Embedded Linux In Onkyo's Home Music Server 203
IrateSurf writes "ExtremeTech has a story about a new use of embedded Linux from Onkyo, which runs a home music server. Their NAS-2.3 has a CD-player as well as an 80GB hard drive for storing music and streaming it to other players on the an Ethernet network. Also check out the web site for the NAS-2.3."
If only they would make it record radio, too ...
Can it... (Score:1, Insightful)
Re:Can it... (Score:1)
Re:Can it... (Score:1)
I don't understand. You want to rip cds on a portable CD/mp3 player? Do you have a hard drive on your CD/mp3 player? I don't think I've ever seen one of those. Please provide a url.
It would be great for the stereo unit from the story, but unless you're talking about a portable cd burner with a mp3 codec and a line in, I see no point in ripping on a portable unit.
Re:Can it... (Score:2)
Well, I've got an Archos Recorder. I'm not sure if by "CD/mp3" player you mean "a CD player that plays MP3s", or if you mean "CD or MP3 player". If the latter, the Archos Recorder is a hard-drive based MP3 player (18 GB). It also records to MP3 format at up to 160kps.
By connecting a CD player's audio out to the Recorder audio in, I could in theory rip directly onto the Archos. I've never done this, and probably won't, as I'd have to manually enter song names, which is tedious, and as I like to rip CDs at a somewhat higher (~ 192kbps) quality. On the othr hand, the Recorder also contains a built-in microphone, so it can be useful for voice recording.
they must be rich (Score:4, Interesting)
if each album takes 80megs about.. then the hd can hold 1000 albums... 1000 albums at 20$ an album is 20,000$ !
Who can afford to spend that much on music?
Re:they must be rich (Score:1)
Other sources (Score:5, Insightful)
Check acidplanet.com mp3.com mp3.com.au spinwarp.com etc etc etc
other-other sources (Score:2)
* Go to The Wherehouse
* Take advantage of old policy and manager that your brother sells pot to and exchange used CDs that suck for new CDs that you want.
The Wherehouse also had a policy of accepting any coupon from other stores. One summer we found a big pile of "3 free movie rental" coupons.
I don't think that I left the house all freekin summer, and boy, did we see a lot of crappy movies.
Re:they must be rich (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:they must be rich (Score:3, Insightful)
Actually I just checked hard drive prices:
Cheapest available 40GB drive: $93.30
Cheapest available 40GB drive: $120.51
(Note that these prices are converted from DKK)
Since this is a $400 product, I wouldn't halve the storage space just to save 30 bucks.
Stanley Feinbaum, professional journalist and master debater!
You've come to the wrong place...
Re:they must be rich (Score:1)
Re:they must be rich (Score:1)
Thanks. That was funny. : )
Re:they must be rich (Score:2)
I trust that the 80GB is $120.51?
You've really opened yourself up there with the "professional journalist" comment.. :-)
Re:they must be rich (Score:2)
80 gigs @ 600MB/album = 133 albums * $20 = $2666.
I would say that a lot of people I know own over 100 albums easily. Not to mention people with roomates combining their collection, etc.
Re:they must be rich (Score:3, Insightful)
I have well over 500 cds myself. I *WOULD* have more if they didn't cost so much. Back in the day when they used to cost $10 I made a trip to the store every week to purchase CDs.
Now a days, I make almost 8 times what I used to make. Maybe I'm getting cheaper in my old age (probably true), maybe new music sucks (it does but there is still a lot of stuff I like), but I can't justify $20+ for a CD I don't even know if I'll like. Were that not the case, I know I would have more. Most of my friends are the same. Between us we've got 1000's of CDs lying around our homes and apartments.
It's not impossible, in fact, in my experience it's quite likely.
Re:they must be rich - or canadian. (Score:2)
if your Canadian, you can LEGALLY copy Audio CDs. Your CDR blanks have a tax that goes DIRECTLY to some RIAA-whore group -- in exchange, you can copy any CD you please for yourself...
so, go on down to the library with your burner and have at it.
Re:they must be rich (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:they must be rich (Score:2, Interesting)
Recording artists and performers are compensated for this by massive levies [neil.eton.ca] collected on all blank recording media sold in Canada.
This would be a handy device to take advantage of this law. It might take a few years to borrow and copy 1000 CDs from your friends, though.
Re:they must be rich (Score:4, Insightful)
Young people. 15 to 25, no mortgage or significant debt, a job, and lots of exposure via friends to help thin out the good music from the bad before buying...
