wubbahed.com

So I’m going to make the plunge and go all-digital with my home audio setup. Yes, digitize everything and throw away the CDs. (okay, okay, *throw away* is a harsh edict. *store in the basement* is probably more appropriate).

My question is what system should I get? Here’s my list of requirements:

• Must support lossless audio formats
• Must support optical audio out
• Must operate as a standalone system (doesn’t require streaming from another PC)
• Should not have to be left powered on 24/7
• Boot time should be less than 30 seconds from power up
• System should be fanless or extremely quiet
• Support for 500GB initially, possibly more later
• I’m not opposed to something that involves heavy technical knowledge for setup (e.g., a Linux system) but the finished system should be easy enough for non-technical people to understand
• Entire package must cost under $1000, ~$500 is preferred

I’ve been looking around at this for a while now, and was hoping that an Apple TV would do the trick, and it probably would do the job too if it supported an external hard drive. But as the product works now, that’s a showstopper though some of the hacks look pretty promising.

I’ve also looked at the Slim Devices line of products which also seem nice, but I’m worried that the interface is going to be really difficult to deal with when scrolling through over 1000 albums/artists not to mention that it’s going to involve using the computer too much for maintenance.

There are lots of other standalone systems, but not many that support lossless so I haven’t paid much attention. And going lossless means you need a LOT more storage, hence my dilemma. Help?