Most important components for music server laptop?

I've been trying to research/determine which components are most important when buying a Windows laptop that will be used as a music server. I'm hoping that fellow Outlaws will have some facts or opinions on the components in order of most important to least important that will enable the best sound to be delivered.

For instance is processing power the most important? Should I get the fastest Core 2 Duo available?

Or is it the speed of the disk drive? Or the amount of memory?

Looking forward to the feedback and the rationale behind the recommendations.

I haven't done much of this. What do you plan to use as a media client?

Probably the latest Windows Media Player client. I've ripped CDs using using Windows Media Audio Lossless. The quality seemed to be good in comparison with the CD itself and I seemed to prefer the WMA lossless to the WAV format.

But I'm open to suggestions on other clients. I don't mind investing the time to get the best sound possible.

Will you be using a separate media player device like a SqueezeBox to play your music, or will the computer connect directly to a music system?

You might want to check out Computer Audiophile . It covers a wide range of audio solutions using a computer as a source. The site has a library of articles that describe various applications and a forum to ask questions. Both PC and Mac folks frequent the site and I've found them very helpful.

Gonk, I'll connect directly to my 990 via USB cable. I've also thought about inserting a DAC between the computer and 990 since more and more DACs are accepting USB inputs. I'm reluctant to spend the $500 - $$$$$ on a DAC without being able to audition it.

AvFan, thanks I'll check it out.

AvFan, I've been out to the Computer Audiophile website and poked around a little. It's looks like a gold mine of info. Thanks for the tip.

I've never tried the USB input on my 990. Have you tried sending any of the lossless audio files from your computer to your 990 yet? I'm curious how the sound quality of that compares to sending audio from your computer with a toslink or coaxial digital output?

Strindl: My "golden ears" :rolleyes: can't tell the difference between AIFF formated music files via digital optical versus USB. I'd think the 990 uses the same DAC for both digital sources therefore minimizing any audible differences between them.

Strindl, I've been listening to music via USB from a laptop for a number of months and haven't been disappointed. Earlier comparisons between a CD carousel connected via toslink to my 990 and the laptop connected to the 990 via USB didn't show any glaring differences. I'd leave the room, ask my wife to turn one or the other on, then I'd come back into the room and listen. I did this for a number of favorite songs and I couldn't really tell the difference.

My laptop doesn't offer toslink or coax so I couldn't make that comparison.

There was an article in last months Absolute Sound regarding DACs and USB input. He wasn't too thrilled with the sound when USB was used, but he also thought there was a difference in the sound delivered depending on the USB cable maker. This seemed a little "out there". Either the ones and zeros arrive or they don't. But that's probably a debate for another thread. (There's actually a manufacturer out there that makes a USB cable that costs $500).

I suppose I need to try out that usb port soon and see how it works. I'd kind of forgotten it was even there.

I use Logitech Duet systems to play my music collection on multiple audio systems in my house now. I love how well that works and sounds.

I read that absolute sound piece, but never having tried usb audio myself, I didn't know what to think of it.

Mabey it's just me, but I've always thought music from my CD player via optical or coax sounded a littlebit better than music from my computer via USB , tough I've never done any blind comparison or ,for that mater, listened to the same CD from both sources so it could be more a reflection of the isgnal quality at the source.
I'd be very much suprised if there weren't USB cords being sold for a lot more than $500. I'm sure there are people who would buy them then swear that it was as though many layers of blankets had been unwrapped from their speakers.
I hope they don't knock the clocks over when they're removing all of thos blankets.

LOL! It's as if those 1's and 0's were suddenly transformed from drab ol' courier to garamond. Your D/A knows the difference dammit and will petulantly apply those speaker blankets if you don't humor it with proper Rolls Royce cabling.

I can see it now...we can call them Tiny Little Cables.

The difference between a CD player via digital audio and a PC via USB could be related to the extra processing involved in the PC (depending on the media player used, there can be various amounts of "mucking around" done with the digital signal).

As for the idea of $500 USB cables, I have no comment .