First-time Rookie seeking help getting up to speed. Want to download bit-perfect from sites like HD TRACKS then burn onto CD, DVD, Blu-Ray? and play in my OPPO BDP-85 and high-quality 2-channel home system. I really don't know where to begin and have a lot of basic questions. I am using a new Dell XPS 17, i7-2720QM processor, 8GB, Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit, and TB hard drive. I have read the Computer Audiophile article re: Windows 7 Audio and MC but it seems to focus on using the computer as THE home's music center/distributer. I don't want to do that. I just want to burn 24/96 & 24/192 discs to play in my OPPO. Allow me to begin with the following questions:
1. Is my laptop EVEN CAPABLE of downloading/burning 24/192 with MC? Do I need to upgrade anything? Do I need a soundcard? Do I need an external DAC? Is my internal optical drive good enough to get the job done? Is my inherent jitter/noise a problem?
2. How do I setup/configure the laptop and Windows 7 properly. How/where do I navigate to make those settings? Where do I go within the computer to see what its capabilities are (24/192, etc)?
3. What type of disc (CD, DVD, etc) should I use to accomplish my objective of 24/192 bit-perfection?
Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks