Pinnacle Audio showcases The Folio one-box music server
We've just been given a hands-on briefing on The Folio sound server from Pinnacle Audio, and it's certainly served to pique our interest.
The Folio aims to combine 'pure unadulterated sound quality with massive storage capacity, and has no need for PCs or TV screens'.
Just connect to mains power and via Ethernet to your router, or a wireless bridge, and then via the analogue outputs to your hi-fi or active speakers.
It's a one-box solution – well, two with the power supply – with a CD-ripping drive that turns your CDs in to digital files of your choosing in a matter of minutes.
Set by default to rip in FLAC lossless format, you can also rip in Ogg Vorbis or good ol' MP3 at a bitrate of your choosing.
The package comes bundled with the Nokia N810 Internet Tablet that works as your touchscreen browser over your Wi-Fi network, with all the normal search and playlist functionality you'd expect.
The Folio comes with dual hard drives that using the RAID technology automatically uses one hard disk as a back-up copy of the other, which is handy.
Purchase The Folio direct from Pinnacle Audio, and take advantage of a special 15% discount at launch. The system with 2x250GB HDD is £2039, with 2x500GB it's £2124 and with 2x750GB it's £2379.
This discount seems to run until 31st March 2010 – so there's no great hurry – after which prices will revert to £2399, £2499 and £2799 respectively.
Head over to the Pinnacle Audio website for more information and look out for our review in the not too distant future.
Comments
I have one of these and it is a neat one-box solution. Unfortunately mine needs a drive replacing and they appear to have disappeared from the face of the earth. Beware small companies.
Missing the point or not...
I'm assuming they are normal hard drives in there and not new solid state drives.
Charging £400 more for two 750GB hard drives when you can pick them up online for £50 each means that only those who don't have a degree in computer science and a PHD from geeksville will be ripped off...
Decpvr,
you are completely missing the point. It is a one box solution. So you don't need a degree in computer science and a PHD from geeksville to put something together.
It sounds like the guys from Pinnacle have finally come up with a quality 21st centary relacement for the CD player. And yes it is hifi. I for one will be checking this out and I look forward to the review with interest.
It may not be in the same "hi-fi" league (although that could be changed with a DACMAGIC) but you may want to look at Vortexbox.org as a slightly more affordable alternative. It does pretty much the same thing.
The pre-built device has only a single hard drive, but you can back up to an external USB drive - or if you're so inclined, build your own with a bit of PC knowhow to have a RAID system.
Add an iPhone or iPod-Touch with the iPeng app and away you go!
It also streams to Squeezeboxes, or Sonos if you have one.
I don't work for these guys by the way - just made one of my own with a 1.5TB hard drive for £250! =)