Different control points seeing different things

[DavidHB]

(14-04-2015 15:22)simoncn Wrote:  We have a genuine difference of opinion here. If creating, maintaining, accessing and playing a digital library isn't approximately as easy as doing the same for a library of CDs, one of two things will happen:

1) Digital audio will be a niche hobby for technically savvy and technically motivated users. This would be at most 2% of all users.

2) Digital audio using open standards to mix and match system components will be a niche hobby for technically savvy and technically motivated users. This would be at most 2% of all users. The other 98% will embrace and become locked into a proprietary ecosystem such as Apple, Amazon, Sonos, Linn, Naim, etc. or will rely on a streaming service such as Spotify, Qobuz, Tidal etc.

Actually, I think we agree completely. If your 'proprietary ecosystem' is the same concept as my 'closed box' (which I think it is), then my 'outside the box' is the same as your 'using open standards'; indeed, I prefer your terminology to my own.

Long experience tells me that "creating, maintaining, accessing and playing ... a library of CDs" (or LPs for that matter) is not a trivial task. If the CD collection is to be more than a largely inaccessible pile of unsorted jewel cases, storage has to be provided, and order has to be established and maintained as the collection grows. Once the collection reaches a certain size, cataloguing becomes essential for many people. Finding the discs you wish to play and returning them to the correct location after use also need to be orderly and disciplined processes. We tend to take these things for granted now, but I remember learning them in my youth. And I would argue that this 'library' activity provides at least some of the satisfaction one gets from owning the collection.

Now whether the process of ripping and tagging CDs and storing downloaded music (perhaps with additional tagging) in the collection is or ever could be "approximately as easy" as maintaining the physical collection is a matter of opinion. Some people shy away from anything involving a computer. Bringing the CD or download into the collection is more time-consuming than simply opening a jewel case and putting the disc onto the player tray, but once the music is recognised by the CP it is far more accessible than a CD on a shelf. And ripping to FLAC with dBpoweramp is certainly as easy as ripping into an iTunes or Windows Media Player library, which many people are happy to do.

So, while I agree with your general premise, and am sure that those who prefer the capabilities of open systems will always be in the minority, all the signs are that the quality end of the audio market will continue to use the UPnP/open systems approach. One just hopes that this can be done in a somewhat less haphazard way than it is at present.

David