# What are your computer specs that you listen to music to?



## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

Right now I'm listening to my music in ALAC format using a Dell XPS L501x 15.6" laptop. The only upgrade I have done to it is using a Intel 180 GB SSD for better CD ripping and nicer playback.

I also have a HP Pavilion small form factor desktop for playing back my iTunes files as well as an Asus 12" netbook.

What is your computer rig specs?


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## brotagonist (Jul 11, 2013)

I built my computer myself. I use Fedora Linux, so I like to use Intel graphics, as they have open source graphic drivers that can be shipped with the operating system. As a result, I bought a Silverstone computer case that is compact and aesthetically designed to harmonize with stereo equipment:









I mounted the motherboard inside (DQ45CB ATX form factor with on-board Intel graphics and sound). I used to do it myself, but the shop now does it for free, so I had them mount the Intel Core 2 Duo E6320 1.866 GHz processor on the motherboard. All I had to do was drop the motherboard into the case, clip in the memory and hard and optical drives, attach all of the wires to the motherboard, the case switches and lights, and install the operating system. I have been doing this for years, so I upgrade the computer by parts every few years, rather than getting it all at once. I am using an NEC LCD 1830 18-inch monitor as the primary monitor, but I also use my new 47-inch LG LED television set as a secondary monitor, when I want to watch videos from the web. I have the computer hooked up to some older Acoustic Research active speakers that will knock your socks off. The computer only gets used for listening to You Tube, Naxos Music Library, etc. I have a few mp3 files that came as bonus tracks with CD albums I purchased. I only rip my own CDs for portable use on my Sony mp3 Walkman. I don't use any exotic file formats, since 99% of my listening is to my purchased CD albums on my HiFi system. I also have an older HP Compaq laptop that I use for travel. It runs Fedora Linux, too. When I am away from home, I can plug it into the car stereo or use the built-in speakers. It gets me by quite nicely :tiphat:

I have had this configuration for about 4 years (monitor for about 10 years) and it is still going strong. I see no need to change the hardware for the foreseeable future.


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

I just checked my desktop specs and I have a HP Pavilion Slimline S5310Y PC with my only upgrade of 8 GB RAM... using Windows 8.1. Works beautiful with TV shows and iTunes tracks for me.


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## mirepoix (Feb 1, 2014)

At work I occasionally listen to music via a computer. I ditched the Apple stuff and now have Windows on machines we had put together. All I know about them is that I think they have 16 Gb of RAM ( I often have Lightroom 5 and Photoshop running at the same time) and they breathe easy on that. Think the last Macs we used had 24 Gb. I don't remember. And I don't know what the speakers are or where they came from. Damn, I don't know much at all. Oh well.


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## Triplets (Sep 4, 2014)

I use a Mac Air with an external optical drive and external HD. I use a thunderbolt to FireWire adapter to output to a Apogee FireWire 24/192 DAC.


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## Couchie (Dec 9, 2010)

All of my audio is run from my pure molybdenum disc hard drive over fibreoptics to my Beats headphones for maximal playback quality.


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

I may be switching my Dell laptop for a HP one.


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## Jos (Oct 14, 2013)

Bog-standard Apple stuff; pod, pad and iMac. Sometimes hooked up to the proper stereo or through Harman Kardon soundsticks.


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## Haydn man (Jan 25, 2014)

Standard iMac with all the music then either streamed to the hi if via Sonos Connect or listened to on the iPod


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

I just switched my ALAC encoding laptop from the Dell XPS L501X which had a slightly problematic DVD drive to a newer HP Pavilion g7-2341dx laptop with A8 Vision processor.


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

Hopefully going up to 16 GB of RAM for my HP desktop.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

I am running an HP Pavilion slim case desktop dating from 2006. It has AMD Athlon(tm) 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 3800+, 250 GB hard drive, and has been upgraded to 2GB of RAM (max this one will take, came with 1GB) Am running LinuxMint Release 17.1 (that just came out), MATE 1.8.1.

I use Asunder to rip CDs, Brasero to burn Cds, Audacity to edit music tracks, and VLC Media Player for both DVDs and music file playback. I mostly manage my music on this computer and listen in the car and on an earbud. I usually listen to DVDs off an image file burned from Brasero as it comes up a lot quicker than either a disc or a disc copied to a folder. The image file was meant for burning copies, but serves very well for playback


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## Tristan (Jan 5, 2013)

The computer that I listen to music on is my 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display from 2012.

8 GB RAM and 256 GB HDD. The HDD is not big enough to hold my music, so I use a portable 500 GB USB drive to hold all my ripped CDs (which amounts to about 150 GB worth of Apple Lossless files right now). I use my Windows desktop to rip the CDs, but my laptop to listen to them.

Eventually I want to get a laptop with enough space to hold all my music, but that's expensive if you want an SSD


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

albertfallickwang said:


> Hopefully going up to 16 GB of RAM for my HP desktop.


Looks like only went up to 8 gb G Skill RAM so going to try to upgrade to a new graphics card a Radeon R5 220 for some basic video playback (since I don't video game anymore I don't need high end) for my HP Pavilion. First time I will try to install a low profile video card ever.


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

I just finished building my new desktop for ripping CD's and also a media server. I look forward to taking a photo when I finish setting it up and getting an Apple TV someday to stream music across.


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