Hi,
I am looking to put my entire cd collection (all 325cds) on a Music server. My first priority is the sound quality. Below are the three servers I am thinking about. Does anyone own/heard them play? My alternative is to maybe purchase a laptop and build a server that way. What do you guys think? I need help.
Current system is
Krell with ML SL3 speakers. I only listen to 2-channel.
Thanks,
Matt
Escient MX-111$2000
160GB internal hard drive for storing digital music files
• Built-in CD-RW drive for playing, burning and ripping CDs
• CD Burner – create the perfect mix CD to play in your car, office, or portable
CD player
• Fast CD Ripper – copy a CD to the internal hard drive in MP3 or CD Quality
(FLAC) format in less than 5 minutes
• Multi-Zone Support – Connect one FireBall to another FireBall to share the
music, double the storage capacity, and create a second music zone. Add
FireBall ZP-1 players for music in every room.
• Fully Customizable – create and edit your own Playlists, Genres, and Internet
Radio Stations
• Store, secure, browse and play up to 400 DVDs or CDs stored in a Sony
CD/DVD changer
• Simple and intuitive on-screen user interface for browsing, selecting, and
playing movies, music, Internet radio stations and for all system
configuration and setup functions
• Automatic DVD identification using Escient’s MovieDB™
• Automatic CD identification using Gracenote CDDB™ with cover art
provided by AMG
• PC File Sharing for transferring music files to and from a PC or Mac
(includes support for iPod and other portable players)
• FireBall-PC support for browsing and playing music stored on PC or Mac
• Web interface for remote control and music streaming via any standard web browser
Play any WMA or Shoutcast Internet radio stations
• Create and edit Internet Radio stations
• Record audio to hard drive from external changers or from any legacy
analog or digital audio device (LPs, Cassettes, DAT, MD, etc.)
• Built-in component video matrix switcher for automatic changer selection
and routing to two zones
• User selectable 16x9 or 4:3 on screen TV user interface
Olive Opus No4 $1500
350G Hard Drive
Supports music playback in 24-bit/96khz, 250 times the resolution of CD music!
CD mechanism Panasonic CD-R/RW
·High fidelity CD audio playback.
·Networking Wired Gigabit Ethernet
·Fast bandwidth for seamless multi-room audio streaming
·Wireless 54 Mbit/s (802.11g) Encryption WEP + WPA, 64- and 128-bit
·Audio Outputs Analog 1x RCA
·Wide variety of high-quality audio outputs to connect to your stereo system.
·Digital 1x digital output S/P DIF optical Toslink, 1x digital output S/P DIF coaxial cinch Audio Formats WAV, FLAC, MP3 (128 to 320 bit/s)
·Other Ports 1x USB 1.1/2.0 Backup your music library to an external hard drive.
·Connect and play music from your Apple® iPod™. Access music on your iPod™ anywhere within your home with the MELODY No2 (optionally available).
Yamaha MusicCast MCX 2000
Wireless Capability (Built-in 802.11)
160G Hard Drive
• Built-in 802.11b/g Netwrok Protocol CD Burner (built-in CDRW drive)
• Ripping Speed (CD to HDD) • (20x Normal Speed) Recording Speed (HDD to CD)
• (4x to CD-R/RW Media) HDD Size 160GB HDD (upgradable)
XM Satellite Radio Ready • (100 presets) Built-In FM Tuner • 100 presets) Internet Radio Compatibility
• (40 URL presets) PC Content Playback • Supported Formats Analog Audio, CDs, CD-R /RW, PCM / MP3 Encoding Compression Rates (mp3 rate)
Variable compression rate 160 - 320 Kbps Storage Capacity (Compressed / Uncompressed) 2000 hrs / 200 hrs Number of Clients Controlled Wirelessly
• RS-232C Interface • Ethernet Connection • (Cat 5 link) Analog Audio (Inputs / Outputs) • (1 / 1) Digital Inputs (Inputs / Outputs) • (1 Optical / 1 Optical) Video Output • (1 Composite, 1 S-Video) PS/2 Connection • Headphone jack • Remote • (System remote) Extended IR Input • Extended IR Codes • System Update Via CD-ROM

I am looking to put my entire cd collection (all 325cds) on a Music server. My first priority is the sound quality. Below are the three servers I am thinking about. Does anyone own/heard them play? My alternative is to maybe purchase a laptop and build a server that way. What do you guys think? I need help.
