Recommendations : Hard Disk Player With Remote

If you don't want to stream (though this begs the question of why not, as it's so much more versatile) then that kind of leaves the Cambridge 640h (which is quite good value now), the yamaha HD-1000 (I think) and that little blue thing with an 80 gig hard drive whose name I forget.

None of these have the interface of something like Apple TV or Media Centre though.......

Thanks John, both however offer far more than I'm looking for. I don't want CD playback or writing capability nor do I really need a DAC although I accept that a digital out only player may be hard to come by.

I'm interested in your view that it's more versatile to have streaming capability. That may be so but I listen to music in two places, my study where the master flac files would sit and in the living room where I'd put the HD player. Streaming avoids the need to have two copies of the .flac files but I want two copies (nice protection in the case of a hd failure) so I don't mind ripping to the study PC and copying to HD player (which is why it would be nice if the player could live on the network as I could automate the copy).

Beyond that I don't need or look for any more playback options and I avoid any issues due to network drop outs and so on if I'm not streaming music.ÿ

ianandyr:

Thanks John, both however offer far more than I'm looking for. I don't want CD playback or writing capability nor do I really need a DAC although I accept that a digital out only player may be hard to come by.

I'm interested in your view that it's more versatile to have streaming capability. That may be so but I listen to music in two places, my study where the master flac files would sit and in the living room where I'd put the HD player. Streaming avoids the need to have two copies of the .flac files but I want two copies (nice protection in the case of a hd failure) so I don't mind ripping to the study PC and copying to HD player (which is why it would be nice if the player could live on the network as I could automate the copy).

Beyond that I don't need or look for any more playback options and I avoid any issues due to network drop outs and so if I'm not streaming music.

Hm, in which case you're kind of caught between two stools - I'd say an Apple TV (or even an iPod with a dock) would have been a good option since it "synchs" with the host PC on its internal hard drive, but then you're limited to iTunes supported formats - ie not FLAC.

Only other thing I can think of are the cheap "media hard drives" available in PC World like this, though I'll wager it doesn't support FLAC either.

Yes, I'd come to the same conclusion hence the post. Not much out there that does what I want. Maybe have to buy a Sonos after all and stick the spare receiver in the kitchen.ÿ

Maplin do some media hard drives under the Inoi or ATMT brand.

They have component and composite outs on a mini headphone as well as scart to control the unit via TV. They output audio on digital coax aswell as on composite.

The remote is nasty, but I use mine with a learning remote.

It will play MP3 and WAV along with a couple of other formats but will not work with APE or FLAC.

It doesn't support playlists and you get to see 8 tracks or folders per screen on the TV.

It can't browse when files are in play either.

It does support a number of video formats too.

Mine has started to suffer from disk spin noise, but I've no idea about how loud/quiet the new SATA drive ones are.

Use with PC like any other external USB drive.

If you're strapped for cash and mostly play full albums at a time and like the idea of storing video too they're not bad. Especially as you can go to Maplin and find out in advance when specific products will be discounted in a sale.

If you like browsing while playing or need FLAC, don't go there. If you don't have a TV to hand either it's no go.

The sound is better than my Panasonic S75 DVD but not up to a Cambridge CD640.

My Dell PC playing the same files sounds more refined somehow.

Thanks but it's looking more like Sonos every day. Overkill for me but importantly well designed and lovely to use.