I bought music from when I was 15 to about 28 yrs old, and didn't buy much compared to most of my music-fanatic friends. Since then, I've tapered off to a few cd's a year, plus a few more as gifts. I've got well over 100 tapes, 150 in vinyl, 250 cd's, and one 8-track (Abbey Road, don't ask why). And I repeat, I wasn't SERIOUSLY into music like several friends I had...
So, 1000 seems quite plausible. What's more, a lot of those I got via cheap sources: rummage & yard sales, used bins, friends, etc. Nowadays, I pick up a cd when I hear a good concert or live band in a bar. Since the night's bar tab has usually cost me a lot more than the $10-15 for the CD, I consider it a tip to a good band and a chance to reminisce later.
Round down to 15k (that's being charitable compared to your $20 per album), give me 1/5 the needed collection, and spread it over the last 30 years, and it seems laughably cheap... $100 a YEAR on average. Rich?! Shee-it, I spent more last weekend on sushi! Throw in the wife's similarly-sized music collection, not force me to waste a wall in my li'l house (not to mention portability like ipods and archos units have) and give me access to stuff that's only available on out-of-print vinyl and I'd probably start collecting old, good music like a fiend.
Re:they must be rich (Score:1)
Re:they must be rich (Score:2, Interesting)
This also ignores a music collection of my father's on vinyl that begins somewhere in the dark ages, when Buddy Holly was the new thing. Much (most?) of his collection is unobtainable on CD. That will quickly add up when I get around to ripping the vinyl.
Re:they must be rich (Score:2, Informative)
Here's something that resembles the Onkyo in the article, which in itself costs $20 000:
Linn Knekt [stereophile.com]
(Of course it's on-topic, it runs Linux [slashdot.org]!
Re:they must be rich (Score:2, Interesting)
They must be rich...
There are 3 problems with your post. Working backwards:
Your cost per album estimate came out of your ass and it stinks. $20 per album is way off. Even when I buy new CDs they cost $13 at most (per disc). I buy lots of used discs at typically $8 or less. A rough estimate of an average for my collection is $7 per disc. Replacement cost, now that's something different.
Your estimates on how much music an 80 GB drive can hold don't list your assumptions and thus are useless for use in arguing or making a point. Using a (low) figure of 1 MB = 1 minute, and my collection's average of 52 minutes per disc (and 14 tracks per disc) I get about 1538 albums. I (and it seems many others) record at a higher bit rate, if you use 160/VBS it holds about 1326 of my average albums. Taking the higher bitrate and my averages, that's about $9900 worth of CDs this thing will hold. That's close to your $20,000 for goyim
The final place you fall down is in your time estimates. You assume that everyone is a loser teen who has to fill the hard drive and fill it today. I'm old enough to have been buying CDs since 1985. And I've got a beautiful wife who has been buying her own CDs for our (instead of "my") collection. And I wouldn't fill the drive with what we have today, but guess what? Shock shock horror horror, we are still adding to our collection and we wouldn't be interested in something without expansion room. With our collection we've spent an average of a bit over $400 per year of which I've spent about 3/4 of that. (And yes, Napster led us to many new bands where we ended up buying the band's CD.)
Oh yes, Onkyo might not care if you don't buy this product. They sell many products aimed at different segments of the market. There are people whose CD collection makes mine look puny. Just because a coat doesn't fit you doesn't mean it shouldn't be for sale. The same for this product. But you have a point, too. I fail to see it, but I'm sure you have one.
Hey, here is an idea for record companies: Give away all music but at a low bit-rate. People can find what they like and what they think sucks a golf ball through 50 feet of garden hose. And the quality will be low enough that they'll want to buy, on CD, what they like.
Why not wireless? (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Why not wireless? (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Why not wireless? (Score:1)
While I'm sure you can, why no wireless models?
Re:Why not wireless? (Score:1)
Re:Why not wireless? (Score:1)
Re:Why not wireless? (Score:1)
Re:Why not wireless? (Score:2)
Re:Why not wireless? (Score:4, Insightful)
The consumer base (not more geek minded users) hasn't really started to adopt wireless in a major way, while they're getting into devices like this.
Re:Why not wireless? (Score:2)
On the third hand, if you're REALLY a geek, you know how to pull Cat5. : ) Wireless is fine for laptops, but I don't understand why I'd want to use it for stationary boxen.
