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Music only HDD transport - without a computer/ and TV/ monitor?

4468 Views 14 Replies 11 Participants Last post by dirk1843, Nov 2, 2009

anm

Discussion Starter · Jul 21, 2009

Hi,

For a setup that is only for music listening, and no TV/ monitor around, what is a good way to use a hard disk as a transport?

There are lots of DVD players with USB ports - but I can never browse/ search my music collection on the disk, without using an external display. I have philips 5996.

I do not want to run an extra NAS server and stream.

Is there any device out there that has it's own small display, that is easy to use to browse/ search tracks from a hard disk.

Ipod is one but it has limited storage and can not have attached storage.

Squeezebox has good UI but an HDD can not be attached to it.

Marantz has come up with a CDP CD6003 that has an USB port - sounds pretty good. Didn't get to see much reviews on how can it interact with HDD. Given that it is just a CDP and has no display out I am assuming designers must have thought about that?

Budget is about $500

regards

1 - 15 of 15 Posts

Harrypt

· #2 · Jul 21, 2009

I've not done this yet myself, but I'm planning to try it.

Get a Mac Mini. Unlike Windows boxes, it will boot and run without a monitor/keyboard/mouse attached. You can set iTunes to run automatically at startup.

Then get an ipod Touch and download the Remote app which allows it to act as the remote for the Mac Mini.

Grit

· #3 · Jul 21, 2009

i think yer gonna have a hard time for $500. The only thing i've seen like what you're talking about is the Olive Opus No. 4. www.olive.us

ccotenj

· #4 · Jul 21, 2009

Quote:
Originally Posted by Harrypt /forum/post/16862488

I've not done this yet myself, but I'm planning to try it.

Get a Mac Mini. Unlike Windows boxes, it will boot and run without a monitor/keyboard/mouse attached. You can set iTunes to run automatically at startup.

Then get an ipod Touch and download the Remote app which allows it to act as the remote for the Mac Mini.

alternatively, get an appletv, and then you don't even need the mini...

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Harrypt

· #5 · Jul 24, 2009

Quote:
Originally Posted by ccotenj /forum/post/16862761

alternatively, get an appletv, and then you don't even need the mini...

Apple TV is limited in file types it will play and will not do hi res so it is not an option for me.

WilliamZX11

· #6 · Jul 24, 2009

You can get one of these for about $500:

http://www.yamaha.com/yec/products/p...l?CNTID=200106

You can navigate from the display, but it's much better with a monitor. I use mine for whole house audio, and have a small 10" LCD in each room with speakers. It does .CDA format only, no mp3's, etc.

ap1

· #7 · Jul 25, 2009

Just wait a little more for Popcorn Hour C-200 ( http://www.popcornhour.com/onlinesto...option=catalog )

crackhammer

· #8 · Aug 12, 2009

First of all, thanks a ton for posting this question. I am also looking for similar device. Since I rarely watch movies/videos, I don't really need HTPC or home theater system.

My requirements are -

- Playing audio media from local HDD and CD audio.

- Audio media codec include mp3 and wma

- HDD is of decent size (about 500GB or 1TB)

- HDD replacement should be very easy, no fuss.

- Low power consumption.

- Has its own screen for directory navigation (I don't have a TV set).

- Good directory navigation

- Sleep timer

- Firmware upgradable

- Communication with PC (for copying audio tracks to HDD) should be seamless

- Ability to handle long directory and file names.

- If there is any restriction on number of tracks or number of albums, it should be reasonable.

(Some of these requirements are compromisable)

OPTIONAL features

- Plays FLAC (but given my budget is same as yours of USD 500, I wonder of such possibility and if all hardware will really make any difference playing mp3 and FLAC)

- Streaming capabilities (if at all, my music library grows more and I put up NAS)

- Internet radio

- Rips to 320kbps mp3 / FLAC

- If it has cassette deck and capability of ripping tape to mp3, I am willing to stretch the budget.

My research led me to following systems in the market those are close to my budget (some may have been discontinued now, some of the systems are same with different model name, depending on the country they are sold in. I have not dug into that more yet)

Sony

NAS-50HDE

NAC-HD1E

NAS-SC55PKE

NAS-E55HD

NAS-SC500PK

NAS-E300HD

NAS-Z200iR

Denon (probably disontinued)

DF103HR

SCF103

Onkyo

BR925UKD

X-NX10A

Philips

MCi-500H

Acoustic Solutions

SP151

Panasonic

SCPT-X7 3.1

SC-HC7

SC-SX850 and SC-SX450 (Only in Japan)

If I have missed any, please post.

The issue with almost all of these systems is, HDD size is no more than 160GB and in the days that many users are sitting on 1TB HDD, 160 GB sounds too stingy from the user's perspective.

There are many high end systems from Olive, McIntosh, ReQuest, Bang & Olufsen, Escient but they are not within or even close to my budget so I didn't list them here.

Sony NAC HD1 looked good but its discontinued now. It had a good screen that you could surf your library though. Wondered if anyone knows alternative to this system (and how much it costs)

See less See more

OtherSongs

· #9 · Aug 12, 2009

Quote:
Originally Posted by anm /forum/post/16861129

Hi,

For a setup that is only for music listening, and no TV/ monitor around, what is a good way to use a hard disk as a transport?

There are lots of DVD players with USB ports - but I can never browse/ search my music collection on the disk, without using an external display. I have philips 5996.

I do not want to run an extra NAS server and stream.

Is there any device out there that has it's own small display, that is easy to use to browse/ search tracks from a hard disk.

