http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...XL._SX522_.jpg


300 disk Sony CD changers are cheap, like $200 bucks.


I've got a couple of them. Old school juke box.

There are many ways to skin this cat. Exact Audio Copy (EAC) is a good tool to rip CDs:
Exact Audio Copy

I use dbpoweramp now:
https://www.dbpoweramp.com/

There are others. They grab the metadata (song makers, artists, etc.) so you don't have too. They can also find the artwork. Just drop a disk in and process it in a few minutes. They can be set up to create dynamic folders to organize your collection.

I did my collection over time...trying to set aside time most nights. Literally just dropping a disk in, waiting a few seconds for the metadata to load then click once and wait a few minutes. Repeat for each disk. Surf the internet while this is going on.

Once ripped and organized, you need that drive on your network. There are many ways to do this. One of mine is connected directly to my router. At my other house I have a small plug computer (think raspberry pi) which is networked and available 24/7. Others use their Roku or Oppo or...

Now you need some way of connecting it to your amp/speakers. Here, some people use another plug computer ($50), or a network compatible stereo, or Roku, or Directv box, or Oppo type unit or some other network capable audio (or audio video) to access the music.

Control the music using your phone, tablet, computer, roku, directv remote...anything using your network. Bam!

For example, I have an old tube amp...Dynamic SCA-35 with a Squeezebox Touch in my living room for music. I also have music accessible through my Roku in my family room tied to my A/V amp which handles surround sound for TV and my outdoor speakers. I have an old Pioneer SX-1080 receiver in the garage with some JBLs with a Raspberry Pi plug computer. I can stream to all three independently at the same time from the one source hard drive tied into my router. I can listen to what I want in the garage and my wife can do her thing in the house at the same time.

I have been doing this for years and it works great. I have set up friends and family as well - all with equipment they already owned - most of them only needed to buy a hard drive and maybe a plug computer...less than $200. This is not cutting edge. Most audio/video electronics have streaming capabilities.

I still buy CDs for the ability to rip the way I want. I use flac for home and mp3 for cars.

Mike

If you want to get into details, pm me with what stereo equipment you have and what your listening habits are (or start anew thread). I am sure there are people (like me) who will chime in.

If you like messing with rapberry pi you can run volumio on the pi as a network player controllable from your phone.

It works really well. I set this up but now nearly every device has some similar functionality built in so its a sort of unnecessary but fun little project

https://volumio.org/

Yes, I am running Volumio on a couple of systems - it works great. I use it when I have the harddrive directly plugged into the pi. I am using Twonky on a high end Linn system where the harddrive is hooked to the router (Linn likes Twonky), picoreplayer on another pi used as a receiver, and Logitech Music Server on a few...all for different reasons.

Fun stuff.

Did anyone catch what I'm using as spacers between rows for my old CDs? That is another problem, though not as large.