Re:Why not wireless? (Score:2)
No inherent technical problem... (Score:2, Interesting)
No. In fact, there is a product on the market that can stream music in three different wireless paths, 802.11b, 802.11g and bluetooth, along with gigabit ethernet. The system uses an open source operating system, you can address it via http, ssh, X11 or you can roll your own access system, its portable, has a fold-out LCD screen and is so thin, it can fit under a typical AV receiver. You can read more about it here [apple.com].
Re:No inherent technical problem... (Score:2)
its not going to sound like your Onkyo reciever will - furhter, its got a HD && fans for lotsa crappy humming noise to f-up your $4000 B&W speakers (or whatever) listening experience.
If there was a way to put a PC in the entertainment center -- and Have it *SOUND* like a good pc of audio kit, we would all do it -- trouble is, a $150 sound card dont cut it.
Re:No inherent technical problem... (Score:2)
Re:Why not wireless? (Score:2)
Re:Why not wireless? (Score:2)
Personally, if someone came out with a wireless model that would kill it dead for me. I have no wireless in my house, other than cordless phones (and none in the 2.4GHz range), but I do have ethernet jacks all over the place.
Archos Radio Recorders (Score:5, Informative)
See archos [archos.com] for devices that record raido directly into mp3. They have a hard drive and a smart media device that does that i beleive. Plus they keep the last 30 seconds of audio in memory in case the song you want has already started you can still get the begining.
-Foxxz
Re:Archos Radio Recorders (Score:1)
does it matter what OS it's running? (Score:5, Insightful)
It could run TRS-DOS for all I care as long as it gets the job done efficiently.
Re:does it matter what OS it's running? (Score:2, Insightful)
Well, it matters because this is not
a press release site for mp3 players.
The fact that it's using a a version
of embedded linux is a interesting
facet of the story to someone who is
interested in the way things work.
Also slashdot readers have a bias for
linux related things. (It's one of
the reasons i'm here)
Why are so many of the readers here
so constantly pissed off about the
pro open source/linux/anti-windows
slant here?
Re:does it matter what OS it's running? (Score:1)
2. no news is good news
3. news about things running linux is bad!
Re:does it matter what OS it's running? (Score:2)
When a major company treats Linux seriously it's a big boost for the open-source and free software communities, and a big slap in the face for the fools claiming that Linux is "useless" or "without value".
Re:does it matter what OS it's running? (Score:2)
Re:does it matter what OS it's running? (Score:2)
It doesn't matter to me in the least (Score:2)
Re:does it matter what OS it's running? (Score:2)
Re:does it matter what OS it's running? (Score:2, Insightful)
Sure Dimaond and Rio have similair products, but they got their start in computer based audio. This is the transition of linux to the mark at large. Id say thats news.
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:does it matter what OS it's running? (Score:2, Insightful)
No, no it's not and what bothers me is people who think it is. Certainly, it's a part of OSDN, but it's not a Linux members-only club. From the FAQ:
Slashdot is many things to many people. Some people think it's a Linux site. To others, it's a geek hangout. I've always worked very hard to make sure that Slashdot matches up with my interests and the interests of my authors.
In other words, it's whatever the hell CmdrTaco, the editors and the story submitters feel like it should be on the day. I don't agree with the initial poster who was like "big wow", but i don't agree with you either. Yeah often a lot of the "LINUX RUNS ON TOASTER X" stories don't thrill me in the slightest, i ain't bitching, but remember we're out there.
I code in Linux every day for work, but when i go home i use Windows. I buy my CDs and loathe MP3s and pirated music. I watch wrestling. Most anime bores me. I'm not the only one. Big deal, you know? We're all people who read Slashdot, and whatever it is it's gotta be something cool because we keep coming back. (Since late 99 for me.)
Re:does it matter what OS it's running? (Score:2)
You're going on technicalities here, when that certainly doesn't seem to apply at all. I use BSD, not linux. I detest Windows, and I enjoy Anime when it's good(once every few years). Wrestling I don't care about. We are all people, and that's that. There are people on here who bitch because someone posts something that doesn't interest that specific person.
But good use of the FAQ. Next time I'll just post a link and I'll be good. =)
I'm just sick and tired of people against linux or against open source coming here and getting upset that those stories are here. Or worse, modded up, like we haven't been having those arguments for some time now. Or people who bitch because they can't mod. I read most comments looking for something funny, and keeping my threshold at 3 is generally quite good. But it seems that sometimes posts like the first one get through, the same old tired argument. And sometimes I just feel like myself posting and going along with that same old argument. People need to understand they don't have to be here. If it's auto loading in their browser they need to change their start page, no one hacked it to do that.
