Resources

Computer Audio can be kinda kludgy, especially for people looking to play digital files on their hi-fi with the ease of playing music on their phone or slipping a disc into a player or slapping an LP onto a turntable. If you read about Computer Audio on the internet in search of a simple solution, you'll burrow deep into the heart of a complex and oftentimes angry beast. The truth of the matter is, you no longer have to.

Thankfully, things change and technology progresses at a blistering pace unless you are talking about Computer Audio and audiophiles where some systems and the people who own them struggle with things like playing back different file formats and getting their album cover art and metadata to show up correctly. These are First World problems brought about by the perfection of digital audio (cough).

What if we want Computer Audio to be easy? What if we want Computer Audio to not suck at doing the things we've been doing for decades? What if, heaven forbid, we want Computer Audio to be...better?

The good news is Computer Audio can be easy and better. The bad news is the easy and better approach is hard to come by within the audiophile community because within the audiophile community many people like harder: Wrestling with stuff makes music sound so much the sweeter after a long day's toil. Or so the story goes.

We're going to unravel Computer Audio audio in a series of articles in order to illustrate how easy and better can and do peacefully coexist.

Road Map (so far)

Computer Audio 101: File Formats

Computer Audio 101: File Sizes and Storage

Computer Audio 101: Fixing Your Metadata

Computer Audio 101: Network Attached Storage

Computer Audio 101: Ripping & File Conversion Software

Computer Audio 101: Streaming

Computer Audio 101: Turn Your Desktop and iPhone Into a Concert Hall for Under $500

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Credits: All images Jana Dagdagan