Home audio equvilent of SMC?

[Mike Allen1010]

I need technology help!

I love music, but my understanding of home audio/stereo technology ended about when CD's/digital audio began.

I have relied on vinyl for my primary music source for 50 years and have solid tube bsed audio system. I finally realized digital resistance is futile, and am now ready to give into to the in escapable convienence of digital.

Where can I get some advice about what CD players/digital to audio converters, etc. would work for me?

Thanks, Mike

[Patrick McCarthy]

Mike, I also have dabbled in the audio end of things but I haven't found the equivalent audio forum. I have some old-school Klipsch Cornwall speakers, a tube based system and enough vinyl to worry my wife that I have hoarding tendencies - as if that were a bad thing. Thus far, over the past 10 years I have learned a fair bit from the Klipsch forum, but it takes awhile to assess the "personalities" there and figure out who knows what and who just has nothing else to do but stir things up or pontificate. A lot of the older guys from whom I learned so much just check in now and seem to be less active. Audiogon used to be easy to navigate but they changed things a few years ago and I do not find it user friendly so I just don't go there anymore.

[Jason Roehl]

AVSForum (dot com). It's more about the video aspect, but the sound stuff is all there. I haven't been there in quite some time, but it appears to still be quite active. That said, CD players are all but dead...it's all about digital files now, whether locally stored or streamed from the web.

[Dan Hintz]

AVSForum (dot com). It's more about the video aspect, but the sound stuff is all there. I haven't been there in quite some time, but it appears to still be quite active.

Seconded...

[Larry Browning]

I also agree with Jason, CDs are a dying breed. If you are want to upgrade you system, it probably doesn't need to include a CD player. DVDs and blu-rays are on their way out as well. Everything is going to streaming digital files. (Local and online)

[Steve Meliza]

I concur that physical media is on its way out, but I don't agree that it is dead to the point where you shouldn't purchase a CD or Blu-ray player. At the very least you need something capable of serving up that digital movie so if you're using Netflix you can find a Blu-ray player that will play CD, DVD, and Blu-ray and can also stream your movies. Today I'd not be without a way to play DVD and Blu-ray because there are plenty of movies out there not available digitally that I want to view. When I want eye-popping video I put in a Blu-ray disk and when I want to sit and listen to music I put in a CD because that is my purest source of audio signal in the house with the exception of the piano.

The heart and soul of your entertainment system is the receiver. I like Denon and usually end up around the $1000 price point. Recent offerings include the option to stream digital media from a PC or allow you to control it from your cell phone. Imagine being in the shop listening to music while the family watches a movie at the same time and you can control your music from the shop using your phone.

As far as connections go you'll be using RCA or Toslink for audio from a CD player to the receiver. The speaker connections will likely be binding posts that also accept banana plugs, and the Blu-ray player is best connected through the receiver to the TV with an HDMI cable.

[Todd Willhoit]

Audiocircle.com is a nice community.