I'm just bitching hoping that these people will quit. For the honeymoon for google story(still on the front page) I have 70 of 334 comments. If I up my threshold another notch I'll have even less, and there are many people who post something interesting, but there are people who post something offtopic that gets modded up as "Interesting" or "Insightful" when it's really not. Checking now, that post is at 5. Maybe soon I'll have to disable comments altogether just to get past the crap, and post comments myself blindly when I want to contribute.
[meta] Re:does it matter what OS it's running? (Score:1)
I don't think there's really a solution other than to move on. Either put up with it here, or go somewhere else where the conversation is more intelligent. Unfortunately i'm not sure many other sites online have this kind of feel to them. OpenBSD Journal [deadly.org] can be nice, but a lot of foul-mouthed children have turned up recently. kuro5hin [kuro5hin.org] used to be okay, but in my eyes it's gotten way too clique-y and faux intellectual for me. A friend of mine loves InfoAnarchy [infoanarchy.org] but that's very specific to "Your Rights Online" kind of posts. I don't know, i don't have any solutions. For the time being i pop in here every day or two and see what's going on. Whatever, you know? It's just a website.
Article Text (Score:5, Informative)
That's pretty cool, but that's not all. Onkyo also sells a line of high-end gear targeted towards custom installations under its Integra brand. Onkyo offers products similar to the NC500 and TX-NR900, but with additional capabilities. What's most interesting, though, is the Integra NAS-2.3 Net-Tune Server.
At first blush, the NAS-2.3 seems like a CD player, but it also has an embedded 80GB hard drive. So now it appears to be like any number of digital music players on the scene. But the NAS-2.3 also has a 10/100 Ethernet port, and is capable of acting as a music server to a network of Net-Tune devices. Running on the Integra product is an embedded Linux operating system, which acts as the server software.
The NAS-2.3 can support up to 12 simultaneous streams to Net-Tune receivers or other clients. You can have different tracks playing in multiple rooms, move music to a PC, display a playlist on most types of displays (the NAS-2.3 has VGA, S-Video and composite video outputs) and can even connect up to CDDB to download track information on various CDs.
One other interesting aspect of the NAS-2.3 is the availability of an empty drive sled inside the box, allowing users or installers to add additional hard drive space. You can't use a standard, PC-formatted hard drive, according to Eric Harper, Integra's Custom Installation and Product Manager. The formatting is somewhat different, but a knowledgeable user or installer should be able to add another drive to the server.
So if you don't want the headache of building your own music server from a PC, then the NAS-2.3 can integrate into your home Ethernet network, co-existing quite well with your PC systems. It's an intriguing idea that embraces the PC network, rather than trying to remain isolated.
NNY News with a twist of lime [pajonet.com].
Also cool ... (Score:2)
Dunno how useful the modem would be, but it sounds like you could probably hook-up a USB keyboard and monitor, and get a shell on this device.
I'd like more TIVO like functionality (Score:3, Redundant)
Re:I'd like more TIVO like functionality (Score:2)
Sorry, I couldn't resist - I mean it was in the summary!
Ogg (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Ogg (Score:1)
Re:Ogg (Score:2)
Re:Ogg (Score:1)
RIAA Sez: (Score:2, Funny)
But recording off the radio could mean the end of the music industry as we know it!!
PCM Digital Out Though? (Score:2, Interesting)
The last unit from Integra (Made into an Onkyo brand) also offered digital out but only for MP3s. If you played PCM the digital out turned off! Anyone know if this unit does the same thing?
AFAIK iMerge UK is the only company that has given RIAA the finger and offers PCM digital out, oh, and their players are much cooler but also more expensive.
Recording Radio.... (Score:3, Interesting)
I agree (Score:2)
Re:I agree (Score:2)
Re:Recording Radio.... (Score:2)
Re:Recording Radio.... (Score:1)
Rendezvous/zeroconf support? (Score:1)
It would be nice to see one of these new zeroconf enabled TiVo reading its music off one of these.
Re:Rendezvous/zeroconf support? (Score:2)
Agreed. Additionally, I would like to see Tivo come out with its own device - a Tivo with a CD drive that could rip tracks itself and present them via the normal Tivo menu.
In addition, a 'Treat as audio'-type option could inform Tivo that certain TV recordings should be treated as audio tracks, not TV broadcasts. That covers the case where digital cable supplies a lot of radio stations.
