Jeff Fritz - January 8, 2009

The first day of the 2009 CES made it clear just how much the computer has integrated its way into the audiophile mindset. USB DACs were everywhere today. Music servers were coming out of the woodwork. Products designed for wireless integration of various electronic components were seen around each corner. Computer-based systems were ubiquitous.

It’s honestly hard to keep up with, but it’s also an exciting time if you’re open to adopting new technologies that are designed for slick user interface and, in some cases, advancing audio performance. I can’t imagine how much the digital landscape will change in the next five years. I have a feeling that some of the products we’ll be writing about at the 2015 CES would be almost unfathomable right now.

Consider this: Presently we have the Reference Recordings HRx series of DVD-Data discs -- these are unique in that they hold 24-bit/176.4kHz digital masters and are playable only on a computer-based system. The sound is amazing. What if that level of resolution is the norm for computer playback in five years? We’ll all be several steps closer to the live performance than we ever were with Red Book CD. Will the 2009 CES be the one we look back on and say, "That’s when it really all started?" Maybe so.

Daniel Weiss of Weiss Engineering demonstrates the features of his new prototype music server for Jeff Fritz.