Ipod is one but it has limited storage and can not have attached storage.

Squeezebox has good UI but an HDD can not be attached to it.

Marantz has come up with a CDP CD6003 that has an USB port - sounds pretty good. Didn't get to see much reviews on how can it interact with HDD. Given that it is just a CDP and has no display out I am assuming designers must have thought about that?

Budget is about $500

OK --> "Budget is about $500"

Quote:
Originally Posted by crackhammer /forum/post/16987103

First of all, thanks a ton for posting this question. I am also looking for similar device. Since I rarely watch movies/videos, I don't really need HTPC or home theater system.

My requirements are -

- Playing audio media from local HDD and CD audio.

- Audio media codec include mp3 and wma

- HDD is of decent size (about 500GB or 1TB)

- HDD replacement should be very easy, no fuss.

- Low power consumption.

- Has its own screen for directory navigation (I don't have a TV set).

- Good directory navigation

- Sleep timer

- Firmware upgradable

- Communication with PC (for copying audio tracks to HDD) should be seamless

- Ability to handle long directory and file names.

- If there is any restriction on number of tracks or number of albums, it should be reasonable.

(Some of these requirements are compromisable)

OPTIONAL features

- Plays FLAC (but given my budget is same as yours of USD 500, I wonder of such possibility and if all hardware will really make any difference playing mp3 and FLAC)

- Streaming capabilities (if at all, my music library grows more and I put up NAS)

- Internet radio

- Rips to 320kbps mp3 / FLAC

- If it has cassette deck and capability of ripping tape to mp3, I am willing to stretch the budget.

My research led me to following systems in the market those are close to my budget (some may have been discontinued now, some of the systems are same with different model name, depending on the country they are sold in. I have not dug into that more yet)

Sony

NAS-50HDE

NAC-HD1E

NAS-SC55PKE

NAS-E55HD

NAS-SC500PK

NAS-E300HD

NAS-Z200iR

Denon (probably disontinued)

DF103HR

SCF103

Onkyo

BR925UKD

X-NX10A

Philips

MCi-500H

Acoustic Solutions

SP151

Panasonic

SCPT-X7 3.1

SC-HC7

SC-SX850 and SC-SX450 (Only in Japan)

If I have missed any, please post.

The issue with almost all of these systems is, HDD size is no more than 160GB and in the days that many users are sitting on 1TB HDD, 160 GB sounds too stingy from the user's perspective.

There are many high end systems from Olive, McIntosh, ReQuest, Bang & Olufsen, Escient but they are not within or even close to my budget so I didn't list them here.

Sony NAC HD1 looked good but its discontinued now. It had a good screen that you could surf your library though. Wondered if anyone knows alternative to this system (and how much it costs)

Try the $3k "H/K DMC-1000 on clearance" at $400 (if they still have them); see: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...526&highlight=

Cheers

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crackhammer

· #10 · Aug 12, 2009

Thanks OtherSongs for the suggestion. I wonder if I need to buy anything other than good quality speakers for this system?

It doesn't seem to have a good directory navigation pane (small screen) but since this is Harmon/Kardon, I will compromise on that.

Another concern is, since HK is clearing up the stock, what are the chances of firmware upgrade and first of all, why are they clearing it? It will be really good if you could comment on how it flares up in the features I look for. It will be a GREAT help.

FTracy3

· #11 · Aug 25, 2009

There is actually a very recent firmware upgrade for the DMC1000 (if the below link doesn't work, go to the support section of the HK site and there's a drop down menu that eventually gets you there. I found it by accident as there's nothing on the main product page. The machine was very picky about reading a burned cd upgrade, failed to read it with several different burns from different programs including Windows..finally got it work with Nero and using the cd rom ud/iso option. Please note though..this upgrade appears to eliminate the very limited screen saving shift in the original

http://www.harmankardon.com/product_...38681337E3F735

dirk1843

· #12 · Sep 23, 2009

As posted in other threads, this "elusive device" seems to be a no brainer to me.

I am looking for something just like this......

BTW, have been looking but haven't found yet, can music be imported on to AppleTv hard drive that hasn't been purchased from iTunes?? In other words, can I rip my CD's using Apple Lossless and put them on the HDD of the AppleTv?

ccotenj

· #13 · Sep 23, 2009

dirk, yes you can... i use mine almost exclusively as a "jukebox" for music ripped from cd's... i have very few things that i downloaded from itunes store, as i usually want the whole album and it's essentially the same price to order the cd from amazon as it is to download it from the itunes store...

you can also stream to it from itunes...

what i do is keep my "most commonly listened to" music local on the atv, and if i'm too lazy to get up and get a cd to listen to something that isn't on the atv, i stream it from itunes on my macbook (full itunes library lives on a drive that is connected to an airport express so all computers in the house can access it)...

you can also use the apple remote app (if you have an iphone or itouch) to control it...

johsti

· #14 · Sep 23, 2009

The new squeezebox touch has many of your requirements. You can attach a usb hard drive, no need for a display, plays flac, can be controlled with an ipod touch or iphone in addition to its remote. It also does 24/96 natively.

It can't rip your cd's though.

http://www.logitechsqueezebox.com/pr...box-touch.html

dirk1843

· #15 · Nov 2, 2009

I am so on the fence about an AppleTv and a MacMini.

I think it would be nice to have a computer to surf and do other computer things on a big screen sometimes, but the AppleTv seems very simple, and cheaper than the Mini.

1 - 15 of 15 Posts

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