I like Tivo's interface, and would be interested to see them move out slightly beyond their current TV-only remit.
Cheers,
Ian
Input Sources (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Input Sources (Score:2, Informative)
Running gerbilware (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Running gerbilware (Score:1)
When a replacement unit that they sent me fell on its ass outside of the 90 days of wartantee they offer, I was able to return it to operation, better than before. Some day I will write up the whole sordid story.
There is a secondary value to getting the Linux OS used in such an embedded fashion, the OS will become more accepted by those who become aware of the OS after the purchase (although I would be very surprised if this device reaches even a fraction of the Tivo user base size).
Anyway, although you may not care that a particular device such as this audio server runs Linux, others certainly do. While we differ in the value of this news item, I think that you and I would find condsiderable common ground in our view of the 800 lb gorilla, M$.
Re:Running gerbilware (Score:1)
Re:Running gerbilware (Score:2)
It is called Linux advocacy [reference.com]. The more you hear about positive uses of a product, the more common that product becomes which brings on more positive uses. I would guess that over 95% of the non computer geek comunity would care less or even know anything about what gerbilware their computer was currently running had it not been for a strong MS advocacy and PR campaign to push the Windows name.
The Linux crowd should be focused on the real battleground, the desktop, and derailing MS's monopoly.
The embedded market has its own battleground which is just as real as what you want to battle for. Linux is many products to many people. The combination of all of them makes Linux what it is and where it will be later. I know that sounds like something you'd hear in a glorified PR but its true.
Multiple people are working on multiple things in Linux to fill a desired need. People are not being "pulled" away from the desktop to work on an odd side job.
Yoko Ono? (Score:2, Funny)
Oh, ONKYO. Sorry...
Comment removed (Score:3, Interesting)
Re: (Score:2)
What I'm waiting for... (Score:2)
Anyone have any home brew devices in the works? Maybe now's the time to start
How about iTunes/iPod for PlayStation2? (Score:1)
The Xbox definitely has all the hardware bits to make an awesome media box (ethernet adapter, reasonable sound output, big hard disk, available remote control), but Microsoft seems much more restrictive than Sony in letting developers access the ports... (on PS2 you can pretty much write any USB device driver you like, but on Xbox you can't talk to anything but Xboxes or Microsoft servers via the ethernet...)
Re:What I'm waiting for... (Score:3, Informative)
Slim Devices [slimdevices.com] probably has what you're looking for. It doesn't use Rendezvous (yet) but does have all the things that Rendezvous has been promising (auto-discovery of server, integration with iTunes). A lot of companies are hawking auto-disocvery like it's some revoultionary technology... ummmmm it's a couple tiny UDP packets in each direction. That's it. We were doing this long before anyone had heard of Rendezvous.
But Rendezvous is evoving into more than that... we recently showed the product at Macworld in San Francisco, and received a very enthusiastic response from the iTunes developers at Apple. They're opening up more of their system to us, so expect to see even better integration with MacOS iApps in our next software updates for the SLIMP3.
BTW, the HomePod is about where we were two years ago. Seriously, they're good guys, and geeks like us, but don't expect them to ship anything for a few more months.
Protocol Specs? (Score:1)
Ethernet is great, but not if I have to reverse engineer the protocol in order to serve music to the receiver.
There is a reason they choose Linux . . (Score:5, Insightful)
Onkyo is smart for using Linux. Nearly all the Pacific Rim (Sony, Pioneer, Panasonic, ect.) manufacturers are testing it or are ready to deploy because they don't need to pay out royalties per unit, can share innovations with each other, and can share data with each other's units over 100Mb Ethernet or 802.11x or whatever. The most important thing to remember is they don't need to spend huge amounts on R&D. Linux will become the Linga Franca of consumer electronics, unless Microsoft buys one of the big players and twists everyone's arm to go along. Maybe not even then, as the long term gains are too big. And most Japanese electronics manufacturers are thinking very long term.
And yes these babies are BIG! And HEAVY! At 110 RMS per CH. Thats 660 Watts out, all discrete. No output IC's. Not to mentions pre amp and video switching. Schwweett.
