Welcome to our mailbag feature, wherein we endeavor to answer all of your questions about digital music technology. We'll also use this space to post piquant observations from our users that will add to stories we've already posted. Without further ado, let's open the mailbag.

Chris in Alexandria, Virginia, wants an MP3 player that works as well in the home as it does on the road:

I intend to buy an MP3 player primarily for use as a jukebox/changer with my stereo system. I'll probably carry it sometimes with me to work, but it will primarily stay next to my Yamaha home system. I rate my needs, in order as follows:

1. Reliability (no good if it's broken);

2. Ease of Use (I'm a lawyer, not a techie);

3. Sound Quality, considering the primary chosen application (home jukebox use); and

4. Flexibility (I am somewhat concerned about the possibility of buying a player which forces me to buy music in some weird, soon-to-be-obsolete format).

I was thinking about the iPod Photo with dock, Rio Karma, Creative Nomad Zen Touch, Sony NW-HD3, and iRiver H320. My computer is a PC, if that helps. What do you think? Also, some of these don't have line-out jacks. What do you think about using the headphone jack instead?

Thanks--I love your site!

EVB: Buy the 4G Apple iPod or iPod Photo with the docking cradle option, and then pick up the Griffin Technology Airclick Remote. It's the best iPod remote out there--it uses RF so it goes up to 30 feet and doesn't have to have line-of-site options. If you go with the iPod Photo, you can connect it to your TV to have album art and slide shows, too.

Line-out jacks and headphone jacks are essentially the same thing, although the sound that goes to the headphone jack gets routed through the volume circuitry of your MP3 player. Line-out outputs bypass the volume circuitry, meaning that the sound is ever so slightly cleaner (and that you can no longer control volume on the device). You can use a headphone jack, but line-out sounds better. The reason I suggested the iPod for you is that it has a line-out jack on the optional docking station, so all you have to do when you get home is drop your iPod into the dock and it's integrated into your stereo system...just like that.

An anonymous reader needs advice on how to record a performance and burn it to a CD.

I am searching for a product that will allow me to record onto my computer and afterwards make a CD-ROM of the recording (such as me singing into a tape recorder and uploading from the tape recorder to the CD-ROM). What do you suggest?

EVB: Do you need to record in a mobile setting? If not, skip the tape recorder and use Audacity (http://audacity.sourceforge.net) to record from a mic attached to your sound card's mic jack. Once you have the WAV files, you can use any old program to make an audio CD-ROM, such as iTunes. Just specify "audio CD" before you burn the CD.

If you prefer to use the tape recorder, the situation is about the same, but you'll lose a little sound quality. Connect the tape player to your sound card's line-in jack and play the tape into Audacity in order to create the WAV files.

In a previous Mailbag feature, I suggested some options for getting audio off of your DVDs and onto your MP3 player. This time, a reader (Vin, from an undisclosed location) has sort of the opposite question: how to play an MP3 player over a 5.1 stereo system.

I have a question. Is there any way I can enjoy my iPod on my new home theater system in 5.1? I don't think MP3s are encoded for 5.1 +, but I wanted to get the skinny on iPod, iTunes, or any other "digital" media going into/out of my Harman Kardon AVR/Infinity speakers. I apologize if you've covered this already.

EVB: It is possible to make 5.1-channel MP3s, but no portable MP3 players can output it. If you want true 5.1-channel sound out of your computer, you could connect it to your stereo using a digital cable (which requires a sound card with a digital optical output, also known as TOSlink) after creating these files. But I think the best option is to connect your iPod to an auxiliary input on your surround sound system using what we're calling a Y cable, with red/white RCA plugs on one end and a small (one-eighth inch) stereo headphone jack on the other. Then, use one of the 5.1 channel simulators to get the sound coming out of all five channels (you know…Hall, Stadium, Medium Room, and so on). Now you can hear your MP3 player in full 5.1-channel splendor, using your existing equipment.

Feel free to send your digital music questions to me. I'll answer what I can and, with permission, might post them in an upcoming Mailbag feature.