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Play it
Digital audio permits you to mix and match music tracks however you like and to listen to those tracks in the office, in the gym, or just about anywhere else you happen to be. Picking the right playback hardware will only enhance your enjoyment.
The easiest (and cheapest) way to listen to digital audio tracks is on your PC. Free players such as Winamp and full-featured programs like MusicMatch Jukebox or RealJukebox can play any MP3 file. You may need to download plug-ins to listen to other formats; Winamp offers plug-ins for LiquidAudio and Ogg Vorbis, a recently released MP3 alternative. Windows Media Player can play MP3 and RealAudio files, as well as files in WMA format.
The most important feature of a software player is its ability to help you organize your song library. Most players let you view and sort your accumulated files by artist, song title, album, or genre (as long as you put in ID3 tags). That comes in handy when you're scrolling through a thousand or more songs trying to find a particular track. Programs can also keep track of songs held in different directories, allowing you to store albums neatly in separate folders.
Playlists are another powerful software feature, freeing you from the tyranny of the set track order on a CD, cassette, or LP. You can easily mix the order of songs and put different artists together to fit whatever mood you're in--an instant mix tape, if you will.
You create a playlist by dragging files from the library into the playlist window of your playback application. Here's a tip: Take your entire library and copy it into a single playlist. Click the random (or shuffle) button, save the playlist with a unique name, and let it play. Now you have your own radio station, guaranteed to play only the songs you like.
The sound you hear from your computer is a function of more than just the player you use: Your sound card and speakers play important roles as well. When buying a new system, look for a sound card with plenty of inputs such as line-in, microphone-in, and even SPDIF digital-in sockets for connecting CD players or other devices with digital outputs. Also look for software bundled with the card that allows you to adjust the sound to your preferences.
Creative Labs' Sound Blaster Platinum and Turtle Beach's Santa Cruz cards meet these requirements. You may want to get speakers that include at least two satellites and a subwoofer, such as the TDK Tremor series. Alternatively, you may decide to splurge on a six-speaker set such as the Klipsch ProMedia 5.1, A THX-certified sound system that will sound great whether it is playing back digital audio, CDs, or the latest blockbuster DVD. And don't forget that you can connect your stereo system to your sound card too: Just run a cable from the line-out socket of your sound card to the line-in socket of your stereo, set your amp to the right input, and turn up the volume.
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