Inputs:
Audio and AV Inputs - 3/6
HDTV-Ready Component Video Input/Output - 2/1
Front-Panel Video Input (with S-Video) - Yes
S-Video Compatible Jacks Input/Output - 6/3
Digital Inputs:
5 Optical (1 Front Panel), 3 Coaxial
Digital Output - 2 Optical Amp In
RS-232 Control Port
IR In/Out - 1/1
Re:There is a reason they choose Linux . . (Score:2)
I mean 770 watts. (110 x 7) I sometimes see the rear channels as one. This is real 7.1
Re:There is a reason they choose Linux . . (Score:3, Informative)
http://www.imerge.co.uk/products/improductsimag
The Integra NAS-2.3 Net-Tune Server is the Linux based product. It's actually a rebranded Imerge product, from the UK. You can control the server via a TV, Monitor, PC, Palm, IR Pronto etc... Check out the LCD, it's just a bog standard LCD display used by many case modders - not a custom built VFD display as found on most hifi components.
Net-Tune details? (Score:1)
I've spent a substantial amount of time getting all my cd's onto my linux server (240 gigs worth! (flacs, not mp3s)). If I could get my machine to spew out my music using the Net-Tune protocol, Onkyo just might get some of my money!
-David
Onkyo and Sansui in the 80's (Score:1)
Dennis
Re:Onkyo and Sansui in the 80's (Score:2)
Please market this in the UK too! (Score:2)
At last a networked digital audio recording and storage device that actually looks like a proper piece of hifi gear for the rack in the lounge.
While there are several units along these lines on the market now, they haven't really respected the basic ergonomic and stylistic standards for hifi separates in the modern home until now. This product seems to be the closest so far --- I want one, purchaseable here with a UK warranty!
Integra *is* a UK product. (Score:2, Informative)
Of course, there may be some functional difference, but otherwise they look identical. Costs £1599 - AS this is Slashdot, I bet most people would just build their own audio server PC and slap in a nice sound card (M-Audio Delta 410 audio card offers slightly better specification) and with some interesting software, you could have a relatively cheap multi-room audio server which supports say, OGG Vorbis, APE, SHN, etc.
Onkyo NET-Tune supported formats & data rates (Score:2, Informative)
http://www.net-tune.net [net-tune.net]
From the Onkyo FAQ: [onkyousa.com]
While WAV, WMA, MP3 are supported formats, there are many variations of these. Please check that the bitrates used are compatible and if certain files will not play back, check the following: * The file must not be saved in a system folder, such as C:\Windows or C:\WINNT. * WMA file contains Digital Rights Management (DRM) which prevents reproduction on other devices. * The WAV file is not in RIFFWAVE format or is corrupt. Format Bitrate Sampling Frequency WAV(PCM) ---- 32k/44.1k/48kHz MP3 All 32k/44.1k/48kHz WMA 32/36/40/44/48/64/80/96/128/160/192bps 32k/44.1k/48kHz
Further, it uses DHCP to get an IP address. And needs ports 60096,60097. But that is of course all useless information until I actually find one of these machines.
An Audiotron and your computer make more sense (Score:2)
Networks are not just for web-browsing. They're also for sharing files, like those MP3's. And if you're going to have them somewhere, you might as well have them on your PC where:
(1) You can rip with that expensive Athlon or PPC processor using LAME
(2) There exist myriad MP3 control tools like id3tool and mp3gain
(3) Your portable MP3 player hooks up
(4) You may be downloading files from mp3.com or other places
(5) [Important] You have a chance of keeping the hard drive and fan whines away from your audio equipment
Thus, you want the home audio component you buy to simply get its music off the network. Audiotron and SLiMP3 do just that, which makes them the only reasonable such devices.
Between them, I prefer the Audiotron because it has digital output, which means I can use the expensive DAC in my receiver rather than the cheap one in the unit. The SLiMP3 is impressively flexible, though!
The good question is (Score:2, Interesting)
If not, I think this kind of item would be frustrating as I am likely to end up with a dream of doing something totally different with this embedded computer...
You know, some networked remote control for it for instance... arg... must... stop... thinking!
Re:why (Score:2)
Re:why (Score:4, Interesting)
1. space for all the connections in the back
2. power amp cooling. Driving serious power to multiple large speakers takes power. That heat needs to be dissipated.
3. It looks better
Re:why (Score:2)
There do exist good, quality, peices of equipment that produce music wonderfully. Trust your ears over your other senses (unless you're looking at video gear. At which point your eyes should only see 2 things: the picture and the price. People can be conned into wasting a lot of green on video gear.)
Re:why (Score:2)
Of course half the size in the wrong dimension if you want to stack it with your other audio components...
Re:why (Score:2)
From the extremetech review:
"The TX-NR900 offers 110 watts RMS into 7 channels"
Sounds like an amp to me.
Re:why (Score:2)