Current system is
Krell with ML SL3 speakers. I only listen to 2-channel.
Thanks,
Matt
Escient MX-111$2000
160GB internal hard drive for storing digital music files
• Built-in CD-RW drive for playing, burning and ripping CDs
• CD Burner – create the perfect mix CD to play in your car, office, or portable
CD player
• Fast CD Ripper – copy a CD to the internal hard drive in MP3 or CD Quality
(FLAC) format in less than 5 minutes
• Multi-Zone Support – Connect one FireBall to another FireBall to share the
music, double the storage capacity, and create a second music zone. Add
FireBall ZP-1 players for music in every room.
• Fully Customizable – create and edit your own Playlists, Genres, and Internet
Radio Stations
• Store, secure, browse and play up to 400 DVDs or CDs stored in a Sony
CD/DVD changer
• Simple and intuitive on-screen user interface for browsing, selecting, and
playing movies, music, Internet radio stations and for all system
configuration and setup functions
• Automatic DVD identification using Escient’s MovieDB™
• Automatic CD identification using Gracenote CDDB™ with cover art
provided by AMG
• PC File Sharing for transferring music files to and from a PC or Mac
(includes support for iPod and other portable players)
• FireBall-PC support for browsing and playing music stored on PC or Mac
• Web interface for remote control and music streaming via any standard web browser
Play any WMA or Shoutcast Internet radio stations
• Create and edit Internet Radio stations
• Record audio to hard drive from external changers or from any legacy
analog or digital audio device (LPs, Cassettes, DAT, MD, etc.)
• Built-in component video matrix switcher for automatic changer selection
and routing to two zones
• User selectable 16x9 or 4:3 on screen TV user interface
Olive Opus No4 $1500
350G Hard Drive
Supports music playback in 24-bit/96khz, 250 times the resolution of CD music!
CD mechanism Panasonic CD-R/RW
·High fidelity CD audio playback.
·Networking Wired Gigabit Ethernet
·Fast bandwidth for seamless multi-room audio streaming
·Wireless 54 Mbit/s (802.11g) Encryption WEP + WPA, 64- and 128-bit
·Audio Outputs Analog 1x RCA
·Wide variety of high-quality audio outputs to connect to your stereo system.
·Digital 1x digital output S/P DIF optical Toslink, 1x digital output S/P DIF coaxial cinch Audio Formats WAV, FLAC, MP3 (128 to 320 bit/s)
·Other Ports 1x USB 1.1/2.0 Backup your music library to an external hard drive.
·Connect and play music from your Apple® iPod™. Access music on your iPod™ anywhere within your home with the MELODY No2 (optionally available).
Yamaha MusicCast MCX 2000
Wireless Capability (Built-in 802.11)
160G Hard Drive
• Built-in 802.11b/g Netwrok Protocol CD Burner (built-in CDRW drive)
• Ripping Speed (CD to HDD) • (20x Normal Speed) Recording Speed (HDD to CD)
• (4x to CD-R/RW Media) HDD Size 160GB HDD (upgradable)
XM Satellite Radio Ready • (100 presets) Built-In FM Tuner • 100 presets) Internet Radio Compatibility
• (40 URL presets) PC Content Playback • Supported Formats Analog Audio, CDs, CD-R /RW, PCM / MP3 Encoding Compression Rates (mp3 rate)
Variable compression rate 160 - 320 Kbps Storage Capacity (Compressed / Uncompressed) 2000 hrs / 200 hrs Number of Clients Controlled Wirelessly
• RS-232C Interface • Ethernet Connection • (Cat 5 link) Analog Audio (Inputs / Outputs) • (1 / 1) Digital Inputs (Inputs / Outputs) • (1 Optical / 1 Optical) Video Output • (1 Composite, 1 S-Video) PS/2 Connection • Headphone jack • Remote • (System remote) Extended IR Input • Extended IR Codes • System Update Via CD-ROM