How to play digital music files on my old Technics SC-CH700

[Deuteros]

I have a Technics SC-CH700 Mini Component Hi-Fi Stereo System (I believe this is what we used to call these back then...) which I bought in the nineties and still love to bits. The thing is, I'm getting lazy with age and having to change CDs constantly is getting increasingly tiresome.

It has an extra optical input for auxiliary sources where I'd like to connect something that'd play MP3s, FLACs and whatnot. Here's what I'd appreciate some help with:

1) What should that something be? Audio files are my only concern. Both my LCD and my Blu-Ray player play some formats of video files from an USB stick and I haven't even given that feature much use. Of course, having the option is always nice.

2) I shouldn't settle for anything less than FLAC, right? If someone could kindly suggest a nice piece of software for me to (patiently) rip my CD collection, as well as some recommended parameters (such as compression rate), I'd be really grateful.

Thanks in advance for your help!

[J0e Musashi]

I'd say a PS3 would be your best option with high-quality MP3 files.

[Deuteros]

I'd like something a bit more... dedicated. And portable. A PS3 is guaranteed to be close to a TV at all times, but the Hi-Fi could end up in another corner of the room. I was thinking more in terms of a media centre or maybe even a dedicated music player. With lots of storage capacity, of course.

[cutmymilk]

Well, ipod.

[smouty]

Do you want the device to store the media or stream from a PC/NAS/Phone etc?

[charlesr]

To rip to FLAC, you need EAC (exact audio grabber). It's complex but worth it.

If you want to stream from a PC wirelessly, then a logitech squeezebox classic would meet your needs - it has an optical output and understands FLAC. I have two and love them. You need to install free music server software on your PC.

[Deuteros]

The device should either store the media itself or easily connect to an external HDD. I'm always years behind the latest trends in technology and gadjets so my PCs and phones can safely be assumed to be crap by modern standards. To illustrate my point, my two phones are a Sony Ericsson W715 and a Nokia 3200 (which is the one seeing the most use)...

[smouty]

I don't think you'd notice much difference between FLAC and a high bitrate MP3 TBH.
MP3 would also be pretty much available on any device you should buy in the future but FLAC wouldn't work on IOS for example.

You could start with something like a WDTV which takes a USB drive or even a hacked XBOX 1 running XBMC.

Do you want it connected to a display, have a built in display or control it via a web front end or smart phone app?

[Deuteros]

To rip to FLAC, you need EAC (exact audio grabber). It's complex but worth it.

If you want to stream from a PC wirelessly, then a logitech squeezebox classic would meet your needs - it has an optical output and understands FLAC. I have two and love them. You need to install free music server software on your PC.

I have a Toshiba Satellite running 32-bit Vista. I hope it can handle the ripping with the right software installed, even if it struggles with the process and takes longer than a decent computer.

I wouldn't want to stream from it (it takes ages to boot, even from a fresh installation) but maybe I could get something like a Raspberry Pi and use it for this sole purpose? I wouldn't know where to start, though...

[Deuteros]

I don't think you'd notice much difference between FLAC and a high bitrate MP3 TBH.
MP3 would also be pretty much available on any device you should buy in the future but FLAC wouldn't work on IOS for example.

You're probably right and that's something I should consider. I don't want to settle for anything less than the quality provided by uncompressed audio from a music CD, though.

You could start with something like a WDTV which takes a USB drive or even a hacked XBOX 1 running XBMC.

Those WD devices seem nice and relatively hassle-free. I'll look into them.

Do you want it connected to a display, have a built in display or control it via a web front end or smart phone app?

I'd like it to be as standalone as possible, so a built-in display would be best.

[Brad]

Is this mini system capable of outputting audio of a quality whereby you could even ell the difference between a flac and an MP3?
Highly unlikely.

You want something that will output through an optical cable too? Get an old mac mini maybe? I believe they'll output optical.

[Deuteros]

You want something that will output through an optical cable too? Get an old mac mini maybe? I believe they'll output optical.

That's WAY too expensive for both what I need and the storage capacity it provides.

[Brad]

Must it provide optical out?

[Deuteros]

Getting something with an optical out would be nice and it shouldn't be that hard.

I'm looking at the Western Digital range: WD TV Play, WD TV Live, WD Elements Play and WD TV Live Hub, from cheapest to most expensive. The first two models don't have any internal storage, which could actually be a plus as I've heard complaints about their reliability in the models that do include an HDD. They all have optical audio and HDMI output.

[wakka]

Well, ipod.

It does kind of sound like this is what you want. A portable device which will store and play the music and has its own display. Except that it won't play FLAC, only Apple's proprietary lossless AAC audio format.

It works on the bus too!

Although it doesn't have optical of course. But I doubt you'll notice the difference really.