Music Listening Advice Please

We have had a MacBook since roughly around 2004 and it is (obviously) on its last legs. We use it alot in the kitchen on Friday nights when we just want to listen to Spotify and/or itunes through Altec Lansing speakers.

We want to upgrade, but I think it's pointless to spend money on a new Mac laptop when we're using it for spotify and itunes. I looked at ipads, but we can't burn discs with them (yes, we still do that sometimes because we're old) and they're also upwards of 800 bucks.

Do you think it would be worthwhile to get a pc laptop and upgrade our speakers? Recommendations?

We have a good stereo in the living room, but it's nice to have music in the kitchen.

Price range for everything - it would be nice to stay 1,000 or under.

Thanks!

Signed, I heart music but have no idea as far as technology is concerned.

Can't you get a little netbook for a couple hundred? I've seen some of those that have little CD inputs as well. I'm sure you can burn CDs off of that.

Spotify + Western Digital External Drive + Sonos = Music Listening Gold

Something like this, maybe?  Although you might need to use a smartphone for Spotify, and, while it can rip CD's, I guess it can't burn them.

http://www.amazon.com/CD-Audio-Storage-Music-Streamer/dp/B00M4M26FO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1413831832&sr=8-1&keywords=music+server

Yada wrote:
Spotify + Western Digital External Drive + Sonos = Music Listening Gold

this

and i know you're looking for burning cds, but honestly making spotify playlists is so much easier.

stevewizzle wrote:

Yada wrote:
Spotify + Western Digital External Drive + Sonos = Music Listening Gold

this

This sounds like what we need. We could use the pc laptop we have for burning cds the one time a year my husband burns one or four.

Agree. Sonos.

K8teebug wrote:

stevewizzle wrote:

Yada wrote:
Spotify + Western Digital External Drive + Sonos = Music Listening Gold

this

This sounds like what we need. We could use the pc laptop we have for burning cds the one time a year my husband burns one or four.

Out of curiosity, when does your husband still listen to his cds? I have thousands that I can't bring myself to get rid of, but haven't listened to a CD in probably five years.

Yada wrote:

K8teebug wrote:

stevewizzle wrote:

Yada wrote:
Spotify + Western Digital External Drive + Sonos = Music Listening Gold

this

This sounds like what we need. We could use the pc laptop we have for burning cds the one time a year my husband burns one or four.

Out of curiosity, when does your husband still listen to his cds? I have thousands that I can't bring myself to get rid of, but haven't listened to a CD in probably five years.

Vinyl made a comeback. 
Cassettes made a comeback.

2019 - CDs and discmans become the de rigeur accoutrement for the hipster. 

We listen to cds quite often. We have a cd/dvd changer in the living room. And we have a pretty nice record player downstairs. (we also have a cassette player there too). We have speakers wired in the kitchen so we can listen to vinyl upstairs.

And once a year he burns a few cds for our friends for their anniversary. I'd say that's almost it for cd burning.

ggw wrote:

Yada wrote:

K8teebug wrote:

stevewizzle wrote:

Yada wrote:
Spotify + Western Digital External Drive + Sonos = Music Listening Gold

this

This sounds like what we need. We could use the pc laptop we have for burning cds the one time a year my husband burns one or four.

Out of curiosity, when does your husband still listen to his cds? I have thousands that I can't bring myself to get rid of, but haven't listened to a CD in probably five years.

Vinyl made a comeback. 
Cassettes made a comeback.

2019 - CDs and discmans become the de rigeur accoutrement for the hipster. 

Have cassettes really made a comeback, though? I'd say that's pretty niche market vs. vinyl.

K8teebug wrote:
We listen to cds quite often. We have a cd/dvd changer in the living room. And we have a pretty nice record player downstairs. (we also have a cassette player there too). We have speakers wired in the kitchen so we can listen to vinyl upstairs.

That's a lot of running up and down the steps to flip the records! I love listening to vinyl, but the whole streaming situation with Sonos completely changed my music consumption.

ggw wrote:

Yada wrote:

K8teebug wrote:

stevewizzle wrote:

Yada wrote:
Spotify + Western Digital External Drive + Sonos = Music Listening Gold

this

This sounds like what we need. We could use the pc laptop we have for burning cds the one time a year my husband burns one or four.

Out of curiosity, when does your husband still listen to his cds? I have thousands that I can't bring myself to get rid of, but haven't listened to a CD in probably five years.

Vinyl made a comeback. 
Cassettes made a comeback.

2019 - CDs and discmans become the de rigeur accoutrement for the hipster. 

better go and buy a 45+ second anti-skip, name-brrand discman before their all gone and i'm stuck with a crappy coby or emerson knockoff.

reel to reel tape is best

notme wrote:
reel to reel tape is best

A nice vintage TEAC in a wood cabinet picked up cheap on ebay and nestled into a bookcase is a wonderful conversation piece.