am interested in starting a discussion on this topic so hear goes.

One of my decision dilemma's is whether to take the time/effort to rip my CD collection onto a hard drive.  I can't think of a more boring, tedious chore outside of doing my taxes.  Should I take this plunge or is there a better mouse trap?

Also, having high quality video and sound in several listening spaces - family room, my two-channel listening cave (the refuge), and bedroom is personally very important to me.  Is there a simple, cost effective solution looming out there on the horizon?? 

I guess the latter is my big question for collective pondering by my fellow music lovers and hopefully technologically savvy AC'ers.  Please share your thoughts.

Cheers,

NB

[nature boy]

No one interested in doing some "informed speculation" here??

NB

[macrojack]

I think I can foresee a time when wireless signal transfer and chip amps conspire to end all cable debates. At that point we will find ourselves worrying about the humidity and positive ion count in our listening spaces.

[eclein]

I think your gonna see a ton of new devices in the exact category that you describe....D-Link is coming out with Boxee Box (sub $200 price point) in a few months that will not only play content from the web but from your own networked devices. I know for me that all my music purchases in the last few years have been digital files-its convenient. Everyday new ways to better display/play these file types comes into view. DAC's are getting cheaper and better and more accessible to the average consumer. With streaming content providers like Netflix, LastFM, etc..mass media is swinging toward the cloud based model. I currently stream music to my home system via Logitech's Squeezebox and can view Netflix via Playstation 3 or simply connect my laptop to my system....I think the cloud is here and its gonna get bigger, is that a good thing? The jury is still out!

[Ericus Rex]

I have not gotten into the wireless digital realm for the same reasons as you, Nature Boy.  The squeezebox didn't sound good so I'd need a good DAC and I'd need a dedicated PC and then I'd spend weeks ripping and then, once all that's done, I'd never listen to complete songs b/c it'd be so easy to switch to something else as the itch arises.  I may revisit the concept once someone comes out with an affordable, high-quality one box solution.

[turkey]

I have not gotten into the wireless digital realm for the same reasons as you, Nature Boy.  The squeezebox didn't sound good so I'd need a good DAC and I'd need a dedicated PC and then I'd spend weeks ripping and then, once all that's done, I'd never listen to complete songs b/c it'd be so easy to switch to something else as the itch arises.  I may revisit the concept once someone comes out with an affordable, high-quality one box solution.

Olive has offered a number of these, and the prices are pretty decent.

http://www.olive.us/products/olive4hd/overview.html

[chadh]

Not only do I imagine the form of our systems will change, I suspect the whole model of music ownership will change.  Once various technical barriers are overcome (such as bandwidth limitations), I doubt people will buy music at all - even in file format.  Instead, we'll subscribe to streaming services, paying for access to a library from which you can stream instantly whatever music you want.  We'll see the demise of record companies, and the emergence of online libraries, and all sorts of new contractual issues about which libraries are able to offer which artists' music...it will be very interesting.

Somebody should start working on a good album cover/liner note data base to be available alongside this kind of service so we can all show off what music we're streaming at any moment.  Audiophiles like that kind of thing.

Chad

[Big Red Machine]

Piling on Chad's ideas and thinking outside the box - I envision the only devices in your room will be your digitally powered speakers with wireless/USB/CAT5 connections to a network.  No preamp, no CDP, no cables except the network connection and the power cables to the speakers.  Heck, we could even put an LED screen in the base of the speaker cabinet for the artwork to show.  (These are full range 3 or 4 way's, not a boombox.)

[Stu Pitt]

A lot of people thought CD would be the death blow to vinyl.  Look how that turned out. 

[nature boy]

GREAT STUFF, let's keep it coming.  I thinking quality high def wireless streaming of audio and video are at our doorstep.  Chad and Big Red thoughts jive with mine, however I still will keep my vinyl collection and tube amp - because it sounds the best to my ears, just call me retro nature boy.

NB

[Kevin Haskins]

I'm buying a Touch to stream all my stuff.   I'm not a gizmo freak, I don't even have a cell phone but I think that these offer a compelling enough reason to migrate.    I'm even thinking of a way to integrate that touch screen into the front panel of a preamp/integrated.

[Mike B.]

I think wireless is attractive but I am concerned about all the devices that will use it and how to defeat interference problems. Right now, I have a wireless video security system, router, and wireless phone using the 2.2 gig band. When I set up my home network, the signal from three neighbor wireless networks could be seen by my system. The video signal from my wireless cameras has been compromised with the proliferation of other devices in it's transmission range.

[Kevin Haskins]

I think wireless is attractive but I am concerned about all the devices that will use it and how to defeat interference problems. Right now, I have a wireless video security system, router, and wireless phone using the 2.2 gig band. When I set up my home network, the signal from three neighbor wireless networks could be seen by my system. The video signal from my wireless cameras has been compromised with the proliferation of other devices in it's transmission range.

We live in a sea of RF so you have to design equipment from the get-go to have good RF rejection.    In terms of picking it up with the wireless receiver, just run a CAT-5 cable if you have such problems.    I'm planning to use a USB external hard drive plugged into just the Touch so the only time I run anything via wireless is for Internet Radio.   This way my computer doesn't have to be turned on to play any music.

[Mike B.]

Hi Kevin. That is exactly what I did for my music server. I left the dedicated hard drives connected to my office computer and ran cat5 to the two channel room. I suppose I will convert the wireless cameras to coax at some point.

[lcrim]

While I am well aware of how attractive 802.11 (wifi) has become with consumers, I have started to move back to wired ethernet connections because of some of the issues mentioned here.  The security of most home wireless routers is a joke.  Any decent hacker can defeat the standard security in a few minutes at most.
The crowded airwaves @2.4 ghz is another bag of problems as mentioned above. 
I recently wired my home network and the quality gain on my SqueezeBoxes was tangible.  I have thought that the next generation of Networked Media Tanks would provide all the software bundled into one spot for getting music and video from home network storage or internet streaming. BTW, I can't see how terrestrial broadcast of tv has anything but a limited future.

[Stu Pitt]

If you have a Naim dealer locally, check out the Naim Uniti.  Very well thought out product and it sounds fantastic.  At $3750 it ain't cheap, but its only $700 more than the Nait 5i and CD5i, which it basically is with the addition of a bunch of other stuff.

http://www.naimuniti.com/about.php